DarkeSword

Fantastic arrangement. Wowow.

Fantastic arrangement. Wowow.

Really solid all around. I'm not too bothered by the arrangement's variation. Really enjoyed this one quite a bit. Voice is great.
YES

We've talked internally about doing site-hosted playlists of music in the OCR catalog. I've had a lot of ideas about this. It's definitely on the radar, but right now there's a lot of backend work that needs to be done to facilitate this.

This is fine because you’re promoting the music by talking about it.

Hey guys,
After 9 years being on OverClocked ReMix, basically starting to my musical adventure here on the forums (first as Neblix, moving on from that name to my real name, then starting a new brand), I'm proud to finally release my first album of original music, COLOURS.

Bandcamp: https://pryzmusic.bandcamp.com/album/colours
CD Baby: https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/pryzm
OverClocked Records: https://overclockedrecords.com/release/colours/
Will also be coming to all major storefronts in the coming week, including streaming platforms! It's already available for free on YouTube and SoundCloud at low-quality streaming.
COLOURS is my debut album wrapping up my early young adult experience and entering the world as an independent creative and engineer. With this album is the introduction of the PRYZM, my metaphor for the assimilation of different influences across the spectrum of music. Music can be expressed in many different ways, and my motivation to compose is to learn all of these different expressions and merge them into my identity as a composer.
You can also grab my new social media pages to stay up to date with new music!
OFFICIAL WEBSITE: https://pryzmusic.com/
FACEBOOK: https://facebook.com/pryzmusic
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/pryzmusic
YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkomW-RLYNvAzhGs0dVofhA
SOUNDCLOUD: https://soundcloud.com/pryzmusic
TWITCH.TV: https://twitch.tv/pryzmusic

FLStudio is also finally adding time signature changing in-song with FLStudio 20 (the next version coming out this year), I believe.

Just bought it on Bandcamp. Congrats man.

Hey all! Just wanted to plug my first ever original album. You guys are probably more familiar with my remixes and arrangement work here, but I have actually been writing original music for almost 20 years. The album is called Sound the Clarion Call: A Musical Tribute to 1001 Knights. You can pick it up on OverClocked Records for $3.99!
This album is inspired by the 1001 Knights art anthology that was Kickstarted about two years ago. It's a set of three hardcover books with beautiful artwork of different kinds of knights. I was hired to write the trailer music for it and ended up putting together a full album. If you've ever enjoyed my remixes before, give this album a shot. It's a mix of new age, jazz, and classic SNES sounds. Hope you enjoy it.
Here's the fourth track from the album, The Accumulation of Knowledge.
 

Hey all! Just wanted to plug my first ever original album. You guys are probably more familiar with my remixes and arrangement work here, but I have actually been writing original music for almost 20 years. The album is called Sound the Clarion Call: A Musical Tribute to 1001 Knights. You can pick it up on OverClocked Records for $3.99!
This album is inspired by the 1001 Knights art anthology that was Kickstarted about two years ago. It's a set of three hardcover books with beautiful artwork of different kinds of knights. I was hired to write the trailer music for it and ended up putting together a full album. If you've ever enjoyed my remixes before, give this album a shot. It's a mix of new age, jazz, and classic SNES sounds. Hope you enjoy it.
Here's the fourth track from the album, The Accumulation of Knowledge.
 

City Escape is probably one of the best rock songs, ever. Checks all the boxes.

You can actually do this with OCR's full catalog, as per our content policy.
http://ocremix.org/info/Content_Policy

A fire is lit within me, and I have decided to extend this series beyond five albums. Here are the names of the additional entries to the series:
Volume VI: You said it was going to be five Volume VII: This isn't even Final Fantasy, these are Guardian Legend ReMixes Volume VIII: Okay this one is just a picture of a potato salad? Volume IX: Wind Again, but with new artwork, and an audio forward from Darkesword Volume XI: Wait what happened to X? Volume XII: Volume X Volume XIII: More Final Fantasy V ReMixes because we actually do like that game Volume XIII-2 Lightning Returns: Volume XIII Now accepting sign ups for Lightning Returns: Volume XIII.

I'll be real: I go to the DC/MD/VA area all the time to see OCR folks. I think it would be a nice change of pace to do something elsewhere.

It's a Square Enix property.

