Loop Stacking Producers Need Not Apply
WARNING: This throws direct shade on music producers who use pre-made loops, that’s both audio and MIDI. Hell, even video.
As a veteran of analog/digital music, it has never really occurred to me that loops would:
- Become such a big thing. So big that the amount of loops out there has become more than any 1 person can manage. It’s like records, you know there’s more out there than you can ever possibly dig through
- Become a problem with actual industry producers and musicians
Now, #1 is self explanatory. Back in my days coming up, I remember the Beastie Boys getting hit by the laws of copyright and IP due to sampling. Then MC Hammer, all of rap and the Dust Brothers. When industry instrument companies started catering to the hip hop/techno genre with sampling hardware, they came with the obligatory loop audio cd. Those CDs usually had some cool loops and even animal or nature sounds (why?). Those loop CDs were huge No-No’s. If you were ever caught using a loop in your track, that chopped away all credibility as a producer. So I NEVER saw the loop/sound/drum kit industry as a possibility.
#2 has now become a problem. Now that I’ve jumped into the online selling of tracks, I’m noticing clauses in the license contracts of tracks. It lays all sample clearance responsibility on the licensee. WTF? So I can sample Michael Jackson, make that perfect track and sell it without getting any clearance? WHAT?!?!?!
And that’s not the point of this post. After that hit me, I started to really listen to other producers all across the internet. I dug deep, listening to anything and everything. If any producers out there noticed a spike in the analytics, that was probably me reviewing tracks.
People are stacking loops like they’re getting paid for it. AND THEY ARE!
So… now you don’t even have to have a talent? You can just download terrabytes of pre-made loops and stack them, and sell them?
And then what? The artist buys your track thinking you are the greatest and then gets hit by every rights admin out there? Now, because of the beat license clause saying THEY have to get clearance for all samples (and YES, that includes loops), we can just sample and produce anything and everything, get paid for it and be long gone and completely without responsibility?
Wait… what am I complaining about? That sounds fucking great…
No
No, no, no, that shit just ain’t right. No way, that’s fucked up. That’s like getting a best new singer grammy, but you used autotune.
Producers STOP stacking loops! It doesn’t hurt me, but it definitely hurts your potential customers, the artists and it puts you in a crowded corner of fake, talentless hacks. I can keep writing until the end of days. My God-given pool of music talent will never dry, and I’m thankful of that. That puts me in the position of never fading into that crowded corner. Other producers may steal my work, but the jokes on them. I can just make something else equal to or greater. Also, I’ll find you and collect my earnings.
Just, go do something else. It’s that easy. If you can’t, it’s OK. I guarantee you can do something else. It could be, I don’t know, marketing or something.