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We’re going toÌýdig into aÌýdifferent type ofÌýmusical profession andÌýtalk about someone whose goal isÌýtoÌýmake andÌýsell samples, sounds, andÌýloops. When aÌýperson typically thinks ofÌýaÌýmusic career, they might normally think ofÌýsomething related toÌýeither performance orÌýeducation, both ofÌýwhich normally require aÌýcollege degree.

The collegiate route can beÌýdaunting andÌýcostly, but onÌýtheÌýother hand, itÌýcan beÌýmore ofÌýaÌýsure bet than relying onÌýluck toÌýmake itÌýbig asÌýaÌýstandalone musician. But what ifÌýthere was another way toÌýgo? Another pathway toÌýmake money selling music isÌýbyÌýmaking andÌýselling samples, sounds, beats, andÌýloops. ItÌýcan beÌýchallenging, andÌýitÌýtakes tireless effort andÌýself-promotion, but some ofÌýtheÌýgreatest names inÌýmusic are known forÌýtheir beats andÌýrhythms alone.

AÌýHard Road Paved with Opportunity

The struggle isÌýreal, especially asÌýanÌýartist. Now imagine what theÌýstruggle isÌýlike forÌýsomeone trying toÌýmake aÌýliving off ofÌýmusic without being aÌýmusician? ItÌýmay sound like aÌýstrange path forÌýsomeone toÌýpursue. Trying toÌýmake money off ofÌýmusic without being aÌýmusician? How isÌýthat even possible? Rest assured, inÌýtheÌýmodern market, itÌýisÌýcertainly aÌýviable yet difficult career path toÌýchoose. And, toÌýtake theÌýedge off, itÌýdoesn’t require aÌýdegree from Carnegie Mellon! While going toÌýcollege isÌýcertainly aÌýgreat pathway forÌýsome, that inÌýnoÌýway means that itÌýisÌýtheÌýright (or only) way toÌýaÌýsuccessful music career.

Music asÌýaÌýWhole (Lot ofÌýPieces)

When weÌýlook atÌýhow toÌýmake aÌýliving off ofÌýmusic without being aÌýmusician, weÌýneed toÌýlook atÌýnot necessarily playing music but instead selling different aspects ofÌýwhat aÌýmusician might need asÌýseparate segments. This might sound similar toÌýwhat aÌýDJÌýdoes, andÌýyou would certainly beÌýgetting close. What aÌýDJÌýdoes isÌýutilize already made music, various beats, andÌýnoises toÌýremix audio.

Sometimes, they create something original, other times they upload recordings, but more commonly they perform andÌýcreate music during live events. Now dig aÌýlittle further into that. Think about all theÌývarious beats, tweaks, sound effects, andÌýoverall large pool ofÌý“musical special effects.” Have you ever wondered where those come from? Believe itÌýorÌýnot, aÌýlot ofÌýitÌýisÌýborrowed orÌýeven purchased from aÌýthird-party vendor. You can think ofÌýthis asÌýaÌýtype ofÌýmusical merchant, but instead ofÌýdealing with aÌýphysical product, they focus onÌýtheÌýsounds themselves.

AÌýMusic Merchant

WeÌýunderstand that after dropping aÌýterm like “musical merchant,” weÌýmight have some explaining toÌýdo. After all, itÌýisn’t aÌýtechnical term, but itÌýisÌýtheÌýterm that we’ll refer toÌýinÌýthis article toÌýexpress what’s needed toÌýmake andÌýsell samples, sounds, andÌýloops. This career path involves selling sound samples, music loops, background music loops, andÌýother musical segments toÌýmusicians.

The first thing aÌýperson needs toÌýknow isÌýhow toÌýmake music loops, how toÌýmake music samples, how toÌýmake sounds, andÌýhow toÌýmanage aÌýmusic samples database. Having experience with beat machines andÌýmusical tech isÌýalways aÌýplus. InÌýmany cases, you’ll not only sell sounds online but may have theÌýchance toÌýcollaborate with other ²¹°ù³Ù¾±²õ³Ù²õ—a²Ô»å maybe even beÌýfeatured. InÌýthose cases, you’ll want toÌýbeÌýsure toÌýkeep those technical chops up.

What Beats theÌýCompetition?

SoÌýwe’re throwing aÌýlot out there, with concepts like sound samples, music loops, background music ±ô´Ç´Ç±è²õ—p±ô³Ü²õ selling them, self-marketing, andÌýpossible collaborations. It’s aÌýheadful, forÌýlack ofÌýaÌýbetter term.

ToÌýmake things easier, let’s try toÌýput this inÌýterms ofÌýanÌýactual person who’s become incredibly famous forÌýpulling off this kind ofÌýwork. DoÌýanyÌýnames come toÌýmind? IfÌýitÌýwas Dr. Dre byÌýanyÌýchance, then you’ve won theÌýlotto. And ifÌýyou didn’t, that’s good, too. It’s aÌýbig market, andÌýlike all things musical, theÌýmore insight andÌýinspiration you can pull from, theÌýeasier your life will be.

