Film/T.V./Video Game Track Length

[prez]

When I'm looking at the listings for instrumental tracks for film, T.V., or video games, there's usually no length specified. What would you say should be the average length when submitting to these listings? My guess would be 2:00 to 2:30. But I'm so used to making 3:30 songs or close to it. I feel I'm bogging myself down for no reason. You don't need that much for a 30 second to one minute commercial or the music playing as you switch through the menus in a video game or even go from zone to zone.Am I in the ball park here or way off?Thanks ahead of time.Jude 2

[aimusic]

Hey P.R.E.Z,Well sometimes the listing will say if they're looking for 30s/60sec clips, but usually a minute should be fine.Take CareB

[prez]

Whoa. We're fast on the trigger this morning. I must have just pushed post and you replied already. One minute? Really? Yikes. If I did that...well..that's an AWFUL lot of tracks to be making. I did just listen to some background music for the opening scene of the video game City of Heroes which I play and that is clocking in at around 40 seconds. Going to listen to a couple more but I can do 1:00 tracks. Be more like 1:30 and I know me: a good portion of them will be turning into full length songs. What's funny is I kind of knew this but I just like to be sure, know what I mean?Jude 2

[aimusic]

Yeah for sure, I know... sometimes it's better just to make sure about sumin! Yeah I was on the forum and saw your post and quickly nabbed onto it ... trigger finger Brad at ya service....hahahaha!!!Yeah sometimes it's cool to knock out a 3min track if you want - the publisher will just ask for edits, and eventually the ad agency will ask for further edits and so forth, your 3 minute song might end up a 10 sec clip - hahaha!Take CareB

[hummingbird]

Jun 13, 2008, 5:25am, prez wrote:When I'm looking at the listings for instrumental tracks for film, T.V., or video games, there's usually no length specified. What would you say should be the average length when submitting to these listings? My guess would be 2:00 to 2:30. But I'm so used to making 3:30 songs or close to it. I feel I'm bogging myself down for no reason. You don't need that much for a 30 second to one minute commercial or the music playing as you switch through the menus in a video game or even go from zone to zone.Am I in the ball park here or way off?Thanks ahead of time.Jude 2many listings say 1 to 3 minutes, so I try to stay in those parameters for 'cues'

[ibanez468]

Yeah, I usually work somewhere in-between, so I do around 2 minutes (unless it says otherwise) worth of music now, especially if there's no time indicated in the listing. I can always edit down to 1 minute or 30 secs. for future listings.I-468