Artistic vs Commercial Beats

• Artistic - An expression of one's self that must be shared.
  
  
• Commercial - An expression of what people will want to buy.

To the universe, neither one is better than the other. Period.

ARTISTIC

If you are an artistic type, you might hear a beat that sounds like what's hot for the current market and instantly think it's cookie cutter or generic.

To you it's more important to forge a new path and follow it. The down side is that a lot of people probably don't feel your music as much as you would like and you might even be afraid to share it even though deep inside you have a hunger to let the world hear your music.

This type of beatmaker gets a personal satisfaction from making the beat that fulfills something that money could not. Most times your artistic types can afford to be this way. If they were living hand to mouth, they would be smart to change and get their grind on and make some sellable, commercial music.

The biggest hurdle for this type, is not be afraid to put themselves into the public eye. While this person may be extremely talented, like most "artists" they also tend to be insecure.

Those that break the barrier and become commercially successful, often are known as the "godfather" of the new genre. Think of guys like Dre and Timbo whose beats sounded unique when they first made them but now are emulated by so many.

COMMERCIAL

A commercial style beatmaker, understands what people want to hear and will pay for. Their primary objective is to sell beats and make money.

And before you think it's a greedy and therefore unsavory goal, it's not. Everyone needs to eat and pay bills. If you need that money to survive, this is a lofty goal that is much better than doing something criminal.

I believe that most people struggling in life and looking for music as a way out, are commercially driven. It's really the smart thing in my opinion, as it gives you the best chance to improve your situation.

Making a hot track requires a level a skill that not every man on the street has. It's as much a craft as woodworking or glassblowing.

Their motivations may be to raise themselves out of the economic position they are in. They may also  hope to someday be in a position where they can express some of their artistic side, but don't want to waste time on that now when there are opportunities to be had.

A lot of commercially driven producers do have a style that is somewhat unique but to a much less degree. Consider for example Scott Storch. Dude can make some banging hits. But I have heard him make tracks that are across many genres and honestly, sometimes you can' tell it's a Scott Storch beat on first listen, but Storch porbably cares less as long as the check clears and he's getting his points.

Conclusion

So what does it all mean?

First, realize where you stand in the ARTISTIC<-to->COMMERCIAL spectrum is not static. It can change and shift over time.

Second, it's not important what type you are or where your favor lays in the spectrum. Do your thing and fulfill that which you need most. You may encounter your counterpart from time to time and I can only urge you to recognize it, acknowledge it and keep moving toward your goal.

Finally there is room to be part of both types! You might lean towards one or the other - no big deal. Just try to be aware of why you're in the game and use that knowledge to get what you need to make it happen.

Whether you are more artistically driven or commercially driven, there are valid rewards to be had. Just have fun.