Track Machine

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SubRivers
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Track Machine

Post by SubRivers » Fri Jul 05, 2019 3:12 pm

I have tried to do the production line thing - but it never seems to work out.
I always seem to end up having to go back to putting in a one off unique effort in to make a track that is acceptable to the industry.

So it seems I am just at the required Bar only if I try hard

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andygabrys
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Re: Track Machine

Post by andygabrys » Fri Jul 05, 2019 3:34 pm

It's not a bad thing. It just will take a little longer to get that massive catalog that could replace your regular income.

The fact that you have to work at it...makes sense.

There are two sides to it:

1) A number of people here are extremely prolific and write 9-10 GOOD tracks a week. They will find early success because they can fill every bucket. They can submit to every opportunity.

2) There are others here who do extremely fine work - but due to life constraints or to the type of music they do (say complicated virtual orchestrations) - they might only write one completed track per week - or about 50 per year. This can also work - and there is a UK based library owner / composer who has written a book on library work / library music and this is what he recommends. Its how things worked for him. His library is full of highly orchestrated music. He recommends doing one track per week and making it super quality and signing them to super high bar publishers and the earnings follow.

Either one of these situations probably makes you think of more questions - but Production Music is not a "one way to the destination" kind of game.

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Re: Track Machine

Post by SubRivers » Fri Jul 05, 2019 3:58 pm

Makes sense - (Andy G)

Feeling positive about music btw - people are paying me!

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cosmicdolphin
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Re: Track Machine

Post by cosmicdolphin » Sat Jul 06, 2019 3:26 pm

Productivity wise you can only do what you can do ...I made an album a while back for a Library and committed to a time frame which meant 2 tracks per week

It was fun at first but I hit the wall somewhat and the last 3 or 4 were a slog..just running out of ideas and feeling like I hadn't seen the sunshine for several weekends

On the flipside I've had a couple of tracks this year which took me 3 weeks ! Maybe they were a bit too ambitious? I hope they get used ...others come more easily, I can knock the simpler ones out over a weekend but even if I did this full time I would never be doing 2 tracks a day like some can..I don't think I would want to to be honest, I need time to think about it and sleep on my track until the next day. Get feedback off friends, which has always helped me make better music.

If you're making money whilst working at your own pace and enjoying it then congrats - I am hoping for my first royalties this Qtr which is next week

Mark

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Re: Track Machine

Post by SubRivers » Sat Jul 06, 2019 5:23 pm

Think my productivity problem is largely this !
cosmicdolphin wrote:
Sat Jul 06, 2019 3:26 pm
I need time to think about it and sleep on my track until the next day
I need that passage of time during breaks to make "fresh ear" judgements and think it need 4/5 of them for me to make a track that gets through to placements.

I tried working on more tracks concurrently but that gets me unfocussed on completion.
Working out how to create "fresh ear" breaks on demand is probably the answer.

I do have a tendency to over listen to tracks as I make them - think I need to start rationing that!

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Re: Track Machine

Post by ttully » Sat Jul 06, 2019 6:08 pm

Hey SubRivers,

Yes....the NOT listening to the track for a while is VERY important!

The track that was so great today..... you need to not listen for a while....or not for a whole day.
THEN you start to hear what NEEDS to be done.... it suddenly becomes so clear..... this part is way to short or this is sticking out...or needs way more bass or whatever...
But if you keep working and working on a track without taking the time to forget how it sounds.... it usually ends up not a great track after all !!!
At least that is my experience.

That's my $2 worth for today,
Tim

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Re: Track Machine

Post by SubRivers » Tue Jul 09, 2019 7:12 am

Agree Tim,

i have had the occasional reverse situation where my ears gave up on a track and listening weeks later i realised it was a decent track.
but 95% of the time a break reveals the flaws.

Hey Cosmicdolphin - did you get a payout ? guessing you are PRS as they published the payments today.
got my 2nd highest payment out of 5 so far.

not saying much as i am in the low 3 figures.

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Re: Track Machine

Post by cosmicdolphin » Tue Jul 09, 2019 11:52 am

SubRivers wrote:
Tue Jul 09, 2019 7:12 am
Hey Cosmicdolphin - did you get a payout ? guessing you are PRS as they published the payments today.
I did ! £155

Which isn't too bad as I spit everything 50/50 with my mate & sometime co-writer..so it seems to be for 50% of 8 or 9 placemnts

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