The other day, Owen Postma, Social Media Associate at BeatStars, chatted with BeatStars Publishing producer Jonah Bru and artist DNL about how their track "ppl plsr" came to be and the success they came from it. Let's dive into the full story.
Owen: It’s really great to finally speak with you both! My first question is how did "ppl plsr" come about? Tell us what happened from start to finish, from when the beat was made to when the song was initially released.
Jonah: It’s really a pleasure, Owen! I met my friend DNL here who is a very talented vocalist at a networking event in Los Angeles. We decided to do a session together and record vocals for this piano part I had written. I finished the rest of the beat afterward, which became the beat for “ppl plsr”. I posted it on BeatStars and a few months later, I got a random DM from DNL, who sent over a demo of the finished song. I was so moved by it that I had to get on call with him and introduce myself. 6 months later, we dropped that song and it's doing better than we could have ever imagined.
DNL: Thanks for having me, Owen. Jonah said it best, but here’s my commentary - I was feeling very uninspired one day as I had been mindlessly scrolling through beats for about an hour, until I stumbled upon one called ‘ppl plsr’ on BeatStars. When I first heard it, I knew it was something I would love to record on, so I did. After about 45 minutes, I finished up the first demo of “ppl plsr” and sent it to Jonah. A few days later, he reached out to me and wanted to have a session. Ever since then, we have built up a very strong catalog of music and finally released the song.
Owen: That’s so dope! Going off of that, how has “ppl plsr” made an impact on your careers & what has the reception been like?
DNL: This song has completely changed my life! If not for “ppl plsr”, I would have never met the amazing, talented people I have so far in my career. I would have never been able to travel to LA or NY. The reception has completely blown me out of the water - 25k streams was not a number I saw as fathomable for a long time, especially for my debut release. The love and support from many blogs and curators has inspired me to continue pushing forward with more great releases.
Jonah: You said it best, DNL. The song's movement equally surprised me with it getting on 3 major Spotify editorial playlists, 20k streams in less than two weeks, and positive recognition from various blogs and influencers.
Owen: Damn... that is a lot of movement! What are some non-musical skills that helped make this song happen?
Jonah: My ability to network and A&R has allowed me to find capable talent to bring into my world to create the best music possible. The success of the track would not have happened without our managers, Caleb, Khron, and Jack Kirby. Our loyal team has stuck with us since the beginning and kept believing in us when no one else did.
DNL: For me, it’s definitely being able to recognize and deal with my own emotions.
Owen: Love it! Can y’all give some music production-related sauce for the community?
Jonah: My most used plugin without a doubt is RC-20. I put that on almost everything. It makes things sound more natural and real. In terms of my production composition, I find ways to create space for the artist while making sure my head is bobbing. If I start to get a little bit bored, I'll change the section. Also, I sing what I want the melody of the beat to be, so I try to make that be memorable and catch in my head.
DNL: Straight facts. My tip is learn how to mix your own vocals. There are plenty of great tutorials sprawled out across the internet. It doesn’t have to be perfect, but knowing how to mix can make a world of difference, especially for demos.
Owen: This is all great insight, guys. 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 platform?
Jonah: BeatStars and BeatStars Publishing have actually made my dreams come true. I am able to make a living off of BeatStars alone, and I’ve been able to build a following. Now, talented artists are coming to me wanting to collaborate.
DNL: I don’t really have any feedback for this one, but I really do appreciate BeatStars and what the company has done for music creators.
Owen: What is your advice to up-and-coming creators who hope to make a living off their music someday?
DNL: Always keep pushing, even when you feel like it’s never gonna work, because that’s what will make you successful in the end.
Jonah: Stay consistent and hold yourself accountable to a strict posting schedule. Even if they are not your favorite beats, posting and making beats consistently will improve your abilities as a producer and inevitably increase eyes on your art.
Check out Jonah and DNL's song “ppl plsr” on Spotify and make sure to follow them on socials to keep up with their future music creations!
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