Hi Everyone and Happy New Year! Just wondering what some of your favourite realistic-sounding Piano VSTs are? My go-to in trailer tracks is the Felt Piano from Spitfire's Olafur Arnalds Toolkit, but I need something a little less soft for a project I'm working on. I've been using Addictive Keys from XLN Audio for years in personal projects, but I'm not sure it quite has the realism I want/need for this professional project. Though interested if anyone disagrees! Let me know your thoughts! I'm hoping not to break the bank on another piano, but I'd love to have something that sounds super realistic to slot into my wider instrument collection (Nucleus, Metropolis Ark, Damage 2, Gravity etc) Thanks all!

Hey beautiful people! Think you can write a theme that sticks? Your mission: 👓 First of all, read carefully 🧠 Compose an orchestral main theme (can be less but max. 60 sec) that stays in our heads all day long! Style is totally up to you—epic, quirky, emotional, you name it. Just make sure it's unforgettable. 💥 This time, YOU will be the judge. We’ll vote for the most addictive theme together—the entry with the most likes wins! 🏆 Winner gets: - 1 MONTH free access to the Audio Artist Rise Program and all courses - A 90-minute 1:1 personal call with me to dive deep into anything you need—career, music, strategy, mindset, you name it. - If you are a Riser already, we make it two 1:1 calls :) 📅 Deadline: Sunday, 6th of July 📍 Post your entry as a comment TO THIS POST. Do NOT open a new post! ⏱️ After the deadline there will be 3 days of voting time. The track with the most likes on Thursday morning (CET), 10th of July, wins! 📺 After the winner is selected, we’ll host a free Zoom session to review all submitted tracks and discuss what made them work—or not. The replay will be publicly available. Let the hooks begin. Let’s see who creates the melody that haunts us (in the best way).

Hey everyone, we had an awesome Audio Artist Rise Zoom session this week and it was an incredible exploration of the many layers that shape a successful composing career—from how to manage a chaotic schedule to crafting the perfect demo reel for your dream project. Whether you're writing for trailers, pitching to game developers, or trying to stay focused in a noisy world, this session delivered valuable takeaways you can apply right away. 🎯 The Art of Managing Multiple Music Projects Managing one music project is challenging enough—but what happens when you're working on a film and a game at the same time? That was one of the big themes we explored: how to navigate multiple simultaneous deadlines without sacrificing creativity or quality. The key lies in clarity—on both the macro and micro level. Start by mapping out your deadlines and backward-planning milestones. But equally important is managing how you work. One powerful technique discussed was completely eliminating unnecessary distractions by disabling notifications and minimizing phone usage. It’s not about brute force—it’s about creating an environment where deep work becomes effortless. Scrolling between sessions, working in reactive mode, and constantly switching tools or tasks kills momentum. The solution? Create friction around distractions and ease around focus. Your calendar, your environment, and your habits should all work for you—not against you. ⏱️ Productivity as a Composer: Energy Over Hours The session also covered the power of working in short, focused blocks—ideally 1 to 2 hours—followed by meaningful breaks. It was a reminder that productivity isn’t about doing more, but doing the right work in the right state of mind. Working late at night might feel productive, but in the long run, it depletes your cognitive reserves. The emphasis here was on working smarter—especially for creatives. The brain needs recovery time, and pushing through exhaustion only leads to diminishing returns and burnout.

Just wanted to share something that I have built today. I can now control CC01 by tracking my hand with my webcam.

Hello all, I'm wondering if there are any discount codes for any of the drum/percussion libraries Alex works with? TIA