SONGWRITING COMPETITION - SWC083 July 2024 - Winners announced

[Mister Fox]

Hello and welcome to the Songwriting Competition 083 - July 2024



BEFORE WE GET STARTED:

• Please consult the official and very simple "Rules and Guidelines" (TL;DR version) for the Songwriting Competition regarding principles of the game, it's engaging game mechanics (allowed editing/re-submission of your entry until the deadline has been reached) and upload/submission guidelines.
• The general idea of this game is to "...just make music", to also challenge yourself by stepping a bit out of your comfort zone, and take a dip at realms you've never worked in before. Instrumentals are just as welcome as productions with vocals.
• The Genre, "Premise" and Rules Summary for this months challenge can always be found in in post #002

Read more about this month's competition further down below. And if you got any question, please also reach out on Discord.



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SONGWRITING COMPETITION THREAD INDEX

Post #001 -- Introduction post and index for the various stages of the Songwriting Competition. Will be updated as we progress
Post #002 -- Submission Period: General Information, Source Material, Sponsors
Post #003 -- Cheat Sheet: A couple of examples / audio demos for this month's challenge (limited if genre is "free to select")
Post #045 -- Voting: Summarized entries and start of voting process
Post #066 -- Results: Results of the Songwriting Competition

[Mister Fox]

CURRENT CHALLENGE - GENERAL INFORMATION

Time Frame: Monday, 01st July 2024 to Wednesday, 24th July 2024 (24 days)

Challenge submission will end on 24-JUL-2024, 23:59 UTC+2/CEST (Germany) - until further notice.

The current game deadlines can be found on the Global Countdown page and on the landing site. Short reminders will also be sent out via the newsletter, social media and Discord. Does the game time frame feel too long? Why not set yourself a personal shorter one of 5-7 days. Push yourself to focus on the essentials, then use the rest of the time to ask for feedback and possible refinements.



SONGWRITING THEME: "Video Game Soundtrack - We build this city..."
GENRE: (Video Game) Soundtrack



Image Source: iStock.com, photo by keko-ka


A few word about this month's theme:

A small group of (fictional) Indie Developers reached out on the internet, looking for songwriters for their upcoming game. Since they know a thing or two about creating mods for games, they want to put their own spin on a popular game genre where existing games have fallen short. They provided a very interesting job offer and a detailed description of what they are looking for.


There is a ZIP bundle available with a more detailed "brief", and additional visuals for inspiration.

You can find the material under the following link:
SWC083 Video Game Soundtrack Visuals Pack - on the Mix Challenge server (1,56 MB, zip)

Hello, we are <fictional company name>!

We have a 10+ year history of creating mod packs for various video games, mainly business simulators and city builders. After creating such add-ons to very positive feedback, we decided to develop our own variant of this genre with <fictional video game name>.

At the moment our team consists of 8-10 people. We are looking for one or even more songwriters who can complement our small team and our vision.


<text has been abbreviated multiple times for readability>


GAME CONCEPT:
Our game is highly inspired by city builders of old.

We want to create a game that will mix old "Sim City" with "Cities: Skylines" and "Anno 2070". However, we don't want to start our game in 1900, rather 1950-ish at the start of the third industrial revolution (better known as "The Information Age"), then run at least until 2200 (depending on the game speed).

...


YOUR TASK FOR THIS JOB APPLICATION:

Please imagine the following: The game is currently running in "presentation mode" and shows a city in the year 2030. The area is thriving, modern, lots of green scenery and is very active. There are regular cities, there is a modern railroad system, there is current and modern technology / buildings and transportation. You watch the city slowly grow as the day cycle goes by. Of course, the "presentation mode" shows not only the "nice parts" of the area, but also possible pollution (and how it was dealt with), industrial areas, etc.

You are asked to compose a piece of music that fits this tone. Something that evokes a certain "mood" while playing - but it shouldn't make you feel frustrated or annoyed (so you have to turn the music off). The music must not(!) be "epic". We want you to show what you are capable of, what you can "add" to the game.

The length of the song should not exceed 7 minutes. We are only interested in instrumentals for now.

...

We look forward to hearing your ideas.

Thank you for taking the time to show off your amazing skills.

- the development team
<fictional company>

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Your task for this Songwriting Competition:
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This month, you can create a production in the (Video Game) Soundtrack genre.


Please read the provided "brief", as it gives you a roadmap as to what the developers are looking for. For example, the songs should be instrumental and should not exceed a running time of 7:00 minutes. The song doesn't need to be able to run in a loop this year.

The sub-genre is up to you. As usual, you can try to push boundaries. And even though feedback will be limited (no "demo snippets", please), the clients will tell you if you're in the right area they are looking for.

This will be no easy task yet again. However, I am looking forward to listening to your productions.
Have fun!

