I'm frequently asked by musically-inclined friends and associates whether or not they can use any of my music for their personal projects. Throughout the years my "policy" has changed a bit. I have decided to publish the following rule, outlining my requirements of those who wish to use my beats. I thought it would be handy if this list is readily accessible. All of this is pretty much effective now and does not apply to the older projects that I have worked on (though in practice, it generally has worked out that way).
- I'm "open source". Anybody can use anything of mine for whatever they want (excluding the limitations listed below). If you want to record a freestyle, or use it at a show, then there is no problem.
- There's nothing that bugs me more than poor recording quality. If it's recorded in a low-quality setting then please do not give me credit for it. I don't want my name on badly recorded stuff. Don't try to take credit for it either.
- Most of my beats are sort 30-60 second clips. They are sloppy, not mastered, and are extreme drafts. I make tons of these things but don't invest any more time in them unless I think the beat is going somewhere. I'm more than happy to extend, tailor, edit, touch up, or complete any beat for anybody as long as they are to use actually record it. It's stressful to invest time in cutting up a beat that's going to sit in someone's car stereo.
- Once you record something over my beat, give me a copy. Don't try to withhold it from me, please. I'd like to listen to it.
- If within a year you haven't done anything with the song, than I will. I don't want to spend time on finishing a beat only for it never to be released to the general public.
- No dibs. First come, first serve. He who records first on the beat can have it. And if someone else wants to come along and record on the same beat, then they can do so. Exclusivity is only granted to those who will pay for a beat, unless it's a special project that I am working on in coordination with you. I don't want to have to keep track of all the beats that someone claims, nor do I want beats to sit vacant for years until you get around to record something.
- I'll be more than happy to produce your whole album. For free, even. But I can take the task more seriously and invest more time into it I'm the only producer on the album. I like to treat these projects as a sort of continuous work. I think that bringing in a handful of beats from other producers takes away from the unified production as a whole. It's my "baby", one could say.
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