How To Get Your Video Played On BET

Here is the video for Gotcha that we did a few years ago. The story of how we got it featured on BET is pretty cool.

We had a friend at a local magazine called Creative Loafing who had done a full spread feature article on Prophetix. That friend, "Hutch" was also an instructor at Georgia State University in media arts.

He provided the facility and storyboard and we provided the camera. The rest is history!

Once Hutch finished editing the video, we begin to send out press kits to different video outlets. BET was on that list.

It took about a month of mailing out these kits but one day we got a return phone call back from a BET representative.

They informed us they wanted to air the video on a show called "The Next". We had a party just to watch it!

Imagine seeing yourself not only on the TV but on BET!!!

Now believe it can happen to you because it happened to me.

Was it luck? Nope. It was down to earth, street smart marketing. See even if BET never played the video, it was still getting plenty of airplay in other markets.

Once again its a numbers game.

But you've got to play the game to win it. It takes hard work, determination, and vision but if you follow the steps it takes to be successful you will be successful.

Let's Make It Happen!!!

Mello Melanin, The Hot Instrumentalist
www.RapBeatCreator.com

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New Beat I Made Yesterday

Hey I just wanted you to check out this new beat I made over the last couple of days. Its not finished yet but since I promised you something a while ago then I gotta stick to my word.

I'm going to be changing it around some so you're welcome to listen as it goes through its phases.

Click on the link below to hear the beat:

http://www.free-hot-rap.com/The_Ride_Home.mp3

Let's Make It Happen!!!

Mello Melanin, The Hot Instrumentalist
www.RapBeatCreator.com

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More About Marketing Your Beats

Here is a follow up to my blog last week about marketing. Let's blow the lid off of what you think you know about business right now.

How important is marketing?

First, lets define what marketing is. A quick definition is matching buyers to sellers or in our case matching rappers to beats.

A more technical definition by the American Marketing Association is:

"Marketing is the activity, set of institutions, and processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners, and society at large."

Damn, that's too much to remember! BUT...

...it's the key to having a successful business.

Marketing is the lifeblood of your business. If you're not communicating with your target market then your business will suffer.

You can be slack in every other aspect but if you slack in marketing, your business will sink!

Why? Because marketing brings in the MONEY. A good marketing plan helps you identify your customer, helps you find out what they like, and creates the situation where you can get the sale.

And a really good marketing plan helps you get the sale over and over again. And ultimately that is what you want in your business: repeat customers and referral customers.

Now you really need to listen to this point. This is what separates the person who makes beats online and makes a fortune and the guy who make beats online and gets few if any sales.

The secret is this:

Your business is really TWO businesses in one. Your primary business is to make your own beats and your secondary business is to market your business.

Once you get this firmly in your mind, you'll change the way you look at the game and...

...you'll begin to make more sales.

Once again, if you're really serious and not just looking for a get rich quick scheme there is help out there for you to learn how to market your beats successfully.

Click on LiveOffBeats.com to get started marketing your beats now because if you don't market, no one will know you exist!!!

Let's Make It Happen!!!

Mello Melanin, The Hot Instrumentalist
www.RapBeatCreator.com

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Is There Room For Another Rap Producer?

I read somewhere where someone said the music production game is saturated and there's not enough room for any more producers.

WHAT???

That's krazy!! There are thousands of people searching for beats online everyday. There are also hungry artist looking for beats that are not online.

The Internet has leveled the playing field so even new producers with no names can make a good living. In addition to having your own website there are other ways to make money selling beats online.

Sites like sound Soundclick and RocBattle exist so producers can make money and get global exposure.

If your beat sales are not where you want them to be you should check out Postman's site at LiveOffBeats.com.

There is so much FREE information that Postman gives away that its crazy!!!

The videos are on point too. I've watched the video on using the AIDA system as well as a testimony video on being persistant as you try to sell your beats. They are legit!

Oh yeah...

...None of this is going to happen over night but if you never get started, nothing will ever happen.

Let's Make It Happen!!!