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Bonus Info

This month, I am adding an additional twist to the game by trying to simulate the interaction between a company (reaching out to songwriters) and you as musician (providing your musical talent). Something that would happen, if you were for instance booked for/looking to be hired for writing material for a commercial, a promo video, or a short film, etc. I will act as both the "clients" and technical aide (staff), but will make clear what is what in each post. My "technical feedback" will still give you hints where to maybe improve on your mix. I have to be brief in terms of feedback, most notably due to time constraints. Unfortunately, I am only able to do this once per participant throughout the submission period. With my last initial feedback arriving on the 21st of the month latest (a bit more than 3 days prior to the end of the game). Your focus should therefore be on providing a finished, coherent and good sounding production, presenting your current skills. No "sketches", no "will finish later" releases, please. You have one chance to get valuable feedback - after that, it is down to general community interaction. This "special" SWC offers a unique learning experience, where you can only win from - no matter if you may take a step on the podium or not. It is highly recommended to join early on, so you can gather constructive feedback in a timely manner and refine your work until the deadline has been reached. Additionally, if we exceed(!!!) 15 participants this month (as in: 16 or more), I am opening up the Winners Podium to a 5-position podium as one time exclusive deal. Please spread the word! And don't be shy to join the game.

Songwriting Rule Summary:

► Show Spoiler

Summary:

• create a production fitting to the given theme, genre and general premise
• you can use any tool that is at your disposal (samples, virtual instruments and/or real instruments), exceptions apply regarding vocal sample usage)
• IMPORTANT: if you use non-licensed material (as in: non royalty free material from sample CDs, etc), give full credit to the source material
• for newcomers: no finished productions that have already been released outside of the time frame of the current Songwriting Competition (Spotify, iTunes, Bandcamp, etc), no cover versions or remixes of other artists, no ripped acapella's -- please only showcase your own new and original content (you are allowed to "remix yourself", recreate an old project, etc)
• do not go higher than -14,0 LUFS ILk/-1,00 dBTP in terms of perceived loudness (mastering). Music doesn't have to be squashed to bits in order to be impactful
• name your files properly prior to uploading and make the production downloadable. If you opt to present your entry through SoundCloud, the forum can also convert your links into a Soundcloud player through the [soundcloud] BBCode from the text editor (orange square with a white cloud in it)

Add-On Rules:

• <no (additional) add-on rules specified>

Filename Template: SWC083__ArtistName__TrackName.wav or .mp3

• example: SWC083__MisterFox__ColorOfTheSky.wav
• example: SWC083__Mister_Fox__Color_of_the_sky.wav

Please also try to provide only one file format (ideally the highest quality possible).


For a full set of rules, please consult the Official Rules and Guidelines (see Rule Book post #6). If you got any questions regarding the game mechanics or similar, please either utilize the global Gossip and Discussion thread, or reach out through Discord.

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LICENSE SPONSORS (Bonus Prizes):

A huge thank you goes to our very generous License Sponsors for this month's game. Those being (in alphabetical order):

Cherry Audio, Ghostwave Audio, Hollow Sun, Hornet Plugins, IK Multimedia, JRR Sounds, kv331 audio, Luftrum, Musiclab, Rekkerd Sounds, satyatunes - Sound / Graphic Design, and Tone2.


A detailed list of offerings can be found in the following information block.

► Show Spoiler

Available Bonus Prizes for Songwriting Challenge participants:

Note: All licenses are NFR (Not-For-Resale), except where noted.
Changes to available prices on short notice may be possible and will be announced separately.


RECURRING LICENSE SPONSORSHIP:


Cherry Audio is kind enough to give away one license of Voltage Modular Ignite, plus either a license of "Year One Collection" or "Year Two Collection"
Licenses will turn into NFR
More info on Cherry Audio: https://cherryaudio.com



IK Multimedia is kind enough to give away one license of MODO BASS 2 to the winner
License will turn into NFR
More info on IK Multimedia: https://www.ikmultimedia.com



Musiclab is kind enough to donate any 1 guitar of your choice to the winner
License will turn into NFR
More info on Musiclab: https://www.musiclab.com



Tone2 is kind enough to donate a license of Saurus4 to the winner
License will turn into NFR
More info on Tone2: https://tone2.com



kv331 audio is kind enough to either give away a SynthMaster 1+2 Bundle, or a freely selectable set of 3 SynthMaster Expansions
Licenses will not turn into NFR, you need to have a kv311 audio user account in order to pick up Expansions
More info on kv331 audio: https://www.kv331audio.com



JRR Sounds is kind enough to give away any-1 sound sets or sample set of winner's choice (exception: Bundles)
More info on JRR Sounds: https://www.jrrshop.com/jrr-sounds



Luftrum is kind enough to give away either a license of Lunaris 2, a license of Bioscape, or any two sound sets of winner's choice
License will turn into NFR
More info on Luftrum: https://www.luftrum.com/



Rekkerd Sounds is kind enough to give away 1 sound set of winners choice (exception: Krezie EDM and Neurofunk Vol. 1)
License will turn into NFR
More info on Rekkerd Sounds: https://sounds.rekkerd.org/



Ghostwave Audio (Vincent Bastiat) is kind enough to donate any 2 sound sets to the winner
License will turn into NFR
More info on Ghostwave Audio: https://ghostwaveaudio.com



Hollow Sun is kind to donate one license of "Music Laboratory Machines - The Suite I" to the winner
License will turn into NFR
More info on Hollow Sun: http://www.hollowsun.com



Hornet Plugins is kind enough to give away one license from the depicted tools (see image) to the winner
License will turn into NFR
More info on Hornet Plugins: https://www.hornetplugins.com



Sound / Graphic Designer, and honorary Mix Challenge staff satYatunes is donating one commercial product of winner's choice (until further notice)
More info on satYatune's page: https://satyatunes.com/



THANKS FOR THE DONATIONS!
And also a thank you to all former contributors as well.

