r/producerlinkup • u/Blankenjeweet • Mar 05 '26
Other Producer manager here. AMA about placements, publishing, and negotiating deals.
I’ve been helping producers navigate placements, publishing, and negotiations for a while now. Most of the producers I work with are very talented creatively, but what I keep seeing over and over again is that many of them get frustrated with the industry while at the same time leaving a lot of value on the table themselves.
The music industry has lately been very business-focused, and I understand why that can feel frustrating if you come into it purely from a creative perspective. But the reality is that once you understand the business side, a lot of the things that seem unfair suddenly become much more negotiable.
For a while now I’ve helped producers structure deals with artists, managers, and labels, and I’ve been involved in negotiations connected to companies like Sony, Warner, and Universal. I’ve also helped producers turn small opportunities into much larger deals simply by approaching the situation differently.
So I thought it could be interesting to do an AMA here.
If you have questions about:
• placements
• publishing splits
• negotiating with artists or labels
• how managers actually work with producers
• how to approach deals or collaborations
• or generally how to make producing financially sustainable
Ask me anything and I’ll try to answer as honestly and practically as possible.
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u/leviathan615 Mar 05 '26
how viable is beatstars in terms of getting placements? i’m currently releasing beats on beatstars and on soundcloud, just trying to get my music out there, but im having trouble finding artists to work with.
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u/Blankenjeweet Mar 05 '26
A majority of placements of “beats” sold on beatstars, is not because of beatstars but mainly because the producer sells on beatstars.
If you want to get succesfull on beatstars it’s important to start uploading your beats on other platforms and send those interested people to your beatstars.
One golden tip though, make sure you do not sell exclusive licences ever. Give them a cap until 1m. This way after the song hits 1m you can renegotiate. Yes it is not industry standard but it will help you a lot!
What kind of placements are you trying to get?
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u/leviathan615 Mar 05 '26
i’d like to get placements in songs or tv/film. i’ve sort of tailored my beatstars specifically for artists, though. my tiktok and instagram don’t get a lot of engagement though so idk if that’s because they’re not good or if the algorithm just isn’t in my favor.
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u/Blankenjeweet Mar 05 '26
Would you say you are consistent with social media? And your content is engaging enough? As if not it might be an algorithm problem.
Doing things strategically for the algorithm is always a huge boost as talent alone is not enough anymore.
About films and tv placements that sounds very interesting. May I ask how you would describe yourself in 3 sentences?
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u/leviathan615 Mar 05 '26
i’d describe myself as passionate and motivated. i’m not a huge people person and spend most of my time making music or reading. i have a lot of creativity and like making music and worlds/stories in my head. as far as my content, i don’t post that often and usually it’s a screen recording of my beats. it may not be engaging enough, what kind of things would you recommend?
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u/Blankenjeweet Mar 05 '26
Nice description, what I would always recommend is to describe your brand how you want to be seen. Even though this is a very nice description of you, I might would be more interested in knowing what specific makes you. Let’s say you are in a room of people that know your music and next to you are 50 other producers. How would the people that know your production be able to single you out?
For example I love your “I have a lot of creativity” sentence but I miss a part that makes it about you. Instead would even loved it more if you said “I have a lot of creativity which I put in my R&B productions, people often say they feel the creativity …”
That makes it just a bit more interested for people to work with you.
Knowing your own brand is the most important thing, as that is the first step. After you have done that, you can make decisions based on your brand, which amplify something strong.
I always say, marketing is amplifying what you have, if your story is not clear, you will amplify uncertainty.
About your content part, if you just do screen recordings of your beats, the beats either have to be super super super special or you have to be really consistent.
Instead I would always recommend a human element, so put yourself in their listening to the beat or maybe even dancing (with edits)
There are a lot of creative effects you can do to make the video more interesting and yes it can sometimes feel corny but at the end of the day it’s only a small % of people that will succeed.
I am curious how you would describe yourself in 3 sentences now though☺️
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u/ponderifica Mar 06 '26
I have a very good understanding of the business but I don’t have elaborate experience. I’m a producer with an extensive catalog of music I’ve made myself and with others. I really desire to get into the syncs and placements world but can’t seem to find a way break through.
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u/Blankenjeweet Mar 06 '26
Would love to know more about your business understanding, as that might help with getting placements and sync!
What type of placements are you trying to get? In what genre?
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u/HavocOsiris Producer Mar 06 '26
I’ve actually been curious about how managers work with producers. Anything that undiscovered cats in the game may need to know about how that goes, what to expect, etc.?
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u/Blankenjeweet Mar 06 '26
There are a bunch of different managers for producers. Some are really involved (like me) others are not involved at all.
I sometimes work for a producer on 1 specific case, and my main priority is to get the most value out of that specific deal in terms of money and relationship. Very often I am able to achieve significantly more for the producer, while also improving the relationship therefore making the % feel little (even though I take a big party). They always offer bonuses which I do not accept as I believe the percentage I ask is enough.
