Yeah, I agree with your comments. I personally think that this is what makes him so good! The imperfections give the listener a sense of equality, unlike others. I will prefer someone to whom I can actually relate, instead of all the fake, perfect and superficial ones. Life is not perfect neither is one's life, they all have to stop portraying it that way!
The reference to Bob Dylan is a good one! Certainly his voice and guitar playing is not great and he put out some stuff that I would consider half baked in terms of today's standards.
Dylan is of a different place in time. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely admire what he has has delivered. He is more poetic than musical though. However, we surely can't believe that if it worked for Dylan, then it's alright to use the same approach and 40+ years later it will still be OK for everyone else too.
The inference from Graham's video is that a music writer in this century should be prepared to just chuck it out there, imperfections and all, because they shouldn't be bothered to spend the time to improve it to the best of their ability. Don't worry about the quality, as long as there is regular quantity, you fans will continue to savor the moments.
We're not talking George Martin or Quincy Jones here. How does this one person dictate 'The New Rules Of the Music Industry'? What absolute nonsense.
Look at it from another approach:
A car manufacturer makes fantastic looking sporty new cars. The manufacturer churns them out in masses - because to them, quantity is more important. Management decide they don't have to pay much attention to quality, everyone will buy them because they produce them cheaply in great numbers. They're always available. When the customer drives them, they don't handle well, the seats are uncomfortable and the air conditioning doesn't work. The manufacturer could have spent time improving the model but just expected the masses to love their cars because they got them to the market quickly. What did the manufacturer do? The manufacturer just embraced imperfection.
You are unwell, and go to the doctor. He can't be bothered diagnosing your ailment too carefully and has a heap of patients in the waiting room, so just gives you a quick checkup and tells you to take two days off work and rest. What did that doctor do? He just Embraced Imperfection.
Am I singing Graham's latest song?
Any professional should strive to deliver the best they can.
That self-promoting YouTube video is just encouraging the music industry that it's OK to deliver junk.
BIAB & RB2026 Win.(Audiophile), Windows 10 Pro & Windows 11, Cakewalk Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Session Keys Grand S & Electric R, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M, Pioneer Active Monitors.
FWIW - Many times I will take a first recording even if it has a wort or two over one that has been polished to a dull track. I'll take emotion over perfection most of the time. YMMV
Dad, how will I know when I've become an adult.
When your day is ruined because they rearranged the grocery store.
64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
Nobody here is talking about Bob Dylan. We are talking about Joe Smith (John's brother). Every time a discussion like this comes up people start pointing to firmly established stars as their example. That is NOT apples to apples.
Much the same way I used to have people tell me, after saying "I'm too old for this stuff", that Paul McCartney is in his 70s. Well, hurrah for Paul. If your believe your metaphor connecting one of the most famous songwriters and performers in the history of songwriters and performers to some shlub in Cleveland that nobody has ever heard of and doesn't care about, then it holds water. McCartney was more famous by age 22 than I ever dreamed of being.
So, on topic, Dylan could release a CD of nursery rhyme covers and the Dylan cultists would buy millions of copies. He doesn't HAVE to impress anybody anymore. And you can take ANY major star and put their name in that statement. "They" are not relevant to "us". Compare THIS fat old short guy in Ohio to other fat old short guys. Doesn't it follow that for THIS fat old short guy to sell more units than the other fat old short guys, THIS fat old short guy has to write better songs and perform them better than the other fat old short guys? Turning out half finished work blends me into the gray when I need to be shimmering white to get attention.
And for the record, I don't own even one Dylan album. I am not that great a fan. I recognize, but not idolize, his writing. Success is usually relative to the time in which it was achieved. This is 2018.
And for another thing, at one time he was Joe Smith.
So try and stay on track dude before you go on another cranky rampage.
And for another thing, Clarence Clemons put down the best sax solo ever recorded in rock history. Says who? Me. And Bruce. That's who.
Say anything else or argue anymore about that and I will show up at your house with a truck full of drunken rednecks who like Bruce. They don't fight clean.
Now that we have that out of the way, when are we going to record our next song Eddie?
It has been like 4 weeks. Do you have writer's block or something?
David Snyder Songwriter/Renaissance Man Studio + Fingers
Yes, it's an excellent book: Michael Caine - Acting in Film: An Actor's Take on Movie Making. It made me re-think about him as an actor, and acknowledge that at the end of the day, he - like everyone else - is just trying to make a living.
