Hmmm hot topic ~ not easy to explain, but I’ll try…
Songs/styles -- reviews solely on personal opinions may be counterproductive rather than encouraging and helpful…..
The music making process is like handling delicate coding (math) at every step of the way from start to end – similar to developers (software) often when changing or adding something new in-turn may also disturb other existing parts. That of course is the technical side to music making however, there are other factors to consider for example: writers who only know the very basics of music theory wrote some of the greatest songs ever written. Often the writer in this case will have a very strong connection to their work; kind-of like an emotional connection ((feelings)) a parent has with their child.
In conclusion to above – Analyzing (critics review/feedback) of a song requires careful consideration, thoughtfulness and with all due respect, it requires the critiques not be based solely on personal opinion – instead preferably based on ‘technical issues’ that are evident along with answers to resolve those issues, in essence, constructive criticism.
In addition, no matter the decades of professional experience and choice of music direction, everyone needs to be aware of his/her own strengths and weaknesses and be willing to learn something new. Either the critic or the content creator will come to his/her own conclusion – as the old saying goes ‘best to agree to disagree’. If a person is not open-minded and willing then that person may not improve or change. No amount of discussion is going to effect change unless the person is willing and it could be for whatever reason that may not be evident to anyone else.
Never assume,
never impose,
keep calm,
and if need be, move on.
At times, it is best not to take everything so darn literally and usually take personal opinions with a grain of salt. Oh and, laughter is good for the soul.
It's quite a feat of genius, dedication and a lot of work for one sole person to do-it-all-themselves and achieve great results however, getting the song (or instrumental) done successfully is half the battle -- if it’s just a hobby then kudos but shame that it goes no further.
The music business has changed a lot but at the very core, the same principles in working towards a successful music career starts with,
#1 The Songs, #2 Live Performances and Sound Quality (live and studio), #3 PR, Presentation and Good Business Ethics, #4 Label and releases along with radio and video (TV) exposure.
A one-person do-it-all will find him/herself deep in up to their neck, a very daunting task to achieve great success in the music business but there’s no harm in trying; team up with the right people later on the way to success. Alternatively, song placement (movie trailers, soundtracks or short-works for TV commercials (Jingles)) might be a more rewarding and less stressful path even for a hobbyist turned pro. That said based on a person who wants to work alone.
The usual advise is to write, write, write as many songs as possible, however, always keep in mind that the least liked song (or part) might actually be the one that goes viral. ;-) Who knew? Oh well. Some people may whine about a particular style of music such as Pop and Hip-Hop, or about Beiber or Auto-Tune -- But at the end of the day, the writers, artists, producers, engineers, label(s) and crew are laughing all the way to the bank.
Earlier on Jamesyoyo said, the Song Forum is mostly a mausoleum for the stymied dreams of middle-aged men. Age is only a barrier if the person is not ‘willing’ not interested at all in the music business, or not willing to accept that setting the trend is no easy task, it requires music talent along with ingenuity, to explain further…
SongCraft
Following a particular trend is fairly easy enough for an experience DAW addict and skilled musician/writer, but to "set the trend;" to create totally awesome music is not easy. And without the backing of a good label deal someone else (unintentionally or intentionally) is bound to come along soon enough with the same or very similar.
Millions of tracks are uploaded every year, aww heck probably every month and a lot of it is average or less (quantity syndrome; over-saturation) but that's not saying the actual performances are all crap; I still come across the unknown's and their guitar playing is totally freaking awesome but their style is very dated i.e. 1970-1980, which is pretty much of what I've done though keyboard based.
Meanwhile, many very talented people worldwide with similar ideas and goals are all frequently writing, honing their skills and tweaking like crazy as we speak. It's good to experiment, think outside the box but don't try to analyze too much; relax, close your eyes, like I've said before; 'feel it' because ya' never know; "Mistakes could actually turn out to be a freaking stroke of genius."
And crazy as it seems, often the choice of 'best song' from ones own collection is actually another song they least expect. :P
For bands: I think styles such as Blues is the easiest of them all, 12 or 16 bar pick a key, count in, let's go lol.... great for warming up; jamming out before tackling the more complicated and popular styles such as; Pop, Rock, Metal. I think of trends as a guide, and there is no 'one' trend at any given time because there are always various styles happening.
Thread to above quote titled: Should they ALL be hits?
http://forum.cakewalk.com/FindPost/2969266 Most bands prefer to keep their goals discreet until public release. Possibly, because they do not want others to adopt their ideas and beaten to the goal post. (As explained in above quote in regards to setting the trend.) This also includes clever concepts and business strategies. A policy many businesses adopt in order to gain advantage and to be a step ahead of the competition.
All above said; The Technical forum is probably better for resolving urrm technical issues lol, after all, no matter the decades of experience there is something new to learn in regards to ‘music’ production, from ‘Song’ (structure) to final master a lot of knowledge can be gain by asking questions in the Technical forum.
The music scene (particularly online) is overly saturated -- There are probably millions of tracks uploaded every day. These types of sites mostly populated by muso’s where most fans are muso’s LOL! Such sites will offer ‘user-pay’ for more cloud-space, ‘user-pay’ to get more opportunities, ‘user-pay’ to get retail setup, ‘user-pay’ to get featured, ‘user-pay’ for an EPK. The owner(s) and staff earn more money in one week than most muso’s earn in a year. Oh well, so much for all those E-pats on the back….
‘Action speaks louder than words’ for example, sharing a band’s music/link and purchasing their album is the best compliment of all. Point is: The Song forum would be better suited for ‘New Single/Album Releases’ and rather just another E-pat on the back; share music/links and purchase. The Song forum is no place for flights of fantasy, assumptions and tit-for-tat.
IMO, Reputation is important in the music business and that includes participation on social sites and forums. Always better the last effort, know your strengths and ‘weaknesses’ and look forward to challenges and learning something new. Keep the faith; be patient, never give up. If you have any technical related questions, go to the Technical forum.
I suggest bands get their own site, embed audio and video players, a Blog and signup widgets (Email-list) to keep fans up-to-date in regards to events and new releases. Get out and perform live because that is the best way to start out towards a successful career. If after months of effort and still no road to greater success, it could be due to any number of reasons that would fill 500 pages.
PR/Promotion is important, putting up event-posters, banners and handing out flyers is a start. Do not rely solely on social sites such as, Facebook and Twitter. At the very least, make sure the band will be listed in local newspapers / magazines in regards to music > bands > ‘Events’.
In addition to PR/Promotion, there are clever strategies to get media coverage. Being new to all this requires further research and wit. Beware of scams oh and, be ready for what the media truly is, hyperbole (hype) LOL! Seriously, there are ways to get media coverage without the risk of being labeled a nuisance, flakey and untrustworthy.
Therefore, having great songs is barely half the battle won. Professional ingenuity, a proficient team all with a mutual goal, good business ethics and tons of dedication from all involved is key importance toward success. Presentation ‘Reputation’ in regards to songs, performances, sound quality and business strategies are paramount. Oh and, always remember that the weakest link in the chain will let the rest of the band down.
I hope I have not offended anyone, certainly never intended. I do respect and support fellow writers/artists and anyone involved in the music business. Sincerely wish you all great success!