Christmas Instro: ¿commercially viable genre?

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irthlingz
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Christmas Instro: ¿commercially viable genre?

Post by irthlingz » Sun May 21, 2023 5:55 pm

Does this fit into "any popular, commercially viable genre" ? Maybe jazz?

Christmas Vibes

Thanks!

All other comments, suggestions, of course welcome as well.

=====

Sharon & Michael

=====

Lots of Original CHRISTMAS INSTRUMENTALS and/or INSTRUMENTAL CUES are needed by a U.K.-based Music Library with a great track record of landing lots of placements in Film and TV.

NOTE: Your submissions can be in just about any popular, commercially viable genre including (but not limited to): Solo Piano, Orchestral, Pop, Singer/Songwriter, R&B/Soul, Rock, Country, EDM, Hip-Hop, Folk, Jazz, etc., etc., etc.

We’re not providing any references for this request, as the requesting company wants to keep this pretty open.

Send in well-composed, original Christmas Instrumentals (and/or Cues) that capture the warm and fuzzy feelings of the holidays! Your submissions should have captivating motifs, excellent musicianship, and engaging arrangements with plenty of dynamics, forward motion, and interest. Your submissions can range on the holiday spectrum from the traditional to the more contemporary end – just be sure your tracks are recently recorded, current-sounding, and clearly Christmas-y (think sleigh bells, tubular bells, etc.). Please be sure your productions and any virtual instruments or samples you use are of high-quality, and not dated-sounding as well. If you have tracks that can instantly add Christmas spirit to whatever is on-screen, send them in!

NOTE: Because the bar will be high for this request, we've given the screeners this mandate - Are they GREAT? Can the client use them? Would they work well for placements in Christmas-related Film and TV?

Your submissions should be roughly 90 Seconds (give or take) long for Cues, and about 2 to 4 minutes long for Instrumentals, give or take. Non-faded, buttoned/stinger endings will work best. Do NOT submit any material with unauthorized samples of any other artists’ music, sounds, or any other form of media. Broadcast Quality is needed.

This company offers an EXCLUSIVE deal, so please be sure the Instrumentals (and/or Cues) you pitch for this opportunity are NOT already signed with any other Companies or Catalogs. Any sync fees will be split 50/50 with the Company. You'll get 100% of the Writer's share, and the Publisher will get 100% of the Publisher's share. You must own or control your Master and Copyright to submit. Please submit as many Instrumentals (and/or Cues) as you'd like, online or per CD. All submissions will be screened and critiqued b

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Re: Christmas Instro: ¿commercially viable genre?

Post by Telefunkin » Mon May 22, 2023 2:57 am

Key submission requirements I see are ...
"well-composed .. captivating motifs .. excellent musicianship .. engaging arrangements .. plenty of dynamics, forward motion, and interest .. instantly add Christmas spirit .. high bar - Are they GREAT? "

I could be wrong, but I suspect that your instro track was generated by Band-In-A-Box. The timing is good, but sadly I hear a few issues that would have to be addressed for it to have a chance of being accepted for typical listings, let alone a high bar listing.

The first thing that I notice right at the very beginning is that the melody sounds like its trying to play over a different chord to the backing, so the result is a clash that is not easy on the ear, and the same thing happens every time that section repeats. Can you hear it? There are other points too where it sounds like the backing is not supporting the melody even though its less of an obvious clash.

I don't get a sense of Christmas until the bells enter, but that's not until half way through the track.

The piece is basically three loops of the same thing, so the question-answer between different melody instruments is a good idea to help provide some variation in the middle section but you might introduce it earlier in that section rather that near the end of it, then have them working together in a different way in the final round.

I'm also hearing distortion at several points where the mix peaks (and you can see those points on the track visual display - the worst is at 1:54), so be careful with levels and use of limiting.

I would also suggest that before you address all these things please have another look at the key points in the listing and try to design-in ways of fulfilling them all. That's what it will take to be in the running. Good luck :) .
Graham (UK). Still composing a little faster than decomposing, and 100% HI.

