--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You have to know who you're making music…" description: "\"You have to know who you're making music for.\" — DJ Premier" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c7/dj-premier-5278_know_you-have-to-know-who-you-re-making-music_1112947.jpg" --- # You have to know who you're making music for. ![“You have to know who you're making music for.” quote by DJ Premier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c7/dj-premier-5278_know_you-have-to-know-who-you-re-making-music_1112947.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c7/dj-premier-5278_know_you-have-to-know-who-you-re-making-music_1112947.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c7/dj-premier-5278_know_you-have-to-know-who-you-re-making-music_1112947.jpg) > “You have to know who you're making music for.” [DJ Premier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dj-premier/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Understanding the audience shapes the purpose and style of your music. **In simple terms:** Know who you’re making music for. Key Takeaway Identify and serve your listeners. Themes audience creativity purpose Mood thoughtful focused Type advice creative When to use this quote - album production - live performance - marketing - genre exploration Key Concepts listener analysis musical intent Questions to Reflect On - Who is your ideal listener? - How does audience insight influence your sound? A Different Perspective Targeting too narrowly may limit artistic freedom. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Making Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/making-music/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song/) ## Related quotes > [The best stuff comes out when you're not making it for anything and you don't really know what you're making.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noel-fielding/the-best-stuff-comes-out-when-you-re-not-making-it-for-anything-and/) [Noel Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noel-fielding/) > [“I don't know, I'm making this up as I go.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/campbell-black/i-don-t-know-i-m-making-this-up-as-i-go/) Campbell Black > [I don't know much about making films or TV programs, but what's cool about being in the studio is that you have more time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robyn/i-don-t-know-much-about-making-films-or-tv-programs-but-what-s-cool/) [Robyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robyn/) > [I can never watch anything I've been involved in, because I know it, and I know what the making of it was like, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-kaufman/i-can-never-watch-anything-i-ve-been-involved-in-because-i-know-it/) [Charlie Kaufman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-kaufman/) > [I know nothing about making a movie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-evanovich/i-know-nothing-about-making-a-movie/) [Janet Evanovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-evanovich/) > [You get to use everything you learned in movie business. You talk to actors, if you do it right - and I haven't always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-odenkirk/you-get-to-use-everything-you-learned-in-movie-business-you-talk-to/) [Bob Odenkirk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-odenkirk/) > [You never know when you're making a memory.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rickie-lee-jones/you-never-know-when-you-re-making-a-memory/) [Rickie Lee Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rickie-lee-jones/) > [Assumptions are what we don't know we are making](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/assumptions-are-what-we-don-t-know-we-are-making/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [Assumptions are the things we don't know we're making.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/assumptions-are-the-things-we-don-t-know-we-re-making/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [If you don't have that trust in the backbone of the project, you may not know what you're making.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-collins/if-you-don-t-have-that-trust-in-the-backbone-of-the-project-you-may/) [Lily Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-collins/) > [One of the ways to learn is to know when you're making failures.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-genn/one-of-the-ways-to-learn-is-to-know-when-you-re-making-failures/) [Robert Genn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-genn/) > [I wanted people to know that I was making what I was making just on a sampler, basically.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/el-p/i-wanted-people-to-know-that-i-was-making-what-i-was-making-just-on-a/) [El-P](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/el-p/) > [I love learning language and ideas that I didn't know before and making them sound like my own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-mccormack/i-love-learning-language-and-ideas-that-i-didn-t-know-before-and/) [Eric McCormack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-mccormack/) > [My first album, 'Get Lifted,' was a hip-hop soul album that had some of its roots in the church, as far as the sonic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-legend/my-first-album-get-lifted-was-a-hip-hop-soul-album-that-had-some-of/) [John Legend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-legend/) > [When I first started making music, it was learning other people's songs and putting them onto four-track. Like Beatles songs and stuff. When I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-ward/when-i-first-started-making-music-it-was-learning-other-people-s/) [M. Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-ward/) ## More by DJ Premier > [That's the thing with social media: it's a gift and a curse. It's cool on one level, but it's also bad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dj-premier/that-s-the-thing-with-social-media-it-s-a-gift-and-a-curse-it-s-cool/) [DJ Premier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dj-premier/) > [My crew used to listen to 'Taking It to the Top' by Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dj-premier/my-crew-used-to-listen-to-taking-it-to-the-top-by-jazzy-jeff-and-the/) [DJ Premier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dj-premier/) > [All of our other albums were consecutive year after year: 'No More Mr. Nice Guy,' 'Step in the Arena,' 'Daily Operation,' 'Hard to Earn.'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dj-premier/all-of-our-other-albums-were-consecutive-year-after-year-no-more-mr/) [DJ Premier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dj-premier/) > [Jazz came from the streets, hip-hop came from the streets. It's just a different language. It's all borne out of hard times, struggle, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dj-premier/jazz-came-from-the-streets-hip-hop-came-from-the-streets-it-s-just-a/) [DJ Premier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dj-premier/) > [A lot of Friday nights, Guru and I would go kick it with Biggie, since he was just three blocks down from us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dj-premier/a-lot-of-friday-nights-guru-and-i-would-go-kick-it-with-biggie-since/) [DJ Premier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dj-premier/) > [Guru's like Tupac. He just records and records and records.