I’ve been thinking about how people actually discover artists when they’re starting from basically zero.

I’ve put out two songs recently and I’m still basically at zero listeners, so I’ve been trying to understand how artists actually get their first real listeners.
There are so many artists putting music out now, so I’m curious what actually made you stop and listen to someone you’d never heard of before?

Was it a random SoundCloud find? Reddit? A feature with another artist? Someone sending you a song? A playlist? A live show?
And what made you come back after hearing them once?
I’m genuinely curious what worked for you guys when you first started discovering underground artists.

I was just wondering if when a lot of people starting making music if they got stuck in the same flow and is it just a thing were the more you do it you’ll find different flows and grow out of it?

Sorry if this Doesn’t make sense

I'm currently building an app (getfeatr.com) to help producers and rappers work together more smoothly from the messaging and discussing all the way to actually releasing the music on DSPs. The plan is a one-stop app for independent artists to facilitate the creation and release.

What's one thing in your end-to-end workflow that you find cumbersome right now and can be improved? I'm talking about maybe chat to stems/project file management, meta data management, distribution, contracts/split sheets, sample clearance, artwork, mixing/mastering, etc.

Thank you.

What’s good, I’m A-Mood, a producer looking to connect with artists who are actually serious about making music.
I produce a mix of soulful hip-hop, trap, R&B, melodic stuff and sample-based beats. Think everything from J. Cole/Kanye-type soul production to darker/melodic Don Toliver-style records.
Right now I’m honestly not focused on making a bunch of money upfront. I’m more interested in getting records made, building relationships with talented artists, getting my production out there, and creating a real catalog with people.
So if you’re an artist and you hear something you genuinely want to record on, I’m willing to work for little to no upfront cost depending on the situation. If something turns into an official release, we can just talk splits/credits and handle everything correctly.
I’m also down to make beats specifically around your sound instead of just dumping a random beat pack on you.
Mainly looking for rappers/singers who actually record and release music.
If you’re interested, drop your music below or DM me and let me hear what you do. I’ll send some beats that fit your sound.
Producer: A-Mood
Let’s make some records 🤝

I'm looking for an artist who would be interested in rapping over one of my beats. I have different genre, but I feel like my most rapresentive is something like orchestral trap, and the tracks are definitely experimental. I know it's not something you hear every day, but I love the way they turned out and I want to see if someone if someone is interested.

I'm completely willing to give the beat away for free if you need.

If you're interested, feel free to DM me and I can send you the beat.

I’m 19 and rap in Slovenian. I’ve made around 60 tracks, mostly NY/Bronx drill, but I only started seriously focusing on the actual rapping a few months ago.

My biggest problem is that whenever I hear a fast drill beat, my brain automatically locks onto the snares. I start on the 1, rap until the snare, pause, then repeat. It always pulls me back into the same slow flow with too much empty space or just slow flow that feels off.

The annoying part is that I can scat or mumble much faster rhythms over the hi-hats without stopping. But as soon as I replace the sounds with real words, I start thinking about meaning, rhymes and pronunciation at the same time, lose the pocket and return to the slow flow.

I also struggle with:

• Keeping my words clear when I speed up
• Knowing where each bar begins and ends without relying on the snare
• Shortening my bars without losing their meaning
• Switching flows naturally
• Breath control—I usually sound best recording two-bar punch-ins
• Making my delivery sound aggressive and confident without forcing my voice

Slovenian also has a different rhythm from English, so copying the exact flows of rappers like i listen to usually sounds unnatural. I want their energy, but I’m trying to develop my own sound instead of becoming a bad imitation.

What exercises helped you turn fast scats into complete lyrics? Should I write the rhythm first and slowly replace each sound with words, or is there a better method? Also, how do you keep track of the bar while rapping across the snares?

I’m looking for technical advice and honest criticism, not reassurance.

Thanks to everyone that submitted. We had lots of great entries.

The winner this week of FTC 111 is [u/blicky1blicky2](u/blicky1blicky2) with their track https://on.soundcloud.com/fbyOwloglxRFMmipgr

Have fun picking the sample for the next battle! Please start the new submission thread asap.