If you're having trouble focusing your learning process, I can relate - I have minimal formal theory training as well, and it can be especially hard to know where to start when you don't really know terms.  Here's the resource that's helped me the most lately: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeZLO2VgbZHeDcongKzzfOw/videos
If you're having issues with composition specifically, I'd particularly recommend any of his videos that talk about utilizing motifs.  There's a Dark Souls vid and a Zelda: Link's Awakening vid that talk about motif use and transformation pretty thoroughly, and it's really made a huge impact on my writing lately.
Aside from that, the best recommendation I have is to transcribe.  A lot.  Even from your own tracks.  If you find a chord progression you really like, throw down a dummy instrument (my go-to is a simple triangle wave), write it out and examine it isolated.  Or if you like the interplay the chords had with the melody, put down another dummy for the lead and look at the relationships between the two.  When you find something you like, even if it's from someone else's work, try emulating it.  Don't feel bad about borrowing elements from music that inspires you, especially when you're learning something new!  Adding techniques to your repertoire will make you a much more effective composer when it comes time to write to a client's specs, and I find that the more comfortable you get with a new trick/technique (even if it's "borrowed"), the easier it is to implement it into a track with your own spin to make it sound more unique.  It's not necessary to rediscover every composition technique for yourself, only that you can use it effectively.
The chord/lead dummies also translate into my own originals and arrangements, not just transcription.  Blocking out a new section can help you determine how well it flows with the preceding material, and it really helps me avoid wasting time fleshing out an entire section only to find it won't work structurally.
I also have to echo Timaeus that if it's possible, make at least a little time for music stuff almost every day, whether it's starting a new tune, transcribing one of your favorite game tunes, or making a new synth patch.  But don't beat yourself up if you miss a day and definitely take a day or two off if you need it.  The mind needs time away from conscious processing to recombine novel information and let what you've learned solidify.  It functions a lot like a muscle; overtraining is more detrimental than it might seem on the surface, so if you find that it's too stressful doing X number of days per week, back it off a bit and make sure to focus on enjoying the process.  Maybe even just pick a few days of the week to purposely be away from music, or schedule out what you want to work on for which days - it's the consistency that's most important rather than the sheer quantity of time you spend with music.
Hope that's helpful

I never really understood the issue with ads on YouTube videos given that we had Google ads on individual remix pages for years. Advertisements presented in the context of individual remixes is nothing new; I guess it feels different to people now because YouTube is huge and "monetization" is a word people throw around all the time now.
I'm a little annoyed with Google/YouTube and their mysterious enabling of ads, ESPECIALLY the unskippables. I agree with Dave that it's kind of shocking they don't have logs or an audit trail mechanism for that kind of thing. Kind of concerning, TBH.
In any case, while I wish we had more time to prepare for it, what's done is done. Now that GMI is officially a 501c3, I hope that folks will be on board and won't raise a fuss. Like I said, this isn't actually anything new. I never had problems with ads on the remix pages, so I don't see why I'll have a problem with ads on my mixes.

I never really understood the issue with ads on YouTube videos given that we had Google ads on individual remix pages for years. Advertisements presented in the context of individual remixes is nothing new; I guess it feels different to people now because YouTube is huge and "monetization" is a word people throw around all the time now.
I'm a little annoyed with Google/YouTube and their mysterious enabling of ads, ESPECIALLY the unskippables. I agree with Dave that it's kind of shocking they don't have logs or an audit trail mechanism for that kind of thing. Kind of concerning, TBH.
In any case, while I wish we had more time to prepare for it, what's done is done. Now that GMI is officially a 501c3, I hope that folks will be on board and won't raise a fuss. Like I said, this isn't actually anything new. I never had problems with ads on the remix pages, so I don't see why I'll have a problem with ads on my mixes.

OC ReMix Announces Official 501c3 Non-Profit Status as Project of Game Music Initiative, Inc

November 24th, 2017
Contact: press@ocremix.org
FAIRFAX, VA... OverClocked ReMix today announced its status as a fully-sponsored project of Game Music Initiative, Inc (GMI), a newly-formed 501c3 non-profit charitable organization devoted to the promotion of video game music as an art form.
Established on November 26th, 2016, the mission of GMI is as follows:
EDUCATE the world about game music as an art form, PROMOTE game music and game composers, RESEARCH game music and contribute to the body of free and open knowledge, PRESERVE the history of game music and archive relevant artifacts, PROVIDE resources for existing and aspiring game composers, PROTECT the right to explore game music through transformative works and assistive technologies, and SUPPORT any projects that advance these goals. OverClocked ReMix founder David W. Lloyd expressed his enthusiasm about this development and the need for such a transition:
"For seventeen years, OverClocked ReMix has been a community effort, but has been owned by a single individual, myself, and not officially registered as a 501c3 charitable organization. Game Music Initiative was created to support this project, and others like it in the future, and provides permanent assurance of non-profit status while also enhancing financial transparency & operational continuity," Mr. Lloyd noted. "This transition paves the way for exciting developments ahead, makes all donations from US citizens tax deductible, and builds on the foundation of trust and long-term commitment that OC ReMix has developed since 1999."
More information about GMI, including its board of directors, can be found at https://gamemusic.org.
An FAQ is available and will be updated to address any questions surrounding this change of status.
About OverClocked ReMix
Founded in 1999, OverClocked ReMix (http://ocremix.org) is a community featuring thousands of free fan arrangements & albums, information on game music and composers, resources for aspiring artists, and a thriving community of video game music fans.
About Game Music Initiative
Established in 2016, Game Music Initiative (https://gamemusic.org) is a 501c3 non-profit charitable organization dedicated to the promotion, preservation, research, & celebration of video game music.

