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zybor
If you can't reach me in time for permission, feel free to go ahead use my work anyway.

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How Not to Make Generic Cinematic Music

Posted by zybor - June 24th, 2018


This is a short guide to non-conformity of music production and composition that many composers fell in the same trap.

This is also a diss page. So buckle up.


A - Hans Zimmer "chuga-chuga" and "brawww" won't get you new gigs

Wow you bought a new trailer library? Oh you bought Zebra 2 or Serum? That's a step up! Did you know that you cam make so many other genres and styles with these tools?

Don't try to run with the prison's wall, get over the wall so you can see the other side.

B - Invest your time and labour in sound design, nerd

Sound design isn't just about making boring synth or randomly knocking some "found" instruments. Sound design is everything you can get your hands on, so you can amplify its power. Also don't be a preset pushers. If you are a preset person, at least customize your presets so they don't sound like Mac Quayle ripped a loop from Cliff Martinez. Or vice versa. That's what happen when they use the same tool. At least filter and EQ your shit, nerds.

C - Orchestra doesn't mean free pass to unoriginal shit, no matter how profession your "masterpiece" was

Often I heard shit like this, and thought to myself wow, nice you finally got 8Dio shit Majestica, at least it's time to invest in something that sound less generic. Fuck that was loud, learn to mix better too, over-compressing your stupid track doesn't make it sound better.

D - If you ever happened to make "chuga-chuga" stuff, be a bit more unique

This is a typical chuga-chuga track. This is my chuga-chuga track. You don't need millions of samples or synths to make shit work.


That's it for now. Not quite a tutorial, not fully a diss.


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Comments

I always enjoy your reads but I do wish they were a bit longer. Your points are very interesting.
One thing I would like to add in regards to point C, and the music example provided, that even though one can be unoriginal, if it is done right you can at least make some money for a time. I dont know Mattia Turzo but I looked up his profile and it looks like he got some placements so good for him. But it doesn't help to distinguish oneself obviously when you sound like the market. What you'll often find is an artist who thinks they are getting paid for their work because they think people like it exclusively but it is actually just dictated by the market. Without a niche, nor a fanbase, that person will have to play the role as chameleon and adapt if they seek to continue getting paid as the music becomes dated. But if that person saves up from his successes, he can buy his own professional studio, and can start a career as the community studio professional offering lessons.
Anyway, not that I will ever pretend to know what I'm talking about. It is just something I've observed over time in meeting various people in the business. They often had a good career in writing jingles in the 80s or 90s. Now they are the ones that say that the music business is dead and you can't make money anymore.
Well there's the reveal of why they wrote and produced music in the first place.
One that seeks new things that last the test of time realize they can't be bought.

Thanks for your thoughtful comment. Music can't be bought and sold as a commodity. There is no creativity in a business. :(