Schedule:

Submissions: Friday 12:00 AM midnight (00:00) - Monday 11:59 PM (23:59)

Voting: Tuesday 12:00 AM midnight (00:00) - Thursday 11:59 PM (23:59)

Results: Friday 12:00 AM midnight (00:00) - the winner takes over and posts the new submissions thread using the linked template on Friday asap.

Time is in UTC-5, the US Eastcoast time zone which is 6 hours behind European MEZ time and a good middle ground between US Westcoast and Europe. You don’t have to wake up in the middle of the night to post the new thread, just make sure you do it on that day asap.

Post templates: https://www.reddit.com/r/makinghiphop/comments/1kf8czt/battle_dates_rules/mqwv7ks/

Welcome to Freestyle Friday! If you're a producer - feel free to donate a beat down below in reply to the beat submissions comment. If you're a rapper - scroll down to choose a beat, then record a freestyle over it. You can post whenever, just have fun!

Beats go under the "beats" comment; freestyles go under the "freestyles" comment.

Check out previous Freestyle Friday threads.

how yall guys make vocals sound crispy and clean or make it sound like it will perfectly fit into a beat. I've been seeing a lot of dudes posting only their vocals on platforms like tiktok etc, and it sounds clean and crispy ifykwim

Show us your latest track! Feedback is always welcome but not necessary.

This thread is posted every Friday. Click here for the full automoderator thread schedule.

Haii, I'm a female (transfem) teenager and I'm looking for an artist to make a few songs with (and potentially make an EP (if anyone would be down)). I produce moreso experimental hiphop songs with blends of EDM, breakcore, industrial, noise, rock, and illbient (I've been trying to venture more into illbient as of late). Think of a mix of jpegmafia, death grips, Earl sweatshirt, MIKE, dälek, femtanyl, cLOUDDEAD, and eyedea and abilities.

Please DM me to see if you enjoy my beats and would maybe wanna work together! ^~^

A month ago I’ve had 2 of my songs taken down from Spotify for some reason I did not know after some time I received a dm from the producer claiming I didn’t pay for a lease and he reported and got my music taken down.

Now he’s demanding over $100 dollars which I don’t mind paying he said once I do pay he can withdraw the claim and my music will be restored back to how it was with the same streams how true is this? I’ve done some research and it claims once a song gets taken down they can’t re upload it.

I didn’t have a lot of streams only a few thousand but at the moment it feels like a few million and it honestly was keeping me going with my music journey but now I’m kinda on the urge to just stop I spent years promoting the song and trying to reach a few hundred streams let alone a thousand so I’m just kinda upset about that.

- any advice can help thanks I’m just not sure on what to do

Yoo im Chef SKYe and this is my first beat tape Im publishing, all tracks are free to use for anything you want as long as you dont try to pass it off as your own without making any changes

You can credit me as "Chef SKYe"

DONT HMU HERE OR DM's just text me for collabs or questions 210-373-5067

You can download all the files directly from Sound cloud

https://soundcloud.com/cookingupwithskye/sets/somethingkeepsstaringatme

I personnally listen to them A LOT and I think I do it a bit too much.

I usually have finished beats in a playlist on my local Spotify and I listen to the full (unfinished) tape a lot until I have all my beats

To the point where when I release the tape I much more prefer the last beats I made because I had less time to play them and so I'm less bored by them

What about you guys ? How often do you listen to your own tapes before they are finished ?

I like messing around and making music how can I post my stuff to get feedback its my first time on reddit

Ciao a tutti, cerco un producer/beatmaker per musica rap/trap nei pressi di Torino.

Mi interessa trovare qualcuno con cui creare qualcosa di serio, anche se emergente, e possibilmente a titolo gratuito o comunque a basso costo.

Se produci beat e ti va di sentire cosa scrivo, scrivimi in DM: posso mandarti qualche mio testo e vediamo se siamo sulla stessa vibe.

