VoiceEx

Welcome to Songstuff @Auburn! You've mentioned that you love music for its ability to tell stories and that you also "gravitate to the more extreme and violent sub genre". If that's the case then I have a question for you. Speaking as a fictional writer, one that also happens to enjoy exploring gritty sounds and dark concepts, may I ask, is there a way for me to check out some of your work?

Welcome @Auburn! Speaking as one of the regular members, I can attest that this place is livelier then it seems on the surface. For example, some members prefer to talk in private, while there are also those who prefer to only focus on their particular areas of interests. Not to mention, there is also the matter of maintaining one's own activity in relation to others. To put that in perspective, If all a person ever does is create topics that are centered around them, without ever showing the slightest interest in other people and other topics, then chances are that such an individual may not get many responses. After all, Its called a 'community' for a reason. What I'm trying to say is, the first steps are always the hardest. However, I can tell you from experience, if you take the initiative and give this place a proper chance, you'll find that we have plenty to offer. Much more then you'd expect 👍

Absolutely. In fact, there are a million things I'd like to do, but can't afford too, due to my working schedule and other responsibilities. That being said, while its true that I can't afford to listen to music all day, thankfully, me being a musician has never killed the 'magic' for me. Which is why I always make time to listen to music just for fun and its why I still geek out (production wise) when I think something is super cool. Call me crazy, but I'm on the fence that enjoying something for the sake of enjoying it, helps to keep you fresh. Both on a personal level but also on a professional level. And while its true that re-creating that childhood 'spark' is impossible - I don't think that it should stop artists from taking full advantage of what will always be there. TLDR: I think that if listening to music for fun is important to you, then the only person standing in your way, is yourself. For example: After a long day's work, I really enjoy taking nightly/early morning strolls while listening to music. True, its just an hour or two per-day. However, it is a daily 'dose' that ultimately stacks up (mentally). It gives me a chance to check out new music, revisit old music, or even just listen to audio books and lectures, without ever feeling like having fun is somehow a "waste of my time" 👍

Are you telling me that we actually had a thread where anyone could simply waltz right in, for no apparent reason, and start yelling at complete strangers, while handing out verbal abuse and snide remarks as if they hot cakes?! 😮 Well as far as ticking time bombs go THAT IS gracious indeed! Practically therapeutic! 🤣👍 You know, I actually have a rather different take on that situation. While its true that such a thread was obviously going to get closed at some point because removing all filters tends to bring out the worse in people, I also happen to think that thread may have been rather useful. After all, when you give people a free pass to say anything they want, you also get better insight about them. Especially if they go off rails. And if by chance most if not all the troublemakers and their friends would volunteer to be in the same place.. then.. well.. that would be rather convenient, wouldn't you say? Better than chasing them around, if you catch my drift 😅 There's nothing wrong with finding out what you're okay with. The internet is filled with armchair critics whose advice could potentially be harmful to your production. That's one of the reasons why I personally don't pay much attention to suggestions given to me by people whose own production value leaves much to be desired. I'd rather listen to advice from people that know what they are doing, but also posses an in depth understanding of what would benefit my specific needs. To put that in perspective, I think that any good producer can give you good advice that's worth taking in, regardless of whether or not you happen to produce the same kind of music as them. However, I find that what's even better, is getting advice from multiple sources, as well as getting advice from producers whose livelihood revolves around specializing in what you're actually into. That way you get the best of multiple worlds. As for nit picking and finding errors in hits. Have you considered turning that into educational content? Could be fun. I'd give a watch, that's for sure 👍 Wow that's cool! 😮 Is there somewhere I could read/listen/watch said interview? Its nice to meet you too! I've actually been here since 2019 though my activity varies depending on my work. That's probably why we haven't bumped into each other until now. Not to mention, I mostly hang out in the Musician's Lounge because that's where the fun is for me. Its interesting that you're an Ableton guy. I am familiar with it I know many people that swear by it. Though personally, I mostly use Nuendo and Pro Tools. They fit my needs nicely and I probably won't switch to anything else in the foreseeable future. You know? I used to feel the same way as you do for a very long time. That is because much like you I didn't come here because I needed something. In fact, you could even say that I was rather hostile at the beginning. However, that was a long time ago. Nowadays I can safely say that this is pretty much the only forum whose community and staff I care for. And coming from me I think that says alot because my attitude is inquisition-style: "If you don't interest me as a person, you might as well be a fly on the wall. And I expect the same treatment from you". Pretty harsh but also fair 👍 Same here. Give me interesting people to talk too and I'm golden 👌 I don't really know. I wanna say.. an active one? 😅 I think that Songstuff has ALOT to offer to musicians of all ages. Though whether or not Songstuff reaches what I believe is its full potential remains to be seen. Though I am rooting for us all and I think that John knows what he is doing. I have faith in him. Way that I see it, if a person can't handle criticism is a place like this, which has a relatively mature audience, and is very tamed if compared to, lets say, Reddit, social media, Youtube, then how on earth do they expect to deal with a bigger audience? 🤔 I'd worry for their mental well being. I don't like to say it, but I do think that some people are simply not stable enough to share their music. Oh I'm sure that you could. These days practically everything is marketable. Though thankfully I don't think that we'll be seeing here any power hungry billionaires anytime soon 👍