Mello Melanin, The Hot Instrumentalist

www.RapBeatCreator.com

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Guerrilla Marketing For Music Producers

I had a conversation with DJ Pocket from Serious Knock Entertainment (www.seriousknockent.com) the other day about a new artist he's releasing on his label, DJ Razor Ramon.

http://seriousknockent.com/Store-DJRazorRamon.htm

Our conversation was about how to marketing Razor Ramon to get better exposure & sales. I shot some ideas to Pocket about what he could do because I know he wants his project to be successful. Who doesn't?

We covered everything from flyers to email blast in a short period of time. It was like a crash course in guerrilla marketing in 7 minutes.

One thing I covered with him was how the copy (which is the wording in the advertising) actually sells the product not just the image. The image should enhance what the copy is saying to the reader.

Some people think that they can just put a nice "Photoshopped" picture on a piece of paper, billboard, website, or whatever and think their product is gonna sell like hotcakes.

I got news for you my friends. It ain't gonna happen!

Contrary to popular belief, people do read and its the words on the advertising that do the selling.

The example I gave him is using a flyer with text only on bright card stock paper. Previously, I told you about how I promoted "Da Unfold". I used really bright yellow card stock paper for our flyers with black text ONLY on the front and back and our logo. I put them all over Atlanta everywhere my target market hung out and out of town as well.

They were cheap to produce and we reached alot of people that way. When you don't have a big budget like a major label you have to figure out ways to make an impact.

Remember the music business is still competition and you have to make noise to get noticed.

Let's Make It Happen!!!

Mello Melanin, The Hot Instrumentalist
www.RapBeatCreator.com

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The Squeaky Wheel Gets The Oil

With Hiphop and Rap music being dominated mostly by males, the ego pretty much comes built-in. "I'm so and so, I'm this, I'm that..." is not only a hot line but it is the truth about the music industry.

There are all kinds of colorful artists out here in "the game" but the ones that truly shine are the ones who are not afraid to promote themselves.

I'm talking about the ones who have no shame in promoting themselves to the point that you MUST listen to what they are saying or doing.

My experience in the business world has proven this to me time and time again. I remember when I was promoting Da Unfold EP by my group Prophetix. I was out promoting in the streets and online all the time, every moment I could get. People knew that I was a hustler because of how much they saw me in the street. They bought into the hype I was selling.

Since then, whenever people see me or one the other members to this day, they always ask where the other members are because of the standard we set in the underground Hiphop scene in Atlanta.

What about you? What are you doing to promote your music...

...AND ARE YOU LOUD ENOUGH?????

Remember, the squeaky wheel gets the oil!

Let's Make It Happen!!!

Mello Melanin, The Hot Instrumentalist

www.RapBeatCreator.com

P.S. If you already make beats online and you would like to learn how to promote your music then click here to check out Liveoffbeats.com. Now go ahead and get your squeaky wheel on!!!

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$700 Billion or Bust!!! Make Beats Or Die Bitches!!!

With all this talk about politics (Obama & McCain), the economy (Big bank takes little bank), and the $700 billion bailout (Um, where's my cut?) , its nice to know that making beats is still a good source of income.

I came across this ad about how to make money selling your own beats and of course I just had to see what it was about (since that's what I preach and teach).

What I found was a great candidate for review at my main site over at www.RapBeatCreator.com.

The site was called LiveOffBeats.com.

This site was not focused on how to make your own beats but it was focused on how to make money off the beats you've already made. I read the sales letter on the web page and I said to myself, "my subscribers might be interested in this."


I checked out the free video that was posted and it was pretty good. So I signed up for the newsletter about 2 weeks ago and I've been getting all sorts of free music "placement" tips.

The producer and webmaster is named Postman and he really has the production game down pat plus the Internet marketing game too. The testimonials are really good and he even list some names you may know of people who've used his system and made money.

So for all those people who are cryin' about not having any money and are too broke to buy a 25 cent Little Debbie Oatmeal Pie, this site is for you.

You already know how I feel about educating your self about the music biz...

....and the bottom line in ANY business is about what? Making money!

Click on the link below and see for your self:

www.LiveOffBeats.com

Let's Make It Happen!!!

Mello Melanin, The Hot Instrumentalist
www.RapBeatCreator.com

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