| For years I would listen to my favorite rap and hip-hop | | | | This kind of "rags to riches" story has been made |
| tracks and think how easy it would be to make my | | | | possible by the internet. The community aspect of the |
| own rap tracks. I have since found out that many | | | | internet and online rap beat makers give anybody who |
| people feel the same way, and that most people think | | | | wants one a chance to succeed at being a rap |
| they can make fat tracks. How come there is such a | | | | producer. With online beat makers, you shorten the |
| shortage of producers then? Along the way, I realized | | | | learning curve of making rap beats dramatically. In the |
| that it's because of the high barriers to entry becoming | | | | past, lots of time and money must be spent before |
| a producer has traditionally had. In the past, if you | | | | you can even make your first rap beat. Today, all it |
| wanted to make rap beats, you had to save up a few | | | | takes is a simple membership to a site that lets you |
| thousand dollars and go to a studio, or pay a producer | | | | make rap beats online and you're good to go. |
| while going to a studio. Even in the past 10 years, the | | | | However, not all online beat makers are created |
| only option was to use overpriced desktop beat | | | | equally... so what should you look for in a quality site? |
| makers, which still left beginners hundreds of dollars in | | | | One of the most important things to me is the ease of |
| the hole. | | | | use. See, the reason most people don't like going to a |
| The solution to this problem came with the rise of the | | | | studio or using desktop software is how technically |
| internet. More specifically, the epic rise of social media. | | | | complex it is... an online application has to be drastically |
| Websites like Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter set | | | | simplified. Also, be on the lookout for one-click mp3 |
| the standard for how we interact with each other | | | | exportation, as this makes burning mix tapes and |
| online. Together with people's love for music, the first | | | | sharing tracks with friends much easier. |
| websites that let you make rap beats online emerged. | | | | Interested in making rap beats online? It's a whole new |
| These "social music" websites were the first of their | | | | world and it's anybodies ballgame... do you have what it |
| kind. Users could log on, whip up a beat using an online | | | | takes to become a rap producer? If I can do it, then |
| rap beats maker, and then publish and share that beat | | | | anybody can, and that certainly means you. Check out |
| with friends on the website. This lead to many | | | | the links in the resource box below to learn more |
| underground producers and rappers becoming | | | | about the underground world of making rap beats |
| discovered and scoring 'real life' record deals. | | | | online. |