Edmonton-based record label and events group Night Vision Music is celebrating their five year anniversary with a collection of five new tracks from its most beloved in-house producers, including “Dat Love” from Honeydripper, which we premiered earlier today.
We asked the imprint to give up-and-coming producers some advice in the forms of five essential tips for submitting music to music labels:
For many artists who were previously struggling to find their audience, Soundcloud has been an heaven-sent platform since it entered the music scene back in 2007. As a mostly free resource with a wide reach, Soundcloud has made it possible for aspiring artists to share their music to anyone across the globe through the internet.
But as with any technology, Soundcloud can be a challenge as well, especially for those who do not have the know-how on tapping the platform’s potential to reach as wide of an audience as possible. Fortunately, there are ways to go about it, as explored by Music x Tech x Future.
Ukrainian DJ and Producer Spartaque, real name Vitalii Babii, has become a name known for raw quality on the international techno landscape. Heâs been at it for many years, but got his first break in 2007 DJing at Ukraineâs Global Gathering festival, and has continued with this festival every year since. Since, he has added other vital performances to his resume by performing at Love Parade, Kazantip, Mayday, and others.
Spartaque supplements these performances and maintains the momentum by way of his award-winning Supreme podcast, in addition to numerous guest mixes on other podcasts and radio shows. As an artist he has been composing and producing dance music since his teens, finally being able to translate his passion and hard work into a career as a young adult. His first release came in 2005 with a contribution to a Virus Music album in 2005. More than a decade later, he now boasts over 300 released tracks on a large number of labels. His arsenal includes both original works and remixes for some of the top artists around the world.
Maintaining balance between industry and artisanship, Spartaque has played a key role in the creation and development of two key techno record labels, IAMT and Codex. With a touring schedule that is as busy as ever, we caught the opportunity to dig deeper about these label projects with Vitalii, getting into the nitty and gritty details of what it really means to be a label owner and manager of your own imprint(s), releasing on vinyl, throwing label parties, doing A&R and much more.
Guest post by producer, DJ and party curator option4
Often when people first start thinking about being a professional DJ itâs more of a dream than a reality. But when it actually comes to the crunch, it can be a potentially daunting decision to make the plunge. I think the biggest thing people need to weigh out before they go fully pro and try to pay their bills with this stuff is “CAN they pay their bills with this stuff?”
I’ve seen it happen time and time again where DJs start playing out and making a little bit of money, then think that quitting their job and devoting all of their time to their craft will push them to the next level. Sadly in this day and age that’s extremely rare. The DJ supply vastly outweighs the demand for DJ performances. Identifying whether it’s just a hobby or if it’s something more is a very honest evaluation that should be more encouraged in this culture. Attempting to make a living with this profession can oftentimes be more stressful than anticipated, ultimately killing the passion that started the journey in the first place. Going pro before you have an actual fan base to support it is a very slippery slope.
Of course I would fully endorse you making that leap if you believe in your abilities. So then the first thing to do is avoiding making the same mistakes that most DJs who are starting out make! I mean, I book A LOT of DJs. I always try and inspire new ones and support up-and-comers all of the time. Obviously there’s the playing appropriate music for the party, slot etc. but that’s been beat to death already. Most of the DJs that play for our parties all play great anyhow. One thing that I feel people mess up however is not understanding how important it is to be a PART of the party.
Guest post by Nick Garcia, label manager of Sharamâs Yoshitoshi Recordings.
For all itâs chocked up to be, the DJ/producer lifestyle is usually not as glamorous as it sounds, especially when it comes to money. Â For every uber-successful artist with a Porsche and a villa in Ibiza, there are countless more who donât know where their next rent check will come from. Â Performance, remix, and licensing fees donât just fall from the sky, and chances are those streaming statements can barely pay for a cup of coffee. Â Therefore, Iâve compiled five tips for artists who find themselves struggling financially to maximize what their money can do, both now and in the future.
As a DJ and a musician, the most important element you must take into consideration is sound. It may seem like a no-brainer, but not many seem to realize the importance of not just ensuring your track is being heard alright but also that it is being heard the way you intend it. Whether it is being played in your room by yourself , in the studio with other producers, or in a club for an audience, it’s important that every ear gets to appreciate every groove and beat of the track being played.
Thus, it is important that you have quality speakers that will provide quality output to ensure your mixes sound right anytime, anywhere. And for a DJ, not any speaker system will do, regardless of whether one is looking for a simple speaker system or an elaborate home theater setup. There are specific things to look for in a DJ speaker, which we will be elaborating on to help you shop for the right sound: Read more
Chances are, most people who attend an electronic music concert, club night or live event came for the performance of the main act. If you are a relative newcomer in the DJ industry, however, you will most likely be tapped to play the opening set for the event.
Performing as the opener has its own challenges, particularly in getting the audience warmed up for the main act in a manner that is suitable for the event and artist coming after you. This entails being able to create the atmosphere of excitement and energy out of thin air, all without overdoing it and stealing the limelight from the headlining act. And as any DJ will tell you, that makes the job of the warm-up DJ the most difficult of all. Read more
Electronic music artists are always on the lookout for new outboard gear. Buying hardware sequencers, synthesizers, drum machines and effects units used to be costly and hard. Nowadays there are a lot of companies selling this equipment at cost. Electronic music artists who want a more hands-on experience are keener on using a hardware sequencer to get their rhythms and melodies to the studio. Discogs even launched Gearogs last week, a market place where buyers can shop for synthesizers, DJ mixers, drum machines, tape machines and more.
There’s no denying that today there are many websites earning money through clicks and shares instead of the value of content being digested by readers. In fact it is even happening in the electronic music industry, where sensationalistic headlines are used to blow up stories of little content or use. On top of that, thanks to technology there are now Autobots that stand in for readers and listeners and control the business of the internet. Can we say the same is happening with creative minds? No. There is hope yet for creatives in spite of modern technology.
A recent article from Jon Westenberg discusses how creative people, or “creatives”, have been screwed over by the online society. His definition of “creatives” are the musicians, the artists, the writers and other people who make stuff for a living. In this article, Westenberg says âbloggers and writers must never try to get paid. Once you try and get paid everyone thinks youâve sold out.” He goes on to explain that this philosophy also touches on other types of artists, musicians, filmmakers, and journalists.
Electronic music producers have long used sampling in the studio, with the practice dating back to some of the early years of house and techno. While there are some contentious issues related to sampling (notably copyright matters) that are still being debated, there has been a growing number of less contentious options made available in recent years that allow for sampling without concern.
Some services such as Beatport, Juno, Irrupt, Sample Magic and Loopmasters provide licensed samples for a fee. But if you are on a limited budget, donât worry, there are also many great, royalty-free samples that are available for free, ranging from promotional freebies by online services to homemade files from artists and synth enthusiasts.
Fact Magazine recently compiled 21 noteworthy free sample packs that you can find available on the web. Encompassing a variety of genres from house to hip-hop, we hope these sample packs prove useful in your next studio session:
