Track Length Formats- Start Time

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  • #39335 Reply
    prizzi
    Participant

    Hello,

    Perhaps this is another newbie question so I appreciate your help in advance.

    I have read section on track formats in the very helpful MLR Make Music Make Money book. I understand how to create the different lengths tracks as far as the ending time. For example 15 second version ending the last note at 14.5 and ring out a little past 15 seconds.

    For the opening, do you render your tracks with a buffer of .5 second for all versions too? Or just render your tracks from the very first note of your music? One library I contacted masters their submissions so it may not be an issue for some libraries. I also thought it was good practice to leave a buffer in the opening of the track itself. Thank you!

    #39336 Reply
    Art Munson
    Keymaster

    I set my start time at 1/128 of a beat before beat 1.

    #39337 Reply
    prizzi
    Participant

    That’s exactly the answer I was looking for. Thank you Art!

    #39338 Reply
    Roscoe Foderotz
    Participant

    I have always rendered from beat 1 on everything and never had any problems or difficulties.

    #39339 Reply
    Art Munson
    Keymaster

    “I have always rendered from beat 1 on everything and never had any problems or difficulties.”

    I hear it in the attack on the downbeat. If I render on beat 1 there is a bit of attack missing. Wouldn’t make or break the track. Just a thing for me.

    #39341 Reply
    prizzi
    Participant

    Thank you for your help. I think I was being to literal with the length. It makes sense that it would need to have a slight second so that you hear the attack of your first note.

    #39369 Reply
    Joshyboy317
    Participant

    Newbie here as well – is there an industry standard length for stingers or bumps? (FWIW I was searching the “newbie question forums” and haven’t come across this yet so if there’s an older link to answer some of these questions thanks in advance!)

    #39370 Reply
    Art Munson
    Keymaster

    “is there an industry standard length for stingers or bumps?”

    Not that I know of. I just take the the last music piece of a track. Usually it’s no more of a few bars. From that someone could use it as a bumper or the last beat as a stinger. Just my way and been doing it this way for years.

    #39371 Reply
    maxquaini
    Participant

    I do the same as Art for stingers and bumps!
    Actually in my opinion it’s a mix of things, the accuracy of the length of your alts matter, but sometimes you can be flexible as well if needed.
    Sometimes your perfect alt is barely 14 sec and you need to “steal” some “time” in the beginning or the end, depending on the music as well. Indeed you better try to be as accurate as possible fitting the 15 secs.
    Let’s say if I stopped overthinking and just doing the job at its best.

    #39374 Reply
    Roscoe Foderotz
    Participant

    For me I have found it depends on 2 factors –
    1. What the library makes a request for and how (meaning on the 1 beat or possibly a pick-up into the 1.
    2. Depending on what market you are targeting can impact your length. My stingers typically fall between 6 and 10 seconds.
    3. Maxquaini stated 15 seconds, but for me that’s pressing it as that is almost a bumper.

    Disclaimer: This is just my own 2 cents on stingers.

    #39375 Reply
    maxquaini
    Participant

    yeah Roscoe, my fault I’ve been using the 15 sec alt as an example, and maybe I went a bit off topic since we were just talking about stingers here.
    I hope the meaning about being a bit “flexible” with starting and ending point was clear anyway.
    Then I totally agree, it’s also pretty much depending o who you are working with and what they needs are.
    Mine are usually shorter, from 6 to 12 sec usually, and most of the time I am using the final of the song.
    Thank you Roscoe for giving me the chance to clarify!

    #39376 Reply
    Joshyboy317
    Participant

    THANK YOU for posting your thoughts & practices! Your wisdom and experience is greatly appreciated from this newbie…

    #39377 Reply
    maxquaini
    Participant

    keep rocking Josh!

    #39380 Reply
    jdt9517
    Participant

    Maybe I’m way off base, but I have never thought about the length of the file . Rather, I time the sound waves within the file. The file may be 15.5 seconds long with .5 secs of dead space up front, but I would count it as a 15 sec track. I think the production engineers visually align the beginning of the sound wave to wherever the music entry point is. I usually give about a .5 sec up front so the engineer can see precisely where the wave begins. AFAIK, that practice has not hurt me in placements.
    Also, I have found that if I begin the file too close to the beginning of the wave, I get a slight pop at the beginning. The half second allows the wave to naturally open.

    #39381 Reply
    prizzi
    Participant

    Thank you. Yes i think I was being too literal with the length. It’s not the file length so much as it is the actual music in the file.
    I haven’t yet had any placements yet so I am sure it’s correct to say that the sound engineer is would trim the file as necessary
    so leaving a bit at the beginning and end should be ok.

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