An Open Letter to Sethisto, Head of Equestria Daily

[Navron]

I recall Sethisto saying that EqD gets something like 20+ submissions per day, and the amount of music they post any given day seems to back that claim. OC ReMix usually doesn't even get that many submissions in a month.

Maybe people at OC ReMix spend more time on each track?

Not saying you're one of them, but a lot of brony musicians seem to write a track every other day, and submit a badly mixed, generic tune with show samples spliced in to make it pony.

I haven't finished a single song in 3 months, but I've been working on 2 since January, if that makes any comparison.

[DusK]

I've gotten some insight from several places, one of which was very enlightening, and I wanna post about that here in a sec, but there are a few posts I feel should be addressed. Brace yourselves, it's a long one.

I think OP is a twit, and I can't be bothered to argue why. EqD gets a shit load of songs sent in every day. Don't complain just because they're not letting YOU in. I've never got in either. But I don't complain about it. I take it as a sign that I need to improve.

If a "shitstorm" were to result in this thread as itroitnyah is hypothesizing, it would come not as a result of my posts, but because of petty insults like the one you just posted. I was looking for an intelligent discussion on this matter, not childish insults. Please at least try to be civil.

Not letting me in is only a tiny factor of my complaints. You guys really need to stop going "You're just mad because you're not getting in" and start looking at the big picture. This isn't just about me. I only used my music as an example of good music being rejected because it's unfortunately the only example I have of that at this time. Do you guys know of any great music that's been rejected from EqD? I'm certain it's out there- scratch that, I know it's out there considering I've heard a couple of examples already as submissions to BMS, and I'd love to hear more of it.

I've been rejected from OC ReMix. My tracks have actually been rejected from OCR more often than they were accepted (I actually have a higher acceptance rate on EqD than OCR!). The reason I took no issue with that is because it actually made sense. Those tracks were judged objectively and found to be below the site's standards. And I know this, just as anyone who's familiar with OCR's judges panel knows this, because OCR provides transparency by posting the critique and votes publicly. With EqD, the same can't be said. The quality is all over the place, and because all of the decisions happen behind closed doors, there's no accountability.

I can't see any possible beneficial outcome to this thread, for either of us.

Regardless, my post was not intended to be insulting. My argument does not 'hinge' on the fact that music cannot be judged subjectively; really, it doesn't 'hinge' on anything. The point I'm trying to make, and the point you've been so deftly skirting around, is that your music simply might not be as good as you think. I don't care if you've gotten on before, and I don't care if you're an OC remixer. That doesn't automatically mean your music is inherently better than the music your was denied in favor of.

At the risk of sounding blunt: Yes, actually, it does. Since 2007, in order for a person's music to be accepted to OC ReMix, it has to be very close to professional quality, in terms of composition and especially production. This is why being posted to OCR is one of the highest honors a VGM remixer can achieve, because it dispels any doubt about the musician's ability to make good music. It's this strict standard that's largely responsible for the overwhelmingly positive industry reaction to OCR, with professional VGM composers posting their own remixes and companies responsible for triple-A titles going to OCR and its members for their soundtracks.

To put things into better perspective: When the Street Fighter 25th Anniversary Collector's set was being prepared for release, Capcom asked for fans to submit their remixes and SF-inspired originals for a chance to be featured on their blog. Eventually, they took it a step further in private, and chose a handful of what they considered to be the best pieces of music out of each submission pool for inclusion on physical CDs included in the Collector's Set. Out of roughly 500 remixes, only 23 were selected for physical publishing, and one of my remixes counted among that. Why am I bring this up? Because OC ReMix rejected that remix. That is how high OCR's standards are.

Simply put, saying a person's music isn't good simply because it's on OCR is like saying that a person's not necessarily a good swimmer simply because they made the Olympic swim team.

I honestly found some aspects of your letter quite insulting. The system isn't perfect, but you really need to learn to look part this, for instance, the reason you are making music. It's nice to have recognition, but the main reason you should be making music is because it's fun, not to become omgbronyfamous.

EqD spotlights outstanding music, and some of the people on the prelisteners, including myself, know what they're doing. I personally have a degree in music and more than 10 years of music production experience, and to call me genuinely incompetent? That's pretty insulting, and to do so publicly isn't going to win you any favours whatsoever.