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Good luck to all participants.
And most importantly, have fun!

[Mister Fox]

AUDIO EXAMPLES:
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Articles and Info Pages:

A great starting point is the "Addendum"/Supplementary thread for the Songwriting Competition
Songwriting Competition - Addendum: Music Maps and BPM Charts

Additional Articles on Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_game_music




Music examples (selection for inspiration, 11 playlists):

► Show Spoiler

Jerry Martin - Sim City 3000 (1999, Soundtrack - 2007 re-release)
Jerry Martin - Sim City 4 (2003, Soundtrack, Various Musicians - 2007 re-release)
Tilman Sillescu, Alexander Roeder, Markus Schmidt - Anno 2070 (2011, Soundtrack, Various Musicians)
Chris Tilton - Sim City (2013, Soundtrack)
Chris Tilton - Sim City - Rise of Tomorrow (2015, Soundtrack)
John Broomhall - Transport Tycoon (2014 Remaster) (2014, remake of the AdLib Soundtrack, created by the original songwriter)
Jonne Valtonen, Jani Laaksonen - Cities: Skylines (2015, Soundtrack)
George Strezov - Surviving Mars (2018, Soundtrack)
Piotr Musiał - Frostpunk (2018, Soundtrack)
Guillaume David - Ixion (2022, Soundtrack)
Christopher Tin (songwriter for Civilization 4, 5 and 6, among others - please also have a look at the concept albums, e.g. "The Drop That Contained The Sea" and "The Lost Birds")

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If you're new to songwriting, or you are in need for new helper tools, instruments, samples or presets-- please check out the following:

Songwriting Competition - Addendum: Tools to help with songwriting (outsourced megathread - started 01-JUL-2024)


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UPDATED: 30-JUN-2024 23:35 UTC+2, updated 01-JUL-2024 07:25 UTC+2

[JeroenZuiderwijk]

Cool, that is an interesting approach to this challenge.

[Mister Fox]

A friendly reminder:
Including today, 14 days left to submit your production.

Unfortunately, we have no entry so far.



If you want to access the extended game mechanics of the Songwriting Competition (asking for feedback during production), please try to release your first edits within the next 7 days to have enough time to get possible feedback (if needed/wanted) and continue to work on your song.

Don't forget:
This month's game, you get feedback by a "client" (I play this role), and that will only happen until 21st July.


To those sitting on the fence - please don't feel scared off and think "the bar is set too high, I will never make it" - set yourself a shorter private deadline. Just make music, submit your entry, join the conversation. See where this goes.

By joining, you're already a winner. The rest is bonus.

[Doc Jon]

I am having problems opening the 'Words from the developers' text file, unable to extract it despite trying a number of different software extraction programs
?is the file maybe corrupted?

[Mister Fox]

?is the file maybe corrupted?

Thanks for bringing this to my attention, as it has been 13 days, 14 downloads and nobody said anything. This also resulted in an in-depth investigation and behind the scenes changes for future games with links to files.

After spending the last 2 hours to get things to work, I caved and replaced the "words and visuals" with a normal ZIP file... compatible to every OS our there (Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, etc).


The "main task" for this month's game has still been written down in post #002. You sadly only didn't have access to the additional visual material for further inspiration.

I apologize for the inconvenience.

[juhu]

Hey Mr. Fox, I have a question regarding the simulated client feedback feature:

Don't forget:
This month's game, you get feedback by a "client" (I play this role), and that will only happen until 21st July.

Q: Unfortunately I didn't quite catch from reading the rules whether those participants that do upload before July 21st get to do an _R2 upload after digesting the simulated client feedback, -OR- is there going to be no _R2 upload allowed, i.e. the feedback is strictly unidirectional and not intended to result in actual _R2 changes to be uploaded? Thanks in advance for clarifying this bit!

[Doc Jon]

Thanks @Mister Fox - downloads all good here now

[Mister Fox]

Q: Unfortunately I didn't quite catch from reading the rules whether those participants that do upload before July 21st get to do an _R2 upload after digesting the simulated client feedback, -OR- is there going to be no _R2 upload allowed, i.e. the feedback is strictly unidirectional and not intended to result in actual _R2 changes to be uploaded? Thanks in advance for clarifying this bit!

The Songwriting Competition works different than the Mix(ing) Challenge. You can submit an entry, ask for feedback, and keep editing / reuploading until the deadline has been reached.

This month's game isn't that much different to the regular game mechanic. Only that instead of getting initial feedback (outside of the global feedback and vote mechanic) from other participants, you will get guaranteed feedback from the "client" (me).

If you want to know how the last two Songwriting Competitions with a similar premise worked, please check out SWC059 (2022) and SWC071 (2023).