Need help understanding my critique

[TLovato]

Loads of "GUITARSCAPE" INSTRUMENTALS are needed by a prolific Music Licensing Company with International Distribution. The CEO is consistently working with high-profile Clients and is landing really high-end placements, many times with considerable Sync Fees attached!

IMPORTANT NOTE: This Company is looking for tracks that feature real guitars only. Please DO NOT submit any material that contains VST guitar or guitar samples.
This company's CEO is looking for quite a few Instrumentals in the general stylistic ballpark of the examples below:

"Dramamine" by Flawed Mangoes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UeSDvg5xsWI

"Dark Sky City" by Amparo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dlktfDyXX3o

"The Only One" by Random Forest https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWrnl8ypqQM

Please submit well-crafted Guitarscape Instrumentals with layered guitars and lots of creative processing! This CEO is looking for tracks that convey a singular mood and create a captivating soundscape with effects such as delays, reverbs, looping, modulation, etc. Your tracks should have killer guitar tones, excellent performances, flowing arrangements, and lots of musicality integrated into the effects and processing. (In other words, don't overdo it!) Instrumentation should feature guitar (acoustic or electric) and can also include some light additional instrumentation (synth pads, percussion, very light drums). Please ensure that any virtual instruments or samples you use for the additional instrumentation are high-quality and not dated-sounding.

NOTE: We don't think this CEO is looking for anything overly atmospheric, washy, or lacking in movement. Please avoid submitting anything that's overly ambient or ethereal, and use the references to help you get a good idea of the type of production and overall vibe that will work for them!
Your submissions should be roughly 2 minutes long, give or take. Buttoned endings with a natural fadeout will work best. Do NOT copy the referenced material in any way, shape, or form. Use it only as a general guide for tempo, tone, and overall vibe. Broadcast Quality is needed.
AI ALERT: This company does not accept or sign music that has been melodically composed using generative AI, nor does it accept backing tracks or full instrumental tracks created with AI.

This Company offers an EXCLUSIVE deal, so the material you submit for this request CANNOT be signed with other publishers or catalogs. Sync fees will be split 50/50. The Publisher will get 100% of the Publisher’s share, and you’ll keep 100% of the Writer’s share. You must own or control your Master and Copyright to submit for this opportunity, and you need to be affiliated with a Performing Rights Organization for this company to include your music in their catalog. Please submit as many Instrumentals as you’d like, online or per CD. Submissions must be received no later than 11:59 PM (PST) on Sunday, February 23rd, 2025. TAXI # S250223CP

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My submission: https://www.taxi.com/members/PNQZVfSXS0 ... r-the-rain

My critique: https://www.taxi.com/members/PNQZVfSXS0 ... 7ujW5Q1ajA

Can you guys help me understand where I went wrong? I don’t know why they said I needed a remaster, plus I don’t know why they said the 2:24 length was a problem, when they forwarded a track that was only 2 seconds shorter than mine (you can see it in the forwards blog on this listing). The last 10-ish seconds of my cue is a reverberated natural fadeout, is that a problem for TV/film editors?

Is there anything that stands out to you guys? I really just want to understand why I got a return. Please let me know any thoughts! Thanks!

[telefunkin]

Hi, I think its a very nice track.

Perhaps the reverb gets a bit washy in the last section, so I can understand that comment.

As for mastering, I can tell just by looking at the waveform display that the level is quite low. For comparison, you can check out these three tracks that were forwarded, and if you listen at the same settings you'll hear quite a difference in level.
guitarscape-forward-t152664.html
two-guitarscape-forwards-t152667.html

Taxi has always been very prescriptive about length. I have always doubted that the requesting library are anything like as prescriptive but if that's what it takes to get through to them then its best to comply.

[gitanosoy]

From what I have learnt in the past "around 2 minutes" is no shorter than 1:50 and no longer than 2:15 mark , your track is closer to 2:30 mark.

Also don't forget to put at least one edit point or or 2 as a general rule, I know the screener didn't mention this but editors love it so even if it gets signed they might overlook it looking at the WAV form and go with another track.

The ending you can make it more definite, again an editor would just cut and paste the ending to another section of your track, as it is now it just ends.

Nice track and hope this helps.

[TLovato]

Thanks guys, this helps. I'm not even mad I got rejected, I was just confused and didn't know how to learn from this moving forward. But you guys helped! Thanks!

[AmandaJane]

Hi Thomas,

I loved listening to this. Incredibly relaxing and soft. Beautiful... I am sure it will find a good home somewhere

Amanda

[macomposer]

Hey Tom,

Beautiful piece of music! Actually to me, the reverb sounds about right for this genre...

In terms of mastering, one thing that I do with listings specifically is that I'll find (preferably) a wav/aiff of one of the references and just run it Izotope's Insight to see where it's hitting in terms of loudness (LUFS) and peaks, then I'll make sure that my piece gets close to it. We deal with so many genres in sync/library stuff and I am surprised that some genres aren't as "loud" as one might think.

All the best,
Mark

[TLovato]

In terms of mastering, one thing that I do with listings specifically is that I'll find (preferably) a wav/aiff of one of the references and just run it Izotope's Insight to see where it's hitting in terms of loudness (LUFS) and peaks, then I'll make sure that my piece gets close to it. We deal with so many genres in sync/library stuff and I am surprised that some genres aren't as "loud" as one might think.

Great advice, thank you! Yep I'm still fairly new to this line of work so I'm still learning new stuff every day. I followed the refs so closely I didn't even think that the waveform was an important part of getting a forward.

[TLovato]

Hi Thomas,

I loved listening to this. Incredibly relaxing and soft. Beautiful... I am sure it will find a good home somewhere

Amanda

Thanks Amanda! Yep I have another juicy opportunity I've submitted this to outside of TAXI! (After making the appropriate adjustments of course!)

[WSAO]

Beautiful track—well played with great taste.
A little less reverb overall might be just right. I understand the concern about timing, but they usually use only a few seconds of the track, so it’s a bit disappointing to be cut out for 24 seconds.