Hey y’all, so I have been producing on fl for about a year now and I have a lot of it down, but one thing I struggle with is building main melodic sounds that sound like they belong under the umbrella of hiphop and not other genres (my sounds sound very retro and analog right now so it’s kinda like this bedroom pop / indie thing I have going on) which is not what I want.

I usually use surgext, xpand2, flex, sytrus, etc. and I have tried different approaches. Bell melodies like metro, arps, the classic rhodes / piano chords over some drums, sampling, etc.

And nothing feels right in the sense of the melody, counter melody, floating elements throughout, and other layers of those types of instruments. Basically anything but the drums and bass sounds off.

Is this something that is somewhat common? And what can I do to fix it? I have messed around with effects and know what they do, I can somewhat work the envelope and knobs and switches and such in these plugins but I still struggle. I know I don’t have to copy what I hear, I am trying to build my own sound, but I’m not pleased with what I’ve done so far.

Any advice appreciated

Post your geographic location (one place only please) and what you do (ie. rapper/producer/engineer (keep it simple please)). We'll be going with how terms are viewed within hip hop. If you make beats, you're a producer. If you mix and/or master, you're an engineer. It's cool if you do more than one thing.

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Whassup y’all,

Like plenty of other producers, I’ve had music taken down by DistroKid following a copyright complaint.

Since then, getting new instrumental music onto DSPs has been a struggle. My music is heavily sample-based, and recent submissions through DistroKid, EmuBands and MusicPRO haven’t worked out because of sample matches.

Some matches identify records I actually sampled. Others identify tracks that apparently sampled the same source. MusicPRO even flagged drums from one of my own older beats, which had already been taken off DSPs before I submitted the new project.

For context: on an 18-track project, around 13 tracks were flagged, but only about seven identified the actual records I sampled. I mostly sample records from the late ’60s through the early ’80s, ranging from obscure stuff to fairly well-known releases.

That got me wondering about independent producer albums like Nicholas Craven’s N series. I love his music, and some of those beats keep the original sample pretty recognizable, with relatively minimal chopping. That’s an artistic choice I appreciate, not a criticism.

Does anyone actually know how sample clearance is handled for his catalog on DSPs? I’m using his albums as an example because the sources can be very recognizable, yet the projects have remained widely available. He’s also publicly spoken against sample snitching, though that alone doesn’t tell us whether his samples might be cleared sometimes.

I’m a small producer, and clearing an entire sample-heavy album isn’t financially realistic for me right now. I understand that releasing without clearance carries a risk so after having distributed my last projects on DSPs, I'm thinking of just going bandcamp exclusive. What I’m trying to understand is how this scene actually operates, given how much sample-based music independent artists release.

Would especially appreciate firsthand experience from producers, labels or people working in distribution: what has changed, and how are you handling releases today?

To clarify, I’m talking about releasing instrumental albums and producer-led projects with rappers, rather than selling beats on BeatStars or running a YouTube type-beat channel.

TL;DR: Sample-heavy producer struggling to get albums onto DSPs. Does anyone have firsthand insight into how independent producers like Nicholas Craven handle sample clearance and distribution, and how smaller producers are navigating this today?

Im an experimental music artist looking to collab with other artists . I make different types of music genres such as rap , hip hop , trap , RnB , Indie , Cloudrap , electronic, Lofi and much more . If your a singer , rapper or music producer that is open to collabs
LET ME KNOW ! Let’s make something ! !

Sinceramente penso che la generative AI sia il cancro più grande che abbia mai colpito l'industria musicale, ma penso che non ci sia nulla di male nell'utilizzare tools come gli stem splitters in quanto non diventano il prodotto, ma lo modificano in modo che possa diventare migliore.

I just raised a request to Serato, asking them be be a little more pro-active on rolling out updates for Serato Sample.

On my large hi-res monitor, Serato Sample is very small for my 40+ year old eyes.

Therefore, I requested a function for resizable serato sample window size, e.g 100%, 150%, 200% or freely adjustable.

Fabfilter also has it or Waves plugins.

The last release was in December 2025 which leads me to believe, that the priority in this product has decreased. This would be a really bad view, as Serato Sample is still the go-to solution for many sample based producers. I absolutely love to work with it and hope that they can get back to support this product again a bit more actively.

I also tried Serato Studio and noticed that it has more functionality than Serato Sample, like EQ's on each pad etc. I m sure this would be easy to be ported over to Serator Sample.

What do you guys think, is Serato Sample still a thing or did you already move on to something else?

