As with Soundcloud l feel AudioJungle could benefit from a discovery algorithm, where the listener is taken on a journey (one track ends, a new one plays, plus you can see which tracks you’ve listened to in that session, maybe even have the playlist emailed to you, even though you’re not signed in)
It could be a truly random journey, or a cookied-up bespoke curated journey based on metrics and stuff. Personally l rather like the idea of a truly random journey, but then again, l’m not after a specific sound for a specific project, l’m just loafing for now.
Song Prices [Revisited]:
I made a thread about song prices that got locked because admin thought l was saying AJ should assign fixed prices and this violates antitrust.
Let me clarify:
I was not laughing at someone for pricing a track at $10 million - in fact there are songs worth upward of that.
I was pointing out how variable prices could be, that a person may get 8 sales for a track that was maybe $20, then reprice that track at $10million (which in itself is confusing as it looks like the person made 8 sales at that price - maybe have in the sales stats the different price points & the sales per price point, for that one item?).
Following on from that, l feel it would prevent the predictable lemmings’ rush off a cliff (= impossibly low prices, for fear of losing out on a sale), if authors decided on a price from the start, and that price were set in stone. I’m not saying AJ should set the price in stone, but the author. If the author wants to reprice, then the author could submit a written request which will of course be approved if it’s like, one change per week or something. I think it would make prices less liquid, because liquid = all trickles away to nothing, out of fear and doubt. If prices were less mutable, authors would perhaps appreciate their work more and ask themselves what it’s really worth and get the price right first time? I don’t know, l haven’t submitted anything yet.
I would agree that AJ needs some extra work on discovery. There are hundreds of amazing tracks that could become top-sellers. They just didn’t receive enough exposure at the right moment. So some updates to the discovery process could help buyers find these buried, hidden gems! Your suggestions should be taken into consideration! Envato even could use some neural network to help buyers find exactly what they need. AI may know what person needs even better than the person itself. Extra costs? Yes! But it will pay off because buyers would find something they really want to buy.
Maybe I’m too far in dreams right now
I certainly like your prices history idea! It could be implemented as a nice pop-up javascript window. Or as a browser extension for those who actually need it.
Like this one made for Aliexpress marketplace. This is just a random app, but I can hear a track from AJ. We are everywhere!
Please no… I remember what was going on at Soundclick.com… where “big” names could pay every day for promo, so you still did not have any chance anyway…
I agree that paid promotion is not a very good idea. I totally stand for more honest and fair AJ.
We already have enough places where you can buy some fame or power. And the least thing we need is Audiojungle to become corrupt.
But I highly support some other ideas proposed by @Cthone_Nectar!
As for the Aliexpress marketplace link - l can’t hear any audio - maybe they got sued by the AudioJungle composer
As for the paid promotions:
What if the cost of promotion was mid range, say $50 for a year?
That way, it’s within range for everybody, not just the super rich, therefore it’s not just about “big” names
Also, why would a “big” name - or anybody - promote a mediocre track? Let’s be clear, we are not talking large numbers of sales per track.
The promotion would have to be per track, not per composer, otherwise l could see how you’d think that may get spammy, because a person would pay a lump sum to give anything and everything they compose a free pass.
BUT: All items will have been curated by AJ to begin with. If you believe items curated by AJ could be spammy, then the grid of recent tunes, right underneath AJ’s top picks, would be an ideal route for spam, by just making new tunes constantly. There’s more of them than AJ’s top picks on the landing page. Plus they are right under AJ’s top picks, so it’s all pretty much the same to me, the casual visitor, if a landing page tune is AJ’s top pick, or if it’s just a new tune added to AJ - they both occupy the same space. SO yes, if spam can get into AJ, then regarding your dislike of seeing spam everywhere via a new concept being introduced (my idea of paid promoted tracks) - that cat is already out of the bag, because a spammer can just release a new track, and it be promoted already on the landing page merely by virtue of it being a new track. (Personally l don’t think it’s possible, because AJ curates)
To conclude: the idea was for tracks that a person felt did not suck, but were nevertheless not AJ’s own editors’ top picks. So, a person may get it pay-promoted because they really believe in the song, and also, the paid promotion would heal the natural jealousy of seeing someone get preferential treatment by AJ (editors’ top picks). I can imagine the subsequent jading of hearts stunting some folks’ creativity.
As for the other site “frozenjazz” mentioned, l don’t know anything about it, other than that you say they had paid promotions, and lo! People paid to have tracks promoted. The rest seems to be down to personal aesthetic.
However l will admit that l think at one point Soundcloud were showcasing either paid promotions, or “trending” tracks (= tracks where a person would pay $50 to a click farm for 1000 views and l’m guessing also comments such as “the best” “i like your tracks” “xvxlklk”)
The result? It was horrible to see. I just wanted to log in for techno and house music, but l was confronted with these 17 yr old ne’erdowells on the landing page every time l logged in because they paid someone $50.
Right but l also proposed $50 for promotion. Thing is, AJ is a service industry (= like asking, to buy) not a fame factory (= like telling, that you’re the best), plus as stated, it’s curated.
So if you never got featured, yet you think you should, then why not put your money on it? Hence the idea of paid promotion, which btw l have no intention of ever using myself. When l finally get round to submitting a track or two l don’t think it’ll go well, judging by the hard rejected tracks by others l’m seeing on this forum, for what l would call decent tracks!
New idea: Have a multiple choice checklist of around 20 of the most common reasons for rejecting a song, & thereby convey the shortcomings of a submitted piece, to the author. One of the categories can be “Wrong, all wrong”. No right to reply. Therefore the judge(s) don’t really do that much extra work by selecting a reason / reason(s) from the checklist, but at least it gives the author something.
I’m too daunted to submit anything now hehe. I’d be happier if l got something by way of a rejection line.
I already submitted this idea, but I suggested not 20 but only 2, two, just two reasons… because most of us have the same quesiton: “am I rejected because of a mixing/mastering problem, or because of something else”…
I have some songs that were rejected, clearly because the final sound was a bit too muddy… I worked hard on my mixing/mastering, and then it was accepted.
New genre: Answering Machine Music. Tired of that Rick Astley answering machine intro? Never again - people can submit their “grand design” actual full blown (well, 2 1/2 minute) tracks that might otherwise get rejected in another category for not being microcosmic enough (l get the feeling the judges want the kernel of the track to be fully revealed within 20 seconds for normal categories). [EDIT: That is probably not true, l’ve heard a few AJ tracks that take longer to build up]
Background: I thought this one up when wondering if Tim Carleton & Darrick Deel’s track would have gotten accepted on Audiojungle. Hmmm, it’s kind of wrapped up within 20 seconds after the drum intro, so maybe. But then, it goes through about 5 major twists after that so maybe it would get rejected. Thing is, answering machine muzak needs to be long drawn out, & catchy, don’t you think? Otherwise we’d be snarling by the time we finally get put thru.
Please stay on hold while l search for the archetypal track for this genre:
New genre: “Rejected Tracks”. Price: Pay what you want. Or let author set price. Just as long as it’s known that Audiojungle disowns them. I reckon in a messed up roundabout way this genre would get much limelight.
Is it worth the electricity to power the servers though? I dunno, try it! A lot of powerful stuff will end up here, even though it’s not up to scratch.
Obviously don’t show anything rejected because it’s in violation of something.
I don’t know, l haven’t submitted anything yet.
