How do you get feedback and input from others in music pre-production?

Music composition is a creative process that involves many decisions and challenges. Whether you are writing a song, a soundtrack, or a symphony, you need to have a clear vision of your musical goals and how to achieve them. One of the most important aspects of music composition is getting feedback and input from others, especially in the pre-production stage. Pre-production is the phase where you plan, sketch, and refine your musical ideas before you record, mix, or perform them. In this article, we will share some tips on how to get feedback and input from others in music pre-production and why it is beneficial for your music.

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1 Why feedback matters

Feedback is the process of giving and receiving constructive criticism, suggestions, and opinions on your work. It can provide you with a range of perspectives and tastes that can inspire or challenge you to try new things, while also helping you identify your strengths and weaknesses. Additionally, feedback can help you avoid mistakes, errors, or inconsistencies that you might miss. It can also be used to validate your choices and confirm that you are on the right track or that changes need to be made. Feedback can come from various sources such as collaborators, mentors, peers, family, or audience. However, it is important to be selective and critical about who you ask for feedback from, when you ask for feedback, and how you use feedback.

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Scott N. Freeman, PhD

FDA Regulatory Affairs Expert | Orphan Drug and Rare Disease Specialist | Proven Track Record in Expedited Approvals and Strategic Leadership
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I suggest omitting who you should seek feedback from from this section as you dedicate the next section to it and, as I will state later, I do not feel that all those you state here are appropriate for the pre-production stage.

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2 Who to ask for feedback

The first step to getting feedback is to decide who to ask for it. Depending on your musical goals and needs, you might want to seek feedback from collaborators, mentors, peers, friends and family, or an audience. Collaborators can provide valuable insights and suggestions on how to improve your music from a technical, artistic, or practical point of view. Mentors can offer guidance and advice on how to develop your musical style, technique, or vision. Peers can give honest and constructive feedback from a peer-to-peer perspective. Friends and family can offer emotional support and encouragement. An audience can provide feedback on how your music resonates with them or meets their expectations or preferences. Each of these people can help you measure your music's impact, popularity, or success and give you feedback on how to reach or expand your audience.

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Scott N. Freeman, PhD

FDA Regulatory Affairs Expert | Orphan Drug and Rare Disease Specialist | Proven Track Record in Expedited Approvals and Strategic Leadership
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I would not want myself nor my clients to have the influence of their peers or family (or even mentors unless they were related to the music) at the pre-production stage as their input is not professional and is not guaranteed to be positive--it can indeed be negative depending on the person and context. This should be limited to those who we know can provide as you say, constructive criticism, and those who know pre-production.

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3 When to ask for feedback

The second step to getting feedback is to decide when to ask for it. Depending on your musical goals and needs, you may want to seek feedback at different stages of your music composition process. For instance, you could ask for feedback before starting to validate your idea, test its feasibility, or get some inspiration or direction on how to start. During the process, you could ask for feedback to check your progress, get some suggestions or corrections, or overcome some challenges or doubts. After finishing your music, you may want to ask for feedback to polish it, make some final adjustments, or prepare for the release.

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Scott N. Freeman, PhD

FDA Regulatory Affairs Expert | Orphan Drug and Rare Disease Specialist | Proven Track Record in Expedited Approvals and Strategic Leadership
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Pre-production is a specific stage right before production. There is no question as to when you obtain feedback or the fact that you obtain feedback.

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4 How to use feedback

The third step to getting feedback is to decide how to use it. Depending on your musical goals and needs, you might want to evaluate, accept, reject, or compromise the feedback you receive. For example, you might want to consider the source, timing, and content of the feedback and weigh its pros and cons. You could also compare and contrast it with your own opinion and vision to see if they align or clash. Alternatively, you may opt to agree with the feedback and thank the person who gave it, or politely decline and explain why you don't think it is useful or relevant for your music. You could also negotiate with the person who gave you the feedback in order to find a middle ground that works for both of you. By following these tips, you can make the most of the feedback process and create music that reflects your vision and resonates with your audience.

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How do you get feedback and input from others in music pre-production?

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1 Why feedback matters

2 Who to ask for feedback

3 When to ask for feedback

4 How to use feedback

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