5

THE ESSENTIALS
FOR MAKING IT BIG
IN YOUR MUSIC
CAREER
THAT MOST PEOPLE WON’T TELL YOU
ESSENTIAL # 1 - Goal Setting
Believe it or not, something as simple as
setting goals can really give the focus your
career needs to be successful.
“Goals are dreams
Goals force us to think about our future and with deadlines.” -ill
be specific about what we would like to Factor
accomplish.
If you want to become a better music
producer, songwriter, or musician, set
reasonable and measurable goals.
Stay away from vague goals, such as, “No one has ever
“becoming a better producer”. Instead,
create very specific goals that are feasible reached their goal by
and measurable, “I want to be a better
producer by learning a new software in two accident.” -ill Factor
months.” Be sure to set goals that are
attainable, not so generic. Also, don't settle
for goals that are too easy. Stretch yourself.
A lot of people depend on, “waiting for
my big break”, with great hopes that
their next big gig will make their career happen. I “The purpose of goals
used to be one of those people.
is to make us the
Once I began to set reasonable goals I started to
see improvement in my craft, which grew my type of person who
self-confidence in my music. This allowed me to
create better demos and over-all production, which can reach these
goals.”-Bob Franquiez
lead me to work on projects I had always wanted to
be a part of.
If you want to be that successful indie artist, then
begin with setting simple goals like...

“I want to build a fan base by

recording covers and posting
them online to win over at
Don’t settle for idle
least 20 fans in the next 2 speed. Create the
months.”
This goal then becomes your primary focus for the
right momentum.
next two months. This is how goal-setting assists -ill Factor
with building momentum.
ESSENTIAL # 2 - Discover Your Artist DNA.
Now that you are making some goals for yourself,
you should strive to focus on your “Artist
DNA”.
Think of your Artist DNA as the building blocks to
your sound, your sonic branding, and your voice.
The impact this will have in helping you focus on
the music you are creating is surprising.
How do you discover your Artist DNA?
Choose the top three artists that have influenced
you the most. We each have tons of artists that we
are big fans of, but do your best to narrow it down
to the top three.
Here is why...
Those top three artists become a compass, helping
you pinpoint what your unique sound should be
while making it easier for you to connect with a
new audience.
For example, someone walks up to you and asks,
“what does your music sound
like?” You reply, “I make hip hop.”
That answer does not tell the person anything
about you or your music. The person asking is
making an intention and attempt to connect with
you and your music. Giving broad and generic
answers only demonstrate that you are not
passionate or truly confident with your sound.
Check out the difference when you know what your
Artist DNA is...
Person: “What does your music sound like?”
You: “If you are a fan of Jay Z, J Dilla, and Mos Def,
then you will really like my music.” If the person
asking is a fan of any of the three artists, they
will instantly have a better
connection with you because that is the
common bond you both share.
Your Artist DNA helps to keep you focused on what
lane you should stay within your music. It doesn’t
mean you can’t experiment and be creative with
your music, but fine tuning your sound will connect “Once you find your sound, it
becomes your sonic business
you with your audience.
If my Artist DNA is made up of Metallica, Skrillex,
and Beastie Boys, then I should be focus on making
music that combines those three heavy-energy card!” -ill Factor
bands with dirty hip-hop sounding beats.

Don’t worry about not sounding original. Even

with their influence, there is no way you could ever
We each
be exactly like another artist.

have a unique DNA that “Finding your sound

makes us different, no matter
how hard we try to sound like helps with connecting
someone else. Our fingerprints are left
on everything we create. Discover your Artist DNA,
with your audience.” -ill
and you will discover your voice which will help you Factor
share your message with the world!
 ESSENTIAL # 3 - Build your Team & Create
Accountability. This is easier for some than others. Know that
not easy working
sometimes it is

Looking back over the years when I first started to
produce music, I realized how closed off I was to
others in my creative process. I wasn’t comfortable
letting someone else work with me because I
couldn’t handle the critique. My pride negatively
impacted my work. In time, after
with others.
One part of building your team is finding two or
more people you can trust to hold you accountable.
People who will make sure you're not just settling
You
for “pretty good” tracks or songs.

