How to make sure that you compose according to the requirements - any ideas?

[Rolf]

i’ve recently got some returns and the comments on my submissions were very positive.but at different points I didn’t met the requirements of the listings. so I decided to create a little checklist and print it out to have it at hand while working in my home studio. Looks like this:

Please submit well-crafted Christmas Instrumental Cues that evoke the spirit of the Holiday season in a simple, understated way. You could incorporate

◎ subtle Christmas-y accents like a glockenspiel or jingle bells to give your submissions some additional Christmas cheer, but definitely don't overdo them.
◎ Remember, minimalistic pieces are the order of the day!
◎ Cues that are sparse and somewhat simple.
◎ Only 4 to 6 instruments maximum. Keep them simple and try to introduce some edit points along the tracks. Very very high bar, in terms of realism. Meaning,
◎ if any of the instruments sound too 'MIDI' then the Cues should be rejected.”
◎ Your submissions need to be around 2 minutes

I hope that this will help in the future.

do you have any ideas how to stay close to the given requirements when you are composing a tune?
Thanks a lot and greetings from Germany.

Rolf

[cosmicdolphin]

do you have any ideas how to stay close to the given requirements when you are composing a tune?

I analyse the reference tracks and import them into my DAW to A/B. Below is the analysis sheet from Sync Academy...filled in for a reference track https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qn862pSFe_M

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Reference Track Analysis Sheet : Safari Riot - Where is my mind

Instruments
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vocal atmospheric/ambience choir type pad

soft piano - very reverbed ( kick doubles in places )

Throbbing 16th synth, Percussive impact,Screaming Riser,16th bass synth

Alarm clock type synth lead ,Vocal ahhhs ( fade in )

Thud type kick, Percussive hits , White Noise Riser, Subby impact, agreesive synth drone ( chopped up ), alarm noise , glitchy fx

Long orchestral riser, heartbeat type kick + pulse, reverse fx, 4 on the floor type kick,

Cymbal crash, synth bass, high strings long and short ( 16ths ), pads


Sound Qualities
---------------

Hard Hitting, Sound Design , Metallic

Lush, Big Reverbs , subtle until 60s, Cinematic, Dynamic contrasts from quiet to loud.

Quarter delays on vocals

Structure
---------

Chords used : E C#m G# A

1 - 60s ..Piano - Kick & Ambience..everything played soft subtle

60s..bass + Drums come in more , track is building gradually

90s .. changes feel..very Terminator -ish..building

120s... Drums , Orchestral strings etc all come in

140s ... Octave layers of orchestral added..more percussion


Emotions
--------

Subtle , Intense, Energetic, Dynamic, Dark, Aggressive

[PDebik]

i’ve recently got some returns and the comments on my submissions were very positive.but at different points I didn’t met the requirements of the listings. so I decided to create a little checklist ...
do you have any ideas how to stay close to the given requirements when you are composing a tune?

@Rolf Great idea to first create an essence of the listings. I'm doing the same. However, my experience during my first few months with TAXI is, that it does not matter. I have frequently gotten returns where things were criticized that were not mentioned in the listings.

I came to the conclusion that an enormous amount of subjective rating is applied in the screening process. I would not want to call it "narrow-minded", but let's say the screeners try to stay "extremely close" to what they think a listing is about. The problem with that is: The listings leave a lot of room for interpretation. I have gotten critiques that refer to things that were never mentioned in the listing, but obviously were additional important criteria.

The screener comes from his own music and life experience. They are never calling for something new, but always for something that people are used to hear. So as an "artist" you're pretty much lost, unless you produce music that sounds like music others did before. I don't see how that can really be influenced. So even when you follow the listing requirements, you'll still get many returns. My experience up to now is that it is much more important to think American, to think music industry and formalism, but not so much creating really something "new". You're much more likely to get your songs forwarded when you do something that hundreds have done before. It needs to be familiar to the screener, something that they have encountered in their music lifes before.

The minimalistic Christmas cue listing - I have submitted something, too, but it will most likely be a return, because it does not fit their way of thinking in any way. Currently and for some upcoming listings I don't plan to go too close with the references anymore, because previous returns have shown that it is not worth the effort. After all, it is much more important to meet what the screener personally thinks, and that is nothing one can predict.

Anyway, just my current opinion, others think different on it.