Wow-- this song defined many a summer evening of mine back in highschool. After finding it again (randomly popped up as a suggestion to a Youtube vid) after so many years, it sent renewed chills down my spine and plenty of fond memories and emotions. Thanks for making this, Darkesword! I love it!

I remember when I first came across this song, about 10 years ago, on this newly-popular website called YouTube. It was one of the first video game remixes that truly mesmerized me. I've listened to it fairly consistently over all those years, and I'm still not tired of hearing it. The brass parts make it feel heroic, the harp parts give it a mystical quality, and every part of this song feels inspiring. Exactly as Legend of Zelda music should be. ¡Bien maravilloso!

OC ReMix is neither dying nor becoming irrelevant. We get plenty of submissions, lots of listeners, and tons of engagement on social media. Also, don't try to back up your point by speaking for other people who "wish to remain anonymous." There's absolutely zero value in saying something like that. Make your own points and back them up.
We're not going to dump curation. It's just not going to happen. OC ReMix has been very clear about being a curated catalog of arrangements that meet a standard of both artistic interpretation and technical execution. We have never—and I can't believe that this has to be said again—claimed to be the end-all-be-all source of VGM arrangements, and we're not trying to be. We've consistently supported other communities and initiatives like DoD and Materia Collective.
OC ReMix can afford to be selective; we've built up a catalog of quality arrangements over the course of nearly 18 years by setting some standards and pushing artists to hone their skills. Our philosophy at OCR has always been "share your music, get feedback, and make your music better." You'll be hard-pressed to find any other art community that does that. Getting a track posted to the front-page is a soft goal that fosters that growth. There are obviously instances where an artist will disagree with those standards and make an exit, or honestly just outgrow the process altogether because they've found their artistic voice and don't need to take part in the loop anymore. That's fine. We have no problem with people who decide OCR isn't for them anymore.
There are plans in place to integrate the workshop deeper into the site's game database so that people can find WIPs and non-posted releases by browsing game pages. But OC ReMix will continue to examine and curate submissions from the community against our established standards because having that goal in place improves artists. We're comfortable with where those standards are and comfortable about the direction the site is taking.

OC ReMix is neither dying nor becoming irrelevant. We get plenty of submissions, lots of listeners, and tons of engagement on social media. Also, don't try to back up your point by speaking for other people who "wish to remain anonymous." There's absolutely zero value in saying something like that. Make your own points and back them up.
We're not going to dump curation. It's just not going to happen. OC ReMix has been very clear about being a curated catalog of arrangements that meet a standard of both artistic interpretation and technical execution. We have never—and I can't believe that this has to be said again—claimed to be the end-all-be-all source of VGM arrangements, and we're not trying to be. We've consistently supported other communities and initiatives like DoD and Materia Collective.
OC ReMix can afford to be selective; we've built up a catalog of quality arrangements over the course of nearly 18 years by setting some standards and pushing artists to hone their skills. Our philosophy at OCR has always been "share your music, get feedback, and make your music better." You'll be hard-pressed to find any other art community that does that. Getting a track posted to the front-page is a soft goal that fosters that growth. There are obviously instances where an artist will disagree with those standards and make an exit, or honestly just outgrow the process altogether because they've found their artistic voice and don't need to take part in the loop anymore. That's fine. We have no problem with people who decide OCR isn't for them anymore.
There are plans in place to integrate the workshop deeper into the site's game database so that people can find WIPs and non-posted releases by browsing game pages. But OC ReMix will continue to examine and curate submissions from the community against our established standards because having that goal in place improves artists. We're comfortable with where those standards are and comfortable about the direction the site is taking.

OC ReMix is neither dying nor becoming irrelevant. We get plenty of submissions, lots of listeners, and tons of engagement on social media. Also, don't try to back up your point by speaking for other people who "wish to remain anonymous." There's absolutely zero value in saying something like that. Make your own points and back them up.
We're not going to dump curation. It's just not going to happen. OC ReMix has been very clear about being a curated catalog of arrangements that meet a standard of both artistic interpretation and technical execution. We have never—and I can't believe that this has to be said again—claimed to be the end-all-be-all source of VGM arrangements, and we're not trying to be. We've consistently supported other communities and initiatives like DoD and Materia Collective.
OC ReMix can afford to be selective; we've built up a catalog of quality arrangements over the course of nearly 18 years by setting some standards and pushing artists to hone their skills. Our philosophy at OCR has always been "share your music, get feedback, and make your music better." You'll be hard-pressed to find any other art community that does that. Getting a track posted to the front-page is a soft goal that fosters that growth. There are obviously instances where an artist will disagree with those standards and make an exit, or honestly just outgrow the process altogether because they've found their artistic voice and don't need to take part in the loop anymore. That's fine. We have no problem with people who decide OCR isn't for them anymore.
There are plans in place to integrate the workshop deeper into the site's game database so that people can find WIPs and non-posted releases by browsing game pages. But OC ReMix will continue to examine and curate submissions from the community against our established standards because having that goal in place improves artists. We're comfortable with where those standards are and comfortable about the direction the site is taking.