networking with other want solid honest

talented beatmakers, feedback for your music
songwriters, and producers, production. It does NOT benefit you
I realized chances increased for my track to land to have others constantly flatter you. Even though
you might have better than average material to
with a well established artist when I worked with
others versus slaving over the drum machines on you always need to
show off,
my own.
welcome honest and good
Building a strong team around you is something
you need to begin and work at.
criticism. That feedback is what will better
your craft.
Having good accountability isn't the only bonus of
working with others. Inviting others in the writing
process can help you with writer’s block and give
your work a better chance of making it see the
light of day.
It can be a bit annoying when you're about to
create a track from scratch and someone is looking
over your shoulder hinting with their body
language how you should build the track. This is
not all that inspiring is it? But this could happen.
Sometimes you will just have to get through it, but
a great way to avoid those situations is to have
record prepared in advance. If you're great at
programming and making production, but don't
really have a strong knack for vocal melodies,
then do what you do best in
your most comfortable
environment and give the
co-writer a chance to shine
his or her strength.
I normally have a hard time with lyrics, so I
focus on working only with others who are
great with lyrics and could care less about
all the bells and whistles on the production
side, which makes it easier for me to vibe
with their input because there is no
competition.
Recognizing your strengths and
weaknesses gives you the ability to work
with people who help take your production
to the next level.
If you think that doing this alone will make
better returns, just remember,
10% of a placed song is
better than 100% of a
saved song in the hard
drive.
ESSENTIAL # 4 - Network like a NINJA!
The importance of building relationships &
connections...
If you want to make it big and be taken seriously,
you need awesome industry connections.
You don’t necessarily
need a record deal with
a major label — plenty of indie
artists like Adele (can you believe it?) and Mackel
More, have made it that way!
But you still need to build an entourage of industry
players — club promoters, event coordinators,
music reviewers & reporters, radio DJs, producers
& sound engineers. Influential people who believe
in you...can open doors for you.
Talent & skill do play a big part, but no one will
notice your skills until you can walk through their
door.
Networking tips:
● To find organic networking
opportunities, you can join local music
groups like WIM, Local Grammy
Chapters, workshops, or conferences.
You should also have a mentor
experienced in the industry.
● Find ways to be the “Hero of the day” by
seeking out the needs of others, and
meeting those needs. Ask questions like
“How can I help you move forward with
your projects?” or “What can I do for
you?” People can easily detect when
someone is looking out only for their
own interests.
● You don’t need to travel all over the
world to meet other artists in the
industry. Collaborate on places like
soundcloud, facebook, etc.
ESSENTIAL # 5 - Build Your Tribe
There has been no greater
time in history to achieve
success in your music career
than now!
Building a healthy tribe of fans is essential in order
to make a living from your music. People are still
very interested in paying for music, they just
don’t want to pay for music they have
no connection to.
If you were to focus on creating an amazing
experience as an artist for just five fans, you have
those five become loyal tribe members that will
support you and your music.
You need to create a personal experience with your
tribe in order for them to value your content.
Think of clever ways to engage with
your audience (excluding having them
listen to your music).
Build your online tribe by creating a blog, newsletter, and
sharp social media pages. Make it easy for people to get to
know you — the real you. People aren’t loyal to brands —
they are loyal to people.
Major labels or investors are more willing to
work with an artist that has a healthy fan
base rather than some person who makes
beats.
 DON’T WAIT TO BE
DISCOVERED! My goal is to encourage you in any way that I can to help
you produce the music you are passionate about making.
Most artists think that if they just keep writing &
Be sure to practice these 5 essentials:
performing & sticking to the local clubs, someday,
somehow, a magical music industry 1. Set Your Goals
powerhouse will “discover” them. 2. Discover Your Artist DNA

We see this “rescue syndrome” 3. Build the right team

reinforced on TV, all the time. Shows 4. Network and build great relationships
5. Build your tribe
like American Idol and the Voice perpetuate the myth of
the “overnight sensation” because audiences love it, and it
makes them oodles of money! But think about it — how
many of those idols go on to enjoy legendary careers?
Three? Four? (Not many, that’s for sure.)
Even though today’s music industry has dramatically
changed in the past decade, you can learn what it takes to
make it.
 I have been producing music for over
seventeen years and worked on many projects
including:
Kygo, Sia, Gwen Stefani, Matis Yahu, Justin
Timberlake, Skylar Grey, Ginuwine, Kelly
Rowland, Music for Assassin’s Creed, Kevin
Rudolf, Cher, Cody Simpson, Cobra starship,
Jared Evan, Jason Durelo, Jessie J, Natasha
Bedinfield, Daniel Bedinfield, Groove Armada,
Calvin Harris, Roisin Murphy, Howie D(Back
Street Boys), Jordan Knight (New Kids On The
block), Kate Moss, that is just to name a few.
I love nothing better than sharing what I have learned
with those who are eager to grow. If you are looking
for music production development and desire to take
your career to the next level.

visit www.beatacademy.com to find out how.