Technology has made music production more accessible to creatives. There is a plethora of beatmakers and producers for artists to find and connect with to create magic. That magic works best when both sides know what they want to achieve and have a common goal. Connecting with like minds makes the process much smoother. Seeking free beats from producers who do not offer free beats, not so much.

Producers Invest a Lot of Money into Production

Music production is not cheap. Equipment, instruments, software, records, and sound packs all cost money. Production equipment such as beat machines, sequencers, MIDIs and synths can cost around $1,000. Production software can run upwards of $100. Not to mention purchasing quality headphones and studio monitors (both around $150 a pop) to produce a premium sound. Sometimes these items need repair or an upgrade, which means…you guessed it, money. All of this is money that could have been spent on other things, but instead producers pour it into creating music that inspires. Wanting to be compensated for properly investing in your craft is rational. Acting as if producers are being unfair for doing so, is not.

Producers Invest a Lot of Time into Production

Learning to produce takes a great deal of time. The hours of practice and learning how to navigate production gear is time consuming. Even once you’ve gotten familiar with it, there are still issues that arise that require troubleshooting. This can mean spending more time reading manuals and/or researching online. All of this is in addition to the time it takes to create the music itself. The time it takes to dig through crates, pick records, listen to records, find the perfect sample, then proceed to sample it. Or the time it takes to create the perfect melody with the perfect instruments and harmonies. The time it takes to find the perfect drum sounds to use that make the beat bang. The time it takes to arrange the individual elements into a complete composition. Not to mention the additional time it takes to post and promote the track online.

There are already many beatmakers who offer free beats

There are many beatmakers and producers out there that do offer free beats for one reason or another. Some offer them with prices so low they are pretty close to free. With all of those options available, there is no reason to haggle with a producer that does not wish to give away beats unless it’s because deep down you like their beats better. If that’s the case, don’t you feel they should be compensated for that fact?

If you aren’t passionate enough about your music to invest in it, why should anyone else?

If you aren’t willing to pay for a beat—one of the most crucial components of the song— it is hard to believe that you would be willing to pay for advertising and promotion to properly market the song. Marketing a song is more than tagging everyone you know and flooding their timelines with your new track. It’s more than commenting on celebrities’ posts on social media in hopes they’ll check you out. If the song isn’t properly marketed, it isn’t going to blow up. Which means you won’t be able to “put the producer on”. It’s essentially like asking a bank for a loan without offering any collateral. Or your boss asking you to work for free until they get promoted. Sounds wild, right?

Good production requires hard work, dedication, brain power and financial resources. If a producer is unwilling to trade these in for just a wish, be understanding. Don’t ask them to abandon their principles because you’re trying to save a buck or two. This gives the impression you do not take their craft as seriously as they do. Either find a beatmaker within your budget or adjust your budget to reflect the skill you are seeking.