The Lil Pump Experiment FAILED! What This Means For Upcoming Artists!!

Clout chasing has been a common theme among new rappers in 2018/19. However, we’re learning that it doesn’t always equate to record sales. For Instance, Lil Pump’s most recent album “Harvard Dropout”  debuted at no. 7 on the billboard charts, selling 48,000 units in the first week, with 25,000 coming from physical units.

First, his physical sales its more then half of his overall sales in the streaming era.  Its clear to see that these numbers are inflated because of his collaboration with Young and Reckless which includes the digital album with a purchase of merchandise.

Lets just keep it a buck, it has never been about Lil Pump’s music! It’s his antics that pulled in a audience. He was the youngest among the new wave of Florida rappers. When Lil Pump was discovered by Tha Lights Global, he had already amassed 100,000 followers on Instagram which made him prime for marketing!

 

“He was the youngest in the wave actually really doing it,” says Battle, “and his look was different than everybody else.”- Dooney Battles, Co founder of Tha Lights Global. Billboard

 

Its unfortunate that out of 17.8 million followers, “Harvard Dropout” only sold  48,000 units. However, this does say something very important, MUSIC DOES MATTER! For all the up & coming artists there’s a lot to learn from artists like Lil Pump and Lil Yachty.

These artists have created a massive following and while it may not pay when it comes to music, I’m sure there’s other ways to thrive (endorsements, commercial marketing, advertising etc) . Either Lil pump will continue to put out music because he truly loves it or you will probably see him on reality TV.

When it comes to this music tho….artists like J. Cole and Logic are great examples of how to build a loyal fan base. Both of them have built their fan base from the ground up in a very intimate way. There’s a reason why J Cole and Logic can sell out arenas without any featured artists. Check out the video below of Logic touring just to play his album for his fans. 

What Happens When You Sign a Music Contract

How the Music Industry Works

Most artists dream of being signed to a major record label. They think all their financial problems are gone and they can just focus on the music. The problem is that the industry is setup to always benefit the label over the artists.

According to Citigroup, musicians only made  12% of the $43 billion made in the music industry in 2017. Most of the revenue was generated  from touring which explains why  most new artists are entered into 360 deals. These young artists end up signing away their publishing for an advance check and don’t full comprehend what’s in the contract.

The New Age

Fortunately in 2019, more artists are educating themselves and opting to remain independent. Russ is an example of an artists who built his brand independently and leveraged it for a lucrative record deal. He is the only new artists who was featured on Forbes 2018 Hip Hop Cash Kings list.

Signed artists are now renegotiating their contracts or leaving major labels.  Chris Brown  just signed a new record deal which makes him the youngest artist to own his masters.The internet has provided all the information and tools creatives need, there’s no need to sign to a label. Artists should focus on developing their brand and reaching their audience.

The D.I Y artist is the future !

You no longer need a label to distribute your music when you have companies like Distrokid . You don’t need a label to push your music  when you have Instagram, Facebook ,and YouTube. Everything that you need is right there in your phone.

If you’re an artists that feels like you need help or would like to further the conversation, please feel free to text me at (484)-494-2372. Drop a comment below and let me know what you think about signing to a label verses staying independent.

Soundcloud Opens Monetization To More Independent Artists

soundcloud-opens-up-monetization-to-independent-artists

Soundcloud has decided to open up its direct monetization program, SoundCloud Premier, to all Pro and Pro Unlimited Subscribers who are eligible. This means that hundred of thousands of independent artists will have the ability to monetize their music.

Some believe Soundcloud is responding to Spotifys New Feature that allows artists to upload music directly to the platform. Either way , this is great news to all independent artists. Not only does Soundcloud meet and beats all other streaming services when it comes to revenue but they also will be sending out monthly payments. The service come at no extra cost and is available immediately.

VIA SOUNDCLOUD 

So, how do you know if you’re eligible?

You must be an independent creator and a Pro or Pro Unlimited subscriber. For now, we’re opening the program up to original music content only, but stay tuned for more details as we continue to expand.

We’re starting out by inviting creators with 5,000 plays in the past month (from SoundCloud monetized countries: US, UK, Canada, Australia, France, Germany, Ireland, The Netherlands, New Zealand), then scaling over time to as many creators as possible. So we recommend you keep creating and promoting your original content, and engaging with your fans in the process. You’ll receive an email and in-product notification once you’re in.

If you’re interested  in signing up head over to Creator Guide for more details.

NEED INSTRUMENTALS? Click Here for the best quality Beats/ Instrumentals online as well as FREE Downloads for independent artists.

Is Chance The Rapper an Independent Artist?

Chance The Rapper sits down with Joe Budden to discuss whether he is considered independent. He explained from his perspective of what makes an artist independent and warns against artists signing away their masters and publishing. Joe then expresses why he felt Chance wasn’t an indie artists citing the Apple Music deal; which Chance The Rapper was paid $500k for a 2 week exclusive release.

All artists should consider their intellectual property and how signing away their rights could impact their future. As mention in a previous post, most new artists are signed into a 360 deals and may not fully understand the consequences of that decision. Artists like Prince and Michael Jackson fought hard for this right and we as creatives have take the time to understand why its important.

Epik The Dawn has been vocal about why he doesn’t, in his words “F*#$ with the music industry. He has explained countless times that artists don’t need labels anymore. Labels are like an loans, everything is recoupable and they take the rights to the music. In todays time, the resources are available and the audience is at your finger tips. Epik has made it his mission to provide independent artists with the best quality instrumentals online as well as passing down the knowledge he has used in order to live off his music and remain free.

Chance The Rapper is only one of the many artists out their doing it themselves and we believe their will be more to follow. Stay #DFRNT