Quality Control

[Nick Ryder]

Before you release a song into the world, what factors do you think about before you think it is ready?

Subconsciously, if I am going to present a song as being finished, I want it to be as good as it can be.

I always reference commercially released songs as a staring point. I also have a couple of trusted friends (second pairs of ears) to get their opinions as because I am the writer, I do not feel I am qualified to know if my song is any good. Only the listener truly knows.

I then tend to score myself out of 10 on the following criteria:

Vocal performance - Could I get a performance on another day?
Arrangement - Do the instruments work together? Does anything stick out? Is there anything missing?
Production - Are the sounds good? Does it need ear candy? Does everything fit?
Dynamics - Does the song move or is it flat? Could I remove parts of the arrangement to add contrast?
Commerciality - Would the general public like it or is it self indulgent?
Mix - Is the mix clear, punchy and loud enough? How close does it compare to commercial releases? Is it too long and does it get to the good bits quick enough? Does it give the listener a reason to come back to it a second, third and fourth time?

If the average score is less than an 8, then I will not release it until it is fixed.

[mattyoungmusic]

Wow, I am impressed by the disciplin you put into it.  I have a much more seat-of-my-pants method which involves:

1) Actually finishing one of the countless song ideas I have started (by which I mean, being satisfied that the structure makes sense to me and the lyrics are complete)
2) Recording and mixing it (usually over a period of months) to the best of my ability, occasionally soliciting the ears of a trusted music production friend to help with technical issues.
3) Reaching a point where I feel I don't want to fiddle with it anymore.

I don't put any consideration at all into commerciality.  I've written many songs which one could argue are overly self-indulgent, but I don't let that stop me.  I had a very very long drought of zero musical creativity, so these days anything the muse throws my way I happily pick up and run with, just for the pure joy of it.  I then release them publicly as a lark more than anything.

[Whiskey Club]

I try to avoid my tendency to just publish and move on to the next song by sending the master to a few trusted ears before distribution.  I have a half-dozen people now who I trust to hold me back until it's good   

[Rightly]

The point on commerciality

If you took a good, early Cohen song and released it today, I'm sure most people wouldn't like it. The quality and apparent uniqueness would be understood as unnecessary.
Some might even call it self indulgent. 😆

[Elvis Nash]

I break out the calculator and bribe money to my wife . If the song works it works , Somebody is going like it and somebody is going to hate it . The dog likes everything I do . I think most my songs would work well on selling 1970 Pintos commercials

[tboswell]

I really just mix the song and listen to it absentmindedly while walking the dogs.
If it seems natural and nothing sticks out while I am listening (but not really listening) to it, I call it done.

Honestly, sometimes I am so sick of listening over and over the same track I am begging it to be over!!