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Howdy!
Bear with me with these questions that may seem silly. Been thinking about this thing: I’ve seen that a lot of people create 15, 30 and 60 second edits of their stock tracks (for commercial spot purposes etc).
So, are those the “standard” lenghts for commercials and is it better to create edits that are EXACTLY of that lenght or does it really matter? For example if I had an edit that was 33 seconds long, would it be left out of the “competition” because of those 3 seconds?
And would do you think about creating looping versions?
Just looking ways to maximize the uselfulness of my tracks. 🙂
Hi!
about the length of edit versions:a 30 sec edit should be EXACTLY 30 seconds.
End your version around the 29th second with a final chord/crash hat etc and let it ring out for 1 second more or less.
Make sure your 15/30/60 edits have a intro/main theme/outro structure.
Sometimes it is challenging to get a 15 second version sounding as a full composition but practice will get you there.Apart from these edits,you shoud also cut some “No Lead Melody”,”Drums and Bass Only”,”No Drums” etc edits.These are easy to get and they’re used a lot in tv shows (an ear-piercing synth melody or a guitar solo most probably won’t sit very well under dialogue so,producers prefer to use a more background version of your track).
Looping versions are also useful (although personally i have only sold 3 of them so far).
Stingers are also used a lot in tv and internet series/ads etc.In the RF sites,these edits are very important as well.
In one of them,P5,my latest 5 sales were all edits.So,yes,if you want to maximize your placements/sales make sure you have a variety of edits for each track of yours.
It might sound like a lot of work but after a while it’ll get easier and easier to get these versions right 😉Make sure your 15/30/60 edits have a intro/main theme/outro structure.
Most of my sales are 30 second edits with some 15s and 60s. I do not generally follow intro/main theme/outro for 15s and 30s. I don’t cut alt versions but maybe I should.
The best advice I got for length (I think) was to have your last beat at around 1/2 second before the end and let it ring out past that. As an example 14.5/29.5/59.5 seconds. That way you will never be too long and the client can fade where they want.
Hi guys,
thanks for input and your useful tips! 🙂 I’ve been writing RF music for 2,5 years, and now I’m trying improve any way that I can.
I’ve admit that I’ve been somewhat lazy to do all the differents version, been doing them on some my tracks, but not even close on all of them. Usually when track is “finished”, I just want to upload it and forget it quickly and move on to next track. But from now on I shall put more focus on different versions. Like you said, it takes some work, but it’s already getting faster. Just need more practice.
Art Munson, a very interesting fact that most of your sales come from 30 sec version. That’s something I’m gonna focus on now more.
Like you said, it takes some work, but it’s already getting faster. Just need more practice.
BTW, I cut my shortened versions from the 2 track mixes. I don’t try and re-write from the main project files. I doubt that it takes me more than half an hour.
Do you guys still do these edits outside of the RF sites?
All of the WFH libraries that I write for require edits.
I do edits, anywhere from 5 to 20 per cue for RF libraries…more product to sell.
I just remastered a 30 year old cue and did standard edits! I sold a :60 version within days.
Do you guys still do these edits outside of the RF sites?
I do it for all of my tracks but not all libraries want them.
I do edits, anywhere from 5 to 20 per cue for RF libraries…more product to sell.
I do 8 per cue. I’m going to have to re-think the number and types of edits I do. Sigh… I need 2 more of me!
Typically , I think due to suggestions on here, I do 15,30 60,bed,stinger, sometimes minus a lead guitar part or other instrument, lops when I think it is fitting.
Have to say I’ve done several where the fadeouts are much longer then 1/2 a second. Noone ever complains that 29 1/2 seconds requires too abrupt a fade? always wondered about that but think my fades (some 5-8 seconds) are too long .
And for what it’s worth, the track I am finishing this week will mark production track number 100 written since I started chasing this production music thing back in April 2012. Not all have made it out the door (most during my first year learning curve and trying some new genres that came out silly sounding).
Noone ever complains that 29 1/2 seconds requires too abrupt a fade?
As long as the last beat is 1/2 second short of the intended length then I don’t imagine the ring out (sustain, fade, whatever you want to call it) is a problem. Mine typically go a few seconds beyond. As an example a 30 second could be 33 seconds but that last beat will be 29.5 with a ring out of 3.5 seconds.
he track I am finishing this week will mark production track number 100 written since I started chasing this production music thing back in April 2012.
Congratulation Chuck!!! My next batch, with 11 tracks, out by the end of this Month hopefully, will make me reach 60 Tracks out there (Started this biz End 2013). If the revenue is proportional to Number of tracks, I might even be able to pay my full rent with music on the good months, I nearly reached that symbolic mark in January :-).
As long as the last beat is 1/2 second short of the intended length then I don’t imagine the ring out (sustain, fade, whatever you want to call it) is a problem.
Your point makes sense Art, although I read many times that it was essential to respect the 30 second mark diligently (A little under is OK, but over, is a big no-no). Being able to ring over 30s would save me many arrangement induced headaches!
I see what Art means though. He is hitting the end note/chord say, 29.5 seconds and letting it ring then leaving the fade to music editor. I’ve heard this before being standard practice, someone had said something to me that if I let the end chord start fading around, say, the 24 second mark it gives the impression that the music is ending too early. Just a thought.
Your point makes sense Art, although I read many times that it was essential to respect the 30 second mark diligently (A little under is OK, but over, is a big no-no).
Initially I was cutting them to the exact length. but my latest info comes from someone that’s been the biz for many decades and makes sense to me. Still, those older cues, that are exact, still sell.
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