Bands: Don't Fall Short on the Basics

1. Practise Practise Practise
2. Band Equipment
3. Finances & Contracts
4. Transport
5. Promoting your band

In 2011 the music industry is a difficult enough place to make money as a musician or band but yet so many who strive to "make it" fall short on the really obvious aspects of band life.

1. Practise Practise Practise:

- How often do you practise?
Most bands practise once a week. Then again, most bands are amateurs and never get further than the odd gig in their local pub. If you want to stand a better chance than most to turn your band into a career, practise as often as possible. Simple. The reason for this is that if you only ever rehearse once a week, by the time you meet again, you have to RE-LEARN everything. Rehearsing every couple of days means you BUILD on that knowledge and you make progress much faster.

- Make it count
Some bands spend more time in the practise room sitting around smoking than they do playing or writing. The way for a band to really make progress is to work on the weaker aspects of the band. It's no good hoping that the problems will solve themselves in time, in fact usually bad habits just get worse if they're not tackled. If the backing vocals have only ever been a theory, concentrate on them until they are tight, strong and in tune. If the drummer and bassist never seem to know where they are in the songs, try running through the songs with ONLY drums and bass. It may take some guts to be the first to point out someone else's shortcomings, but if band members can't take criticism from each other, it's never going to be much of a band.

- Recording yourselves
This can be crucial in tackling all sorts of problems. If the drummer is attempting fills that he can't play, he'll not be able to deny it being a problem when you can all hear it in the recording. Listening back will also give you a better understanding about where you speed up or slow down unintentionally in the songs. Recording the basic parts of the songs can help a lot for planning the arrangements for proper recording such as extra guitar parts, backing vocals, percussion or keyboard parts if any extra parts are required. These recordings are very useful to producers when you first walk into the studio. Apart from giving the producer a better understanding of the songs, it can actually save you studio time (your money). Some producers (including myself) pretty much INSIST on hearing demos of all the songs before quoting for producing an album, as it demonstrates commitment, shows the producer what the band's strengths and weaknesses are, teaches the producer the songs AND the process itself will have ironed out a lot of issues in the band before hitting the studio.

- Hearing each other:
Correctly positioning your amps in rehearsal is crucial. Having them full blast beside your feet will mean that you'll hear as much guitar sound bouncing around the room as you will directly from the amp. Try putting the amps at head height and turned towards whoever can't hear them. You may want to invest in a decent vocal mic to reduce feedback. You can't go wrong with a Shure SM58 or a dynamic mic by Sennheiser around ?150. Of course, before you throw money at the problem, experiment with different layouts in the room to find the one that gives you the least feedback. Don't forget that hanging duvets and carpets on the walls can help to reduce feedback. And no, don't bother trying egg boxes, they're too thin.

- Click-tracks: (metronomes)
If your songs mainly have a consistent tempo from start to finish, try practicing with a click. Drum manufacturers make metronomes for drummers (you can also use a drum machine or a laptop). If the songs get recorded to a click in the studio, the recording, editing & mixing can be a faster process and your band will probably sound tighter. Even if you don't want to record with a click, rehearsing with it is still a good idea to teach everyone to stick to the right tempo.

2. Band Equipment:

It's really quite obvious. You wouldn't jump out of a plane unless you knew you could rely on your parachute, so why get on stage without knowing you can rely on your instruments and amps? The studio is more forgiving, but any time that is spent on fixing & setting up your equipment is recording or studio time wasted.

One general principle is that as soon as you notice something loose on your gear, get the screwdrivers out and make sure EVERY screw on all your instruments and amps are tight. It's the reason why I rarely have to replace, fix or throw out any equipment.

- Guitars & Basses:
Get hard cases for them, and put big stickers on them too. Better still, stencil the band name on them.

If you don't change your strings, your guitar will sound lifeless. That bright sparkly sound you get from your guitar when you change the strings is the way your guitar is MEANT to sound all the time.

Make sure that your guitars and basses are set up properly. Learn to adjust the height and length of the strings, this will need done if you've never done it or if you have changed the gauge of strings that you use.

If the action is wrong due to a curved neck (or a flat neck) you'll have to adjust the truss rod. look it up!

To set the intonation (length of each string) use your tuner to compare the 12th fret with the open string or the harmonic of the 12th fret. If the 12th fret is SHARPER than the open string or harmonic, adjust the screw at the end of the bridge so the section of the string that vibrates is made LONGER. If the 12th fret is FLAT compared to the open string, you need to SHORTEN the string length.

