What do you do with your tracks?

[Mono-xID]

Most of my stuff get lost in the hd, but now and then i got some time to listen the recordings from the previous weeks or even months and if i find something that i like i just upload that to soundcloud and thats it, i tried to start sending demos some years ago, definitely i wasnt ready, had no answers at all, sended to some labels i liked but where my tracks would never fit, shit production and things like that, i was trying too hard, then i step back and decided not to worry about that and just create more and have fun with it, sometimes i share with some friends too, feedback is important to keep going and evolving, otherwise one could get stuck easily and doing the same mistakes over and over until you realize something isnt working, others impressions about your work helps alot with that

I agree with Jordan, theres a big difference about an artist that is acknowledge as an artist and a hobbyist who is unsure about the quality of his music and as have being said, its art and a form of personal expression and it hurts when you try to share feelings and nobody gives a damn, so i thinks thats why some of us just get lots of stuff in getting dust in our hds, i became much more confident and free to experiment stuff after i saw that those shit stuff i do im my studio in my spare time hit some people, it means im getting to a point where the ideas are going somewhere, we had this fear that we are trying to say something and nobody will understand because we lack skill to make it clear enough, looking for approval isnt good but i think is inevitable at some point...

Last year i got my first EP out, digitaly in our friends TvSky label (here if you want to check it out https://subsymbolic.bandcamp.com/album/ ... -out-there ) it helped me alot to trust more in what i do, like most of us i guess, i dont do this for approval, we do because we need to, right?

Theres this myth about all those fucking genius and talented artists that make effortless all this great work, this make we think, damn, why im doing this? im not that good and ill never will! I believe we need to destroy those genius artist images in our heads because it make us doubt that we can do what we want, time and dedication is what is required, they do work hard and suffer those fears too

Sorry about the long reply, got a free morning in the office hahahaha
I only hope it make some sense

Trust me when I say that every artists is going through this phase and I understand all all of you guys. I've been there myself.

It just feels better to me not giving a damn fuck.

[Lost to the Void]

What is the point of making music that just sits on a hard drive? That's such a waste.

I think it is a shame to think of it that way.

I write and I paint (I am a university graduate in art and animation), and take photographs.
Some friends have my paintings, some family, some are on the walls of my house.
What is the point of the stuff on my walls?
Very few have read my writing. I wrote a play years ago that got performed, some of my lyrics are in some of my tracks.
Most of it is unpublished.
What is the point of it?
Why do we take photographs of moments from our lives?
I listen to the music I have made and it is like a photograph, it takes me to the time and the place it was made.
It`s an abstraction of memory.

Any art is expression, you are taking something from inside of yourself, and putting it outside of yourself. Anything beyond that is ego gratification, or at it`s best, sharing your expression.
The expression is the most important part. Without that it`s just a monkey aimlessly hitting a tree with a big stick.

How is it a waste to not give your art to someone?
It is entirely subjective.
If you think it is a waste, then maybe it is for you.

For me, I used to think releasing music was the most important thing, but I've moved past it. I found I was happiest just creating (what is the point of solving a puzzle?, once it is solved there is nothing left to do but solve another), the rest is all various types of transient, ephemeral feeling. Not that it can`t be pleasant, but it`s no longer my drive.
I like sharing my stuff with friends and people more important to me, but that is a different experience, it`s more conversational.
My music is tied very much to my moods and my emotions, sometimes it`s just too wrenching to throw that out to the wolves.
I guess I have gotten very Zen about it all now, but I am am really into Zen and Taoism, so it all makes sense from that perspective.

I mean, it is what it is to you.

I think there is a big difference though. You have been validated many times over with your self-expression. People pay money to hear your thoughts being expressed.

You are able to translate your experiences and feelings successfully with enough talent and skill that people actually invest capital just to listen.

So I think you are able to reflect and say 'meh, I'm now at a stage where I'm confident enough that I don't need the external validation', and you can create well enough to capture whatever you want.

Most of us aren't in that bracket, and so if we make something and think 'yeah that's the best I've done', and people aren't willing to invest in that, then how good is it really?

Well, I mean, I'm not trying to discourage anyone. It's all still cool.
What I am saying his that, you will never feel validated if that validation you are looking for is external.
I've released records that charted at number 1 on mixmag and so on, back when it was an actual physical magazine and it meant something, got played on radio 1 when it was serious about dance. Shifted a lot of units over the years, back when a good record sold over 10,000 units, released a lot of vinyl, and releases generally. I should feel pretty fucking validated right? The sense of validation is a false sense. It slips from your fingers, it's a ghost, a mirage. You always doubt you are good enough, and you always seek validation.
I still don't think I'm good enough. But what does that even mean?
Those that do feel good enough are the ones who at that point turn to shit, lose their edge, get generic.
It's not that I'm confident enough to not need validation, I just finally realised it ain't gonna come externally, so I try not to give a fuck any more. Only I can decide if I am good enough, if what I do is valid.
It's not just me, most of my mates are in the game, of various ages, all of them are either on the treadmill constantly seeking approval, or they are out the other side.

