Track Length?

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  • #8975
    Art Munson
    Keymaster

    Hi I’m new here and am learning as much as I can as fast as I can.

    I had a question about track length for Non-Exclusive libraries. I am starting with writing for these outlets in diverse styles such as Ambient, Ethnic, Pop Rock, Metal and so on.

    I’ve heard some say 1:00-2:00 minutes is ideal, while I’ve noticed some libraries request longer.

    Listening to shows on TV and the like seems to imply short but any advice and tips is welcome, thanks.

    #8976
    GaryW
    Participant

    Welcome!. This site is going to be an invaluable resource for you just starting as it was for me starting out.
    As far as song length, I write all full-length tracks, no alts. I’ve learned that my best selling tracks are between 2:00 and 2:30, so I now write to that time length.
    Also remember to not use fade-outs a good hard ending is best. IMHO
    Good luck to you!

    #8983
    Advice
    Participant

    When writing for the general library market, in the absence of a special request or target (such as 60 seconds for advertising), over 2 minutes is usually best. If we’re talking instrumental, that gives time to develop structure such as A-B-A or A-B-A-B and provide edit points for the sup.

    A good total length varies from 2-4 minutes with a sweet spot around 2:30-3:00. What matters is that you are sustaining interest throughout. If not, cut it. And GUIDELINES are not rules in this discussion. (They ARE rules if specific library or end user requirements)

    Remember that the most critical thing is to grab the listener’s interest right from the get-go. Like most music execs, music sups are impatient, busy people and if they don’t hear something of interest in 15-20 seconds, they’ll go on to the next track.

    I don’t think I’ve ever had a placement whereby the music used wasn’t from the start of my track. The exception would be if it had a cool sting ending and they either looked for that or the library sent them a sting edit.

    😀

    #8996
    Wildman
    Guest

    I don’t think I’ve ever had a placement whereby the music used wasn’t from the start of my track. The exception would be if it had a cool sting ending and they either looked for that or the library sent them a sting edit.

    I have placements every single day from all kinds of positions of my tracks. Sometimes they just use the hook and sometimes the verses or the bridge. Sometimes the track starts from the beginning. So it`s totally different.

    I try to create a nice and short intro, 30-40 sec verse, 30 sec hook, with interlude or breaks in between so that the cutters can jump in or go out of the track. For Tv I write cues between 1:30-2:00 min and for the stock market cues between 2:00-3:00 min.

    Form I use mostly: Intro-Verse-Refrain-Break-Verse-Refrain-Bridge-Refrain-End

     

    Best,

    Wildman

    #8997
    Mark Lewis
    Guest

    Don’t forget to slide those endings around and create a package of edits, 30 sec, 60 sec, etc to go along with your full length track. Customers love edits and request them all the time.

    -Mark

    #9000
    Wildman
    Guest

    Don’t forget to slide those endings around and create a package of edits, 30 sec, 60 sec, etc to go along with your full length track. Customers love edits and request them all the time.

    Edits might be a good for the royalty/stock market and it`s useful to do them because there are a lot of private and semi-pro users who can`t really edit or cut.

    On the other hand I just do edits if the selling price is a normal market price.  On sites like AJ or simular sites I don`t offer extra edits.

    But even though I make edits of my TV cues in 95% of cases they`ll use my main tracks because TV stations have a professional cutter 🙂 That is my experience.

     

    #9001
    MichaelL
    Participant

    All of the exclusive libraries that I’ve written for want the following:

    Full
    underscore
    :60
    :30
    :15

    That’s a pretty standard professional package. I do the same for RF libraries. Editors really  do not want to carve a :30 spot out of a full cue. I make sure that the edits work musically. Do not let the library make the edits for you, unless you don’t mind having your work butchered.

    _Michael

     

     

    #9003
    Kenny
    Participant

    Don’t forget to slide those endings around and create a package of edits, 30 sec, 60 sec, etc to go along with your full length track. Customers love edits and request them all the time.

    Good to hear that this is actually requested from customers. I`ve had my doubts about the value of making these edits because I hardly sell anything but the full tracks on RF sites.

    #9004
    Mark Lewis
    Guest

    Not to labor the point but here is direct quote from the professional editor of a popular TV branding company
    🙂

    “Hi Mark,
    I have been a big fan & frequent user of Musicloops.com. I especially love the songs that offer multiple mixes to accommodate your edit even better. Can you please stress to your composers that us editors need choice? The more stingers, loops and underscore versions we get, the merrier.
    Thanks,
    Richard”

    (Stressing that point now Richard)

    #9006
    Art Munson
    Keymaster

    I’m currently doing the following:

    Full
    DnB
    Bed
    Loop
    15 sec
    30 sec
    60 sec
    Sting/Bumper

    #14444
    chuckthompson
    Participant

    Art, Please excuse the ‘newb’ question, but what exactly does ‘Bed’ refer to in your response?

    #14446
    Art Munson
    Keymaster

    @chuckthompson. It’s a version without the melody.

    #15104
    buildingcastles
    Participant

    So, can someone tell me what they’d do for the 15 second edits? What exactly do you put in there? What does the structure look like for that?

    Oh, and when you do shorter versions of a cue, do you just do one of them with full instruments? Or do you do, say, a 30 sec full version, no drums, etc?

    Thanks

    #15154
    Art Munson
    Keymaster

    So, can someone tell me what they’d do for the 15 second edits?

    It’s hard to tell when you are not writing specifically for a project. 15 seconds is not much time so I use the biggest part, musically, of the cue.

    Oh, and when you do shorter versions of a cue, do you just do one of them with full instruments? Or do you do, say, a 30 sec full version, no drums, etc?

    I’ve seen them both ways. I do full but I’ve been thinking about alternates for 30s.

    #15156
    Scary_Bodega
    Participant

    I was thinking about submixes for my shorter edits the other day. In general, end users love sub-mixes. I’d say that I sell just as many subs as I do full tracks. Sometimes I feel like the full tracks sort of end up being showcase pieces that lead people to the submixes. I’d say it’s worth a try. Uploading can get a tad unwieldy at some point, I suppose, but I think I’m gonna start doing this.

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