But back toÌýDre. This guy isÌýfamous. And weÌýmean, really famous. You’ll see his names featured across various ³Ù°ù²¹³¦°ì²õâ€Äì°ù´Ç³¾ some ofÌýtheÌýbiggest groups known across multiple generations. He’s done game-changing lyrical work, can beÌýthanked forÌýsome ofÌýtheÌýmost pivotal moments inÌýhip-hop, andÌýwho hasn’t heard ofÌýorÌýeven wanted aÌýpair ofÌýBeats Audio? Something he’s most well known for, andÌýwhat this whole article isÌýabout, isÌýhis ability toÌýmake beats, sound samples, music loops, andÌýbackground music loops. SoÌýkeep that inÌýmind asÌýweÌýgoÌýinto theÌýnext section inÌýwhich weÌýelaborate onÌýtheÌýdifferences between sound samples, music loops, andÌýbackground music. Then, we’ll explain how toÌýsell samples online, sell sounds online, andÌýsell loops online. BeÌýsure toÌýgrab aÌýnotepad (or maybe just favorite this web page).

Sound Samples

Have you ever been listening toÌýaÌýfavorite song ofÌýyours orÌýjust had something onÌýinÌýtheÌýbackground, andÌýnoticed there was something familiar about its background music? We’ve all had theÌýthought, “IÌýknow this song!” orÌýthought anÌýold song has been turned into something completely new. Now that you’ve got that example, andÌýassuming you’ve come across this before, then you know what sound samples, orÌýsampling, is. These sound samples don’t always have toÌýbeÌýfrom anÌýalready well-known song. They can beÌýfrom anÌýoriginal track ofÌýyours orÌýeven aÌýsegment from anÌýalready made ²õ´Ç²Ô²µâ€”w³ó¾±³¦³ó has been heavily modified andÌýremixed soÌýthat it’s become something familiar, yet entirely new.

That covers what music samples are, soÌýnow it’s time toÌýtalk about how toÌýmake them. Luckily, ifÌýyou’re reading this article, itÌýwould beÌýsafe toÌýassume you’ve got some sort ofÌýmusic editing software. And ifÌýyou don’t, goÌýget some! There are plenty ofÌýoptions out there, andÌýall come equipped with basic equipment andÌýtools that are necessary forÌýanyÌýfledgling “music merchant” toÌýget started. Now it’s onÌýtoÌýsome definitions that’ll help you make andÌýsell samples, sounds, andÌýloops.

Music Loops

Next upÌýare music loops. These are endless tracks that can beÌýput onÌýrepeat that seamlessly flow into each other ²¹²Ô»å—g¾±±¹±ð²Ô theÌýproper power ²õ´Ç³Ü°ù³¦±ð—c´Ç³Ü±ô»å technically beÌýplayed forÌýeternity. This isÌýpretty cool inÌýconcept, but how could itÌýapply toÌýaÌýmusic career orÌýbeÌýput toÌýgood use byÌýaÌýmusician after you start toÌýsell loops online?

Because weÌýlove aÌýgood contextual example, let’s first take aÌýpracticing instrumentalist orÌýsinger. What often goes into this form ofÌýmusic isÌýhours upon hours ofÌýrepetitive exercises that focus onÌýreally dialing inÌýcertain skills andÌýtechniques. Music loops allow them toÌýhave anÌýeasy-to-use, typically generic-sounding track toÌýkeep onÌýrepeat, which will allow them toÌýfocus onÌýtheÌýtechnique atÌý³ó²¹²Ô»å—w¾±³Ù³ó´Ç³Ü³Ù getting too lost inÌýtheÌýmusic. Another example would beÌýaÌýsinger orÌýrapper inÌýaÌýstudio trying toÌýsimply get some lyrics out onÌýtop ofÌýaÌýconsistent track.

Now you can easily see how this could come inÌýhandy. It’s aÌýrepeating section ofÌýsound material with aÌýwide array ofÌýuses, from practicing musicians orÌýmusic artists inÌýaÌýstudio. Considering how large that market is, it’s not hard toÌýimagine how lucrative these can be. That brings usÌýtoÌýhow toÌýmake music loops. Once again, this isÌýwhere theÌýcreative process comes in. Get theÌýcanvas (or software) out andÌýstart theÌýprocess ofÌýtrial andÌýerror. Trust us, though. You’ll get itÌýdown before you even realize theÌýtrack has started toÌýrepeat.

Background Music

The last staple necessary forÌýaÌý“music merchant” toÌýhave atÌýtheir disposal isÌýbackground music. Background music consists ofÌýmusical segments meant toÌýslip into theÌýbackground. The purpose isÌýprimarily toÌýset aÌýbackground orÌýatmosphere toÌýsomething larger, asÌýopposed toÌýbeing theÌýmain event. It’s theÌýsky onÌýaÌýcanvas setting orÌýtheÌýplates, silverware, andÌýtable cloth toÌýaÌýfancy dinner. But wait: isn’t background music that stuff that you hear inÌýelevators orÌýwaiting rooms, which isÌýsure toÌýput someone toÌýsleep eventually?