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dj-premier/guru-s-like-tupac-he-just-records-and-records-and-records/) [DJ Premier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dj-premier/) > [All my idols have been in the studio with me, because they wanted to be there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dj-premier/all-my-idols-have-been-in-the-studio-with-me-because-they-wanted-to/) [DJ Premier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dj-premier/) > [DWYCK' was only intended to be a B-side of 'Take It Personal,' because we had done a record with Nice & Smooth for their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dj-premier/dwyck-was-only-intended-to-be-a-b-side-of-take-it-personal-because-we/) [DJ Premier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dj-premier/) > [Guru's family gave me a piece of his ashes. I saw the gold box of ashes that his father had when we had the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dj-premier/guru-s-family-gave-me-a-piece-of-his-ashes-i-saw-the-gold-box-of/) [DJ Premier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dj-premier/) > [I always followed my heart and if my heart said I gotta pack up and go, I'm gone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dj-premier/i-always-followed-my-heart-and-if-my-heart-said-i-gotta-pack-up-and/) [DJ Premier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dj-premier/) > [I believe in karma; what you do will come back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dj-premier/i-believe-in-karma-what-you-do-will-come-back/) [DJ Premier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dj-premier/) > [Every now and then there might be a beat someone turned down that I have as an unused beat. But everything that predominantly matches…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dj-premier/every-now-and-then-there-might-be-a-beat-someone-turned-down-that-i/) [DJ Premier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dj-premier/) > [I've always cared about how certain songs fade into other ones and which songs should follow others. I studied that as a consumer and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dj-premier/i-ve-always-cared-about-how-certain-songs-fade-into-other-ones-and/) [DJ Premier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dj-premier/) > [I'm known for taking a long time getting music out, partially, my schedule is bananas, I'm only human, and then on top of that,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dj-premier/i-m-known-for-taking-a-long-time-getting-music-out-partially-my/) [DJ Premier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dj-premier/) > [I grew up in a town called Prairie View. It's like 45 minutes outside of Houston.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dj-premier/i-grew-up-in-a-town-called-prairie-view-it-s-like-45-minutes-outside/) [DJ Premier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dj-premier/) [Explore all 102 DJ Premier quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dj-premier/) ## More Know quotes > [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. You have to be hyper, hyper aware of what's going on around you. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-moore/i-actually-think-acting-is-a-form-of-self-hypnosis-you-have-to-be/) [Julianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-moore/) > [“To know someone, to be known. That matters more than he'd ever thought it would.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianna-baggott/to-know-someone-to-be-known-that-matters-more-than-he-d-ever-thought/) [Julianna Baggott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianna-baggott/) > [Animals know nothing of themselves, and they also know nothing of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/animals-know-nothing-of-themselves-and-they-also-know-nothing-of-the/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [The one thing that I keep learning over and over again is that I don't know nothing. I mean, that's my life lesson.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwayne-johnson/the-one-thing-that-i-keep-learning-over-and-over-again-is-that-i-don/) [Dwayne Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwayne-johnson/) > [If we will not interfere with our thought, but will act entirely, or see how the thing stands in God, we know the particular…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/if-we-will-not-interfere-with-our-thought-but-will-act-entirely-or/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [It's very easy to fool yourself that you're working, you know, when you're really not working very hard. I mean, I'm very lazy. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-caro/it-s-very-easy-to-fool-yourself-that-you-re-working-you-know-when-you/) [Robert Caro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-caro/) > [That's something a lot of folks don't know about me - I'm pretty darn funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jai-white/that-s-something-a-lot-of-folks-don-t-know-about-me-i-m-pretty-darn/) [Michael Jai White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jai-white/) > [Don't get too attached to someone you know you can't be together with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anurag-prakash-ray/don-t-get-too-attached-to-someone-you-know-you-can-t-be-together-with/) [Anurag Prakash Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anurag-prakash-ray/) > [I know what you're thinking... and you oughtta be ashamed of yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-preston/i-know-what-you-re-thinking-and-you-oughtta-be-ashamed-of-yourself/) Robert Preston > [I would have done well as a gypsy child, I think. A circus baby. I coulda played a great street urchin or ragamuffin. Or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natasha-lyonne/i-would-have-done-well-as-a-gypsy-child-i-think-a-circus-baby-i/) [Natasha Lyonne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natasha-lyonne/) > [You will never know just how beautiful you are to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-will-never-know-just-how-beautiful-you-are-to-me/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I know how hard it is to be a woman, especially a black woman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-tyson/i-know-how-hard-it-is-to-be-a-woman-especially-a-black-woman/) [Mike Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-tyson/) > [I have always been a big meta guy because I think the way journalism is practiced in Washington, and the way everyone sort of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-leibovich/i-have-always-been-a-big-meta-guy-because-i-think-the-way-journalism/) [Mark Leibovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-leibovich/) > [“Take your time to find and understand what you don’t know and in the end, you shall know that it is not all the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-agyemang-yeboah/take-your-time-to-find-and-understand-what-you-don-t-know-and-in-the/) [Ernest Agyemang Yeboah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-agyemang-yeboah/) > [What we're supposed to do as actors is be able to portray real human beings and emotions. And if you grow up in this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-browning/what-we-re-supposed-to-do-as-actors-is-be-able-to-portray-real-human/) [Emily Browning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-browning/) Browse all 22,299 Know quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "You have to know who you're making music for.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "DJ Premier" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dj-premier/you-have-to-know-who-you-re-making-music-for/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Know" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dj-premier/you-have-to-know-who-you-re-making-music-for/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c7/dj-premier-5278_know_you-have-to-know-who-you-re-making-music_1112947.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c7/dj-premier-5278_know_you-have-to-know-who-you-re-making-music_1112947.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c7/dj-premier-5278_know_you-have-to-know-who-you-re-making-music_1112947.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“You have to know who you're making music for.” — DJ Premier", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "DJ Premier", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dj-premier/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "You have to know who you're...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dj-premier/you-have-to-know-who-you-re-making-music-for/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dj-premier/you-have-to-know-who-you-re-making-music-for/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```