Graham's point is that you're now required to be self-marketing, and the current market demands that artists keep bored consumers engaged by constantly providing fresh content.
You're no longer a musician first - you're a brand, and the content that you provide is what creates loyalty. This loyalty can be monetized once you've got something that you want to promote, such as an album to sell, or a concert to attend.
What he's suggesting is considering using your unfinished and unpolished material as content to provide in creating your brand.
This means that you can share stuff that's not yet finished, or release partial songs. You can release singles instead of waiting for the album to be completed.
What this gives you is a larger stream of content to provide to your audience. The beauty of this approach is that you turn existing content (rough mixes, incomplete songs) into new content.
Got a video of the band rehearsing? A rough version of your song with temporary lyrics? A rough mix of a song? All of these are brand-building content.
At the end of the day, you can still release a polished, finished product. But in the mean time, you've kept your bored, content-hungry consumers happy, attentive, and engaged. Loyal customers spend money on your products.
He also gives the advice of not spending time making improvements that - sorry to say - no one is going to hear. Obvious benefits include actually getting things done, and moving on to new things so you get better.
The point about Dylan is that he is not an up and comer who needs to care about how his latest is received. Anything he does after 50 years is going to sell
And what I am working on right now, trust me, you want NO part of this monumental piece of crap!! LOL!
The goal for 2018 was to write songs of different styles that I have never done with RB before. There was the jazz tune, before that the big band piece, there is a disco song in progress, and a trance/industrial. There will also be reggae at some point.
When I sit down anymore I have to remind myself "NOT country on this one." I am also trying to write a piece with movements like a true symphony. If Jimmy Webb can do it, so can I.
After all of this very entertaining group of posts, when I read about someone basically saying, "Don't worry about perfection just get it out there", what he means is perfect to YOU not to anyone else.
That is the big issue with creative people. We all can come up with something decent, record, mix, master and it's done. Then we listen to it. And again, and again and every time we listen we hear something. Oh crap, I should have done this, that or whatever.
That's when you make the fatal mistake: You go in and start changing it. DON'T DO THAT.
That's what I think Graham means when he says don't worry about making it perfect.
After all of this very entertaining group of posts, when I read about someone basically saying, "Don't worry about perfection just get it out there", what he means is perfect to YOU not to anyone else.
That is the big issue with creative people. We all can come up with something decent, record, mix, master and it's done. Then we listen to it. And again, and again and every time we listen we hear something. Oh crap, I should have done this, that or whatever.
That's when you make the fatal mistake: You go in and start changing it. DON'T DO THAT.
That's what I think Graham means when he says don't worry about making it perfect.
Bob
I agree with this sentiment as well. We already know that music is subjective. That is why there are so many genres out there. Just because we find something imperfect or flawed in our own content doesn't mean someone else will see the same issues as we do.
I am going to agree with Bob on this. And of course to Herb's point, we should tune our guitars. And try and sing on pitch IF we can.
BUT--I learned a lesson on this a long time ago. I wrote a certain song and some people said "Man, that gave me goosebumps. It was kind of lo fi, and it wasn't by the book, but dang, it was strong."
Then a group of song evaluators had a long list of things I needed to do and change. I did it. Finally, after about 11 versions they said it was "professional" now. I let my friends listen to it.
They said: "Man, they took a beautiful thing and turned it into garbage."
They were right. I couldn't live with myself until I deleted the professional version and went back to the very first one where I sounded like I meant it.
Sometimes sounding like you mean it is everything, and sometimes you can fiddle around with stuff WAY too much.
So if that is what Bob is saying, I say, yeah.
David Snyder Songwriter/Renaissance Man Studio + Fingers
If you can sing in tune and you can accompany yourself on an acoustic (in tune) instrument to an acceptable level and you are sincere about what you are delivering, then (most) people will love it. So why not put it out for the world to enjoy even if it is not perfect.
Depends on your goals. If you are trying to break into music as a career or maintain one you should avoid releasing less than perfect work unless you have an angle. For example, John Prine released his original rough recordings in a collection but he waited 40 years to do so! Had he released those instead of the haybale album I suspect it might have limited his ultimate success.
Of course, on the practical side, acknowledging that none of us has a snowball's chance in hell of achieving a Prine level success story, maybe just shoveling it out there is just fine! If almost no one is listening I guess the quality is not much of an issue.