I'm a student of class 12th from India. i just randomly started making rhymes and rhythm and casually wrote a full English song. it turned out to be great as hell! i got the rhythm to sing it. yet i have zero knowledge of music and beat generation. Believe me its a great song about student life and the name is "High in the High School". Also, i got no equipments like proffesional mic or any instruments.

Yo! I’m looking to lock in with serious artists who want hard-hitting production in the style of Detroit, Jerk, Hood Trap, and Dark Trap.

If you're trying to drop a high-energy track or an EP and need heavy basslines, bouncing drums, and dark atmospheres — let’s work.

Shoot me a DM here on Reddit with a link to your stuff or a bit about your style, and I'll send over some unreleased beats to check out. Let's cook. 🌊

#detroitbeatmaker #jerktypebeat #darktrap #producersearch

We're all sample hoarders (right?). How are you guys storing all your samples? Do you just have an external hard drive or are you using cloud storage?

And can you have too many samples? I've got about 5gb of one shots and loops at the moment. Too much?

I've been producing music for a long time and this problem has always bothered me. every time i boot up a midi, it just turns into a guessing game. just drawing notes on scale and hoping they sound good. It feels way too random and i don't feel like improving at all doing this.

I have heard advises like "keep practicing and you will get good at it". To this day I still feel like I'm as good at making melodies i was two year ago. Just clicking notes and hoping it sounds good. I want to get better at writing good melodies! and clicking notes here and there feels so luck based. i want practical advice! pls avoid the practice one!

I’ve been producing for about a year now. I’ve made ONE mediocre beat and all the others or horrendous. I feel like I’m just BARELY starting to understand music theory. I’ve enjoyed it but I really wanna get somewhere with it. I’m 20 and feel like I’m already old and late in the game. I’ve never worked with anyone and haven’t attempted thinking it’s embarrassing. Part of me has faith but then a small part thinks it’s a waste of time and money. Idrk where to go or how to get better and I’m just lost. I don’t know how to find people similar in my skill to start working with. I wanna start getting somewhere but I’m just lost.

Is this normal?

Im looking to sign another artist to my label but i need one with an eminem style flow and energy dm me

Hi , I'm a Producer looking for some artist to work with. I can make trap , experimental , lo-ny / lofi , boom bap beats and opened to growing, I can also mix and master , any artist trying to work? NYC based if that matters , willing to work virtually IF SERIOUS

Hey everyone!
I’m a student at SAE Institute in Milan, Italy, currently improving my skills as a mixing engineer, especially in trap and hip-hop.
I’m looking for independent rappers and producers who have unreleased tracks or demos and would be interested in letting me mix one of their songs for free.
I’m mainly looking for multitracks/stems, including:
Lead vocals, doubles and ad-libs
Instrumental stems (808s, drums, melodies, etc.), if available
In exchange, I’d love to use the finished mix in my portfolio, with your permission. You’ll get a mixed version of your track, and I’ll get valuable experience working with real artists.
I’m open to different styles of trap and hip-hop, and I’m happy to discuss the direction you’re going for.
If you’re interested, drop a comment or send me a DM with a little info about your project and a link to your music.
Let’s work on something! 🎧

Soy MCS, artista urbano emergente de Medellín

Busco que me digan opiniones sinceras para mejorar,

No sólo quiero ser cantante, quiero que me ayuden a saber conectar con la gente, porque lo que más amaría sería conectar con mi comunidad y que ellos puedan divertirse conmigo yo interpretando un humor seco

Entonces quiero dirigirme a ustedes personas que no conozco a ayudarme a opinar sobre lo que les ofrezco a ustedes

(Creo que así me empiezo a querer con la comunidad)

Mi tik tok para que lo analicen: tiktok.com/@soymcs

I’m MCS, an emerging urban artist from Medellín.

I’m looking for honest feedback to help me improve.

I don’t just want to be a singer; I want to learn how to connect with people. What I’d love most is to build a bond with my community—to have them enjoy themselves while I perform using a dry, deadpan style of humor.

So, I’m reaching out to you—people I don’t know—to ask for your thoughts on what I have to offer.

(I think this is how I start to build a connection with the community.)

Here’s my TikTok—feel free to take a look and share your thoughts: tiktok.com/@soymcs

hiii, i'm a young andalusian producer called Gaelxx, and i wanna make an ep (or some singles) with any artist that wants to participate. this is not to make profit (but if we do blow up somehow i will pay you haha). i make mostly trap beats, but i've got some reggaeton, jersey and lofi beats too (i´ll send my beats to whoever wants to try). you can search for me as Gaelxx on spotify (although i only have three songs with my friend, an upcoming rapper). feel free to reply to this post, or message me directly. my discord is gaelxx and my instagram is @ prodgaelxx

ty for reading!

