Why I Reject 95% of the Music I Hear (And It's Not What You Think)

I reject 95% of the music that crosses my desk. Not because it's bad music. Most of it is actually really good. But there's something that makes me hit "pass" within the first 30 seconds, and it has nothing to do with the quality of the song, the production value, or even whether it fits the project.

It's something most musicians never even consider when they're creating their music.

I've been on both sides of the music licensing world for over two decades. As a music supervisor, I've heard thousands upon thousands of songs from incredibly talented musicians. As someone who's also built successful music catalogs, I understand the frustration of putting your heart into a track only to hear nothing back.

In this story, I reveal why quality isn't the reason most music gets rejected, how usability matters more than talent in music licensing, why professionalism in presentation can kill great music before it's even heard, how every submission is actually an audition for a long-term working relationship, what separates the 5% who get through from the 95% who don't, and why musicians are actually selling an experience of working with them, not just songs.

But here's what most musicians don't realize: the reason your music gets rejected usually has nothing to do with your talent. There's a hidden factor that determines whether your music gets a "yes" or a "no" before I even finish listening to the first verse.

Stop just making good music. Start making yourself someone the industry wants to work with.