How exact?

[daveydad]

So if a listing states "Submissions should be approximately 90 seconds in length"... will a 2 min piece automatically be returned?

[Paulie]

Great question. I usually add 30 seconds to the time requirements unless the listing specifies that it should be "specifically" a certain amount of time.

[daveydad]

Yeah, I'm aiming to keep it within 10-20 secs.

[Russell Landwehr]

If this is for the drone listing, TAXI would be remiss to forward 2:00 cues as the library that is asking for it accepts :90 and 2:00+

The ones that get automatically returned will say "at least X:XX (usually 2 minutes)"... and if you are under that time you may as well not bother submitting.

Russell

edit: take a look at listing #U150729SC ... it says "at least"

[daveydad]

It's for this one:

DREAMY, REFLECTIVE, and THOUGHTFUL INSTRUMENTAL UNDERSCORE CUES are needed by a NON-Exclusive Music Library that’s supplying music directly to 2 HBO TV shows. They’re eager to find Instrumental Cues that generally match the mood of the references below:

“The Light” by The Album Leaf:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dM6lFQysxtg

“He Had A Good Time” by Cliff Martinez:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rp4Kr6bpz-c

“Anything You Synthesize” by The American Dollar (0:00-2:30):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSU49AFzgtw

Please submit ambient Instrumental Cues with warm pads, strings, and other dreamy, float-y, reflective elements that stick with a simple melodic motif throughout, while adding and subtracting instrumental layers as it progresses to keep it interesting. Submissions should be approximately 90 seconds in length. Non-faded endings with a natural decay/ring out are recommended. Broadcast Quality is needed (great sounding home recordings are fine).

[Russell Landwehr]

Ya, that listing is right along the lines of the libraries that are looking for that kind of music.

The thing is, those shows don't usually use anything beyond :90... but if you are in the ball park, imma thinkin' you will be ok on the timing... I would really suggest don't go under :90, but if the library likes that general :90 timing, your :10-:20 over should be okay.... and approx 2:00 might raise a TAXI screener's eyebrows, so if you have something 2:00 you might consider an edit?

Russell

[admin]

Even when we ask, some libraries will say, "Any length." We'll persist, and ask, "even a 13 second piece would work for you?"

"Oh no, of course not."

"Well, how about if we say, 'at least 2 minutes?'"

"Sure, that works."

And I kid you not, we'll get submissions that are everywhere from 10 seconds to 45 seconds even though it says, "At least 2 minutes long." 2 minutes is a good ballpark that's generally a safe bet when in doubt.

Hope that helps,
Michael

[Russell Landwehr]

Yeah, I got me some returns for cues that would have made it stylistically (according to the screener), but in my myopic reading of the listing I completely missed the 2:00 requirement and sent stuff that was about 1:45.

Submitting :10 bumpers for listings seems like a waste of $5 and a complete lackadaisical approach to composing a full length cue... Unless the listing is asking for bumpers.

Russell