There was a great Pop & Hiss blog post in the Los Angeles Times this week about a self- made rap artist named Sean Falyon. In the article, Falyon dispenses advice to aspiring rappers who want to make their own music and are willing to make their own names, too.

Promoting Your Own Music Is Hard Work

If you really want to see what the world of self-produced music is all about, take a minute to read what Falyon has to say. He’s worked hard to make a name for himself. That’s evident because just about every promoter in the rap music industry knows Sean Falyon.

Falyon is a big proponent of social networking and other tools that can help you get the word out about your music. You don’t need a promoter, and you don’t need a big machine, but if you don’t have the horsepower behind you, you will have to do a lot of work on your own. Falyon says that social networks like Facebook and Twitter are great for getting the word out about your rap beats. You also need to have your own Web site, which you keep updated with new beats and news about yourself, your appearances and your musical career.

Falyon also says that you need make some investments to make your music stand out. This could mean making your own videos and your own music recordings. Studio time is expensive, as any would-be rapper knows. You need to get the studio sound without having to spend the big bucks on studio equipment. And “studio” doesn’t just mean the recording studio. Today’s rap beats are accompanied by visuals, including videos and photos.

Get comfortable with making your own recordings. Sonic Producer is a great tool for this. Not only will you be able to make professional-quality recordings, you’ll also get an entire library of royalty-free samples that you can use with your sound. You can also find low-cost video cameras that put out some great pictures. Learn how to make your own videos and visuals, and you could get yourself noticed on your own Web site, YouTube and other visual media outlets.

I strongly encourage you to read the rest of the blog post. Falyon has a lot more to say and it’s great advice for someone who’s trying to make a name and still self-produce his (or her) own music. It also gives you an idea of what lies ahead for the truly dedicated musician. Falyon says his career isn’t where he wants it to be, but his approached to self-produced music has taken him far.

Photo Credit: Kraus Phade, via Flickr