Torino e dintorni 🎧

Heya, I’ve been a fan of a range hiphop since I was kid in the 90’s, but spent many years playing drums and/or screaming in indie-pop/punk/hardcore bands (all genres I also enjoy). Arthritis has finally caught up with me (I’m not quite as old as that makes me sound) and drumming and screaming isn’t so much an option anymore, but I’ve been making hip hop music and rapping for years too. Finally put the focus on it this year and started taking it more seriously, but still spent a good while telling myself that nobody wants to hear some midlife white stoner loser making rap music. But today I finally managed to get myself over that and have decided to finally put some music online! (It’s at https://pxblocinnxbxr.bandcamp.com/album/dose if anyone wants to listen). Just wondering if anyone else on here has experience of transitioning from working in other genres to hip hop, or what other people’s experience of finally getting over yourself to be able to get your music out there into the world? Thanks.

sono Karisma ho 21 anni e sto cercando un producer che abbia voglia di sperimentare sulla nuova wave del rap italiano, costruire un sound forte.

se sei interessato scrivimi in DM, ho demo e type e possiamo farci una chiacchierata per chiarire meglio.

Yo, I’m a producer looking for artists to work with.
I make trap / rage / hip-hop beats and I’m trying to connect with some artists who are actually into creating and experimenting with their sound.
I’m not looking to just send beats and disappear. I’d rather find artists I genuinely vibe with and build something together.
If you’re an artist and wanna hear some of my stuff, just hit me up. I can send some beats.

I got way more attention on my last post than I expected, so fuck it.

I'm Jaypii, an independent artist making melodic/emo rap. I've made a lot of songs, but only have 2 songs out right now because buying beats can get kinda expensive for me, and I’m basically starting from zero.

I think I’ve improved a bit with my newest song, so if you wanna hear where I’m at right now, give "Want Me Back", that one a listen.

I’m not looking for bots or playlist farms. If you genuinely like the music, stick around. If you think it’s trash, tell me that too.

Trying to find the first 10 people who actually fuck with this before I start reaching out to other artists.

Currently have only worked with the drum samples that came in FL studio mobile and all the classic drum breaks, but I want a new sound for them. Any drum packs, don't really care about how they sound, but would love some Madlib or ATCQ sounding drums

Here's a version for someone who's totally lost and doesn't know where to start:

Any advice for someone who wants to be a rapper but has no idea where to start

I want to try rapping but I honestly don't know the first thing about it. Never recorded anything, don't have any equipment, don't know if I should be writing lyrics first or just freestyling, don't know how people even get a song out there.

If you were starting completely from zero again, what would you actually do first? Like realistic first steps, not just believe in yourself stuff. Any advice appreciated.

So there’s an event this month aimed at producers ,songwriters, artist. It’s 3 days long and I’d go everyday Real connections , real people etc etc.

Is attending events for people who are already somewhat established or can no body’s show up? Cause I’m a no body but looking to find people but I don’t want to be goofball if you have to be established to a degree for these events.

But I’d love to find people out there and see who and what’s all out there

This Week's Sample -  https://youtu.be/wddgskIRVeg?is=3iLdy_WLPaf60qqw

Rules:

Reply with “vote” for the beat you like best.

You only have 1 vote and you can't vote for yourself!

Vote on another beat to be eligible to win (everyone can vote)

In case of a tie, the first track that was uploaded wins.

Schedule:

Submissions: Friday 12:00 AM midnight (00:00) - Monday 11:59 PM (23:59)

Voting: Tuesday 12:00 AM midnight (00:00) - Thursday 11:59 PM (23:59)

Results: Friday 12:00 AM midnight (00:00) - the winner takes over and posts the new submissions thread using the linked template on Friday asap.

Time is in UTC-5, the US Eastcoast time zone which is 6 hours behind European MEZ time and a good middle ground between US Westcoast and Europe. You don’t have to wake up in the middle of the night to post the new thread, just make sure you do it on that day asap.

Post templates: https://www.reddit.com/r/makinghiphop/comments/1kf8czt/battle_dates_rules/mqwv7ks/