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Hi guys! So first of all I am in the mindset of wanting to learn, improve, and refine my craft.

but...I'm starting to get a little confused on just how much a track really needs to "develop" considering certain listings and uses in reality TV specifically.

I'm happy to say that I've had 4 forwards in the past 2 months after having ZERO all of last year! So I'm definitely applying TAXI's awesome insight into writing for the format. With that said, in regards to a recent return for a listing that TAXI mentioned having many members contact them as to why they weren't forwarded, I'm also in that group of curious members.

My track was returned partially because they wanted to hear it develop more. The other part was that they felt it was too generic MIDI-wise, which I can see is a reasonable critique, duly noted.

But I'm still hung up on the "wanting it to develop more". As I've seen that too many times in returns but when you look at uses in reality TV specifically, they use mere seconds or 30 seconds at the most in 99% of editing in my personal experience and exposure to shows. So does every song really need to develop in these instances VS simply offering varieties in instrumentation throughout the track's entirety?

I specifically wrote this without a ton of building/development and instead focused on giving the editor lots of alternates to the main mood/melody, so that some sections are heavier on instrumentation, while some are stripped down for example.

My return's Listener ID# was 381

Any insight would be awesome. Thanks in advance!

Weston
http://www.WestonBoucher.com
http://www.SoundCloud.com/weston-boucher
@westonboucher

Can you post the listing and a link to your track?

I understand where you are coming from. I'm new to this and struggle sometimes trying to figure out how much to add or remove to change the mood without changing the mood, if you get my drift. I've heard and read that you should make a change every 8 bars or so to increase variety and draw the listener forward, make them want to keep listening. But if you are not careful, but the end of a two minute cue you could have a whole lot going on.

What I do after a return is track down tracks that were forwarded and compare them to mine.

Paulie wrote:Can you post the listing and a link to your track?
What I do after a return is track down tracks that were forwarded and compare them to mine.

YUP

and...
welcome to the forums, Weston!

Regards
Russell Landwehr

My bad! Sorry guys I spaced on the links...

Here's my submitted track, which was my first attempt at anything in this genre whatsoever so I'm NOT saying it's great lol, just was surprised at the request for developing qualities when again, reality shows seem to use very short sections, so I just made variations to sections vs a progressive, developing approach...

https://soundcloud.com/weston-boucher/d ... mba-bpm-85

The listing is expired now but here's the details of it...
BOUNCY, QUIRKY, LIGHTHEARTED Full-Length INSTRUMENTALS are needed for NON-Exclusive, Direct-to-Producer placements on a Mega-Hit Reality TV Show. He’s open to Instrumentals in multiple genres: Pop, Rock, EDM, Hip-Hop, Country, Children’s, Acoustic Singer/Songwriter, Jazz, Orchestral, etc., etc., etc. as long as they’re quirky and funny. He needs well-crafted, Mid-to-Up-Tempo Instrumentals that could be found on shows like Honey Boo Boo, Toddlers & Tieras, Extreme Cheapskates, etc. Please listen to the following examples as a general guide for the quirky vibe that could work:

Honey Boo Boo Clip:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dzt7oCFN3ek

Toddlers & Tiaras Clip:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qgpxXI1suU

Extreme Cheapskates Clip:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pN9NOkd-Z0

Give them Instrumentals that can add a silly vibe to any scene they’re placed in. You’d be smart to submit pieces that have easy edit points and buttoned/stinger endings that “feel like a musical exclamation point.” The show’s editor will love you for that! Your Instrumentals should be unobtrusive enough that they don’t step on the dialog. Think about what would compliment a comical scene rather that take it over. Please, do NOT copy or rip off the referenced music in any way, shape, or form. Use them only as a guide for general feel, vibe, and tone. Broadcast Quality is needed (great sounding home recordings are fine). This is a Direct-to-the Show’s Executive Producer Pitch, so you’ll keep 100% of your Copyright and Publishing, plus you’ll get any applicable sync fees and performance royalties! You must own or control your Master and Copyright. Please, do NOT copy or rip off the referenced music in any way, shape, or form. Use them only as a guide for general feel, vibe, and tone. Submit one to three full-length Instrumentals online or per CD. All submissions will be screened on a Yes/No basis - No full critiques. Submissions must be received no later than 11:59pm (PDT), on May 21st, 2015. TAXI #U150521QI

Hey Weston, listened to your track. It's wonderful, creative, really crisp mix. lots of good stuff.
The one thing that occurred to me as I was listening was a feeling like, when you already know the punch line
of a joke? And then it's kind of anti climactic? So in the beginning you had those unpredictable wood blocks (probly
have a fancier name but that's what they sound like) and a few other neat things going on,
and it was like oh yeah ! wonder what's coming next,
and then the theme got repetitive very quickly and there was no more "punchline" or sort of unpredictable stuff.
(to me humour seems to usually have a bit of a surprise element to it, a twist of some sort)

Maybe, (and believe me no expert here) that was what was meant by not developed enough. Sometimes words are clumsy,
hard to be precise when it comes to sonic details.. but that's what came to mind as I listened. For other uses tho, i.e.
not so humour based, it would be stellar just as is !

Cheers, diane

Hi Diane WOW thanks for the insight as I can TOTALLY see what you're saying now. It does set up for something interesting initially, and then it just kinda continues, leaving the listener disengaged in a way, just remains a little flat in terms of twists and surprises. Duly noted! Thank you again.

Appreciate the compliments on it as well.

I'm no great shakes on instrumentals, Weston, but I resonate with the screener here...

By 'develop' s/he means in the riff. If you consider the piece (any piece) as a story with an arc... well, this just didn't have one. Cool as it is, it's a groove that doesn't go anywhere – doesn't take me on a journey.

And as Robin Frederick would say (and often does), it's not the 20-sec cues you want to aim for; it's the 2-min babies you're after.

So build a story line into that riff and you're onto a winner.

IMHO.

Nick