Just about 70% of the independent rappers who put out multiple FREE Street Albums last year did not make a dime from their music.
FACT!
The game plan for most unsigned rappers consists of giving away Free Street Album/Mixtapes and paying to be in showcases. The average rapper spends $1500 to put out his Free Mixtape/Street Album. I want you to sit there and think about this for a second.
Who is getting paid off of your FREE MIXTAPE/STREET ALBUM? The Studio, the engineer, the graphic designer for the cover, the CD manufacturer, perhaps the DJ you paid to host it, and perhaps the producers of the original tracks, the mixtape marketing company, and Datpiff or any other mixtape website that posts your mixtape in order to draw traffic to their site with the expectation of selling ads based on that traffic, etc. ( Why are you scratching your head?)
The Kicker---
When you put a Free mixtape/street album on Datpiff or any other mixtpape site and generate thousands of downloads, do you know the demographics (Sex, Race or Age) of those downloading your mixtape?
NO!
Can you obtain the email addresses of those downloading your mixtape?
NO!
Do you know the location of those downloading your mixtape?
NO!
On these mixtape sites you don't receive any real stats and thus you don't know who your potential consumers are. And the crazy thing is that some rappers are even buying download stats on Datpiff now. I get it- really I do but at the end of the day its not benefiting you. ( you want that "look" of people really vibing off your shit.) The only thing that you are doing is making money for Datpiff. They use the traffic you draw to their site to sell advertisements.
Every artist want to be signed but are following other artist paths.
You have to make your own .. build a fanbase .
You are better off spending that money for that mixtape and invest it in your website to push your music. This way you can generate a relationship with those that like your music .
Stop fucking around ...