Sorry if you were insulted. I already told this to another pre-listener who gave me some very enlightening insight, but I've always held that there's likely some within the pre-listeners that are genuinely good judges of music. If you're capable of objectively judging music and your votes reflect that, you have my personal thanks for bringing integrity to that process.

That aside, you're correct; the reason that a person should be making music is simply for the sake of making music. I likewise have no need for fame. It's cool, but definitely not necessary; making music is enough. But like I said above, this isn't just about me: This is about a site claiming that they're spotlighting music in a matter rooted in quality control, when the reality is anything but.

I think it would be a good idea for a mod to come and lock this thread before it turns into a big shitstorm.

But before that happens, DusK, your music may be good, but perhaps it isn't as good as you think. The prelisteners wouldn't let a song that is good not get featured, so if your songs aren't getting featured, they obviously aren't as good as you think they are. Try hitting up the Tutors thread and finding some people who would be willing to critique your songs before you post them to help you out.

Second, EqD does their best to make sure that everybody gets a fair chance, and I think they're doing a pretty good job at what they're doing. Obviously a lot of other people do too. Don't try and fix something that isn't broken.

Firstly, I'm addressing this issue here on this board with civility. If it were to turn into a "big shitstorm", I definitely wouldn't be a contributor to that. If anything, it would be a result of the insults and immaturity exhibited by some of the other posters.

But regarding the bulk of your post, if it's true that "The prelisteners wouldn't let a song that is good not get featured," why is that happening?

I'm a supporter of pony.fm, mlp forums, and feld's efforts to have a more mlp centered community forum (that exists and is a very decent forum), something that can work as a better hosting site then eqbeats (which hasn't really continued to improve), and as a site for highlighting some smaller artists through musical spotlights. But this is really NOT the way to introduce yourself and pony.fm / mlp forums TO the brony musical community. When you ignore 2 years of community building and efforts in MLR that have been built up and openly complain about EQD in the same breath it ruins ANY arguments you may have and any alternatives you may offer. There are many threads already on this site about how EQD works and why it works that way and some of the changes over the years to improve things. EQD is not MLR and vice versa, two completely different sites. Taking a fight to them here is just asinine if you're trying to offer a positive alternative. It's also dis-respectful.

Personally i hope for a thread lock and that feld0 can introduce his site in the positive way at a later time that he initially intended rather than this terrible effort by yourself. You just don't show up at someone's house and pick a fight during your own introduction.

I agree, my approach to introduce Pony.fm could have been done with more tact. I feel I owe Feld0 a personal apology for that.

But keep in mind, all of this is for a very noble intention, and was not intended to "pick a fight". I had no intention of insulting anyone here. Though I knew that some pre-listeners frequented this forum, I had no idea that it was the hive, and didn't quite expect the pre-listeners that have responded to do so in a way that essentially proves my criticisms about the lack of professionalism correct. And though some pre-listeners have posted with negativity (I do admit, in hindsight, my letter comes off as insulting, a byproduct of it being so straightforward), I've been contacted in private as well with more optimism and neutrality.

I firmly believe Seth should stop taking music submissions and feature stuff that he wants to on his own accord.

It's his own blog, and I believe the OP fails to realize that. It's not a platform for his personal "growth" as a musician.

You know, I actually agree with your first point. If the blog were outwardly an expression of Sethisto's appreciation for music that he enjoys, there would be no issue at all. But it's not. EqD's music portion, with its submission guidelines and pre-listener panel, masquerades as a platform that will feature any track submitted to it as long as it's genuinely good. This creates a goal for brony musicians to measure their own music by (not even to get famous much of the time, just to get affirmation that their music's good), much like OCR does with VGM remixing, but unlike OCR, EqD fails to deliver an objective way to measure the quality of music in practice. Though you and some others may be aware that EqD fails to feature music objectively but just don't care, some such as itroitnyah up there believe that's not even happening, and that the music is being filtered just fine.

If Sethisto were to announce right now that music being posted on his blog revolve around his own personal tastes in music (which they apparently do, as I discovered, more on that later), my criticisms would no longer apply.

-----

To be more specific about what I touched on at the beginning of this rather massive post, I have been approached by one pre-listener that has stated (under the condition of anonymity, which I fully intend to respect, so don't bother asking me who it is) that the pre-listeners don't even vote on many tracks, that many of the spotlighted tracks are simply Sethisto's personal picks out of the submissions that he decided to feature without consulting the pre-listeners at all, and that what the pre-listeners vote on are often what Sethisto just doesn't know what to do with.