Imagine you went to the dentist. Then all of a sudden he looks you dead in the eye and starts telling you "gum jokes", or some other cringe inducing nonsense. Now.. I don't know what you would do. But I for one would have asked him to ramp up the gas and put me in a coma. Same idea 🤭👌

Why thank you. I appreciate the compliment! Well if a person is not interested in critique they could simply apply to post in the showcase. Might save them the trouble, no? Or if they are indeed looking for critique, they could specify what sort of feedback they are looking for exactly. That way if they see a response that is irrelevant or even offensive they could call it out 👍 That being said, I must say I am rather curious as to what happened. With your permission, would you be willing to fill me in? (perhaps via PM, if you'd prefer). I find that old drama makes for a fun conversation, if nothing else 😅 From my limited experience in forums I find that most people that look up forums tend to do so for a reason. As such, it would be fair to say that they want something. Could be critique, sharing for the sake of sharing, business opportunities, promotion, education (etc etc), or even simply as fans wanting to interact with musicians. I could come up with more reasons, but you get the idea. I don't know what other communities you frequent, though I think its great that you took the initiative and encouraged people to step outside their comfort zone. It would be nice if we had something like that in here. Also. Much like you, if Songstuff would host an event I would indeed try to attend, if given the opportunity. Though whether or not I would get invited in the first place remains to be seen, I suppose 😅👍 You've been labeled as a negative stereotype? 😮 I had no idea but man it sounds like you're days here are far more interesting then mine 😅 That being said, if this is the case, I'd like to offer you an interesting perspective in regards to giving feedback. I don't give feedback to people who I believe are too sensitive to handle it. How can I tell which is which? Its easy: Look into their interactions. People that can't handle criticism wave that red flag loudly and proudly. As such, instead of asking yourself: "But what if I could help them?", its better to move on and focus your energy on the people who are NOT just looking for praise. That's very true. People do try to put their best foot forward. Its also good for business. Though to tell you the truth, personally, when it comes to getting to know people, I have no interest in someone that constantly attempts to project an image of success and control. That's their way of attempting keep people at arm's length and its kinda sad if you think about it 😅

I hear that 👍 Though to be fair, I know that if I started posting all the things I find as being silly or funny, without any reservations or filter, and on a regular basis, I'm pretty sure that I'd get banned 😅 Another issue I often face in terms of sharing random silly things, is that I find that most music related stuff just isn't that funny. Not to mention, what's funny for a musician might not necessarily be funny to none-musician. Which means that, when I do share something silly, I prefer sharing something that might lead to an interesting discussion that anyone can join in on. Just my two cents of course 😶

I'm not too big on memes n' such. However, @starise what you said about keeping things clean got me thinking about a silly thought experiment. And since you haven't specified any restrictions on what constitutes as 'silly', I can only assume that a silly discussion may also be on the table 👍 But before I get into it, please allow me to give you some context. You see, I have often theorized what it would happen if Songstuff would host an IRL social event, like a meetup or party. I wonder what it might be like, who would attend, who'd get along with who, which personalities are likely to clash, what sort of interesting stories/scandals might be unearthed (etc), and how people's agenda would affect their overall interactions with each other. Basically, imagine an oldschool industry mixer but exclusively for Songstuff members. That's the general idea. Anyhoo, In the spirit of the thread, I've got a silly question for you 😅 (Obviously, you don't have to answer if you don't want too. I'll understand). If such an event took place, would you attend? And if you would, are there any particular members you'd like to hang with?

AKA, killing you're own thread 👍 To put that in perspective. A guy walks into a bar. He says: "Oh yee humorless husks, which brave soul among you can tell me something funny?". And then he leaves 😅 The moral of the story being, perhaps it would have been a good idea to start by sharing something silly/funny that happened to you and get that ball rolling. It may also be a good idea to Tag people you are on good terms with to encourage participation. In fact, you could also share funny things that happened to you on Songstuff and spice it up for entertainment value. That too might encourage people to participate. For example: "So today I found myself talking with @john about the definition of silliness. 'Premium' content am I right? If that's not a sign that we desperately need young members in here, then I don't know what is! Speaking of killing jokes, I just posted up a song of mine for critique and some rando that never posts any of his own songs gives me a comment that just says 'nope'. I was like, excuse me? context-much? This isn't my day.." I'm just joking of course, but you get the idea.

