Beat Jacking? For Real?

[dacalion]

Ok, I have no idea how this suddenly popped in my head but out of the many years that I've been an ILLmember, I don't recall ALOT of discussions covering this topic. So let's talk about it...

Basically, I want to know how you (personally) protect your beats from getting jacked when most of us can and do make beats at the drop of a dime?

Serious answers only please!

 

[Shonsteez]

I look at it like this: Anything in the digital domain is fair game, thats just how it is. So with that basic knowledge - as an artist, you simply have to deny direct access to source files, complete songs, etc. as good as you can. So if its a song you really care about and dont want to potentially loose to theft (which is inevitable), then you should take some basic security measures like truncating the song down to just enough for someone to get a taste and then fade the tail out...or you could do the annoying voice tag thing, but I personally find that distasteful - Id much rather offer a small segment of the song and then just abruptly end it so that they dont have access to the full joint....and even in this situation there is still possibility for theft, but their only going to get a snippet. If their gonna take it to a whole other level and actually loop a 4bar from that little tiny snippet then at that point I say fuck it, its gone...but a very little percentage will bother going through that much trouble.

If your songs are on a 3rd party server elsewhere then just be aware of what security measures they take to protect your audio, but even then - nothing in the digital domain is really safe...it can all be stolen.

 

[thedreampolice]

I have actually had a beat jacked and it ended up on TV. That was the beat that Queen used on the DP record.

But honestly, my approach is two fold.

#1 Most of my music is registered with ASCAP so they track it anywhere. If someone uses my stuff they will know. In turn I will know.

#2 I am totally unknown, so honestly if someone actually does jack one of my beats its a paycheck for me. And for the most part if someone has no money and needs a beat I will probably just let them use it assuming they are talented and will do something with it. If they ASK FIRST. If they just jack it, then its on!

 

[UNORTHODOX]

All good answers. I just dont put anything I want stolen on the net. Even Email, major artists (Eminem, JayZ ect) have had emails hacked. Nothing is safe.

Especially the, "inspiration" aspect or secret "Sampling". They dont need the beat, i know this one guy, hes a average skilled producer, Ive SEEN him recreated beats off of 1st listen and dude would never tell you he could. Not to mention people will "flip" a snippet if they're thirsty enough.

Best thing is, keep it on your harddrive and let no one hear it. Atleast untill its a finished product and ready for the world.

You're screwed otherwise

 

[Tr3ydeeze]

I dont post my best stuff online. If I post something it was probably a 5 min beat or I purposely mix it horribly. Thats I why I dont bother with the Beat battles as much. I entered a contest then heard a wak ass rapper going in on my beat on myspace. Fux Dat never happening again.

 

[UNORTHODOX]

A horribly mix dont stop anything. Not to mention your name is attatched to that horrid mix lol

 

[Pug]

Agree with everything already said. If it's on the net, people will take it. Even if you add effects or little vocal clips to dissuade people, they will still grab the two bars between. So it's a risk to post an instrumental.

 

[dacalion]

I agree with what you guys are saying as well but does it really bother you all that some cat on myspace or anywhere else jacked your beat? That can easily be a viewed as a compliment to a lot of producers. I mean where's the damage? It's not like he's making hundreds of thousands of dollars on it and you're not getting ish. Let's say a big A&R cat from a big label contacted dude wanting to sign him and the A&R cat wanted to contact you (the producer), to tell you what went down, and wanted more of your work? That could be the biggest move of your life.

Here's another scenario, what if Busta, Em or Jay Z did it? Would you be pissed or honored?

This question is for everybody.

 

[Sucio]

I've been beat jacked once....It sucked and was "cool" at the same time.....

Internet promotion of your music is a double edged sword, it exposes you to the world so the world can listen to your music and possibly develop clientele with people you wouldn't have worked with without the net....on the other hand it makes your music susceptible to theft from wanna be producers.

The bad thing is that since the industry is such a cut-throat business, people will do almost anything to get in the game, including stealing your music....

Even if you have a loop that is just one bar long, that's all a person really needs...If a sample is playing, they can find out that sample and flip it the same way...if you played a melody on your piano, someone could match that as well....

It is almost an inevitability that your music will be "stolen" at some capacity....

 

[Sucio]

I mean where's the damage?

Someone is taking credit for your work and possibly making money off of your work...I don't think that if you did something good at work and a co-worker took the credit for it, got the raise n all, you would just sit there and be like "oh well..that's cool"

It's not like he's making hundreds of thousands of dollars on it and you're not getting ish.

You don't know that...that beat could have gotten YOU a deal worth hundreds of thousands....It's not always about what the other person makes on it.....it's about what YOU could've made on it.

Here's another scenario, what if Busta, Em or Jay Z did it? Would you be pissed or honored?

Both...#1 being that vets in the industry recognize your ability. #2 pissed because you KNOW they will make $ on that track one way or another and you won't get shit for it...

Unless you've gotten your ASCAP and copyright things done.


The damage is that someone is taking credit for your work.