If the knobs are wobbly on your guitar, fix them before they get any worse. Check the side of the knob to see if there's a tiny screw or allen bolt to loosen. If not, just pull the knob straight off (like on a strat for example). You'll see a hexagonal ring that you should tighten. Try to not let the stem of the pot turn, as it could strip wires inside.

If the output jack is dodgy (it's not an INPUT jack, it's an OUTPUT jack!!), tighten the hexagonal ring around it. Try to not let the stem of the jack output turn, as it could strip wires inside.

- Amps & pedals:
If you gig a lot, consider getting a pedalboard and flightcases for them. (check out diago pedalboards)

If you know what settings best suit you, be smart and write them down on a strip of white electrical insulating tape below, above (or ACROSS) each button or knob. This means that when someone uses your amp at a gig, you can very quickly reset your amp to your own settings. If you amp is digitally controlled, save all the settings for each channel. You can even save the settings to patches in 2 different banks in case you overwrite a patch by mistake.

For your FX pedals, "which should i use? power supply or battery?" DUH. BOTH. That way, if the power supply is unplugged or burns out during the gig, just unplug the DC inlet and the battery will kick in.

- Cables:
Cheap cables are unreliable and noisy. Use them at your own risk. Professional bands use roadtrunks to carry their cables. Usually, a little silver suitcase is all you need. If you're organised, you'll lose fewer cables at gigs. Consider marking all your cables with coloured tape or cable ties so other bands are less likely to take your cables "by mistake" after a gig. (here at Westland Studios we use yellow/clear cable ties at either end, so please use another colour).

- Drums:
Get cases for them. What's the point in buying an expensive kit if you can't afford to protect it? Also, if you gig a lot, consider getting a mat and marking out where each foot of each stand or drum should be. You can use duck tape or a marker. This will speed up your setup time, and is handy for when you get a drum tech!

Change the skins more often than once every 2 years! For kick, look into Evans patches for where the beater hits the skin. The white or clear patches add more of a click to the sound than the black ones. Both will significantly extend the life of your bass drum skin.

Learn to tune your kit. If you do, you'll already have an advantage over most other drummers. Make sure they are new skins, trying to learn drum tuning with old skins is like trying to chat up a girl with your mouth full. Start by tightening each lug with your fingers, until they are all as tight as you can get them. When they are all "finger-tight" you will probably notice ripples in the skin. If you don't, press the skin in the centre and/or tilt the drum towards a light so you can see a light reflecting off it.

Use a drumkey to tighten the lugs on either side of the ripples to get rid of them. Try not to tighten any of the lugs much more than the others. Once you've got rid of the ripples, place the drum on your knee or on a pillow to dampen the skin on the other side. Now hit the skin beside each lug in turn to see which lugs need tightened to match them with the lugs that produce the highest pitch. Usually you'll find that two or four opposing lugs need tightened. This requires a certain degree of musicality. When you have them all sounding the same, the drum should sound quite deep and even. If you want it tuned higher, remember to tighten the lugs evenly. Start with quarter turns of the drumkey, moving around the drum by tightening each opposite pair of lugs before turning to the next opposite pair. (If you number the lugs clockwise, the lugs of a six-lug drum would be tightened in this order: 1-4-2-5-3-6.)

If it really isn't working, any decent studio engineer should be able to tune your kit before you start recording.

Don't forget to adjust you bass drum pedal. If the spring is too loose, you may not be able to play doubles fast enough. If the beater is set too short, you'll not be able to kick hard enough to get a decent hit.

- Vocals:
Your singer's voice is an instrument. Try to stay away from dairy products before gigs or recording sessions and if you smoke, give up. Regular exercise, good diet and regular practicing will all help your endurance and strength. It may not seem "rock n' roll" but it is professional. Have your lyrics typed out TWICE. This is useful in the studio, both for you to have beside you as you sing, but also for your producer to help him to help you.

3. Finances & Contracts:

- Band Finances
The trick here is to treat the band as a business. To do that, you might want to think about starting a bank account which all of you pay into regularly (maybe by direct debit). This account should be used for band expenses such as studio time, merchandise, posters and even instruments and amps. The idea is that eventually you won't need to pay into it, but just take money out! This all depends on trust of course, but if you can't trust each other at all, you're probably not going to go far anyway.

