Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Chris Hawkins. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Chris, thanks for joining us today. Let’s start with what makes profitability in your industry a challenge – what would you say is the biggest challenge?

In the industry of music production, one of my biggest challenges to profitability is a growing industry of AI generated works, along with potential clients who want to under pay for your services.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

My name is Coolout Chris and i’ve been in the music industry for over 30 years now. My interest in music started at an early age when my mom would select me over my older brother to change the records on her stereo system. I got an opportunity to touch vinyl, read the liner notes and become familiar with different musicians from Ron Hubbard to Jimmy Paige. My older brother Curtis is a DJ so I would tag along with him to his house party gigs and serve as his roadie digging in the crates and handing him records to play and help with set up and break down of his equipment.

Fast forward to 83 when I really started to get involved in the Hip-Hop culture, I immersed myself in everything from emceeing, djing, to graffitti, to break dancing. Being an M.C in the early days of Hip-Hop I always struggled with finding music production that I liked, so eventually I got into music production around 16 and haven’t looked back since.

I was mentored by industry professionals who taught me how to present myself in the music business. I toured with DJ Quik in Chicago, L.A and other cities, performed with some Hip-Hop greats from Kurtis Blow, Slum Village, Large Professor, and a host of others, even performing for Prince and being a special guest at his venue Glam Slam.

A few things I’ve learned being in this business for 3 decades now. One, never burn bridges because you always have to cross that bridge to get back. Two, treat people the way you would like to be treated and lastly, stick to you word and always follow through on committments.

Beatquarters productions provide the musical soundscape for all your needs. We create music for artists in all genres, we also create music for TV & Film, Jingles, sound packs, and sound design. In an industry thats saturated with music producers, it can be difficult to find a producer or company to suit your musical needs in a professional manner.

At Beatquarters we start with a “Getting to know you approach” so many businesses dealings are transactional and there’s no human connection to the project. We start by setting up a consultation to give background information on our company, past clients, projects etc. During that time we get a feel for what type of music production the client is looking for as well as taking a listen to past works from the client. After the consultation and we get a brief of what the client is looking for we began working on the project. One problem that we help out clients with is navigating the world of publishing, copyrights, and proper business practices and follow up. Educating our clients about all aspects sets us apart from others. This process is not only a way to build trust with your clients, but empower them for their next endeavor.

We pride ourselves in being honest and fair with our clients, they are the reason we have a business to begin with. The biggest takeaway is learning what your customer base wants and make sure you have the resources to provide it. Have clear and consistent communication before, during, and after the project, and make sure your clientel base is always supported with quality work in a timely manner.

How did you build your audience on social media?

Right before the Pandemic, I lost my Father, I was confused and definitely shook by everything that was taking place. Instead of spiraling out of control, I prayed and asked my Father for direction. Those prayers were answered as I utilized social media everyday to post new music I was creating. Those posts were like therapy to me during those trying times. I was able to build a bigger following on social media and it also boosted my music production sales, as I was selling 3-5 tracks a week.

My advice with social media is to make it personal, we are all humans and can relate to any and everything that another person deals with on a daily basis, Get into the habit of posting 2-3 times a week and make sure you respond to everyone who took an interest in your post. NEVER SPAM people!!! If they like what you are doing they will tag along, but if you force feed it, they will run the other direction.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

Giving instead of always receiving has built my reputation withing my market. Anyone who has worked with me knows that i’m focused on the customers satifaction. Showing what you can do instead of talking about it is also great for building you reputation in any industry.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.urbanizedmusic.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cooloutchris/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@cooloutchris

Image Credits

@jahmadeitso