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Re: Christmas Instro: ¿commercially viable genre?

Post by Casey H » Mon May 22, 2023 5:26 am

Telefunkin wrote:
Mon May 22, 2023 2:57 am
I could be wrong, but I suspect that your instro track was generated by Band-In-A-Box.
No, I can do much better than this with BIAB! :lol: :lol: :lol:
Telefunkin wrote:
Mon May 22, 2023 2:57 am
The first thing that I notice right at the very beginning is that the melody sounds like its trying to play over a different chord to the backing, so the result is a clash that is not easy on the ear, and the same thing happens every time that section repeats.
Yes, it's a very non-jazz/blues chord pattern underneath. Google for jazz chord progressions. Dm7 G7 Cmaj7 C6 works for me a lot but there are others.
Telefunkin wrote:
Mon May 22, 2023 2:57 am
I would also suggest that before you address all these things please have another look at the key points in the listing and try to design-in ways of fulfilling them all. That's what it will take to be in the running. Good luck :) .
I think there is an issue regarding you having the ear to truly hear the musicality of what you generate and how it compares to reasonable BQ music. That's not meant to be demeaning, just that it's the common theme with your posts. Just like my singing, my ear can be "eh" so I get it. But you need to find a way either by training yourself or partnering. I often here good concepts and ideas but you need help getting them over that production finish line.

:D Casey

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Re: Christmas Instro: ¿commercially viable genre?

Post by cosmicdolphin » Mon May 22, 2023 5:51 am

Sorry guys I agree with the others, it's a long way from a broadcast quality cue that someone might license. Never mind a high bar request.

After all these years and all the great advice these forums have offered I would expect improvement but if we still can't tell that the melody doesn't harmonically match the chords ? Well I am not sure what to tell you. That's a very basic non negotialbe requirement for making music for sync.

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Re: Christmas Instro: ¿commercially viable genre?

Post by CTWF » Mon May 22, 2023 8:59 am

Hey Michael

I agree with what has been written and that it is not there, yet. Another thing: 1:53 really jumped at me in a way a Christmas track possibly should not. :)

Tom
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Re: Christmas Instro: ¿commercially viable genre?

Post by irthlingz » Tue May 23, 2023 1:03 pm

Sorry everyone, we shouldn't have put this up. We really just wanted to know if it was any genre that might fit the listing, but it was too rough to listen to. Anyway, as always, thanks for taking the time. We appreciate it!

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Re: Christmas Instro: ¿commercially viable genre?

Post by CTWF » Wed May 24, 2023 8:23 am

irthlingz wrote:
Tue May 23, 2023 1:03 pm
Sorry everyone, we shouldn't have put this up. We really just wanted to know if it was any genre that might fit the listing, but it was too rough to listen to. Anyway, as always, thanks for taking the time. We appreciate it!
I'd say, genre-wise I hear some Jazz or Easy Listening there, no? Not an expert in that. But it is very minimal and the mallet maybe is a little too prominent.

No need for excuses. 8-)

Tom
https://soundcloud.com/ctwf --> 0|°_°|0 <-- I am a producer/composer with TV & radio placements around the globe. -- Music is the mathematical transmitter of human emotions.

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Re: Christmas Instro: ¿commercially viable genre?

Post by irthlingz » Wed May 24, 2023 9:49 am

Thanks, Tom!

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Re: Christmas Instro: ¿commercially viable genre?

Post by Paulie » Wed May 24, 2023 5:24 pm

You are early in your Taxi journey, and doing the right things! Good feedback here already... the vibraphone was too synth for me, the bar is very high these days for realistic sounding instruments. Also, I didn't get Christmas at all, it was more of a Muzak feel to me.

Keep working and learning!
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Re: Christmas Instro: ¿commercially viable genre?

Post by irthlingz » Wed May 24, 2023 7:59 pm

Thank you, Paulie!

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