Hello! This track was rejected. Pop/dance category. Help me to understand. https://soundcloud.com/ilsafvadutov/upbeat
Hey SVProductions -
Nice work on this track, you have a cool vibe going. However IMO, your mix is letting you down, and is probably the main reason this track got rejected. Also, it’s a bit repetitive, with the piano riff almost going through the whole track. The break at the end isn’t really a break…it feels like you just started the song over. I would maybe just end it at 2:38.
Some mix notes, again just my opinion 
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Balance. Your mix is out of balance, with the instruments blending in an unnatural way. The kick drum is way too thin, and the subharmonic bass doesn’t really add to the vibe. At :16, we should get that kick drum and bass in the face. Instead, it stays really thin. When the synth leads come in, they should sit more up front and the piano should sit behind them. The piano is too forward in the mix for most of the track.
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EQ. To my ears, the piano is fatiguing. Sound like you rolled off the highs too much and it’s missing a lot of information around 200-250Hz. Your bass is ineffective because it’s just so low…no punch or bite.
I think if you started from scratch and balanced your rhythmic elements (drums, piano riff and bass) and got them really solid and punchy, and put the leads and other elements in their proper place so they could be heard and appreciated, you’d have a great track on your hands!
Good luck and I hope this was helpful!
-STM
I agree with everything STM said, but I believe there is another reason it was rejected. The piano chord rhythm, with just a kick and clap, is a bit hard to follow. I think if you add a hihat on your half notes it will glue the track together. That’s what I would do.
Many thanks!
Thank you very much!