I'm always up for silly things 👍 Is there something silly that you'd like to share? Oh it was merely a playful observation about how most of our active members appear to be men. Which is absolutely fine but its also a bit funny IMO. After all, this is a thread for silly things, is it not? 😏 Besides. Even if hypothetically you did hit on members, that would be a you-problem 😅👍

No no its not German. Its slang. It means: an event or a place at which most of the people present are men, or a group that consists mainly of men (i.e 'Sausage' as in penis). A "dicks only club", if you will. We don't have many females, is what I'm saying 😅👍

No problem I'm glad I could help 👍 I never spoke with her but she seems nice. Though in the spirit of silliness, while I was skimming through her content, it made wonder why this place is such a sausage fest nowadays 😅

I remember her and she does indeed show up on the members list. Here 👍 I've also briefly looked into some of her back and forth communications with you, particularly in an old song of hers that's called "My Father", where you asked if she'd like to work with you. If you are not able to see any of these links then I suspect you might have been blocked. I can't help you with that, I'm afraid.

Yeah it makes sense and I couldn't agree more 👍 Though I would like to ask, in terms of how things could be, what do you mean exactly? Like, if you had the power to change what's going on, what would those changes be? i.e what is your vision of an ideal mix between the past and the present?

I completely agree with you on that 👍 In fact, I would also like to point that that overly excessive "content loops" also play a part in all of this. Not only is the amount of music growing faster, but the amount of content that many musicians force themselves to dish out for the sake of appeasing the algorithms is equally to blame (IMO). We are a little different. My interest in the music industry itself and its inner workings grew strictly out of necessity. But you know how it is. We are where we choose to be. You have your pills and I have mine 😅👍

Oh my this was unexpected Welcome to my dusty blog! Its a pleasure to meet you! I agree. Music is indeed a universal language that connects us all and people's interests and behaviors vary greatly. For example. As a freelance composer, the music I get hired to work on is not meant for me, per-say. While as the music I make for myself, was designed solely to satisfy my creative needs. Each approach naturally comes with its own set of considerations and financial implications. Like you said. Diversity 👍

@john @GregB I hope you don't mind, but I would like to ask you both an interesting question in the spirit of things 👍 Do you prefer how things used to be back in the day, or do you prefer how it goes nowadays? Needless to say, if more people are interested in sharing similar thoughts about this subject: Please join in!

I used to be in several bands and I can attest that this is very true! I can't tell you how much running around (i.e making connections) and live gigs we had do before we started to build a decent audience. Not to mention, building a good reputation as performers, as well as learning how to handle ourselves efficiently in recording studios. Which back in the day were rather expensive. There's also the matter of booking gigs outside one's country (i.e long term tours, festivals etc). Which back the day, involved making all kinds of preparations, not to mention, all the sleepless nights you'd be spending making rather expensive phone calls. A small glimpse into a world without the internet 😅👍

I'm a bit late for the party as usual but hell yeah happy new year everyone! As for my new year resolution. Music wise, I'd like to fully exercise my creative freedom and get back to working on my own music and art. Its been a very, very long time since i've had that luxury.

Some of my opinions on these matters are a bit controversial. As such, for the sake of keeping things nice and simple, I will only address specific questions, starting with the biggest one: "Should all music be free?". The short answer is: Not all of it. However, I also think the idea itself (giving music for free) largely depends on your situation and on how much you rely on selling the music itself as a singular source of income. For example, if the music itself is your only source of income, or if you cannot afford to give your music for free (due to the costs), then, I'd say no. Don't do it. That being said, if you already have a loyal fan base that supports you, and if you have a dedicated audience that is more or less aware of your circumstances - and if selling the music itself is NOT your only source of income - then I don't see a problem with giving away some of your music for free. In other words: If you can afford to do it and if you go about it tactfully, then I see no harm in it. I do 👍 As a soon to be retired freelance composer, I am no stranger when it comes to profiting from making music and selling music. However, I do not sell/share/promote/market the finished versions of the music I make for myself, at this point in time. That being said, I'm not 'against' the idea of selling my music, as long as selling my music does not conflict with my moral values as a person and as a content creator. To put that in perspective, the majority of my content is free and I actively fight to keep it that way. I want my audience to be happy and to feel like they are getting the most out of the experience. And if that means that I won't "maximize profits", then so be it.

Just1L talked about how making music made him feel. So it got me thinking about what it would have been like if I was a kid nowadays. For one, I started getting into art and songwriting before the internet was a 'thing'. So if I would factor in even that one single element as a starting point, the technology and abundance of options we have nowadays would have probably had a profound impact on how I would approach making music. In fact, its likely that even the music I would make would have probably been different. Hell. I'd probably become a different person altogether. Practically unrecognizable. Would I have even been interested in making music? Who knows. When it comes to older generations and those who are struck in between, I'm not the 'type' to say that I think everyone is going to have a happy ending. I think that 7/10 times if a person in those categories hasn't already reached a certain point in their musical journey, then its likely that they will stay where there are, or, in some cases, give up entirely.