- Band contracts
Most bands are close friends, but even married couples can draw up pre-nuptial agreements. As an example, the Smiths allegedly spent more time in court than in the studio. When money comes rolling in, things can change unless you've all agreed on who is entitled to what. A simple contract as to the split of royalties within the band can save a lot of time, money and tears in the long term. It may even save the band from splitting due to disagreements.

4. Transport:

A band with no transport is at a serious disadvantage. A second-hand van or minibus can be bought for the price of a small car. The fewer vehicles that are necessary to transport the band and equipment, the better due to many venues' stage entrances being down small alleyways. Trailors are also bad news for this reason, and turning can be a real problem not to mention the issue of having to lock it to a railing during the gig.
When packing the van, make sure the equipment is secure and the band are safe. In an accident, a flying marshall stack could easily kill.

5. Promoting your band:

You could be the best band in the world, but if no-one knows about you, no-one will know to buy your CDs & merchandise or come to your gigs. Back to the day-job.

Some pop acts have made it big with no musical talent worth mentioning, but they have a marketing team with a big budget that can get their name out there and associated with established names in the music industry.

Be creative. It doesn't really matter how you get your name out there, as long as you do.

- Online
Setting up a proper website can be expensive and time-consuming but there is no excuse for a band to not at least set up a social networking site. It may seem ridiculous, but even the choice of an email address can affect how others treat you, get a proper official-looking email address, even if it's just a Gmail for the band name.

- Merchandise
These days most pop & rock acts make as much (if not more) money on their merchandise as they do on their music. This may sound depressing, but if the income from merchandise is what allows someone to pursue their dream career as a recording & gigging artist, they maybe that person shouldn't complain.
I often see bands playing on stage without their band name written on a banner up behind them or anything written across the bassdrum skin or stickers on their guitars. The worst ones don't even introduce themselves over the mic. (and even when they do, half the time all you can hear is a mumble.)

If this article makes sense and you think it could be useful to your band, email it to your band members, PRINT IT OUT, and take it to your rehearsal room to go though it together.

Written by Alwyn Walker
Westland Studios, Dublin, Ireland
westlandstudios@gmail.com
00353 (0) 879 668 333

Alwyn Walker
Westland Studios, Dublin, Ireland
(SSL E Series, ATC main monitors, PTHD, 1178, grand piano, hammond etc...)
http://www.westlandstudiosdublin.com/

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Recording Your Band - 10 Steps to Prepare for a Recording Session at the Studio

The best way to have great sounding recordings at the studio is to be prepared as a band. Lots of bands show up at the recording studio without even knowing which songs to record and they take a lot of time at the studio figuring out the parts of a song, what are the lyrics and many other little things that start adding up. If you as a band prepare before the recording sessions will notice a big difference in the quality of your recordings. Here is some great advice on how to prepare your band for a recording session.

Set Goals: The first thing to do should be setting your goals as a band. What are the band goals for this year? What is the purpose of recording your songs? Are you recording a demo to get more gigs? Are you recording a CD to promote to your fans and friends? What do you want to accomplish after the recording? Be sure that everyone involved in the project is on the same page including the manager, producer, engineer, and specially all of the band members. Knowing your goals will give you an idea of what do you need to prepare before the sessions.

Plan sessions: Plan how many and which songs you want to record. Plan the session so that you are giving enough time for each song to be recorded properly. It is better to have three well recorded songs that ten rushed songs. Be sure to record all your favorite songs first and then, if you still have some time, record any extra songs you need. Prepare a list of the songs you are recording and which ones you will be doing first.

Practice: This is an obvious but under estimated step. Practice all songs as a whole and in parts. Practice any hard part of a song and make sure that everyone in the band is following the drummer's tempo. Practice with a click metronome. If you are not used to play with a metronome you will have to learn it at the recording studio. Take your time and learn how to play with a metronome in your rehearsals so that when you are at the studio you spend that time in other productive things.

Record you Rehearsals: When you record your rehearsals and then listen to them you are aware of many details that you don't notice while you are practicing. Listening to a recording of your rehearsals is a great way of refining your playing and finding which parts need to be considered for improvements. Listen the recording as a band and individually, and share everyone's thoughts about the songs. Have your fans and friends listen to the songs and have their opinions about the songs.

Finish Arrangements:Make sure that all parts and songs are finished. If you recorded your rehearsals listen if all parts blend well together and they are not competing with each other. Give each instrument its room to breathe. It doesn't matter how well you record your songs, if the arrangement it's done poorly the parts won't mix well together.