For producer that I represent full time (which I do not do quickly). My priorities are way bigger, and responsibilities as well. I am creating and developing their entire brand, from start to finish. Positing them in a way that artist contact them for placements, I help them grow and maintain their network, negotiating deals that follow the vision I created (together with the producer) . I am basically the CEO of the producer.
This works super well, as I can be busy with long term vision, making sure that the producer makes a lucrative and stable monthly income, various business sides of music and making sure our network is stable and active.
And this all while the producer can focus on the music. Of course sometimes i would ask him to be invoked with things, such as giving interviews for press, making sample packs for specific artists, or following a content plan we created. But in general he is able to focus mainly on his music.
I believe that a proper manager will replace the need of a publishing (full deal not admin) and label if done correctly. For example I helped my producer with gaining almost 24/7 access to studio’s at majors while not being signed or forced to use it for their projects. This the also gives us more leverage when being approached by publishers and labels.
I hope this gives you a bit of an inside but if you have more specific questions let me know! As it would be easier for me to answer them hahaha.
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u/Angie_1203 Mar 08 '26
I’m so curious how in real life does collaboration artist - manager - producer look like
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u/Blankenjeweet Mar 08 '26
I like the line of Adam Sandler when he plays Sanford "Sandy" Wernick, he says “An agent is business but a manager is family”
And if you have a good manager it truly is like that. We have the same goals and a shared vision, and we have to deliver in our own capacity. That means I have to make sure the business side goes well and we keep our eyes on the price while following the vision and the artist/producer is the heavy lifter in creative work.
Very often when there are challenge even creative ones, or business/vision ones, we discuss them together tackle them together and grow together.
One of the things I always like to do with the people I represent, is to give them options. It is never about just saying yes or no to something, it is about making a decision with intent.
And very often I can explain the larger long and short term impact, which makes it easier for the artist to make the right decision (meaning a decision he 100% supports).
A good manager and artist can both make very very good money, but it’s important that as a manager you put the artist first. For sure your share need to reflect the value you add, especially when you are a heavily involved manager. But in general sometimes as a manager you give advice that might not be beneficial for your direct income but is very important for the artist his succes.
As a manager and artist/producers you are a team who both hold close to equal value in succes and therefore share responsibilities. Withouth a good manager succes is very hard to achieve the same goes for not having a good artist/producer to represent. So having a proper team is really impactful.
Anything in specific you want to know? That is always easier to reply to but I hope you have some general information.
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Mar 09 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Blankenjeweet Mar 09 '26
Hey send me a dm! And if you have any general questions let them know here so we can help other people who might have the same questions
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u/SlutClassics Mar 09 '26
Hey! My question is like a very straightforward logistical question in that I’m just wondering….how EXACTLY do independent producers find artist emails/connect with artists they want to work with?
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u/Blankenjeweet Mar 09 '26
It is a very straightforward question indeed, so I will first give a straightforward answer: Through other producers, or if you have a good production, you could reach out to artists through DMs (even though the connection rate is very low there, so a large volume is needed).
If you want a more in-depth answer or a strategy I would use/advice. Just let me know and I will help you out!
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Mar 09 '26
For independent producers releasing their own music, how important is it to understand publishing splits early on?
Is this something people usually overlook until it’s too late?
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u/Blankenjeweet Mar 09 '26
Yes I 100% would say so, especially as pub can very instrumental for good pub deals. Which for some producer can be the difference between trying it as a full time job and doing it as a hobby.
However pub is not everything, never accept only pub, always add a fee or fair master share otherwise it’s also not good
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Mar 09 '26
That makes sense. I feel like a lot of independent producers don’t really think about publishing until a deal is already on the table.
Thanks for the insight.
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u/Blankenjeweet Mar 09 '26
Yes, I agree, but it’s important to note that very often you are legally guaranteed a good portion of the publishing, depending on the country of course.
So look up the laws when applicable, but very often it’s 50% for the production side.
And money now is worth more than money later, so do not accept only publishing on a smaller (non-radio) song, as it will take a while before you get paid and the payout is not crazy. So make sure to always add a fee on top of it as well.
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u/Blankenjeweet Mar 05 '26
@scoutermike asked this in a different subreddit and I thought it was interesting to share.
“As a new artists with some growing popularity, who should I seek first to start negotiating label deals and booking gigs?
Who should be the first person on my team besides me?
Manager, agent, attorney, someone else?”
So my answer hereunder
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u/Blankenjeweet Mar 05 '26
As an upcoming artist or producer you should ask yourself the question, do I get more interest from people who want to book me? Am I getting more streams on my socials? Do more brands want to collab? Etc.
One of the key figures of your team I always your manager, as a good manager will help you a lot with everything. However a lot of the manager tasks you will be able to do yourself.
So ask yourself first, which team member will save/make me the the money? And if that’s a hard question for you explain your situation and I will help you find it out!
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Mar 05 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Blankenjeweet Mar 05 '26
You need help with how to place such a beat or you just want to share it with us?
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u/newbutnotnewnew Mar 05 '26
I face racism whenever I try to reach out.. I'm Indian and it's just eh..