Maybe the real trick is doing high quality AND sounding like you mean it!
If you can sing in tune and you can accompany yourself on an acoustic (in tune) instrument to an acceptable level and you are sincere about what you are delivering, then (most) people will love it. So why not put it out for the world to enjoy even if it is not perfect.
video is blocked on copyright grounds.
You can find my music at: www.herbhartley.com Add nothing that adds nothing to the music. You can make excuses or you can make progress but not both.
The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.
If you can sing in tune and you can accompany yourself on an acoustic (in tune) instrument to an acceptable level and you are sincere about what you are delivering, then (most) people will love it. So why not put it out for the world to enjoy even if it is not perfect.
video is blocked on copyright grounds.
Click on the title to take you to her YouTube video... Click on her name for more videos... they are not only quite impressive but also seem to fit nicely with the subject of this thread... but then she's just a kid doing her thing... perhaps she doesn't know any better
What a great idea for a thread, JoAnne. Plainly, the video talk has touched a lot of hearts. Retired people like me don't think so much in terms of branding, or even business; but i can say, getting out there and playing in front of people, amusing them, touching their hearts, is a time tested "strategy." With that, please let me briefly share an idea. We all know that in film, now video, so much effort went into clarity, or perfection, I mean be it wide screen 70mm CinemaScope or 1081 high resolution. Especially, big screen theater. Ever wonder why? It's because the object was to create a reality bigger than life, a striking and lasting impression. Walt Disney with his cartoons --- blues bluer than blue, reds redder than red. Genius. Before I drifted away from bothering with it,, I saw Anthony Hopkins in "Silence of the Lambs." I can still see that crazy SOB, glaring through the bars. Now, John is right, Everything has changed. We are looking for something else. Super perfection is not enough. Drama perfected is melo drama -- overdone. How does this relate to music? Well, we listened to the Beatles on high fidelity stereo, and were stunned. Look at the super productions today....how many dancers, how many flashing lights, how much skin, I mean, what does it take? Me, I am in the direction of creating a little Vimeo channel of PD Christian that could be an oasis in the hectic world of content. I have the time, but can't slow down long enough to get it done. (Too connected!)
I'm still hoping somebody will jump in with an operational definition of perfect.
We do adhere to the adage that our best product is not achieved when there is nothing left to add but rather when there is nothing left to take away.
Our albums and singles are on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, YouTube Music, Pandora and more. If interested search on Janice Merritt. Thanks! Our Videos
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac - Special Offers End at 11:59pm PDT on Friday, May 15th, 2026!
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202 New RealTracks Released with Band-in-a-Box 2026!
With Band-in-a-Box® 2026, we've released 202 incredible new RealTracks (in sets 468-488) in a variety of genres—featuring your most requested styles!
Jazz, Funk & World (Sets 468-475):
Our new jazz, funk & blues RealTracks include a groovin’ collection of RealTracks and RealDrums! These include more requested “soul jazz” RealTracks featuring artists Neil Swainson (bass), Charles Treadway (organ), Brent Mason (guitar), and Wes Little (drums). There are new “smooth jazz” styles (4), which include a RealTracks first: muted trumpet, as well as slick new smooth jazz brushes options for drums. Blues lovers will be thrilled—there are more “classic acoustic blues” styles, including guitar (5), bass (4), and drums (10) with blues master Colin Linden, featuring understated and tasty background acoustic soloing, plus brushes drums and acoustic bass. There are also new electric blues RealTracks, including electric blues with PG favorite Johnny Hiland (3) and soulful electric slide guitar from Colin Linden (4). If you love funk & gospel, there are great new options this year, including gospel organ (3) from Charles Treadway, as well as new funk, tango, and rock ’n’ roll drums (3) and bass (1). And for big, bold arrangements, we have uptempo soul horns (4) featuring a three-part hip horn section with options for a full mix or stems of each individual horn — plus an accompanying rhythm section (4) of drums, bass, guitar, and electric piano!
