This isn't the sound we are looking for at the moment

[SORPR3ND3NTE]

I am getting this from every label I submit my music to, but they do not give you any feedback, what does this actually mean?

Would you mind giving the track a listen and sharing your thoughts? I appreciate any feedback.

https://soundcloud.com/sorpr3nd3nte/tak ... al_sharing



I am on the verge of quitting the trance genre.

Thanks in advance.

[BertKoor]

what does this actually mean?

It means they get 1000x more unsolicited material posted than they can funnel into their share of the market.

Sorry, there is no penny to be made by 9999 out of 10000 producers. Tough luck.

Also see:
viewtopic.php?t=613510
viewtopic.php?t=615977
viewtopic.php?t=616165

Never quit. Do it because you enjoy it.

[budweiser]

This is not the sound i'm looking for at the moment.

[mjolnir]

@SORP: The tune you posted is actually pretty high quality. I think the downside is the drums. Trance is not a young genre; it's been around for a really long time. If everyone is doing 12341234 kick drum beats, it just gets boring. And most trance musicians are doing exactly that.

To me, you could make an excellent transition into breakbeat. Mute out your drums and instead use breakbeat drums like they had in the 1990s, something with a lot of bounce and syncopation perhaps even polyrhthmic. But the drums are WAY too predictable and even though the kick drum sound is especially clean and nice, Trance is played out.

Nevertheless, the rest of the track flows really well and you've got excellent sound quality in general. So yeah, I'd say don't quit making music, but shift your drums to something that the audience can't quite predict. And not with "swing", but syncopation.

Some example drums:

Hyperreal Selector by The Shamen
Bounce by Uberzone
Out of Space by The Prodigy
Evapor-8 by Altern-8
Rhythm Device by Uberzone

Personally, I find that those kinds of rhthms tend to start and restart mid measure in a pleasing way.
Kind of like: think of stutter edits.

12312345
12341212
12312345
12345123

definately NOT 121212121212121212 (club overly simplistic pop BS) or 111111111111111111111111 (trance kick drums counting)

The downside of breakbeats though, is that while it's easy to create them from drum loop samples in a DAW on the grid, it's hard to find legal samples to use unless you buy them (loopmasters.com) of make them on your own.

I'm in the process right now of trying to relearn how to do "ghost notes" or "ghost snares" in the Rave Techno styles.
I don't yet have much practice. But you might be really really good at it.

I really think you would excell at other more danceable styles of music than Trance.
Not mandatory of course, but please think about it.

Since you're on SoundCloud, also check out some stuff by Kwerk.
Maybe he'd be open to collab with you.

[cryophonik]

It's hard to say exactly why you're getting that response, but I suspect it's possibly one or more of the following:
- you're targeting the wrong labels
- the song and mix are both good, but quite honestly is pretty dated sounded and not what I usually hear in modern trance
- trance has long been an oversaturated market and, to Bert's point, I wouldn't be surprised if the labels aren't even listening to your submission and just sending an auto reply instead

As for being on the verge of quitting trance, I'm not sure I get that. Are you making trance because you enjoy the style, or are you doing it in hopes of getting something released? If it's the former, then just keep making it for the joy and satisfaction of knowing that you're creating something original. If it's the latter, then maybe you need to reassess your priorities or something. Nobody earns success by quitting.

[_al_]

- the song and mix are both good, but quite honestly is pretty dated sounded and not what I usually hear in modern trance

This is my guess.
Reading this post back, I think I was maybe a little harsh, but hey... it will do more good than harm, if you really are serious:
Kick seems clunky, overbearing and plodding, like 90's trance or something.
Needs better EQ, better compression.
Also, the arrangement seems VERY cookie-cutter in it's quality. It doesn't flow in a purposeful way, and there is no real inspirational sounds or moments.
It's like the break just comes in at the point you think the break is supposed to come in, but there is no journey involved? It's like... ok, here's the nice sounding section with no kick.
If it's any consolation, I was also stuck at this stage for quite a few years.
Then I went clubbing, and everything changed.

I would say, first and foremost, work harder at level balancing and EQ etc.
I would also say that this type of "pop" trance (sorry) is probably the most forgiving when lacking club vibe, but still... your track is VERY cookie-cutter like.
So that's something you need to work though, I think. Maybe go clubbing more or something

Sorry, again.
Like I say, I was also stuck at that stage, and had to work through harsh comments like this.

[jamcat]

I am on the verge of quitting the trance genre.

It looks like you’ve figured out what that means.

[vurt]

This is not the sound i'm looking for at the moment.

"these are not the sounds you are looking for, he can go about his business"

[vurt]

I am on the verge of quitting the trance genre.

It looks like you’ve figured out what that means.

how does one "quit" a genre?
i would imagine, you make the music, you enjoy? unless you are getting paid a decent amount, you aren't going to put the hours in for music that isn't to your taste?

anyway, forget labels, self publishing on bandcamp and youtube, few free tracks and a patreon, then get busy on trance forums and the like and get it out there that way.
no, you won't make millions probably, but you'll get further than you are now!

you being the op or anyone in a similar position, not jamcat, who's post just spurred me to answer.

[jamcat]

If you want to be signed to a label, you need to make the music they want to sign. Clearly that’s not trance. The only people who listen to trance are people who make trance. And selling to yourself doesn’t make money.

What labels are looking for today, tomorrow, yesterday, and forever is PERSONALITY. That’s what they sell, because that’s the only thing that sells.

So if you want to get signed to a label, find a cute girl with a unique voice who can sing.

Write some basic bitch music for her to sing raunchy lyrics over. Make sure to abruptly stop the music while she says a naughty word at least twice per song. Preferably about her **** or her ***** or about ****ing a ****.

[andymcbain]

“This isn’t what we’re looking for at the moment” is the kind of generic polite rejection you’ll hear everywhere… from book publishers, record labels etc. It more or less means that they don’t feel like investing in your work or for whatever reason it simply hasn’t grabbed their attention, or both.

Dance music labels tend to have a brand and a sound that they want to push - which means to large degree you and your music have to fit with that sound and brand. And at the very least, the technical standard of your production will need to be on a par with the music they release.

If the goal is to get label support (which I agree isn’t the best way to go about making music) - then find a label that you identify with and find out what makes their music tick. Listen and compare it to your own. Maybe find a mentor in the trance world who can help you out.

[martinjuenke]

It's kinda depressing.
Bad times.
Don't like it.
But what to do?

[EfreetiSultan]

That sounded pretty nice. Maybe change the kick. But pretty nice also screw labels, just put it out yourself

[_leras]

Why quit now you're starting to get close to the.standard required?

Like people said your drums can be improved. Also, I'd say I couldn't really hear a bass line.

You should be able to drop out every thing except kick and bass and have a solid driving rhythm. If you don't have that foundation, what do you have?