Have artists/songwriters/producers lost interest in doing something with their music? As a whole? No I don't think so. There are many people that want to succeed. Though I do think is that there are a lot of musicians which are greatly off put by the platforms we have nowadays. Let alone, the concept of having to market themselves and manage themselves. There is also the matter of having to produce content on a basis and learning new skills set. Which mind you can be be fun if approached with the right mindset, but it can also be rather daunting and unappealing. Especially if you're the type that only wants to make the music, and nothing else. Are experienced artists/songwriters/producers/musicians less interested in helping those less experienced? That's a very good question though I don't think it has one definitive answer. For one, you'd first have to define what sort of help exactly, with what, and to what extent. Those elements alone could change any answer drastically. That's not to say that there aren't many artists out there who are indeed self absorbed, precious little narcissists, that only care about themselves. They do exist and they are plenty. However, there are also many well intended and experienced producers out there that do want to help. However, its important to keep in mind that an experienced producer is also likely to be very busy. Which means that even if they want to help they may not be able too due to their responsibilities. Have artists/songwriters/producers/musicians lost their passion? Some have, for sure. Though I think that @Just1L made a very interesting point about how making music used to feel back in the day. I try not to look at things though nostalgic goggles, but I do think nowadays young artists get into music with a mindset that's a lot more 'practical' then it was before.

So you're a fellow lunatic, huh? I think that is absolutely fantastic! Welcome aboard! I've also checked out some of your music. I particularly enjoyed "Heros of Legend" because It has a nice nostalgic vibe to it. It got me thinking about old school Warcraft. And while I wouldn't recommend integrating that Score into a modern videogame as it is right now, I do however think that it has some great building blocks 👍

Do You Make Videos For Your Music? Absolutely 👍 What Kind Of Videos Do You Make? A good portion of my work is variety content so its not always related to music. So when it comes to working on videos and releasing them, it all depends on the objective. Though since we are talking about music videos specifically (including: promos, teasers, visualizers etc), I typically go for a tactical mix between different types of animation. Whichever works best for the video and drives the narrative home. I would also like to mention, while I am not a fan of lyric videos, I prefer Kinetic typography ("moving text") over traditional subtitles. Yes its more work, but I think its also more fun to engage with. When/If You Don’t Make Videos, Why Not? Typically I try to make a video for practically anything I think would make for a good video. It can be anything from doing something simple like sharing Stream highlights, reaction content, educational content, commentary, humor, gear-talk, reviews, channel collabs, promoting fellow artists, and pretty much anything and everything that's fun for me to do. I've made it very clear since day one that I intend to make content that's enjoyably for me, which aligns with my morals and timetable. I think its better doing things this way, less you find yourself getting sucked into a spiral of pandering and compromising over the quality of you're content. However, there are times where I find myself being too busy to make a proper video, while in other times I may need to dedicate time and resources into something else. So in case you're wondering, yes, I do inform both my audience and the people I work with about what's going on. I'm not THAT irresponsible 😅🤙 In addition, I'm not sure if this counts, but some of my content is not Advertiser-Friendly (limited or no ads) and some of my videos are also age restricted. I'm fine with it though I do miss old Youtube. How Important Do You Think It Is For Current Artists To Make Videos For Their Songs? I don't think its a "must". You can get by without making music videos and you can also get by without ever showing your face. However, in my personal opinion, I do think that good music videos can enhance the experience for the audience and it can also provide you with better reach. Overall the benefits outweigh the negatives by a landslide. That being said, never forget that musicians are ultimately entertainers. And when it comes to entertainment, if your looking for unconditional love, then your better off getting a dog. If you don't put any effort into your content it will show, and the audience will respond accordingly. Just something to keep in mind. To put that in perspective: Do you know what really sucks? Listening to a good song while watching a bad music video. However, do you know what sucks even more? Listening to a bad song while watching a bad music video. But do you know what's even more confusing?! Listening to bad song while watching a great music video. Conclusion: Don't make bad music videos 😅

I think that John's studio is rather lovely! Though if you ask me, I don't think hes overdoing it. I think its just right 👍 Then again, I'm not one to talk because my motto is: You're studio is not 'complete' until it looks like an alien warehouse. We talking an entire ecosystem of gizmo's and gadgets, a surreal hellscape for technophobes. Forget about visitors tripping over wires - I want people to get lost in there. And, no, I won't be happy until I need to start pumping power from nearby houses. Maybe even power plants. Lean into it with a mindset of: "I am not a collector, we the The Borg!" 🤣