A&R SUNDAYS had an opportunity to interview Charlie Mac, CEO of MAC A MILLION DOLLAR MAN MUSICK. Charlie Mac has had major success with multiple music placements involving major brands like, MTV, EPIC, VH1, GUNIT, SHADY, AFTERMATH, FOX, ATLANTIC, CASH MONEY, CBS, DEF JAM, NBC, WARNER BROS., CMT, ELEKTRA, ABC, INTERSCOPE, NBA, GEFFEN, GOOGLE, JIVE, TLC, ROCNATION, TIME, NIKE, VIACOM, etc., plus countless other major corporations, and international entities. Charlie Mac is a Music Entrepreneur.
Read the interview below:
A&R SUNDAYS: Thank you for doing this interview. How are you today?
CHARLIE MAC: I’m fantastic!
A&R SUNDAYS: Can you tell us about your company MAC A MILLION DOLLAR MAN MUSICK?
CHARLIE MAC: Sure! Our company is a diverse company that represents multi genres of music. We specialize in music licensing for film and TV. We have over 70 artists signed to our company, and average around 3000 placements annually. We work with all forms of media, including record labels, publishing companies, film production, ad agencies, game developers, etc. We also own two publishing companies, a record label, we distribute records, we own a music production studio, several websites, and an independent film company called MACFLY FILMS.
A&R SUNDAYS: Where are you from, what city do you represent, and when did you start producing?
CHARLIE MAC: I am from Panama City, Florida, born and raised, but I represent Las Vegas, Nevada. I started making beats when I was 13 years old, but I would say I didn’t become a full fledge producer until I was about 18 years old, which is about the same time I moved to Las Vegas.
A&R SUNDAYS: Did you start out using a drum machine, keyboard workstation, computer, or all the above?
CHARLIE MAC: I started out as a DJ, with one turntable and a boombox. Later I added a second turntable, with a Yamaha Rx7 drum machine, then I got an Alesis SR-16, and a Yamaha PSS-270 I think it was. I also had a large collection of vinyl records to sample from. I eventually got an over priced Amiga 500 computer, midi’ed everything up, started sampling and making some very unprofessional amateurish beats. At the time I thought it was great, and no one could tell me nothing.
A&R SUNDAYS: Do you prefer hardware or software when producing music? Fruity Loops, Reason, Garageband? Pro Tools, Logic, Cubase? MPC, Miko, Maschine? Motif, Fantom, Kronos, Neko?
CHARLIE MAC: The funny thing is I used to swear by hardware. I started out recording on a Yamaha 4-track cassette tape recorder, then a Tascam reel to reel recorder, after that it was Alesis A-Dat tape recorders, the cartridges were like VHS tapes, and when I finally got Pro Tools it was Pro Tools digi 02. I went on to work as a recording engineer for a number of years in top studios, where I mastered my skills as a recording engineer, and a music producer, using the state of the art equipment. I’ve owned numerous keyboards, synthesizers, rack mounts, and drum machines. I thought that using keyboards and drum machines was the way to go. I had an Akai S900, an Akai MPC 60, an Akai MPC 60 II, an Akai MPC 2000, an Akai MPC 2000XL, and Akai MPC 4000. I had an Ensoniq sq-80, an Ensoniq TS-10, an Ensoniq ASR-X Pro, a Boss DR-550, a Roland U-20, a Roland XP-80, A Korg Trinity, a Korg Triton, and many more. I use to laugh at producers who used Fruity Loops, until one tragic New Years eve, someone broke into the studio, and stole 2 Mac computers, 7 microphones one of which was a Neumann U-87, and my beloved Korg Triton. After that I was forced to use Fruity Loops, because it was the only production software available to me at the time. Over the years, I have mastered Fruity Loops, but I still record everything in Pro Tools. I’m still a big fan of hardware, but I prefer software when I’m producing music.
A&R SUNDAYS: How did you get started in the music business, and who gave your first break?
CHARLIE MAC: Growing up in a small city, there really was no outlet for me to pursue a career in music, so when I was 18, I moved to the west coast, where started to develop, produce, and eventually record my own music. The first person that actually took me seriously, and believed in my talent was a man named Dan Grey. He invested in me by buying a drum machine and a keyboard, as well as paying for a professional photo shoot with no strings attached. As my music got better, I made more connections and my first break in the music business came when I got a job working as a recording engineer at a top studio where a lot of popular musicians recorded. From there I was able to record and produce everything I ever wanted to.
A&R SUNDAYS: Who would you say your music is influenced by?
CHARLIE MAC: There’s really too many to mention, but here are some notables that; Dr. Dre, Luther Campbell, Teddy Riley, Babyface, Michael Jackson, DJ Jazzy Jeff, Marley Marl, Larry Smith, Chuck D, Afrika Bambaataa, Jay Z, Erick Sermon, Public Enemy, Easy Mo Bee, Just Blaze, Timbaland, The Neptunes, Rick Rubin, The Bomb Squad, DJ Quik, George Clinton, Bootsy Collins, James Brown, Larry Blackmon, Quincy Jones, Maurice White, Jimi Hendrix, Robert John “Mutt” Lange, Jimmy Page, and the list goes on.
