If you are new to beatmaking, being able to establish your brand and safeguard your creations is essential. Enter the beat tag! Beat tags or producer tags as they are sometimes known, act as a form of audio watermark and are unique to you as a beatmaker. This article will delve into all things Beat Tags from understanding their role and importance to creating your own winning tag.

What is a Beat Tag?

So first up, what exactly is a beat tag? In simple terms, it’s a short, audio signature embedded in a music track that identifies a producer. It usually consists of a distinctive phrase, sound, or name check. They are generally placed at the beginning of a track and often throughout a beat at regular intervals. Beatmakers will either print the tags on the beat themselves or provide a bestselling platform with the isolated tag to be automatically added to the track. Once a beat has been leased or purchased a tagless version will be provided to the buyer.

Why are Beat Tags Important?

Beat tags serve two distinct purposes. Firstly they are a great form of branding for you as a beatmaker. A unique tag can make your beats easily identifiable, allowing listeners and potential buyers to associate the sound with your name.

They also act as a deterrent against unauthorized use of your beats. A well placed tag makes it difficult for people to claim your work as their own or use it without permission. This is of course not foolproof because if a vocalist is ingenious and determined enough they can usually edit out any Beat Tags. In practice however, a well-distributed Beat Tag will deture most from using your beats without the proper permissions.

Good Examples of Beat Tags

A good beat tag can really work in your favour with some producer’s tags almost taking on a life of their own. Here’s a list of some famous tags that you might just recognise.

• Metro Boomin: Metro has famously had many tags with “Metro Boomin want some more, n****!” being his most infamous.
• DJ Khaled: “We the best music!”
• Just Blaze. “Just Blaaaaaaze” often accompanied by a synth riser effect
• Mike Will Made-It: “Mike Will Made-It!”
• Zaytoven: A piano riff often accompanied by his name spoken in a distinct tone.

For examples of more producer tags check out this video compilation…

How to Make Your Own Beat Tag

So if you intend on being the next Metro Boomin’ you’re going to need your own original and distinctive Beat tag. Luckily in this digital age there are numerous ways to make a killer tag to help you stand out in the crowded bestselling marketplace. So let’s look at what’s involved in creating a killer beat tag and the various methods you could use.

Decide on what the tag will say!

Yep, this is a pretty fundamental one. But deciding on what is going to be said on your beat tag can be a tricky desision. You don’t want to copy someone else’s tag but at the same time you don’t want it to come off as corny.

There are various options. You could use just your producer name, your producer name in conjunction with a phrase or just a phrase. I would suggest if you are trying to establish yourself then using your name in the tag somewhere is preferable. As for a catchphrase, the best ones will probably come to you when you are not trying to force it. You may be inspired by a lyric or something you hear on the street. If this happens make sure to write it down or record yourself a voice note. Alternatively, why not let AI take the strain and use a text-generating platform such as Chat GPT or Bard to help conjure up a winning line. Just check to make sure that any AI results are original!

Option 1: DIY approach

If you have access to some decent recording facilities and a voice that commands authority or at least a put-on voice that does, why not record your own tag? If you don’t feel confident in delivering that killer tag line but know someone that might then hit them up and ask a favour. The voice doesn’t necessarily have to sound ‘street’ in nature. You may prefer to employ an old-school retro delivery style or maybe something sexy and alluring will fit the bill.

Option 2: Hire a Professional

If you are serious about having a top quality tag then a great option is to hire a professional. With platforms such as fiverr and Upwork you have access to a huge range of vocalists specialising in every possible style. You even have vocalists and voice-over actors who specialise in beat tag creation. As a beat tag by its very nature is very short it shouldn’t cost a great deal to create a custom tag and they should be able to offer a number of alternative takes to choose from. Just make sure you provide them with a clear brief and listen to examples of their work before committing to place an order.

Option 3: AI to the rescue

And finally the new kid on the block – AI. It has never been easier to create custom Tags thanks to the proliferation of artificially generated voice tools. Simply type in a prompt and within seconds you will be presented with a choice of top quality professional sounding results. As with most AI applications the potential for limitless possibility is huge but it’s also important not to disregard the human-generated options we have disscussed.

Add a Little Extra Flavour

Once you have created the perfect Beat tag why not embellish it with some additional sound or processing effects. Try layering in a foley noise or texture. Or what about a spacy sci-fi sound effect? Alternatively (or maybe even additionally) try experimenting with EQ, reverbs, delays and voice changers such as pitch shifters to manipulate the voice. The more unique flavour you can add to your beat tag the more it will stand out and be recognisable. And that after all is the main objective of having a beat tag on your track.

Summary

Hopefully, this guide has given you a better understanding of what a beat tag is and how it can help to brand and protect your beats. And armed with this knowledge along with our guide to creating a beat tag there should be nothing stopping you from coming up with a superemely lit tag of your own. So good luck in coming up with that fire tag and making your mark in the world of beatmaking!

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