To put it another way, you are easily "good enough" to be releasing. I master music in much worse condition than the stuff you make, both musically and production wise, that gets cut on vinyl labels. Wether or not it is good music doesn't really seem to make a difference, so many other factors are at play that decide wether or not that music sells.
That feeling that you aren't good enough, that ain't going away man. It stays with you and it pushes you. There's my mountain quote again, there is no top to the mountain, just stop now and again and enjoy the view.
So don't worry about it, send your music out there, people will either like it or not, labels will either like it or not, it doesn't really mean anything, it's all a subjective thing.
And all the time just keep climbing that mountain, keep trying to get better, but don't get too fixated on the destination.

[Mono-xID]

I'm completely with Steve on this one. It doesn't matter really.

I mean I witnessed my tracks getting played at Berghain or Tresor, had encouraging talks with guys like Phase, Inigo Kennedy, Bad Mooy, Dave The Drummer, Regal etc.

But does it effect my daily life? Fuck no.

It's like a well rolled spliff filled with cookies kush. Makes you high for 10 minutes and then back to reality.

Just make music guys and girls. Lots of people here make quality stuff. Don't be so harsh on your self. Be confident, send demos or not. But keep your music coming.

That's what matters, the music....

[jordanneke]

I'm completely with Steve on this one. It doesn't matter really.

I mean I was once involved with a menage a trois with Scarlett Johanssen and Rihanna; It was fantastic.

Take it from me, it's not all it's cracked up to be....

Is how that post reads to most of us on here.... (Stacey can insert whatever unicorn fantasy she likes instead)

[Mono-xID]

I'm completely with Steve on this one. It doesn't matter really.

I mean I was once involved with a menage a trois with Scarlett Johanssen and Rihanna; It was fantastic.

Take it from me, it's not all it's cracked up to be....

Is how that post reads to most of us on here.... (Stacey can insert whatever unicorn fantasy she likes instead)

Ha ha... i can see what you what you mean. I'm writing all this while being drunk at my favourite bar (afterwork beer) but i hope you guys get what i mean....

And i'm more the (Pulp Fiction) Uma Thurmann and (From Dusk Till Dawn) Salma Hayek guy.

Fuck Johansson and Rihanna

[Mattias]

When you realize you're actually pretty good at what you do you set the bar higher and suddenly you're not good enough again. Then you realize, after some time, that you broke the last barrier you made for yourself and found out that you're pretty good after all. Then the bar sets higher yet again. The loop repeats infinitely.

I understand and can relate to the feeling of wanting to release music so others can hear it, play it, love it, hate it. It's a good one. But an even better feeling is to make music you want to do yourself only to meet your own expectations and ideals. If people also happen to like, love and hate that then it's a bonus. A good one! However I think that comes with experience and being and living the music world quite a lot. It's highly individual though.

Personally I have so much music that I created over the years that will never live outside my own studio and it's my own decision. Some pieces are just like that. They can remain with me at my side and I feel good about it.

Quite often I can have tracks laying for years until I feel they're good enough to be released. For instance I have a new 12" on Suspected Music coming end of this month where both tracks were made 2014. I made some small "My ideals year late 2016" (because it was then I polished them for the label) adjustments to them. When I got asked to create something for the label, the music I made didn't end up being how I "felt" it should be for that EP. So those tracks I originally made for Suspected Music is currently in dormancy till they re-appear and ignites my spark again for a release in the future.

[Mono-xID]

I understand and can relate to the feeling of wanting to release music so others can hear it, play it, love it, hate it. It's a good one. But an even better feeling is to make music you want to do yourself only to meet your own expectations and ideals. If people also happen to like, love and hate that then it's a bonus. A good one! However I think that comes with experience and being and living the music world quite a lot. It's highly individual though.

Matze, thanks for saying things i liked to say but wasn't able to do so because of Rollberg beer. !!!

[Root]

Great discussion here. I totally agree that the point of making music is making music. It's just weird and feels wrong that music is being sold like a product on a market. Well, that's how the system is, but because of this it happens too often that music is only made to be sold. Most of the time this takes any soul and feeling from it. So then even the consumers aren't enjoying what they bought. They only click through their digital collection, skipping one track after another. Why should i give my music, my expression for this? I think i'll release something when it feels right, when i see that people are feeling and understanding my stuff.

I've been playing my tracks in my DJ sets for a while now. It never felt that good until last December, when i played a little forward phaselike track and people went mad shouting, sweating and dancing - feeling what i wanted to tell them. Interpret it in their way. Perfect Club moment. That was great, but as said before, just a single moment.