 

[2GooD Productions]

Someone is taking credit for your work and possibly making money off of your work...I don't think that if you did something good at work and a co-worker took the credit for it, got the raise n all, you would just sit there and be like "oh well..that's cool"



You don't know that...that beat could have gotten YOU a deal worth hundreds of thousands....It's not always about what the other person makes on it.....it's about what YOU could've made on it.



Both...#1 being that vets in the industry recognize your ability. #2 pissed because you KNOW they will make $ on that track one way or another and you won't get shit for it...

Unless you've gotten your ASCAP and copyright things done.


The damage is that someone is taking credit for your work.

exactly

 

[dacalion]

Very good breakdown Sucio! So this brings me back to the original question with all that YOU said...What do you do (personally) to protect YOUR music? or do you have ALL this in mind and still just Fukit and put it out there anyway? I mean, you obviously know the consequences before you put it out there, so why get pissed afterwards?

@2Good - same thing, you knew the consequences before you uploaded it. What do you do to protect it from being jacked?

 

[2GooD Productions]

Very good breakdown Sucio! So this brings me back to the original question with all that YOU said...What do you do (personally) to protect YOUR music? or do you have ALL this in mind and still just Fukit and put it out there anyway? I mean, you obviously know the consequences before you put it out there, so why get pissed afterwards?

@2Good - same thing, you knew the consequences before you uploaded it. What do you do to protect it from being jacked?

The way to protect yourself is to use ASCAP or here in the UK the MCPS. They help to copyright your work and they also collect royalties for when your music is used commercially or played on the radio.

 

[Pug]

Another way of looking at it, is that you can build up your street cred by hunting down the culprits, cause them bodily harm, and the masses will love you for being 'gansta'!

 

[dacalion]

I agree but realistically speaking, who on illmuzik does that? Now I'm sure that some of us do with beats that we 100% compose or flip any sample that we use beyond recognition but 99.8888888% of us don't go that route.

Let's consider the beat that was jacked was one of the many that we make just for the helluvit. I'm just saying, those of us that sell beats probably go through all the legalities of protecting that work but again, most of us don't sell beats or even market them properly, in fact, most of us do this for the fun of it and the dream of hoping one day someone important hears it. In the meanwhile, we are flooding the internet with our "fun" stuff and some @$$hole that can spit very well uses it and we get pissed.

 

[2GooD Productions]

I agree but realistically speaking, who on illmuzik does that? Now I'm sure that some of us do with beats that we 100% compose or flip any sample that we use beyond recognition but 99.8888888% of us don't go that route.

Let's consider the beat that was jacked was one of the many that we make just for the helluvit. I'm just saying, those of us that sell beats probably go through all the legalities of protecting that work but again, most of us don't sell beats or even market them properly, in fact, most of us do this for the fun of it and the dream of hoping one day someone important hears it. In the meanwhile, we are flooding the internet with our "fun" stuff and some @$ that can spit very well uses it and we get pissed.

Well then 99.8888888% of us cant complain when it happens to them. It has happened to me, I heard my beat on "Top Gear" and whoever sold it to them must have done well out of the deal, getting placed on a prime time show like Top Gear pays very well.
You live you learn, if you really care about your music and getting credit where its due without some thieving shit coming and claiming it as their own then the ASCAP/MCPS route is the only way to go. At least then if you do feel put out or lose a lot of money as a result, you at least then have some basis in law with which to claim what is rightfully yours.

 

[dacalion]

Well then 99.8888888% of us cant complain when it happens to them.

@2Good - Exactly! Thats kinda my point, when someone jacks our music it's partially our own fault, we put it out there (not for that reason...) but like Shon, you and a few others were acknowledging it's pretty much fair game once it hits the internet. I fully understand how it could feel bad for that to happen to somebody especially if you KNOW that they got paid off of your ish, but at the same time it's our own fault.

@everyone else - Personally, I think it's borderline "hypercritical" to lay a $1000 bill on the ground, in the middle of downtown Harlem and get pissed off if you come back 5 minutes later and someone has snatched it up. There is NO logic behind that (imo).

 

[thedreampolice]

Honestly I just don't think the business model holds up much any more. There will be less and less Kayne's and Jay-Z's and more people like Kev Brown that can make a living. Develop your own fan base. My goal has become give my albums away for free or donation as a promotional item to get more composing jobs and make money licensing music, that's where the money is for us unknowns anyway. And at the end of the day I would rather someone listen to my music for free than not listen at all.

 

[Ferret]

at the end of the day I would rather someone listen to my music for free than not listen at all.

Exactly, I give beats away for free locally so I can possibly get known in the area and honestly once songs hit the internet some Worcester rappers hear them and want to get on, some people I know some people I don't, plus there isn't a big collection of known artist like there is in Boston. My goal is to bring up me and my friends to be known as a solid rap group, because most of the other rappers around here use those J ARMZ beats and they all sound the same.

 

[thedreampolice]

honestly once songs hit the internet some Worcester rappers hear them and want to get on

LMAO, thats freakin awesome!