AsÌýitÌýturns out, theÌýexpanse ofÌýwhat constitutes “background music” isÌýfar andÌýwide, andÌýitÌýcomes into play inÌýmore sects ofÌýmedia than you would think. From venue setting toÌýmusic scores, background music isÌýpretty important, especially forÌýaudio that isn’t meant toÌýbeÌýtheÌýmain focus.

But forÌýnow, let’s steer away from compositional background music andÌýfocus more onÌýdigital tracks forÌýonline media. Take , because there’s nothing weÌýlove more here than putting things into aÌýsolid frame ofÌýcontext.

Many YouTube videos need something that’s going toÌýlinger inÌýtheÌýviewer’s mind andÌýkeep them engaged, without detracting from theÌýprimary ³¦´Ç²Ô³Ù±ð²Ô³Ù—o°ù main course, inÌýaÌýsense (fun tip: don’t write articles while hungry). Their intention isÌýtoÌýset, orÌýaccentuate, theÌýmood ofÌýwhat’s being seen on-screen andÌýcreate anÌýappropriate atmosphere forÌýwhat’s being presented toÌýtheÌýwatcher.

Background music isÌýalso helpful forÌýlisteners ofÌýradio shows orÌýpodcasts. And sometimes, itÌýcan help with branding, asÌýmost shows will rely onÌýbackground music with similar themes. How often has aÌýjingle gotten stuck inÌýyour head? The NPR transitional jingle isÌýlingering around somewhere asÌýweÌýspeak. And, considering theÌýmarket, there shouldn’t beÌýanyÌýissues when you get toÌýtheÌýpoint ofÌýselling background music online.

But once again, it’s important toÌýask how toÌýmake background music. Now, this might beÌýaÌýbit more challenging than making sound samples orÌýmusic loops, asÌýthese will typically beÌýfull songs orÌýpieces intended forÌýuse inÌýlonger videos orÌýsettings. Considering that theÌýaverage YouTube video ranges anywhere from five toÌýforty-five minutes, they can take quite some time toÌýput together.

This isÌýwhere that music software mentioned earlier comes into play, inÌýaddition toÌýaÌýgreat deal ofÌýpatience, trial, andÌýerror. Thankfully, music loops andÌýbackground music easily overlap inÌýcreation andÌýintention, soÌýitÌýcould beÌýasÌýeasy asÌýwriting music toÌýloop ³Ù´Ç²µ±ð³Ù³ó±ð°ù—w³ó¾±³¦³ó you can put onÌýrepeat forÌýaÌýlong duration ofÌýtime. After all ofÌýthat effort, though, you’ll need aÌýplace toÌýstore your prized collection ofÌýartful noises. Don’t worry, because half ofÌýthat battle has been fought forÌýyou….

Music Samples Database

Once you’ve curated aÌýcollection ofÌýsound samples, music loops, andÌýbackground music, you’ll need aÌýplace toÌýkeep them forÌýfuture use. Keep inÌýmind that asÌýyou start creating aÌýlarge number ofÌýsound samples, music loops, andÌýbackground music, you’ll need toÌýstart managing your own music samples database. The purpose isÌýinÌýtheÌýtitle: itÌýholds all ofÌýyour created sound samples, music loops, andÌýbackground music inÌýaÌýsafe, easy-to-access spot.

Think ofÌýitÌýasÌýyour private vault ofÌýmusical success. This isn’t only aÌýstorage place though. ItÌýwill slowly become your whole life’s ·É´Ç°ù°ì—a²Ô»å, inÌýaÌýsense, start toÌýgrow asÌýyour own personal artist’s portfolio. Almost like aÌýgallery, this isÌýwhere you will beÌýable toÌýpull previous work from toÌýshowcase your skills toÌýprospective customers. InÌýanother light, itÌýwill act asÌýyour primary inventory ofÌý“musical wares” toÌýdistribute andÌýmonetize, because who knows who will hear something old you’ve made andÌýwant toÌýreuse itÌýforÌýtheir own purposes? Luckily, there are sites online that will doÌýtheÌýjob ofÌýkeeping everything inÌýone spot andÌýeasily distributing your work.

These are theÌýbasics, andÌýwe’re hopeful that this will get you onÌýtheÌýright path. With theÌýbasics onÌýhow toÌýmake andÌýsell samples, sounds, andÌýloops, you’ll beÌýoff toÌýtheÌýraces (or studio) inÌýnoÌýtime.

Ìý

• How toÌýMake Money Selling Music Online: AÌýHandy-Dandy Guide toÌýGet You Started
• Make andÌýSell Samples, Sounds, andÌýLoops: How toÌýMake Money Selling Music ifÌýYou’re Not aÌýMusician
• How Much DoÌýSongwriters Make?
• How toÌýMake Money asÌýaÌýSongwriter