What do I do with critiques?

[BrentI]

I'm curious how to get the most out of the critiques I receive from returned submissions. If I write something for a specific listing, I'm not sure if I should go back and try to re-work my original idea or just take the critique and apply what I learned to my next submission. What do you all do to get the most out of feedback?

[KennyWayneBuffalo]

I'm curious how to get the most out of the critiques I receive from returned submissions. If I write something for a specific listing, I'm not sure if I should go back and try to re-work my original idea or just take the critique and apply what I learned to my next submission. What do you all do to get the most out of feedback?

I'm just trying to understand the feedback and learn from it. I have submitted to enough listings to know where I need to focus my efforts. So right now I am working on "humanizing" drum tracks and learning how to make orchestral sounds more realistic. A couple of reviewers did say my tracks might work for a listing in another genre, so I am keeping my tracks and trying to fix the parts that need fixing per reviewers. It stings a bit, but it's part of the process.

[johnnyrowing]

At one of the rally luncheons James Kocian shared his process.

He immediately revises the submission based on feedback and then writes one more based upon what he learned.

This results in applying the feedback and getting better.

Plus, there are now 2 tracks that will be ready when a similar listing comes around.

I thought this was an incredibly valuable insight in process, work ethic, and attitude.

[DexWilliams]

I have just watched the latest TAXI TV episode and it pretty much covers the 'why didn't it get forwarded?' questions with 20/20 hindsight... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YN0g09HexJI

[irthlingz]

If the feedback indicates that I was close, I would:
1) work on perfecting whatever technical skills might be involved
2) wait for the same or similar listing to come back around
3) revise and resubmit

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Michael

[jdstamper]

I do a lot of revisions based on the feedback. I just find it easier to revise versus starting something new. Providing of course that I think the song idea is worth continuing to invest more time in it. Sometimes I can do a revision in a few minutes or an hour. Sometimes it takes longer.

It's not unusual for me to do several revisions, ending up with a very different song than the original one, maybe even a different genre, and then to finally get forwards and deals from it.

Jim

[BrentI]

I really appreciate everyone who took the time to reply and share advice. This has all been very helpful! Thanks again!

[cosmicdolphin]

I'm a one & done kinda guy. Whenever I got a return I just kept it as it was...I never really went back and revised stuff that was already "finished"...I don't 2nd guess myself and honestly found it more inspiring to start a new track. To me going back over seemed more like a form of procastination than progress.

Most of those returned tracks wound up in Libraries of one kind or another and a fair number of them have placements now several years down the line. They were the best I could do at the time I wrote them and I prefer to use what I learned in trying to make the next track better. It's not only more productive but easier gauge progress.

I guess it also depends on why they are being returned. Most of mine were " Stylistically Off Target " rather than any major issues like dated sounds or bad mixes etc. I had a placement this week on a return I made 4 years ago and whilst it's not my best work it sounds fine.

Mark