Know all Parts of the Song:Everyone in the band should know their parts perfectly. The singer should know the lyrics and background vocals should be known by anyone singing them. I you prepare your background vocals before the recording sessions you will save a lot of time at the studio. Guitar and keyboard players should know which effects and patches to use in each of the songs.

Decide the Sound of Each Song: Have an idea of how you want the songs to sound like. Do you want a similar sound on all of the songs or do you have different ideas for each of the songs. Will a particular drum sound fit better in a particular song? Try different guitars and effects on each song to see which one fits the song better. Be sure to let the engineer at the recording studio know of your ideas for each of the songs so he can better choose how to mic, mix and edit your band.

Document Sessions: Have a photo and video camera ready to take to the recording studio. Having a video and photos of the sessions is a great way of integrating your friends and fans into the recording experience. You may have somebody filming and taking pictures at the recording studio, but make sure that he is not distracting everyone at the studio.

Set Up Instruments: Have your gear sounding at its best. Guitar and bass players should put new strings to their instruments. Make sure you do it at least one day before showing at the recording studio so strings can stretch well. Drums should be tuned properly and any noise and rattle should be resolved before the recording session. Keyboardist should know where to find specific sound in their keyboards.

Relax: Sleep well the night before going to the studio. You want to be relaxed and enjoy the recording process. If you are too tired you won't pay attention to the minor details and have a hard time focusing on getting the best results.

Pedro Vazquez, Engineer at La Roccella Recording Studio. Visit Our Studio Website http://www.laroccella.com/

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What Independent Musicians Can Learn From Rebecca Black

Indie bands - By now, most of you will have heard of Rebecca Black, and if you haven't, you will soon. I have a unique perspective on the young phenomenon and her effect on modern music marketing, but let's go over the back story first.

Rebecca is a 14-year old singer from Anaheim, California. Her mother paid a local record label called ARK Music Factory to film a music video and release a single for a pre-written track entitled "Friday". Soon after the playful track was posted, it became a viral sensation. To many people's surprise the song became a worldwide smash, making the Billboard charts and earning Rebecca spots on Good Morning America and The Tonight Show. Stephen Colbert even covered the song recently with Jimmy Fallon, Taylor Hicks and The Roots. Conan O'Brian and Andy Richter did their own cover version called "Thursday." It was also covered by the hit TV show Glee.

Since the release of the song and video, something unprecedented has also taken place. The backlash was incredible, with an 87 percent disapproval rating by YouTube users. As it turns out, some of the reasons why the song became viral in the first place was because of it's questionable lyrics, it's use of auto-tune, and the judgements by many that it was the "worst song ever". Parodies of the song became commonplace and "Friday" became a sign that the current YouTube generation had possibly reached a kind of peak. Forbes Magazine stated that the popularity of the song is another sign of the current power of social media - in the ability to create "overnight sensations." The original video was removed.

Rebbeca used the leverage from the first video, and released a 2nd single called "My Moment", which in turn is also a bona fide hit. This young lady is a new celebrity.

Now, you may think that this article is about to tell you how you can achieve the kind of success Rebecca Black has, and outline viral steps to recreate this kind of promotion.

Not so much. I'd like to suggest something else entirely, if I may. Many independent artists strive to be liked by as many people as possible. This isn't necessarily the best way. It could easily be argued that Rebecca Black sounds quite similar to other modern pop stars such as Katy Perry and Britney Spears. These days, the mainstream simply choose differently. If the public overwhelmingly chooses Rebecca Black, Jersey Shore, the Kardashians, Pitbull, and a slew of talent show contestants, then why worry so much about being accepted?

If you think about it, there is something positive to be taken from all this. Instead of getting angry about the choices that we collectively make, market honestly to your niche and stop trying to appeal to or rebel against the masses. If you are planning on writing or making music with your life, you must first accept that the masses are going to choose things that you won't understand.

As Tom Waits says "Everything you can think of is true." (in pop culture, I would add.)

Let them watch Jersey Shore and blast "Friday" on their car stereos. You're going to need to save all your energy to effectively market your music to the people who really want to hear it. There are, and always will be, people who value honesty and passion. They will never be in short supply no matter how much this fact is not promoted by the mainstream media. If you are marketing to the masses, you're marketing to no one.

Study your niche.

