Urban Hip-Hop

[bronxbomba]

Hi,
I’d like to hear from other Hip-Hop music producers out there that engage in music licensing. Specifically URBAN hip-hop, the kind that resembles radio play or has some sort of “swagg” if you will. Are you making placements with RF libraries or exclusive libraries?

It feels like urban hip-hop is often misunderstood in the music licensing world. Now if you don’t like it at all, that is perfectly fine as there are some aspects of todays urban hip-hop that I don’t like myself. But I want to know what others that KNOW hip-hop, think about this.

[Desire_Inspires]

I work with music libraries, not RF sites. I actually got a Dirty South/Trap instrumental licensed on a network TV show. I was very much surprised at that placement!

I have been getting more Dirty South/Trap instrumentals placed on reality TV shows that deal with Hip-Hop celebrities. I honestly just make what I want to make at the time and send it in to the libraries.

I do not have any formula or strategy. That may sound like a recipe for disaster for those that are seeking to focus their efforts in one particular area. But I do not feel the need to limit my abilities by only doing one genre of music. Genres sort of blend together to me after a while.

I like today’s urban music much more than the stuff I listened to growing up. I am not really fond of rappers or singers of today. But the instrumentals that urban musicians rap and sing over are very appealing to me. I listen to a lot of urban instrumental music on YouTube to pick up ideas. YouTube is a goldmine for those seeking to learn how to produce urban instrumental music.

[Lupo]

A few days ago, unfortunately I can’t remember where maybe Audiosparx, I’ve read statistics about genre placements and Hip Hop was not doing too well.
Perhaps it does better on TV.

[Bronxnomba]

@Desire_Inspires, glad to hear you’re getting trap music placed. Did you get an upfront fee for that license or was it Gratis with only backend? I agree, I don’t like the artist, but I love the beats. I also write in other genre’s, but urban Hip-Hop is my greatest strength being that I grew up on Hip-Hop.

@Lupo, I’ve had an email convo with that library before. Lets just say I threw out a few hip-hop acts that are well known and they didn’t even know who they were. That tells me a lot.

[Desire_Inspires]

Yes, I did get an upfront license fee from the placement on network TV. Sadly, it was only one of few. The rest of my trap music placements have just been for backend. I work to make fairly modern music. Even though I do branch out into other styles, most of my stuff is based on Top 40 Radio music.

The way to make money from hip-hop instrumentals is to focus on libraries that get placements on MTV, VH1, and other networks that appeal to a younger demographic.

[Bronxnomba]

@desire_inspires Thanks. I’ll do my homework to find the libraries that make those kinds of placements. So far I’ve made more money with RF sites for urban hip-hop than music libraries I’m currently associated with. Some of the RF deals were for a wide license, so hopefully I might see something on the back end later down the line, but I’m not holding my breath.

No way am I paying to submit either.

[d.C.]

From my experience, most of the Hip-Hop I’ve made and submitted has been used predominantly in Reality TV shows. In the past, they were getting used a lot on sports shows as well but that’s since dwindled to a minimum. I’d say 90% of my usages/sales of Hip-Hop have come from music libraries and the rest from RF sites.

[Bronxnomba]

@d.C Interesting how you guys get more action with hip-hop from music libraries yet it’s the opposite for me where RF action is every other month for me. Obviously no formula as to why that is since the variables are unknown.

[Author]

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