A growing debate among rap music industry observers centers around whether or not free mixtapes are the right way to go. The strategy involved in mixtapes, of course, is that you put out a mixtape with some great free rap beats and build a fan following. The free mixtapes are supposed to provide a boost when you release an album.

Mixtapes Now A Standard Strategy

Releasing free mixtapes may have been a novel strategy a few years ago, but today, they’re standard for the rap music industry. The question is, “Can rap music artists still build and retain fan followings without releasing mixtapes?” Some artists don’t question the strategy much; mixtapes are simply part of the business and a way to put out some music outside of a full album release. Others have deliberately maneuvered around mixtapes and major labels, and have still built a solid fan base.

So, are mixtapes strictly necessary? If you talk to artists like Lil Wayne or Drake, the answer is clear. They both release mixtapes religiously and they’re massively successful. If you talk to artists like Tech N9ne and Odd Future, they don’t release mixtapes and they’re arguably very successful, too.

Part of the answer depends upon how you define “success.” From a business perspective, success is measured in dull fashion, by counting product sales and performance revenues. From a critical perspective, success is harder to define. Do you put on a good show? Do you get a lot of airtime? Is your music standard on the club circuit?

Tech N9ne and other independent artists prove that releasing mixtapes isn’t necessary to build a fan base or keep fans interested. Mixtapes provide a great way to introduce a new artist. For established talent, mixtapes are a good outlet for music that’s stylistically good, but not good enough to be featured on an album. They can also be used to promote upcoming albums without a lot of effort.

Ultimately, the mixtape comes down to this: do you want to swing for the fences on every track, or is a base hit good enough? If you want to be a home run king, it’s best to consider each song’s potential as an album and make sure it’s as good as it can ever get. If you don’t want to work that hard, the mixtape is a good way to publish music that’s better than average and keep the fans interested, but you’ll still need to deliver on your album work.

Photo Credit: ChicagoFabulousBlog.com, via Flickr

Rights to a rap beat are the subject of a lawuit filed last week against rapper Lil Wayne and Drummer Boyz. Another rapper, Rich Rick, says that he bought the rights to the rap beat back in 2006 from the Drummer Boyz, but that the group re-sold the beat to Lil Wayne in exchange for a 35% royalty fee. According to the lawsuit, which was filed in Los Angeles last week, Rich Rick seeks all proceeds from the song plus a 10% interest penalty.

Unlicensed Rap Beats May Cost Lil Wayne Some Cash

Unlicensed rap beats can be the source of a lot of aggravation for artists in the business. Sampling is a key element to the best of today’s rap beats, but sampling often involves paying licensing fees or royalties. For a musician starting out, the licensing fees can be extreme.

If this is you, there’s another option you should consider: Sonic Producer. Sonic Producer comes with a full library of royalty-free rap beats that you can use in any creation. The beats are yours, so even if you end up selling the music, the money you make is yours to keep with no additional licensing fees or royalties due.

You get the entire Sonic Producer sample library when you purchase the Sonic Producer product. Make your own beats or mix in samples from our library to create a sound that’s uniquely yours. Choose from among thousands of samples, too!

The sample library isn’t the only benefit of using Sonic Producer. You also get a full library of video tutorials that tell you how to use Sonic Producer, and put music together that people want to hear.

Once you’re mixing as many as 16 tracks, export your music to MP3 and you’re good to go! Share your music with your friends, use it to accompany you at live performances, sell your music or give it away while you’re trying to break into the business.

Sonic Producer has it all, and it’s available for both the Macintosh and PC platforms. That means you don’t have to buy any additional computer equipment – you can use what you have! Sonic Producer is a great tool to use when you’re breaking into the business. It’s like having your own professional recording studio available to you around the clock. Whether you’re just messing around or getting serious about your rap music, Sonic Producer is the one tool you definitely want in your kit.!

Photo Credit: Phil Roeder, via Flickr