That would include your genre(s), themes, lyrical content, image, location, and life philosophy. Promote to your niche in a credible way and believe in what you're doing. Have some class. Just because it's possible to score an auto-tuned hit, doesn't mean it's a great thing to do. Release your true self, not a gimmick. There are people who want to hear what you have to say. Start small. Promote to music blogs, podcasts, and publications that cover genuine independent music. Build it one brick at a time and don't worry about the rest.

James Moore is a Canadian music consultant and author of the bestselling music marketing book "Your Band Is A Virus". For more information on "Your Band Is A Virus" and a free chapter on the new method of "behind-the-scenes" marketing, visit http://www.yourbandisavirus.com/.

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Three Ways To Get Yourself Into A Band - Make The Hookup

Promoting and supporting live music at all different levels is one of the things that I am passionate about. After all, most bands get their start by playing live as this is usually how they are discovered. Making it big in the music business is a dream of many musicians, and some never even get the chance. If you are looking for the next step to take after practicing many long hours to better your own ability, then maybe it's time to join a band. Often times, it is easier than it seems as there are probably several bands in your area right now that are looking for a new musician. With that said, here are three legitimate ways to make that hookup allowing you to get into a band:

Word of Mouth - If you've been playing for any period of time, then you've probably made several appearances at your local music store(s). Ask around in the store, they may even have a bulletin board where bands put up information when they are looking for new members. If you are still in high school or college, these are virtual gold mines for people who either have bands or know someone who does, and a hookup can be made there as well.
Local Media - If you've exhausted all of your contacts, try some of the local media. Check out the classified ads for "musicians wanted." Your local paper is a great place for bands and musicians to advertise that they are seeking out other musicians. If you don't really see what you are looking for, you can also place your own ad saying that you are a musician looking for a band to play in or for other musicians to hook up with. It may seem pretty trivial, but these actually do work and I have a few friends that have made good connections this way.
The Internet - The internet is a powerful tool, and should be used in your quest to find a band to play in. Craigslist, for example, is a great place to start as you can find classified ads of people looking for musicians in not only your local area, but in surrounding areas as well. Another great way to make a connection is to find and become a member of different music forums, especially one geared towards your specific instrument. Most forums have classifieds sections that can help you to find that perfect match.

Getting a hookup and finding your way into a band doesn't have to be that hard. After all, joining a band is the next logical step after spending countless hours on your own practicing to become a better musician. Visit us at http://www.themusicaficionado.com/ for all kinds of music information, reviews, recommendations, and more. Become a supporter and promote live music, get yourself out there, and become a member of that band that you have always dreamed of!

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Audio Mastering: How To Prepare Your Mix

In our mastering studios, we see a lot of music and a lot of music files coming our way. Many musicians and producers know just how to prepare their mix for CD mastering, but on the other hand, a lot of the files we see coming in are not prepared correctly for the mastering process. The main problems we see are either 1) the file was exported too hot, and there is no headroom to work with, and the sound clips; 2) the producer used a mastering plug-in on the export, and the song is already mastered, to a fashion; and/or 3) the vocals are distorted or are not sounding good.

When a file is exported too hot, the result is that there is no variation between the louder sections and the parts that are supposed to softer. The reason is that in digital music production, there is a ceiling to how loud a track can be, this is referred to as the zero attenuation point and roughly corresponds to the 'red line' maximum level on the output slider. If the song is mixed correctly, the output mix will never touch the zero line. But what we often see is the whole output file touching and in fact attempting to push above the zero line. In such a case, all the softer sections of the music are pushed almost as loud as the zero point, and all the louder sections would have crossed the zero point, except that they are "clipped" by the fact that the sound cannot be louder than the zero point. The result is that all the louder peaks are cut off and "clipped" by the zero point whereas the softer parts are pushed almost directly to the zero point. The result is a marked lack of dynamic difference between what are supposed to be louder and softer peaks and valleys in the music, which should have shown more dynamic difference but were thwarted due to the clipping process. And in most cases, the clipping results in distortion and aliasing which were not present in the music when originally produced.

Similarly, if a producer or self-produced musician employs a mastering plug-in on the entire track, this also destroys any sort of variation between the louder peaks and the softer valleys of the sound track file. While usually such a plug-in does not allow the sound to clip past the zero point, nevertheless it compresses the track into a dynamic range which eliminates this so-called headroom from the track, and invariably makes it difficult for us as mastering engineers to do anything creative with the dynamic range that remains. Therefore, if you are going to get your track professionally mastered, it is imperative that you do not use a mastering plug-in when outputting your mix. The plug-in itself may be nice and sound good and provide some form of mastering, but the fact is a mastering engineer can do a lot more with your mix than a mastering plug-in. So, you should choose: mastering plug-in, or mastering engineer? not both.