A&R SUNDAYS: You have placed music in hundreds of TV shows such as; Sucker Free, Keeping up with the Kardashians, Cribs, Pimp My Ride, The Voice, Black Ink Crew, Hollywood Exes, Love and Hip Hop, Behind the Music, MOB WIVES, and commercials for Mercedes Benz, Kraft, Humira, Google, The Children’s Place, Denizen, Yamaha, and so many more. What was your favorite placement, and why?
CHARLIE MAC: Wow that is a lot, and it’s really hard to say which one was my favorite, because I am so appreciative of them all. The first time I actually heard my music on TV was in a show called Sucker Free on MTV. I was so excited; I started jumping up and down like I won the lottery. That was funny. That one is definitely in my top 10 placements of all time. One of my favorites is a French teacher in London, using one of my tracks in her classroom for to teach French little English kids. A special favorite is one of my public domain compositions, Brahm’s “Lullabye and Good Night” by Charlie Mac being licensed by St. David’s Medical Center in Austin, Texas, USA. The song is played to announce a new birth in the Obstetrics ward, to honor a child just born and to give the parents a quick smile of pride. It’s an honor to know my work is being used to educate children, and in some instances, the first piece of they will hear when they come into this world.
A&R SUNDAYS: What does it take to place thousands of tracks? Is it more of who you know, or more of what you?
CHARLIE MAC: What does it take to place thousands of tracks? No sleep! Be prepared to miss some meals, parties, and sleeping. No joke! It’s all out warfare! You have to eat, breathe, and be music. In music licensing it is more of what you know, than it is who you know, but who you know can make a world of difference in what you know. It is a literal catch 22!
A&R SUNDAYS: Our platform is based on giving tips, advice, and opportunities to indie/unsigned artist. What advice would you give to up and coming artist/producers.
CHARLIE MAC: Ha, there is so much I can say. Artists need more development before they start looking for deals. If the recordings and the productions are sub par, it will darken the light of a great artist. Make sure your recordings are up to par. Don’t be discouraged by the word NO! No can mean a lot of things, like; maybe, not right now, or just NO, but one thing is for sure. NO does not mean quit, or give up. Hang in there, and if it is meant for you, you shall have it. Another thing, if you do not own 100% of the exclusive rights to your songs, music (the beat), samples, and lyrics you are wasting your time. Downloading free beats, then paying money to go and record songs with them, doesn’t make any cents, because you can not legally sell the songs, or license them to third parties, and that is usually a deal breaker when it comes to getting a deal. Songs with voice tags are a dead give away to a non-exclusive track, and free downloads. You will only end up promoting the producer, more than you promote yourself.
A&R SUNDAYS: What is the best way for up and coming artist/producers to send music to you.
CHARLIE MAC: Most of the artist I work with come through one of our submission based websites. You can submit music @ http://www.whosthehottestrapper.com, or go to http://tinyurl.com/SendUsMusic
A&R SUNDAYS: What would you say is the biggest misconception about Charlie Mac?
CHARLIE MAC: The biggest misconception about me is that I’m some licensing guru. I mean, I don’t mind the title, and I may be that, but truthfully, I am just a hard worker. I work hard at working harder, to work the hardest.
A&R SUNDAYS: What is the name of the most popular show you have placed music in?
CHARLIE MAC: Well let’s see. The Voice averages about 10 million viewers per show, and Love and Hip Hop averages about 3 million viewers per show. The Voice wins by more than 3 times for the most popular show I have placed music in, but overall I have placed far more music on Love and Hip Hop, Atlanta, and Hollywood. While I have placed music in many films, the most popular film is You’re Nobody Til Somebody Kills You, directed by Michael A. Pinckney, and executive produced by Spike Lee.
A&R SUNDAYS: What are you working on right now, and what projects, or artist should we be on the look out for?
CHARLIE MAC: I’m currently working on several things. We just released a Halloween project, an album called Creepy Killer Music, Vol. 1. You can purchase it @ http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B016EM8MP2, or stream it @ https://play.spotify.com/album/0mkLHJ8QkMuI6GJZU6bF7T. I am currently working on two more albums, one set to be released early December 2015 on MAC A MILLION DOLLAR MAN MUSICK, and the other for another label called Spit Digital, founded by Chuck D, of Public Enemy. I am producing music for various labels, and artists, indie, and major. MACFLY FILMS has several short films coming up, which will be released on Youtube, and various other platforms. I am also producing and placing music for a number of TV shows on various networks; MTV, VH1, NBC, FYI, OXYGEN, E!, BRAVO, FOX, LIFETIME, A&E, and many more. There’s too much to mention, but keep an out, because there is so much more to come.
A&R SUNDAYS: We want to thank you for doing the interview with us. Please tell us how you can be reached on twitter, instagram, facebook, and any other social media sites we can network with you on.
CHARLIE MAC: Thank you for giving me a new platform, it is greatly appreciated. You can link with us on social media @ http://www.instagram.com/macamilliondollarman, http://www.twitter.com/whosthehottest, https://www.facebook.com/macamilliondollarmanmusick, and MACFLY FILMS @ http://www.twitter.com/macflyfilms, https://instagram.com/Macfly_FILMS, https://www.facebook.com/Macfly-FILMS-1569742113259250/