What are the most commercially viable genres?

Envato Authors AudioJungle
#1

Hello all,

I was wondering if I could trouble any more experienced authors out there to guide me on which genres and styles are, in your opinion, more commercially viable.

I’m a newb on AJ, and I’m having a lot of fun trying to compose in different styles and seeing what sticks. So far, I’ve uploaded rock, folk, funk, classical, electronica etc. Here is my portfolio:

Not having been here long, and having a small catalogue, it’s difficult to decide where I should be focusing my energy to make the most commercially viable tracks.

My initial impressions are that it’s probably not worth entering the motivational or corporate market because there are so many tunes on here that I’m unlikely to stand out. Perhaps classical guitar and funk might be two genres in which there’s not so much material, and I should concentrate on that. I like writing folky stuff but I’m not sure melancholy folk sells like hot cakes. :slight_smile:

Obviously I also need to think about playing to my strengths, and with so many talented and experienced authors on here, it’s hard to stand out.

If anyone has any conclusions they’ve arrived at through experience, i.e. produce the most popular styles, pick niche genres with less competition, stick to one thing etc, I’d be very grateful to hear about it.

Many thanks in advance.

1 Like
#2

If you’re trying to steer away from the corporate catergory, catchy rock music is always sellable. I’m going to make more myself after my track “Energizing Rock” sold 7 times in the first week (one of which was an upgraded license).

That being said, I try to be very versatile in my genres. If you check my portfolio, you’ll see I have some cinematic tracks, some pop/rock tracks, corporate tracks, electronic tracks, and even a few sound effects. I do this because in the future, when I make more of a name for myself, I want my clients to know I can make any kind of music they need, so they keep coming back to me.

Hope this helps!

What are the most commercially viable genres on AudioJungle?
#3

It does help, thank you. You have a great portfolio by the way.

#4

Hi @Peachysounds ! Welcome to the “inspirajungle” :sunglasses:

I had a glance at your portfolio and it seems to me you’re on the right track. You’re trying different things and there’s already evidence for success in terms of sales. You should try to wrap your head around why some tracks sell more than others. It’s definitely a game of supply and demand, but also keep in mind what kind of track a buyer typically would be looking for when typing in a specific search term. Only because your instrumentation is “folk”, and your track is well made, for example, doesn’t really mean your track will stand up to the competition, because buyers typing in “folk” may in general be looking for a certain vibe or sound. You need to get in the “buyer’s seat” once in a while, search AJ for different terms and find out which kinds of tracks sell for those specific terms. As a rule of thumb, upbeat and positive tracks sell better than slow or melancholic ones (except of course for search terms like “sad” etc). You also need to bring your A game to the first few bars (or seconds) of a track since the first impression is very important.

Your “kids” track for instance is definitely nice but could be even more jolly and upbeat, and feature more bright and lively sounds like glockenspiel, flutes or tambourines. It’s not because it “needs” to have it, but because buyers will compare with very similar tracks and go for the ones with the most fireworks, at least that’s my experience.

I think you have a niche working in the classical guitar section, not many can play that stuff as well as you do and if you make 10-20 tracks in that genre you will be able to find out what kind of music attracts the most buyers.

You’re right about the corporate side of things, it’s just crazy right now how many authors are throwing their chips into that market, and unless you’re wanting to devote a great deal of your time into creating the corporate track of the year, it’s simply not worth it.

So basically, you’re doing it right, just do it more :sunglasses:

GOOD LUCK

4 Likes
#5

Thank you very much, I appreciate it. I try to upload one song every week, alternating genres.

1 Like
#6

Thanks Stockwaves. Some really interesting ideas there. I should definitely spend more time searching for items with a buyer’s hat on, and you’re right that I need to think a lot harder about the first seconds of each piece.

Very flattered you think my classical guitar playing is okay! I’m by no means a pro classical player (no nails either) but I’m very glad that the general impression is okay… After I wrote the ‘Fugue’ one I noticed loads of people simply recording Bach fugues etc. Made me wonder what the point of composing classical style stuff is when I could just try to play some actual classical etudes that are out of copyright.

1 Like
#7

I like the way you do your porfolio. It is commercial, but still sounds interesting.

Regarding to your question, most commercially viable genre here are “corporate” (I am not sure if it really GENRE), and light/indie rock. Just check “Popular files” and “Featured desk”.