Last summer, Forbes magazine published an article with the title DJs Are The New Rock Stars. It focused on dubstep DJ/producer, Skrillex, and shed a little bit of light on just how lucrative being a DJ/producer of electronic dance music can be, especially with the seemingly unstoppable rise of EDM across North America. Naturally, everyone wants to get in on the action.
With the increasing accessibility of music software production and compact, affordable mixers, suddenly everyone is a DJ and/or producer. Not only are the tools becoming more accessible to the average person, but music sharing platforms, like Soundcloud, are also enabling bedroom producers to promote their music for little to no cost. But in the end, if the talent isn’t there, you’re in no better position than you were before – until now that is.
ProducerFactory.com is a site aimed at those looking to “step up” their career, claiming that “what used to only be available for the top DJ is now open for all artists.” It is a site which allows you to purchase tracks and then sell them as your own via retailers like iTunes and Beatport. Ghost writing is not a new phenomenon to music – even within electronic dance music – but never before has it been promoted like this.
There are currently no tracks on the site and no information on the founder(s). Their packages offer social media promotional help as well, which is bold considering how many of the world’s best DJs have denounced the practice of buying fans and followers on popular social media networks. Some blogs have noted the possibility that this is a satirical site, but if it turns out to be legitimate, it will be a blow to the integrity of the genre. To me, a site like Producer Factory goes against what it means to be an artist and creator of something; rather than go through the process of expression, you can just buy someone else’s talent and sell it as your own. And for some reason, the seemingly cold, bluntness of the website name puts an uncomfortable pit in my stomach. It’s as commercial as it can get. Sure, the individual may eventually develop their own set of skills, but nonetheless, the offer of a shortcut the way they do is a gross oversimplification of the hard work and time it takes to build a career as a DJ/producer.
As details surrounding the site slowly emerge, it will be interesting to see the response of DJs/producers to Producer Factory. Even more interesting though, will be the response of consumers and what effect it will have on the industry.
Be sure to check back on EDM TOR for any updates related to Producer Factory.
UPDATE (June 24, 2013) – Attempts to access the site are met with an error page. Is this the end of Producerfactory.com?
UPDATE (August 1, 2013) – It seems that the site is now up and running. Most tracks are priced upwards of $600CAD but there’s lower and higher ends of the spectrum as well. All their social media and promotion packages are also readily available for sale.
Sarah Chui – EDM TOR