If this is true, then the blog comes quite a bit closer to what Cloud insisted (and once again, that I totally agree with) should be the case with EqD; that the music being featured is simply what Sethisto likes. Even more importantly as it relates to my criticisms, if what this pre-listener says is true, it explains exactly why the quality is so inconsistent, because if Sethisto really is as involved in the process as this guy says he is and it's not as compartmentalized as I was led to believe, then objectivity is almost completely absent in music featuring decisions. And once again, if that is true, then the pre-listeners aren't nearly as much to blame for the inconsistent quality as I had originally thought. So if someone can confirm this, then I stand corrected and admit that.

If that's the case though, why pretend that quality has anything to do with it? Statements like this

Music of the Day is a compilation of songs that didn't make the spotlight posts here on EQD. Maybe you aren't too critical on the technical side and just want some fun techno to work out to? Hopefully you find something fun! If you want the best of the best, check spotlight!

are implying that standards are there when they actually aren't. If Sethisto wants to have a blog where he posts music exclusively on his subjective viewpoints, then I take no objection to that. But when objectivity is implied where there actually is none, at least for the most part, you get issues like the ones I'm raising.

EqD is the primary source for most fans to discover brony music. Just about every other site works off of EqD; even Everfree Network parrots the music EqD features in its own spotlighting system. Musicians know this, perceive a standard, and then work toward that perceived standard for whatever reason, be it for personal measurement or exposure. If there really is no standard, you can see how that could create a problem.

If what this pre-listener says is true about Sethisto having a heavy hand in the music selection process, I personally believe that Sethisto should either clarify that the music he's featuring is based on his purely subjective opinion so that an invisible standard isn't created for aspiring brony musicians, or do more to organize EqD's music featuring system into one that more closely resembles in reality what it seems to on paper. Either would be great.

[itroitnyah]

I don't care if you've gotten on before, and I don't care if you're an OC remixer. That doesn't automatically mean your music is inherently better than the music your was denied in favor of.

At the risk of sounding blunt: Yes, actually, it does.

Oh my god, seriously DusK, just shut up and stop before you make yourself look like an bigger idiot than you already are. It doesn't matter how high of a quality check they place, it doesn't automatically mean that you are skilled if you're part of OC ReMixers. That'd be like me submitting a song to Monstercat and then claiming that I'm hot shit because I've submitted to Monstercat before.

This creates a goal for brony musicians to measure their own music by (not even to get famous much of the time, just to get affirmation that their music's good), much like OCR does with VGM remixing, but unlike OCR, EqD fails to deliver an objective way to measure the quality of music in practice.

I think you failed to find the point, that equestria daily is a blog, not a record company or such

Now please, do us all a favor and stop posting in this thread. It is apparent that you are a conceited idiot, and while you may have a slight idea of how Equestria Daily works, you don't actually know. I don't either, but until you can provide proof that you do know what's going on at EqD, shut up with all this "Sethisto is biased and just doing things that please him" bullshit, because it doesn't matter. Even if he is, we shouldn't care! At all! It's his blog! Not ours, how many times will we have to say that to drive it through your computer screen into your thick skull?

[Viricide Filly]

HAH
Lol. That's all I have to say. Lol.

[ph00tbag]

The only incongruity I see is that you complain about new artists not getting exposure unless they hew to a non-existent standard, but then you suggest a spotlight system that rigorously rejects new artists if they don't hew to your standard. The only difference is that you openly judge based on this standard.

I think you're getting tunnel vision as to what ought to be in a music post. Sometimes it's not just quality. Sometimes novelty is a factor, too. If you're out there making the same stuff you've always made, it's reasonable to assume that the people that want to listen to your stuff will have already heard it, so it doesn't need to be featured, especially if there are a bunch of new artists, or other tracks with unique ideas that haven't really been done yet. Those tracks may not be particularly high quality, but the important thing is that the artist making them is new and/or different, so the feature will net them some exposure.

Personally, whenever I stumble upon a new artist with a unique idea through EqD, I actually take the time to give some constructive criticism. That kind of advice would never come to them if they were rejected outright due to the poor quality. And without that kind of advice, they'll never get better.

So who's actually suppressing talent, now?

[Magnitude Zero]

HAH
Lol. That's all I have to say. Lol.

Oh my god, seriously DusK, just shut up and stop before you make yourself look like an bigger idiot than you already are.