The third more common issue we see with files coming into the studio is a track with badly recorded or distorted vocal tracks over a beat. Believe it or not, many self-produced musicians have this problem. The way to solve this is, first, get a decent microphone. There are a number of microphones on the market today which one can purchase for less than $200 -- basically imported knock-offs of high-end microphones, which work very well and sound great. Get yourself one of these microphones. Then, you must experiment with your input levels until you've found that "sweet spot" where you get a strong signal coming in with zero distortion. Once you've found this spot with a halfway decent microphone, that is half the battle. The other half is delivering a strong performance, which is up to the musician.

In conclusion, the best practices to follow to prepare your mix for professional audio mastering are: 1) make sure your mix is not maxing out at the zero point and clipping; 2) get rid of any mastering plug-ins you might have on your output mix; and 3) make sure you use a decent microphone and make sure the input levels are set correctly for clean recording of your vocal parts.

Hugh Jarvis Hitchcock is an award-winning producer and mastering engineer, and proprietor of Groove-Phonic Mastering and Mixing on the web at http://www.groovephonic.com/, where you can get quality audio mastering at affordable prices. Groove-Phonic is currently offering a promotion where you can get your song mastered for free! Go to http://www.groovephonic.com/freemastersignup.aspx

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How To Sell Music Online

You might have been one of the musicians or bands who upload your music on YouTube, and other social media sites wherein people can watch and listen to your creations. I bet that you would love to earn profits from all of your hard work. You might be thinking how an indie artist can make money and sell music online? If you have no idea how to do this, here are some tips that can help you along the way.

Copyrights Protection

First thing to do is for you to register your band or your music to a performing rights organization, digital licensor and have a contact with music biz lawyer. Doing this won't cost too much unless you have already built a strong demand for your music or performance.

Make Your Own Store

Selling your album on iTunes, amazon, eMusic and other online music distributor out there is not a bad idea, but there are lots of competitors in those sites and you need to stand out. Plus, you pay for every album that you will put, and they will have a cut-off over your sales. On the other hand, creating your own website will add to your brand name and creates a place for you to interact with your fans and highlight your music and merch.

If you have already made a good impact on YouTube, and you gained fans over the internet. It will be easier for you to invite them to your website and sell music to them. Even though you're just a musician and don't know much how to sell music, there are hosting sites that can make it easier for you. These eCommerce hosting sites can make your website into a store wherein you can sell music, and all you have to do is follow their simple steps.

Market on Facebook

Facebook is the biggest social networking site that accommodates millions of people worldwide. This simply means that you can use this opportunity, and convert them to your own advantage. You can build a fan page on Facebook and invite your fans, post your music and share your thoughts with them. There are applications that can show you how to sell music on Facebook, and create your own shop over the site.

Sell Other Products

Do not be limited on your music only. Once you think you have gotten enough fans and making money from your music, it's time for you to sell some merch as well. You can sell music along with your own printed t-shirts, caps, and CD's. Start your own trend by wearing the outfits you are selling, and show them how your clothing line can beautifully fit their bodies.

Give Some Goodies

It is best to show appreciation to your fans and loyal buyers, and a way to do this is by giving free gifts or freebies. You can either include free merch every time a person purchase your album, and even make raffles or events on Facebook wherein your fans can participate and have fun.

Take note

Do not be too pushy on making sales, it is still best to gain trust and friends over the network, as they can turn to be the one promoting your music and products to other people. Gain trust, fans and more friends as this is the right way on how to sell music.

If you want to know how to sell music to your fans. Michael Dresden provides you with an insider look to sell music in an elegant and simple shopping cart on your own blog, website or Facebook page. We take care of your orders with our digital delivery.

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How To Become A Beat Maker

Do you want to make beats online?

Making your own beats can put money in your pocket, a ticket to your dream home and got it made lifestyle. But you need to be good. You also need to get your music out to people, so they can buy it!

When you watch a music video, you have no idea how much hard work it takes to make. Getting whatever you desire takes hard work and lots of persistence. You need to be able to focus and work hard.

People who don't succeed, are those folks who are happy to make music just for themselves. You need ambition and talent to make it. If you don't have what it takes... so long.