Rock & Pop (Sets 476–482):
Our new rock & pop RealTracks bring a powerful mix of requested favorites, fresh genres, and modern chart-inspired styles! We have more of our popular “Producer Layered Acoustic Guitars (15)” featuring Band-in-a-Box favorite Brent Mason. We’ve continued our much-requested disco styles (10), and added new Celtic guitar (5) with a more basic, accessible approach than our previous Drop-D or DADGAD offerings. There are also highly requested yacht rock styles (17), inspired by the smooth, polished soft-rock sound of the late ’70s and early ’80s — laid-back grooves, silky electric pianos, warm textures, elegant harmonic movement, and pristine production aesthetics. Fans of heavier styles will love our new glam metal (13), capturing the flashy, high-energy sound of ’80s arena-ready guitar rock. We also have a set of rootsy modern-folk rock (18), with a warm, organic sound combining contemporary folk textures and driving acoustic strumming. And we’ve added lots of new modern pop styles (16) — the kinds of sounds you’re hearing on the radio today, featuring exciting new drums, synths, and cutting-edge RealTracks arrangements.
Country, & Americana (Sets 483–488):
Our new country & Americana RealTracks deliver a rich collection of acoustic, electric, and roots-inspired styles! We have new country pop (9) with legendary guitarist Brent Mason. There is also a potpourri (14) of bouzouki, guitars, banjo, and more, perfect for adding texture and character to contemporary acoustic arrangements. We’ve added funky country guitar (5) with PG favorite Brent Mason, along with classic pedal steel styles (5) featuring steel great Doug Jernigan. There are more country songwriter styles (8) that provide intimate, rootsy foundations for storytelling and modern Americana writing. Finally, we have “background soloing” acoustic guitar (12) with Brent Mason — simpler, but still very tasty acoustic lines designed to sit beautifully behind vocals or act as a subtle standalone solo part.
And, if you are looking for more, the 2026 49-PAK (for $49) includes an impressive collection of 20 bonus RealTracks, featuring exciting and inspiring additions to add to your RealTracks library. You'll get new country-rhythm guitar styles from PG Music favorites Johnny Hiland and Brent Mason, along with modern-pop grooves that capture today’s radio-ready sound! There are also new indie-folk styles with guitar, bass, 6-string bass used as a high-chording instrument, acoustic guitar, and banjo. Plus, dedicated "cymbal fills" RealDrums provide an added layer that work very well with low-key folky styles with other percussion.
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MIDI Styles Set 92: Look Ma! More MIDI 15: Latin Jazz
MIDI SuperTracks Set 46: Piano & Organ
Instrumental Studies Set 24: Groovin' Blues Soloing
Artist Performance Set 19: Songs with Vocals 9
Playable RealTracks Set 5
RealDrums Stems Set 9: Cool Brushes
SynthMaster Sounds Set 1 (with audio demos)
iOS Android Band-in-a-Box® App
Looking for more great add-ons, then upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK for just $49 and you'll get:
20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums with 20 RealStyle.
FLAC Files (lossless audio files) for the 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums
MIDI Styles Set 93: Look Ma! More MIDI 16: SynthMaster
MIDI SuperTracks Set 47: More SynthMaster
Instrumental Studies 25 - Soul Jazz Guitar Soloing
Artist Performance Set 20: Songs with Vocals 10
RealDrums Stems Set 10: Groovin' Sticks
SynthMaster Sounds & Styles Set 2 (sounds & styles with audio demos)
XPro & Xtra Styles PAK Sets On Sale Now - Until May 15, 2026!
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With the release of Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac, we’re rolling out a collection of brand-new videos on our YouTube channel. We’ll keep this forum post updated so you can easily find all the latest videos in one convenient spot.
Whether you're exploring new features, checking out the latest RealTracks or Style PAKs, this is your go-to guide for Band-in-a-Box® 2026.
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac is here and it is packed with major new features! There’s a new modern look, a GUI redesign to all areas of the program including toolbars, windows, workflow and more. There’s a Multi-view layout for organizing multiple windows. A standout addition is the powerful AI-Notes feature, which uses AI neural-net technology to transcribe polyphonic audio into MIDI—entire mixes or individual instruments—making it easy to study, view, and play parts from any song. And that’s just the beginning—there are over 100 new features in this exciting release.
Along with version 2026, we've released an incredible lineup of new content! There's 202 new RealTracks, brand-new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, “Songs with Vocals” Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 5, two new RealDrums Stems sets, XPro Styles PAK 10, Xtra Styles PAK 21, and much more!
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2026 Free Bonus PAK & 49-PAK Add-ons
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