Personally I found this to be a fantastic discussion until you guys started posting shit like this. You clearly have an opinion on the matter, and I'm sure we'd all love to hear it, but if you keep lacing it with insults and sarcasm this thread will be the shitstorm you predicted it would be. DusK is defending his point well without being a dick, and I'm sure you're all capable of doing the same.

[itroitnyah]

Ok, you're right Magnitude. Sorry, DusK. I still think that some of the points you're trying to make are pretty lame though.

[LoreRD]

Regarding OP, I don't think that they are particularly biased against your music. If you get rejected, you come here to improve. I'm pretty sure that's one of the main reasons this place exists. I know this is a bit of a short comment, but it's a mostly closed topic at this point.

As for my opinion with EqD: In general, I've been mostly happy with EqD's music spotlighting system. The stuff on there is generally good quality and so forth. HOWEVER, there are two specific things I frustrated with and would like some discussion on:

----

1. Why are there "insta-rejected" types of tracks? I know you guys are busy, but COME ON. How the hell can you justify a claim of objectivity when you pull this kind of crap?

I know these exist, I've had multiple tracks rejected on this BS alone. I'm not just talking about outright rejecting every single Beyond Her Garden and Rainbow Factory remix you receive (which in of itself is moronic, as it's entirely unobjective way for filtering music), but specifically piano improvisation. One of my main skills is being able to improvise fairly well on the piano. Not perfect, not phenomenal, but definitely solid. It's happened several times that I've gotten a message saying "rejected, overflow of piano improv" or "we don't accept piano improv", which is plain and utter bullshit (excuse my language, but this is honestly ridiculous). I know most, if not all of the piano improvisers in the fandom, and they release music RARELY, so I know almost for a fact that, no, the queue ISN'T filled with piano improv.

More importantly, this policy is a blatant disregard for a well-known style of music and what they've done is essentially blacklist a genre, which is appalling for an "objective" blog. Contrary to popular opinion, improvisation is a skill separate from simply playing the piano. I know pianists who easily outclass me when it comes to actual performance but don't know how to improvise at all. There is more to it than "just being good at piano and simply playing whatever". It takes about 10+ min for me to set up my recording equipment, so I almost always thoroughly think my improvisations through.

Let me make it clear that I couldn't care less if EqD rejected my piano improvisation when it comes to quality (which is definitely possible), but it pisses me off when they essentially dismiss all the time and effort I've put into improving my improvisational technique and music theory by saying "nope, not something we accept".

2. I strongly dislike the way EqD deals (or at least has in the past) with remixes after an episode.

This was especially annoying after the Babs Seed episode. Within an hour, Assertive Fluttershy produced (even in his own words) a remix that was basically just the song from the episode with an added drum beat and a synth or two. If the track had been submitted at any other point, I think it would've likely been rejected. And it was by far not the only mediocre remix of that song that came out in the following week, yet was still featured in MotD and such.

In general, it feels like remixes based on a song from a recent episode have a much higher chance of getting featured, regardless of actual quality. Another problem is that non-remix tracks also get lost in the influx of remixes. If I'm wrong about this assumption, please let me know, and I'll retract this point.

Anyway, I didn't notice this problem as much with the season finale, so I'm wondering if they've learned from their mistakes. Is this the case?

------

I'm pretty sure this rant runs me the risk of looking like idiot, but I would like some clarification regarding these two issues :/

[Ptepix]

Sethisto actually just talked to me...he said he doesn't like your music one bit and will never post it because he hates you. It has nothing to do with the quality at all actually...he just despises your name.

Idk...take it from him I guess *shrugs*

[Viricide Filly]

>He just despises your name
I'm done

[Nine Volt]

HAH
Lol. That's all I have to say. Lol.

Oh my god, seriously DusK, just shut up and stop before you make yourself look like an bigger idiot than you already are.

Personally I found this to be a fantastic discussion until you guys started posting shit like this. You clearly have an opinion on the matter, and I'm sure we'd all love to hear it, but if you keep lacing it with insults and sarcasm this thread will be the shitstorm you predicted it would be. DusK is defending his point well without being a dick, and I'm sure you're all capable of doing the same.

I personally found it pretty funny. :3

In all seriousness, I disagree. It was/is essentially the entire forum (minus LoreRD, apparently) against this one guy, and he is repeating the same flawed points over and over (like how OC remix apparently means you should be featured on EqD, a correlation which I do not understand) as well as ignoring arguments he apparently can't answer, such as ones regarding the supposed 'suppression of talent' and how the 'pre-listeners are incompetent'.