I’m Saiik, a Brazilian trap producer. I’m looking to collaborate with some guys from abroad—if you’re interested, check out the link I’ve left here. If you like anything, just send me a message, alright?

https://untitled.stream/invite/mpjq6oxH5VFNar3ncNosQ

​

Hello everyone, first time posting here, I would like a bit of guidance from you fine gentlemen if that alright, so basically ive been making music from my room for years now not showing it to anybody, but i finally got good and want to release music to the world, problem is i know nothing about actually promoting music making content etc so if you kind folks could help me i would appreciate it, i made a concept album, its from the prespective of a pretty boy serial killer who really likes fashion the "ladykiller" i want the vidual identity to be vogue editorial meets true crime, the album is ready, 12 songs, everyone ive shown it to loves it, the question is how do i release it, im starting from 0, My instinct tells me that throwing the album on an empty yt Channel and waiting for something to happen is not good marketing, also the "did i write the song of the summer" tik tok doesn't really fit, how do i promote it through tik tok and social media content while building the lore? Another thing, im arranging for a photoshoot, how many photos do i need to launch the campaign? Do i start shooting a music video for the catchiest single of do i wait to get a bit of traction? Thanks in advance!

Thanks for the votes folks, here's the next sample for this week: https://youtu.be/FpPk4pqzL2A?si=22xXyOP9PK9DhR2h

Submission Rules:

• You can only submit one beat.
• Beats can be any genre.
• You have to use the sample in your beat, it should be recognizable. You can add other instruments and samples, but the sample should be a main element.
• All submissions submitted before the deadline will be linked in the voting post; whoever gets the most votes there wins.
• Ties are decided by whoever submitted the beat first. Reused beats from previous battles can't win ties.

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 East Coast time zone which is 6 hours behind European MEZ time and a good middleground between US West Coast 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.

I make beats as Dirtybassline, im a young producer that just started and i got some hiphop beats (working on more aswell) so if someone is intrested to rap over a beat dm me

Hey everyone!

I have a question for producers who sell their beats independently, especially those who don't use BeatStars or other beat-selling platforms and don't have a registered business yet.I've reached the point where I want to start selling my beats, but I'd prefer not to rely on platforms like BeatStars because I'd like to have more control over my sales and avoid giving up a significant portion of each sale in fees.

I'm also learning programming, so I decided to build my own beat store. The website is coming along pretty well, and I've already been working on the beat player, the beat listings, and different license options. However, I've now reached the payment integration stage, and this is where I'm getting stuck. My original idea was to let customers choose a beat and a license, add it to their cart, pay online, and receive their files automatically. I'd then report my income and pay the taxes required in my country.

The problem is that, as far as I can tell, PayPal requires a business account for this type of commercial activity, and setting one up seems to require business registration details that I don't have yet.Where I live, maintaining a business can involve significant ongoing costs. I'd like to test whether there's actual demand for my beats before committing to those expenses.

Just to be clear, I'm not trying to avoid paying taxes. I want to handle everything legally and declare my income properly. I simply don't want to register a business before I know whether selling beats will generate enough income to make it worthwhile.

I've also considered a simpler approach: customers could select a beat and license on my website and submit their purchase request through a pre-filled email template. However, this would mean processing orders manually. Since I have a job and attend evening classes, I wouldn't always be available to respond immediately, and I don't want potential customers to lose interest because of the delay.

So I'd love to hear from producers who have dealt with a similar situation:

How did you handle payments when you first started selling beats independently?

Are there payment providers that allow you to sell digital products through your own website without immediately registering a business?

If you built your own beat store, how did you handle payments, licensing, and automatic file delivery?

For producers who sell internationally, how do you handle the legal and tax side of things in your country?

I'd especially appreciate advice from people who have actually gone through this process rather than relying entirely on third-party beat marketplaces.

Thanks in advance for any advice!

Recently, I got a DM on instagram from a pretty big artist asking me for a beat after seeing one of my beats on TikTok. Honestly, I was surprised that someone at that level came across my content. However, I haven’t heard anything back since, it’s been a month since this artist dm me.
I’m not going to name the artist, but I’m curious if other producers have experienced something similar. Have you ever had a big artist find your beats through social media and reach out asking for one, only for them to go silent afterward?
Did they ever reach back out, or did nothing ever come of it? I’m curious to hear your experiences, especially from producers who’ve dealt with bigger artists.

Share your accomplishments and some awesome things that have happened lately, no matter how big or small! Let's see what you've been up to, lately

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