When you are not signed to a label or producer, you get to keep 100% of what you earn. Involve a producer and others and they get their significant cut!

Here is the secret to succeeding, now pay attention...

Why become a beat maker?

Your tired of having no money, no life, no dream car or lifestyle. Your greatest difficulty is the shortage of money you need to buy equipment to create that quality studio-like sound. Costs can easily spiral up to $50,000.

Where in the hell are you gonna find that much disposable income? Most adults barely make that every two years! You want to make beats, you want to get paid for those beats, just how on earth do you come up with the funds?

The cost of using a studio even for a few hours could end up costing an arm and a leg. So, how are you legally going to generate the sort of income you need?

It seems that every where you turn, there is a roadblock erected to stop you succeeding. Fortunately, there is an answer. A low cost way to create that studio sound at a small price that will finally set you on the road to successful music promotion.

How does the sound of making studio quality beats, professionally made with a fantastically, easy to use, software that you can install on your desktop computer? It is possible. Every day could be your ideal day. You get up and make your own beats. You do it all day if that's what you want.

Not only that, we will show you the easiest way to make money from your beats in the shortest time possible.

One thing to avoid, is online beat maker programmes. MP3 beat makers online are rubbish. The sound quality is tinny and amateurish.

You really do not want to go down this route. Potential success can soon turn into despair when how poor the quality can be. Unless your WAV files are of the highest quality, no professional studio will go near them.

Good quality beats, made with the right software, will sound even better after they have been compress a couple of times. Typically, the software used to convert mp3 to wav is poor quality and will not sound great at all. We're after quality here.

On the market, there really is only one professionally made software, that is cheap and excellent quality. True, there are loads of excellent beat loopers at affordable prices, but these only make samples.

It's impossible to make as much on a beat sample. Your require a full bar beat. You need to find new beats by playing around.

A desktop software available at the press of a key is an essential piece of kit. You can do this in the privacy of your own home. You can focus, feel the music, create the best beats you are capable of. Don't worry if your initial beats aren't perfect, a good software will alow you to go back over what you've created and clean it up.

Easily learn the secrets of creating great beats that will make you a great income. So, you have the greatest beat making software available to you. Your sound is crisp and professional.

Your beats are refreshing and will earn you the respect of your peers and none is every not going to take you seriously again. Now, it's time to start making some serious money...

Work hard, day and night. Use your passion for music and lay down as many quality beats as you can. The best, most professional of all music producers own hundreds upon hundreds of top end tracks. You need to be the same. Think of how you'll feel when going to work isn't like going to work at all. Think how you'll feel for getting paid for doing the thing you love? That really is the golden ticket...

Never stop creating you beats. Never give up. If it really is your life's passion, you don't need me to telly you to eat, breath and sleep your music and beat making.

You have your beats, what next?

You need to upload your beats to as many music selling sites as possible. Exposure is the key to succeed. One of the most popular places to sell your beats is Soundclick. You can also lease your sounds here.

The two distinct ways to sell your music is: Lease your beats or sell them exclusively to whoever wants them. Leasing your music can become a real money spinner. If a rapper wants a beat, he will quite easily pay up to $100 a month for the privilege. You can lease the same beat over and over again, if you wish.

You could easily charge four figure sums to sell exclusivity rights for your beats to one artist. The only downside is that once you have sold exclusivity rights, you have no hold over your beats.

Whether you decide lease or sale, remember leasing songs can bring you in a consistent monthly income whereas selling your rights will bring in one payment and you lose your own rights to the beats. Dubturbo is by far the market leader in the beat making software department. Apart from its low price tag and ease of use, it has the ability to churn out top quality, professional beats. The features it has are a must for anyone who wants to be respected as a top level producer.

For creating quality, studio sounds, Dub turbo cannot be beaten. It's ability to make 16-32 bar full length beats cannot be beaten. This is not a simply, low end beat looper.

This is real, professional created software for the wanna-be professional music makers out there. Dub Turbo gives you the hidden knowledge that will allow you to create the beats that people really want and need.

This great software will also show you the way to sell or lease what you produce. Your life doesn't have to be dead-end, low paid jobs for the rest of your life. You wanna lay down beats, you can do it!

This is the way. No ludicrous studio costs, no time limits on studio time. Do it now from your own home with beat making software at a fraction of the price of studio equipment.

Watch this cool video on how to become a beat maker using BeatMaker for PC Dub turbo

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