Seriously, go back and look at his original letter. It REEKS of butthurt over not getting posted.

[Magnitude Zero]

I personally found it pretty funny. :3

In all seriousness, I disagree. It was/is essentially the entire forum (minus LoreRD, apparently) against this one guy, and he is repeating the same flawed points over and over (like how OC remix apparently means you should be featured on EqD, a correlation which I do not understand) as well as ignoring arguments he apparently can't answer, such as ones regarding the supposed 'suppression of talent' and how the 'pre-listeners are incompetent'.

Seriously, go back and look at his original letter. It REEKS of butthurt over not getting posted.

You have still not given me a single reason to respond with insults to someone being totally civil. I don't really care who's right or wrong here, acting like an asshole is uncalled for. And it's sure not helping your case.

[Nine Volt]

How exactly am I acting like an asshole? Is it because I told him to get off his high horse? Seriously, I don't think I've been an asshole at any point during this discussion. Or at least, very little.

[HMage]

OP, your music needs more saxophone and Trixie.

[Anonagon]

Everyone keeps insulting OP and stuff..... Kind of sad, since hes trying to have an intelligent discussion and all. 9V, you are right for the most part, but you can be such an asshole about it.

Sometimes it's not just quality. Sometimes novelty is a factor, too. If you're out there making the same stuff you've always made, it's reasonable to assume that the people that want to listen to your stuff will have already heard it, so it doesn't need to be featured, especially if there are a bunch of new artists, or other tracks with unique ideas that haven't really been done yet. Those tracks may not be particularly high quality, but the important thing is that the artist making them is new and/or different, so the feature will net them some exposure.

This. This this this this this. OP, your two new songs may not be bad, and they may be better than your older ones. But if they are very similar to your older ones and you don't try new things, then whats the point in having you featured? People who like your style will have already seen your older ones and started following you.

Oh, and LoreRD's points are great. Totally agree with both of them. While most of OP's complaints aren't reasonable, LoreRD's are completely accurate.

[Nine Volt]

Everyone keeps insulting OP and stuff..... Kind of sad, since hes trying to have an intelligent discussion and all. 9V, you are right for the most part, but you can be such an asshole about it.

Could you perhaps tell me how I'm being an asshole, so perhaps I might stop doing those things in the future?

Tell me, is it the sarcasm or the little vitriolic quips? What?

[Magnitude Zero]

How exactly am I acting like an asshole? Is it because I told him to get off his high horse? Seriously, I don't think I've been an asshole at any point during this discussion. Or at least, very little.

I... never said you were? A little too aggressive, sure, but I don't think you went full-on asshole. Maybe half-asshole. Halfsshole.

Oh, and LoreRD's points are great. Totally agree with both of them. While most of OP's complaints aren't reasonable, LoreRD's are completely accurate.

Definitely. His second point in particular, I've noticed. It's like EqD is trying to encourage quantity over quality in remixes. People see that and try to get some exposure by being the butt of Seth's "lawl look how fast the fandom makes music" jokes.

[Anonagon]

Everyone keeps insulting OP and stuff..... Kind of sad, since hes trying to have an intelligent discussion and all. 9V, you are right for the most part, but you can be such an asshole about it.

Could you perhaps tell me how I'm being an asshole, so perhaps I might stop doing those things in the future?

Tell me, is it the sarcasm or the little vitriolic quips? What?

I was kind of exaggerating, but:

"It REEKS of butthurt"

Kidding. You're fine. I was actually thinking of other people, that "REEKS of butthurt" post was just the one I saw at the time. Other people said worse things. (Like "OP is a twit" and "OP stop making yourself look like an idiot")

[Nine Volt]

How exactly am I acting like an asshole? Is it because I told him to get off his high horse? Seriously, I don't think I've been an asshole at any point during this discussion. Or at least, very little.

I... never said you were? A little too aggressive, sure, but I don't think you went full-on asshole. Maybe half-asshole. Halfsshole.

You have still not given me a single reason to respond with insults to someone being totally civil. I don't really care who's right or wrong here, acting like an asshole is uncalled for. And it's sure not helping your case.

Although I do like that word. Halfsshole.

[Mr. Bigglesworth]

Personally, I've never submitted to eqd. Mostly because I find it trivial to do so. I'm not looking for more followers or views, so while I'm not looking for extra exposure, why do it? I have better things to do, like making music.

