Hey beautiful artists :) Adding live recordings of musicians or natural sounds into your track, even in small amounts, can create a fresh, human element that elevates the entire piece. Live sounds bring a kind of "realness" that samples and synthesized instruments sometimes can't capture fully. A single live instrument—like a cello line or subtle guitar—adds unique textures, imperfections, and nuances that bring depth and warmth, even to simple music. Plus, a live recording can breathe life into your track, helping listeners feel connected in a way that might be harder to achieve with purely digital sounds. Give it a try! Let me know in the comments below if you've tried this or would like to try it. :) Best, Ariel

Hello everyone! It's incredible. A couple of years ago, I sent a request out into the Universe, and here I am - scoring for my first movie. It's a testament to the power of believing in "you become what you think." 🌠🌟 I wanted it, and I got it. Now, however, comes the scariest part. I have barely three weeks left until the deadline. 😅 The movie director was supposed to send it to me in January-February, and it was supposed to be about 10 minutes long. But surprise! I received the final cut on Wednesday, and it's 20 minutes long. I have to deliver the music by May 15th, or else he won't be able to submit the application to the Toronto Festival. It's a pivotal moment in my life, and I need to give it my absolute best, right? Could any of you guide me a little? Is there anything specific I should consider on the technical side when writing for a movie? I know there's a 5.1 surround setting for the final mix, but does this mean I have to mix my channels in a specific way, or is the usual L/R panning setting sufficient? Any advice would be greatly appreciated! 🙏

What’s up friends!! I just stumbled on this service and had a lot of fun with it. Figured some of y’all might enjoy it. Basically this site CueTube is a big library of like mock up movies and scenes that are made for composers to score. They come with cue sheets and all of the separated audio files and everything. Only like $10/mo and lots of fun!

Hi everyone, In the first comment down below there's a dropbox link to a bunch of film clips that you can download, drop in your DAW, & write music for. It's a great way to practice timing & setting the appropriate mood to visual cues. ((Disclaimer)): It's probably not a good idea to go around showing off your work to these as I'm sure they are copywrited to the hilt. This is just for exercise purposes. Good luck & have fun!

10 common mistakes aspiring composers make https://youtu.be/iUsdBNCwWCs?si=Bc4Rf8fFH_TlJpk1