The music business, one of the most lucrative businesses there is today.
We often hear hip hop artist stating that they are here to change the game, but is there anyone really changing the game? Is there anyone doing anything different in Hip Hop. Personally I don't think so. We have a million rappers and 10 million producers. In lamens terms, everyone is doing the same thing. Now I know if you got something going and its working for you then keep doing your thing. But for those who are actually new to the music business, and who really want to make some money in it, the best thing you can do is try to find out what these artist are not doing. No one is doing all that they can do, and no one is doing everything that can be done in hip hop. Well, I want to change the game, and I'm always trying to figure out different ways of promoting, selling music, and being heard. As we know it, the days of the CD is pretty much done when you can have music in mp3 formats and connections from your cellphone to listen to the music in your car. Would you believe that in the next few years most vehicles won't have CD players in them. Only USB connections. Technology is growing and so should the music business because almost everyone likes music.
This is why so many artist want to be out of the game. The money isn't there, true, but can't something be done differently?
Everyone wants to blame the internet for the reduction of money in the music business, but let me ask you," Have you done anything to help change this in hip hop?" When the money coming in the saying is too, "keep going, don't stop", but once the money cease then the saying is," Hip Hop is dead." Hip hop is one genre of music that will never die as long as we really began to look at this just as what it is," A BUSINESS", and why do you have a business? Too make money. So why wouldn't you try to broaden the horizon on how music is distributed. Cut out the middle man is the main approach when you want to earn a good living in this business.
What can I do to make a mark in hip hop and on how music is distributed?
Just us the tools that you already have in front of you. Don't blame the internet use the internet:
Blogs- no one has ever done a Blog album. If you want to be heard do a blog and put you music in it. Make sure the songs are in there as links where you can get paid and the listener is merely forced to hear what you sound like.
Flash Drives- I know people have already started using flash drives to distribute music. They are cheap and handy, also they give the listener the option to save their personal files on the drive. And while cd's are available, the listener can have the choice on whether to put the music on CD.
E-books- this could be a good source of income streaming from e-books where you can also put in links to your music. This gives you a chance to really promote your music. Doing e-books (e-albums) you don't have to charge the regular price of albums, but you are welcome to charge if your album comes with someone of a story line that you decide to publish. This form of album really gets people to really get in depth with your albums content.
These are just ideas for changing the way music is distributed. I want everyone to be inspired to do something new in the music business. Try new things and don't let the focus be about money. Just put your work in and the money will come. The richest artist whether it be hip hop, country, or any music genre are getting rich because money is the last of their worries. You got the talent, the strive, and the ambition to anything you want to do in life. Just change something. Start small and end BIG. *I DON'T WANT TO SEE ANYONE FALL VICTIM OF THE HIP HOP COPY MACHINE****
T. Brown
