Hello all,

Over the past month, I’ve shared the three parts of The Shaping — a musical trilogy exploring how we’re shaped by external forces, self-reflection, and eventually solidify into who we become.

None of the three tracks found its audience like some of my earlier posts. I’d really like to understand why.

- Is it something about the musical style or structure?
- Is it the subject matter that doesn’t appeal?
- Did the separate releases make it harder to follow?
- Do they simply not make the grade?
- ???

If you can spare a moment, I’d really appreciate your thoughts. It would help me think about where to go next creatively. Many thanks in advance!

Here are the three tracks again for ease of reference:


The Shaping I - Hammerfall

The Shaping II - Molten Quiet

The Shaping III - Last Cast

 

Last edited: May 16, 2025

I would /only/ think about keeping going and being true to yourself. How the music makes you feel (only). I would not think at all (or try to) about what other people think. Investigate Rick Ruben if you're inclined. EDIT - added image

 

Last edited: May 16, 2025

I can not answer but as a side note: in 2025 you are competing against millions of botted videos and AI slop on youtube. The chance to find audience organically is... microscopic to be honest. There is nothing wrong with your music or with the videos, but let's be honest they are not exactly on the popular side. The presentation, the music, the whole concept of exploration is bordering on abstract art. Most people need something more simple, less abstract like love songs and memes. This is not a reflection of your skills or the quality of your material, it's just the current state of things.

 

This is in the direction of what I was about to reply with. On the music side, I would try comparing them with other songs you have posted from the same general timeframe as the others. So maybe some links to the previous tracks could be helpful.

It can be a lot more than just the music, depending upon how you are even doing the comparisons and gauging the response. It could be something as simple as timing, and I do not mean tempo. You could have literally picked a bad time for those songs. It could be the video content, or even just the snapshot images from the video and used on each track. Sometimes we give listeners too much credit. They say "I didn't like it" but when asked why "I don't know, I just didn't like it". And they are being honest.

 

what is your "objective" or "purpose" when making music?

 

Maybe Frank didn't hear them?

 

Pretty sure i didn't listen to your previous post either, but in my case it's just exhaustion.

Every now and then i see music posts on the sister site feed or the new posts page, but it's been a while since i found something that clicked with me, so i just ignore a lot of it.

Same goes for outside of AS.

 

Last edited: May 15, 2025

The content isn't up to grade. I'm not saying that the music is bad, rather its not the type of thing that is engaging and makes someone want to keep listening. The video bores and has no real attraction. Your concept can certainly be transformed to have successful reach, but from my experience it is a big work and not just for one person.
For example, maybe a human-made animation to represent the concepts you are trying to match with music. Something like objects/subjects/air or fluid dynamics made with Cinema 4D and placed in an environment via Unreal Engine. Now that would need an at least 3 other people, but this pressure to engage with others is a net positive as it fosters collaboration and sharpening of ideas through constructive criticism.
Visual Ai is a great tool for someone who can feed it good reference material and know how to enhance it with the classic tools. We still need people like this to make the best content, in the same way that AI music is always missing something that a real person needs to add. Honestly, I don't think that will change. Team work will win, unless you don't have family or don't like sleep.

 

@ All

Thank you all for the replies. I really appreciate the range of perspectives.

Just to clarify, I was comparing The Shaping to my earlier posts here on this forum specifically, not to wider platforms like YouTube in general. It just struck me how differently this trilogy landed compared to recent work I’ve shared in the same space and style.

Some of the reasons you've raised really make sense - timing, abstract subject matter, visual style, saturation of content, and listener fatigue. These all make a lot of sense. I also hear the points about engagement, the role of collaboration, and not underestimating how presentation affects first impressions.

And while I’ll always follow my own creative instincts, it is valuable to pause now and then and ask what’s landing and what isn’t - especially with pieces that feel personally meaningful. I’m grateful you took the time to respond so thoughtfully.

Thanks again - lots to reflect on as I "shape" what comes next.

 

Thank you @Synth Life. That’s a helpful reminder. I do tend to follow my own creative direction, and I enjoy the process. That said, I also hope the music connects with others in some way, which is why I value the feedback and reactions from fellow music makers on this forum.

I looked up Rick Rubin. I’d heard of him before but didn’t know much. He’s clearly had a huge influence on music and creativity. I can’t really relate to someone operating at that level - I’m just making music in the margins of my spare time, but I appreciate the reference and the thought behind it.

 

Thanks for your honest and thoughtful response @PatriciaNeqrency. I think you’re spot on. The sheer volume of content out there, especially driven by bots or fast AI churn, makes standing out, even within a niche, feel increasingly difficult.

That said, I’m not trying to appeal to the mass audience. I’ve no expectation of "going viral" or fitting into current trends. What I do hope for is to reach those few who enjoy the kind of thing I do - that hybrid orchestral/cinematic space with a conceptual or emotional bent. If even a small group connects with it, that’s enough to keep me going. So it’s not about numbers, but some kind of genuine resonance.

This kind of discussion helps a lot with that, so thanks again for taking the time!

 

Thanks for your thoughtful points, @clone. You’re right - timing, presentation, and even the snapshots or video content can really influence how music is received. Sometimes it's difficult to identify why somethinng clicks or doesn’t, and that can be frustrating. Your point that many factors beyond the music itself affect reception is really helpful.

As per your suggestion, I take the liberty of linking to an additional three recent tracks that seem to have resonated more with forum members. They are quite different to each other, as I experiment with different styles within my niche of hybrid orchestral/cinematic:

And On Earth, Peace:

Edge Of Equilibrium:

Chasing Horizons:

Thanks again for taking the time to respond!

 

Hello @Backtired, that’s actually a tough one to answer! Up until about five years ago, I didn’t even know that VSTs or DAWs existed. I think I started making music to fill a bit of a void I was feeling - something to get away from the day-to-day grind and just do something different. It’s become a creative outlet and a way to explore ideas in my spare time. Maybe just something to keep me busy in the years ahead when in retirement!

Still, I believe that some form of external validation is important in anything we do, even within a small group. For me, it definitely helps to stay motivated and keep going.

Thanks for making me reflect on it...

 

@KungPaoFist Haha! That’s probably true. I should’ve tagged Frank directly! Thanks for the laugh.

 

Totally fair @mk_96, and thank you for being honest. Everyone’s got their own bandwidth and thresholds. There’s so much music out there, yet sometimes it's difficult to find something that really "cicks".

I hope you’ll find something here that speaks to you or inspires you down the line...

 

Thank you, @iswingwood, for such a constructive response. I appreciate your honest take on both the music and the videos - it’s valuable to hear where the engagement could be stronger. You’re right, transforming concepts like these into something that really connects is a big task, and likely beyond what one person can do alone.

I’m definitely all for collaboration and teamwork, though time is limited. In fact, I’ve collaborated on an extensive audiovisual project over the past three years, but now, we're still figuring out what to do with the final product. I’m still on the learning curve with music applications and at this time, I can’t divert my attention to video production as well, which is why my main focus has to remain on the music. I try to do the best working with whatever video materials I can get hold of.

That said, I would welcome and consider any opportunity to collaborate, if I think I could add value to it!

Thanks again for taking the time to share your insights.