I create an outro for each one,
and you ?

 

Well, obviously that depends. Unless you're making the same tune over and over again, I don't see the point in always ending them the same way.

 

I like fade-outs, but they can be a problem.
I mean, I can see a problem if "Happy Birthday to You" just fades out.
And the the US National Anthem...
99 Bottles of Beer...
TV show theme songs...
Most hymns...
Those kinds of songs.

 

I fade them out just after they start, people seem to appreciate it.

 

it depends if you make a radio edit then a fade but if you make an extended version an outro

 

I don't like fade-outs in general unless it's really called for. Usually I like a short instrumental ending. Depends on the song. I believe you'll hear if the ending doesn't work.

 

Someone whose opinion (and playing) I highly respect once told me "Let the melody go where it wants to go." And that's definitely something to which I subscribed, then and to this day.

However, too little is said of the Harmony (chord changes). Some chord changes lend themselves nicely to a composed outro ending, whereas some are better suited for noise endings (check out Supertramp's Fools' Overture ending on the studio version, and then on the live version for illustration). Some chord changes shine best in a long fade out (check out the long fadeout on Steely Dan's Glamour Profession).

The thing about harmony, is that it's rich in emotional content - in contrast with the monophonic (unisonic) melody.

So sometimes I'll follow the melody where it leads, sometimes I'll follow the harmony. Sometimes, a cue must hit a mark (or two) and then end on the spot (when scoring a film or TV show, or even a musical/ballet/opera), so you work backwards from that.

 

My music ends with silence. The silence can be as long as you want it to be. You might have to create it yourself though, if you want it to be longer.

 

It depends on the genre. If your genre is dance, it usually happens by reducing the content and making the structure lighter. But if your genre is story-driven, it will be the story that determines when and how it ends.
If you choose another genre, the type of finish will be different.
Unfortunately, there is so much useless content on the internet that good content gets lost in it. And another regret is that it is not the song-maker who determines how a song ends, but the listener who ends the song abruptly by scrolling with his thumb and this usually takes less than 500 milliseconds unless your song is so catchy that he/she doesn't want to end it.

 

I love Richard Carpenter's outros.

my pix didnt take.. sorry.... the Photo is of Richard and Karen each with a Grammy in their hands!

 

It depends on the individual piece; each piece requires attention and feeling...! There's no general answer.
Most of the time, it should fade out and not end abruptly. It should flow smoothly, with some space...!

 

Just drop this bad boy at the end of your compositions. WORKS.EVERY.TIME

 

You're right. Music is like life. Everyone has their own life. One person is satisfied with their life and always feels happy, but another person is not very satisfied. The end of life is not the same for everyone. Someone may go naturally, or someone may go through an accident. A person may enjoy their life so much that they don't want it to end. If someone loves their music, they may have no desire for it to end. Anyway, finishing something is never pleasant, and someone who finishes something may only be forced to finish it because of the specific amount of time they are given. Otherwise, if the time given is unlimited, perhaps no one will want to finish their music, of course, if he/she enjoys his/her music.

 

I tend to like outros that shift the feel.
I don't know the term for outros that contain altered parts of the song but that's often effective.
Some of my favorites off the top of my head (and my playlists):

Carnival (Natalie Merchant), in which a radio effect is used, and really shifts the perspective ... one of the best uses I have heard.

Contrasting intro and outro with harps that lays a heavy nostalgic-feeling on top of a boogie dance number: Boogie Nights (Heatwave)

(I guess that one will be in my driving playlist until I die)

Another favorite is endings that trail off with slowing tempo or le4aving the beat altogether, and bell-tone sounds at the end often give a nice feel...
as with Miracles (Jefferson Starship) (Nice mood-setting INTRO on this, too:

and one of the best synth outros (& intros) : Dream Weaver (Gary Wright)

 

Bonus point if it has a false ending.

Additional bonus point if the chorus modulates pitch by a whole tone for the famous Truck Driver's Gear Change.

Double bonus points if it fades out then fades back in again.

 

You could write a 1000 page book on how to end music. Different methods, but popular music which most music falls into these genres doesn't need many of them and usually works with increasing or decreasing the volume of the song or at best by making a section that everyone already knows which has been designed to end the music and there's no excitement in discovering it because the listener almost knows what's going to happen.

 

I end every composition with a period.

 

Depends on the track. Fades, stabs, and low pass filter automation are the main strategies used and it that decision isn't really clear until most of the song is arranged. Even if you think of a full concept, we know it more often changes as we get closer to 90% done.

So consider the impression you want to leave on the listener, and try to anticipate what other song may follow. These variables will influence the ending.

 

My compositions don't end. All of them are still going. Ending is for weak people.

 

One is better than the other and it applies to all music no exceptions.