[Will Frances]

Great hearing what people think on this subject from fresh faced new blood to seasoned been though the grinder folk willing to share.

[The_G]

It's fine not to put stuff out. A writer I know, who is quite successful, tells me that he trunks 3 stories for every 1 he tries to sell.

Just don't let the fear that you aren't good enough, or fear of rejection, paralyze you.

[seventh serpent]

i'm not able to do a proper master..
i send them to labels and someone is responding to publish EP.. they do the master

[puzzlevortex]

This is specifically for people who aren't professionals. What do you do with your best tracks once they are finished? Do you pay for them to get mastered? Do you master them yourselves?
?

I get mine mastered. It costs about $25 per track. Check fiver to find some pretty decent mixing and astering guys

[phredd]

I am sending to friends to get some feedback, sometimes they play them and make a video for me or i am at the party.
Love to hear my music on a PA, so i test them at work in the theater. good speakers and nice sub over there.
Then i see if it works or if its punished to die on my hard-drive!

[Evert]

I've been thinking about this recently.
I still upload my stuff on Soundcloud and I rarely share my music publicly on there so there's only a few people who listen to my tracks.

A part of me thinks it's kind of a shame that something I've spent a lot of time on never really gets "out there".
Another part of me kind of gave up on the idea of releasing, since there's a 1000 others fighting for attention of labels.
I've sent some demo's to labels I like and respect, but it hasn't happened yet.

Maybe I should just upload the tracks publicly from now on.
What do you guys do when you upload music to Soundcloud? Do you "self-master" or simply normalize when exporting out of Ableton for example? Does it even matter?
Just writing down my thoughts here at this point.

[Divjak]

Another part of me kind of gave up on the idea of releasing, since there's a 1000 others fighting for attention of labels.

Yeah I feel the same way, music space lately feels very over-saturated - so many tutorial vids, music releases, new vsti and fx, its a bit mind boggling and discouraging. I am setting up new pc just for music in the next year and for sure it wont have internet access...


For old stuff I made I just take it as a cool thing I made and forget about it, they might come in handy in the future for whatever reason but I dont like wasting my time with old bones.

[2latuile]

I still upload my stuff on Soundcloud and I rarely share my music publicly on there so there's only a few people who listen to my tracks.

Almost everything on my soundcloud is public, but there are still only a few people listening to my tracks... Must be doing something wrong I guess ?

What do you guys do when you upload music to Soundcloud? Do you "self-master" or simply normalize when exporting out of Ableton for example? Does it even matter?

More or less "self-mastered" (thanks to Steve Void's excellent tutorials), perhaps one day I'll get some of them properly mastered and re-upload them. Does it matter ? Well, mastering will not turn a bad track into gold, but as long as I consider a track GoodEnough(tm) to be published, I'd rather spend a few more minutes on it and try to make it sound at least half decent.

[Amøbe]

I have exactly the same procedure as 2latuille But lately I've been pleased with my tracks, so I want to start sending some of them out.

I don't really need them to be released, but I'd love if a DJ wanted to test them in their set, so I could hear them in context with other tracks. Is that something people do? Send demos to DJs (I've never really considered this music thing for anything besides indulging in the creative aspect)

[illit_]

This is specifically for people who aren't professionals. What do you do with your best tracks once they are finished? Do you pay for them to get mastered? Do you master them yourselves?

Then what? Do you let them sit on your hard-drive? Send them out for demo's? Or just let them sit on soundcloud?

I'm at the stage where my tracks are objectively 'ok-ish, sometimes' and I just wonder what other people like me do. For the record, I don't bother trying to master tracks or pay them to get mastered, as I see no point. I let them sit on my hard-drive, maybe, just maybe send out a demo a year (which really isn't worth it, as I'm not objectively good), but mostly they sit on my hard-drive, then I may put them on soundcloud.

Anyone else?

Get a box and burn them all to CD and copy out a hard drive. Bury it in the woods. Keep a copy of the co-ordinates somewhere, or bury that too.

That or give them to pals you trust to play out, or play them yourself somewhere. Your tunes are hot

[subvers^v]

It's a bit like growing a plant...

Plant the seed, water it, feed it, watch it grow and develop, learn from it, wait for it to flower, watch it die back, prune it and wait for the cycle to repeat.

Don't spend all your energy worrying about whether it is good enough to plant it in the front garden...

Most people don't care, occasionally someone will compliment you but mostly it's about what you get from it...

[Barfunkel]

Not much. Sometimes I play them on my DJ sets but that's pretty much it. I don't have any illusions of being a good musician who's somehow just not getting noticed. I mostly just suck, but for some strange reason still enjoy making music.