[TranquilHooves]

Sethisto actually just talked to me...he said he doesn't like your music one bit and will never post it because he hates you. It has nothing to do with the quality at all actually...he just despises your name.

Idk...take it from him I guess *shrugs*

*throws computer*

I like how OP is trying to be civil and some of you guys are just lambasting him
for being butthurt about not getting accepted to EqD.
Sadly, EqD probably just doesn't care and will continue to post what they want/be biased.
So, like, you could always make music for the fun of it and not for popularity.

[Genkar]

So, like, you could always make music for the fun of it and not for popularity.

I second this.

It's way too common nowadays to find people who just make music because they want recognition. You should be making music because you love to do it, and if you don't... well, then don't make music.

[Ed Viper]

Seriously, I could set my watch to these threads.

DusK, I agree with other folks here that your letter sounds like it's in retaliation to the fact that you've been rejected multiple times, to the point where it seems methodical. I get that. You also seem to think that being a part of OC Remixers gives you some sort of platform that raises you above indie producers. I don't get that as much. I was rejected from EQD four separate times while I was part of the BMD staff. Did I care? No. Did I use my position at BMD as some sort of justification for any sort of whining I did? Second verse, same as the first.

If getting rejected from EQD really frosts your ass that much, then you should take it as a challenge to get better at production, rather than as a personal insult (which is really what comes across in your letter). The time you spent writing that letter and making this thread is time that you didn't spend getting better at music. Fix that.

This forum is not a place for you to complain about how your tracks aren't getting featured and how many subs you don't have. The most subscribers I've ever had on YouTube was like 50. And you know what? I loved it. In fact, having not been submitted to EQD kinda increased how important those subscribers were to me, since they had to have gone out of their way to find my music, and liked it on the basis of quality, rather than the sort of mob mentality that occurs when stuff is posted on a blog - i.e. "because EQD posted it".

Also, as has been stated before in this thread - if you're not making music because it's fun, and instead doing it because of the recognition and internet pseudo-fame you'll get out of it - don't. If you have that much of a problem with not getting recognition for your work, then you're not really enjoying the work in the first place. I don't know you, so I can't say for sure, but I feel confident in saying that your career doesn't have to do with music production. Meaning this is what you do on your free time - meaning it should be fun and enjoyable. If you're making music for subs, as opposed to fun, you're doing it wrong.

It's also worth noting that, as the number of followers/subscribers you get increases, the more pressure there is for you to release music on a regular basis. Even if you think it's fun now, your heart doesn't seem to be in it, so the pressure from fans will likely cause you to fold and start churning out cookie-cutter songs daily (just to get it over with) or just stop making music altogether.

I see this problem with a lot of brony musicians as of late. If you want to put out stuff you're making, that's fine, but there seems to be a rising trend of putting promotion first and quality second. Spend less time promoting yourself and more time perfecting your craft. If you can't do that, then you're in music for all the wrong reasons.

Okay, rant over. If I came across as rude, offensive, or mean, I apologize. I'm just kind of tired of these EQD-hate threads. It isn't good for your image, or the image of MLR.

[Lavender_Harmony]

Yeah I will add something here: Being recognized can kinda suck. I mean, it's cool and all that people listen to my music, but I get people asking me when I'll be releasing something new, and I'm either busy with work on non-brony projects or just don't have any ideas or inspiration. I've been given shit before for switching genres, and I get flak on Tumblr for voicing an opinion, because once you gain a following of a significant number, not everyone is gonna agree with what you have to say! Its true I've become a little cold recently as some of you know, and this is in part due to the pressures of recognition. It's all a bit stressful sometimes, and I shouldn't let it get to me, but when so many look up to you for advice with their music, I can't take a casual backseat and let people make mistakes I know I can help them with, and that backfires. A lot.

Make music for your own and other peoples enjoyment, share it with those you know, and hey, they might show it to their friends. Don't just aim to get on some blog about My Little Pony, for goodness sake. Why do you want to be featured? To get feedback? That never happens, and if it does, it sparks a flame war in the comments, people give wrong or misinformed advice, or just don't bother even giving an opinion. If you need the feature to fuel your willpower to keep making music, find a new hobby.

[Makkon]

[edit] I removed my inappropriate rant

I think this thread is ready to go the way of all the earth unless there is more to discuss.