Music is an art form that’s meant to be shared. But before you release your music to the wider world, there’s a crucial step that can help to unlock the hidden potential in your tracks: Feedback. And we’re not talking about audio loops resonating.
Music is a powerful form of expression that has the ability to evoke emotions, tell stories, and connect people from all walks of life. Whether you're a seasoned musician or just starting out, sharing your music with others can be a rewarding experience.
However, before you release your music to the public, it's crucial to seek feedback from others to ensure that your work is the best it can be. Whether it's constructive criticism, praise, or suggestions for changes, feedback can help you grow as an artist and elevate your music to new heights.
In this guide, we’ll explore why feedback is an important step in the music production process. We’ll also offer tips for getting music feedback from industry professionals and peers with easy-to-use tools like Dropbox.
Why it’s important to get feedback on music
There are many benefits to asking for feedback on your music. First and foremost, it can support your artistic development. When you get feedback from others, you can learn about your strengths and weaknesses as a musician, and you can identify areas where you can improve.
Feedback can also help you improve your songs and production skills. When you know what others think about your music, you can make changes to make it more appealing to your audience. For example, you might add or remove certain instruments, change the lyrics, or adjust the tempo. You could also ask your reviewers for input on your mix—assessing factors such as the reverb and whether the vocals cut through enough.Â
Getting the opinions of others can give you a fresh perspective on your work. When you’re working on a song for a long time, it can be difficult to see it objectively. Gathering constructive feedback from others can help you identify issues that you might have missed.
Hit a technical snag that you don't know how to rectify? Feedback can help you uncover issues that need fixing before you release your music. This is especially important if you’re planning to sell your music—either independently or through a record label—or perform it live. You don’t want to release music that has obvious flaws that could turn listeners away.
Finally, feedback can help you solve writer’s block by revealing new ideas. Sometimes, all you need is a little feedback to get your creative juices flowing again.Â
Music sounds different depending on the speakers/environment it’s being played in. Just because it sounds good on your expensive studio monitors, it might not sound the same on your phone, or in your car. Even the acoustic properties of the room you’re listening in can drastically change how it sounds.
By sharing your music with trusted peers, they can tell you how it sounds on their system and give you additional confidence in the mix.
What to consider before asking for feedback
Before you ask for feedback on your music, there are a few things you should consider.
- The type of feedback you want: Do you want in-depth technical feedback on your production skills, general feedback on your songwriting, or simply opinions on what you’ve created?
- Why you’re asking for feedback: Are you looking for feedback on a specific song, the general flow of an album, or something else?
- Who you’ll ask for feedback from: If you’re looking for technical feedback on things like sound design, you might want to ask a music producer or engineer. If you’re looking for general feedback on your vocals or other factors, you could ask friends, family, or other musicians.
- Your commercial and artistic goals for your music: What do you want to achieve with your music? Do you want to make money, or do you simply want to share your art with the world?
Receiving feedback can be a vulnerable experience, as it requires you to open yourself up to criticism and be willing to make changes. However, it's important to remember that feedback isn't a reflection of your worth as an artist. Rather, it's an opportunity for growth and improvement.
Embrace feedback as a valuable tool in your creative process, and use it to refine your music and connect with your audience on a deeper level.
How to get feedback on music to improve your songs
There are many ways to get feedback on your music. Here are a few tips:
1. Online communities
Online communities like Reddit and SoundCloud can be fantastic platforms for gathering feedback and starting discussions about music.
On forums like Reddit, you’ll find many users who are passionate about music and willing to offer constructive criticism on your songs. Subreddits such as r/listentothis can be a great space for fans of all different types of music, but it’s worth doing your own research to find a community that resonates with you/your music the most.
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2. In-person
Face-to-face reviews are a great way to get immediate, direct, and honest feedback—after all, you can’t read someone’s body language in online comments! If you already have connections, you could invite DJs or professional musicians/artists to your studio and play your music to them in real life.
Alternatively, testing the waters with a live audience at an open mic, jam session, or even a booked gig could be a fun way to get a sense of how your listeners respond to the music.
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3. Social media
There’s a lot of noise on social media these days. But if you can find your niche and develop a good relationship with your followers or community, it can be an invaluable tool for feedback—especially if you’re a new to the music industry.
It’s important to remember that social media platforms have different target audiences, so you’ll want to choose the one where your intended listeners are most active.
- Facebook groups—better for long-form comments and feedback
- Instagram and TikTok—better for building a fanbase and getting quick feedback through interactive features like polls
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4. Dropbox Replay
Dropbox Replay makes getting in-depth feedback on music simple—all you need to do is send a link to your file to your reviewers, and they can start providing feedback directly from their browser. They don’t even need a Dropbox account! That way, you can get specific feedback that you can action straight away in your studio or editing software—so your music is as good as it can be before it’s presented before an audience.
With a platform like SoundCloud, anyone can access and comment on the content shared on the platform. While this open accessibility allows you to reach a wider diversity of user, it also means that you have less control over who can view and interact with your music.
On the other hand, Replay gives you more control over access to your content. You can choose who has permission to view, download, and comment on your files. This added level of control can be useful for limiting access to a specific group of trusted reviewers.
Responding to feedback on your music
Getting feedback on your music can be a daunting experience, but it’s important to remember that feedback is a gift. It’s an opportunity to learn and grow as a musician.
Here are a few tips for responding to feedback you receive:
- Don’t be disheartened by negative feedback—though this is often easier said than done!
- Be mindful of and thankful for the time it’s taken for someone to provide their feedback, and avoid attacking them if you disagree with their opinion
- If you’ve sent demos to several people for feedback, pay attention to any patterns in their comments
How are musicians and audio producers using Dropbox?
Music producers are using Dropbox to build a comprehensive organization of folders and subfolders to keep track of projects, specific records, and voice memos with feedback.
Dropbox is also empowering teams to collaborate more easily on the whole production process. The distributed team at AudioShake relies on Dropbox to keep collaboration smooth and efficient by adding comments and notes directly onto audio files. And the team at Future Classic use Dropbox to simplify their file sharing process with clients across the world.
Both AudioShake and Future Classic agree that Dropbox gives music and audio producers a robust security offering that protects their clients’ files. Permissions give them granular control over who can receive and access files—giving them peace of mind that songs won’t be leaked before it’s finished.
Quick, easy feedback on music with Dropbox
Sharing your music with the world is a courageous act that requires vulnerability and openness. By seeking feedback from others, you can ensure that your music resonates with your audience and leaves a lasting impact. So don't be afraid to share your music, invite feedback, and continue to grow and evolve as an artist. The world is waiting to hear what you have to offer.
Dropbox Replay enables music producers to get actionable feedback on their mixes and projects, resulting in better quality tracks. And with Dropbox cloud storage, you can store hi-resolution audio files of any format in your account—so you can access your music from any connected device, whenever you need it.
