There’s no question that BeatStars Publishing members AJ & Alex are on their way to success in their music careers! Not long ago, both these producers got to work on a track with Lil Poppa, released on CMG/Interscope Records. Owen Postma, Social Media Associate at BeatStars, got the full story below in this exciting interview.
Owen: Guys! Congrats on the recent success. First question I wanted to ask was how did “Mind Over Matter” come about? Tell us what happened from start to finish; from when you exported the beat/loop to when the song was initially released.
Alex: Thanks so much, Owen! Back in December 2022, AJ sent me over a pack of FL Studio projects to work on, one of them ended up being the beat for “Mind Over Matter”. Once I heard the guitar from Colorado mixed with the keys from OB Music, I knew this beat was one of the options. After we finished the drums, I exported the beat and sent it over to Lil Poppa and shortly after, “Mind Over Matter” was made.
AJ: Yeah Owen, appreciate the love man! I remember making that beat after a long day in college. I wanted to try something different with the drum patterns and it turned out pretty well. I made that beat in 20 mins or so, kept it as simple as possible, and added a few different sounds, like shakers. Exported the project file and knew it had potential, but never cared that much. I was taken back when Lil Poppa recognized the same potential in that beat as I did.
Owen: So sick! How has “Mind Over Matter” made an impact on your career as a producer & what has the reception been like?
Alex: From the first time Lil Poppa previewed “Mind Over Matter” on Instagram Live, we knew that we had something special. Shortly after it was previewed, the snippet started going crazy on YouTube and TikTok. I was constantly receiving messages from fans asking when the song was dropping. Seeing fans get that excited over a song that we had a part of was definitely pretty crazy to see.
AJ: Definitely learned a lot from this placement. Simplicity is key. Watching the snippet going viral on YouTube, Twitter, and other social platforms, as well as gaining over 200k+ views opened up doors for me to collaborate with some of my favorite industry producers.
Owen: Love to hear all of that. What non-musical skills helped you land this placement, or other placements in the past?
Alex: The ability to work as a team and network. “Mind Over Matter” has 4 producers from all different locations. The ability to work as a team and make it happen was a crucial part of creating this record.
AJ: Not a skill, but developing good habits, such as starting your day off right, avoiding working through the night, and avoiding distractions can help you stay consistent. Focusing on these small daily tasks can be a helpful trick to maintain your productivity. It's the little things that pile up good results.
Owen: I totally agree! Can y’all pass along some music production-related sauce to the community?
Alex: The best tip I can give when it comes to making beats is to keep your beats simple, but effective. It's important to remember that when you are making beats for an artist, if there is too much going on, the artist won't have any room for their vocals.
AJ: Alex made a valid point that mastering the art of creating simple, yet effective beats, is a valuable skill that everyone should strive for. While complex beats may have
their appeal, a simple beat can elevate an artist's performance to something truly astounding. Also, I don’t use any plugins for mixing drums besides a parametric EQ. As long as you have your mix levels right, you’re all good.
Owen: How large of a role has BeatStars/BeatStars Publishing played in getting to where you are today in your career, and what has your experience been like since joining the team/platform?
Alex: BeatStars has given me an abundance of resources to benefit me throughout my career, such as giving me the ability to make income from my work, get my tracks playlisted, and frequent submissions for placement opportunities. Very thankful to have such a helpful group of people who look out for the producer community.
AJ: BeatStars has been the best platform for selling beats online. All my business related work is done so seamlessly over the website. Overall, my experience with BeatStars/BeatStars Publishing has been extremely positive!
Owen: Amazing news! What is your advice to up-and-coming producers who hope to make a living off their music and/or get notable placements someday?
Alex: In my opinion, one of the most important things about music is the ability to stay consistent. Consistency is key; if you’re always looking to improve and work on your craft every day, you’re on the track. Another piece of advice is having a solid circle of people on your team. This can take you a long way and open up endless opportunities.
AJ: As Alex said, consistency is key; the key to maintain that is to love the process. It's a lot easier to stay consistent when you love what you’re doing. Believing in your craft and having a clear vision will definitely help you a lot. Advice that I received when I first started out was stay down till you come up. Show love to the community, support other people’s success, it’ll all come back to you one day
Check out Lil Poppa’s track “Mind Over Matter” on Spotify and make sure to follow the producers for future music creations!
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