Hard Rejected, can anyone give some insight?

Made this song and submitted and waited 8 days for it to get rejected. I don’t have a single song and am trying to build a portfolio. Could someone maybe give me some insight?

Dont know how to link audio to here but here is my soundcloud link to the song.
https://soundcloud.com/ohemgeemusic/when-you-wake-up-composition
(Hope I dont break any rules by linking outside, I don;t know how to embed songs)

Hi,
a few thing I observed when listening:

  • the piano sound isn’t great. I would consider a different sampled piano.
  • the performance isn’t very good. The chord voicings is a bit close in that register, there is no rhythm or arpeggiated chords. The rhythm overall is sloppy and all velocities sounds the same.
  • I don’t get any sense of a melody, it all sounds a bit random.
  • I didn’t listen to the whole track, but the strings sound is also of low quality.
    Sorry if this sounds harsh, just trying to help.

A few tips:

  • Try to make shorter tracks and pay more attention to details regarding both sound quality but especially the composition.
  • Make a short melody with a clear and a distinct rhythm. Make sure the chords and melody works together and try to make a more interesting chord part, not just clashing the chords down on the first beat of the bar.
  • Try to spend more time on the performance. If your not a pianist, use another method of inputing your music. Either step input, playing one part at a time on slow tempo or get someone to play the parts for you.

And as always, listen to tracks on AJ in the style you are composing in to get inspiration and tips.

Hope this helps and good luck with future submissions!

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No worries, I need constructive criticism for sure, I appreciate it, because what you say is only going to encourage me to try better and harder to achieve quality results and getting something approved lol!

I come from a somewhat pop-edm producer background and I’m trying to get more involved with scoring, so its a leap I’m trying my best to get a grasp on… I went from sound designing so sample packs for acoustic instruments were never something I stocked up in.

I know I have a lot to work on, and I appreciate you pointing out key things I should improve on! For velocity and performance its probably due to the fact I actually don’t have a keyboard/midi to bring in the natural velocity,sustains etc, I use my computer keyboard for all tracks and produce in FL Studio.

I suppose with minimal gear I need to work extra hard lol

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Maybe you should more electronic music then if you have that kind of sounds?
Regarding performance and velocities, there is much you can edit after you have recorded. But it is time-consuming, and I know for me and many others, the easiest way is using a midi keyboard.
Another option, if you have a interface, is to record live instruments if you play any and mix it with samples and synths.

A couple of things:

First off: Sample quality of the piano and strings are bad, they sound reeeally cheap. I know it’s expensive, but invest in good plugins, and you will eventually reap the rewards.

Second: The randomness of the track. Like Hyperprod says: it sounds super random, as if you began with the chords, and then kinda improvised the melody over it along the way, but didn’t take into account that pieces like this need some form of cohesion.

Third: The drums at the end don’t fit the rest at all, and the bass sound is simply annoying to listen to because it’s so out of tune with the rest.

Try to keep it simple for now, especially if you come from an EDM background, where repetitiveness is key (and that’s not a bad thing at all), don’t try to force yourself into some super complex ochestral ambition. Try to start from a simple solid base melody and subtly build from that.

Good luck and keep trying, you’ll eventually get there!

I echo @Hyperprod . The performance is a bit sloppy and harsh. The cymbal is too loud in the mix. I think the string sound sounds cheap and too harsh. Maybe try a warmer string sound.

Also, I get tracks rejected all the time. It’s half a numbers game. So just enjoy the process of creating and create more and more, and get rejected and rejected, get feedback after feedback and you’ll start selling some tracks.

Hope this was helpful.

Hi AC,

Getting a midi keyboard would definitely help you out with getting that natural velocity. But then again you would have to learn how to play well and get that feeling. If you are looking for a good midi keyboard you should check out this page.

http://getinstrumental.com/best-midi-keyboard-controllers/

I hope this will helps out, not trying to discourage you.