Trending Items and Quality Tips

Summary: Here are some key tips and tricks to be aware of when it comes to creating items to sell on Envato and certain items we do (and don’t) need at Envato. You'll find recommendations for seasonal/holiday content at the end too. 
If you know what you need or want to skip ahead, you can find more information by clicking on the specific sections on the right.

 

Graphic Items Quality Tips

To sell Graphics items on Envato, please be aware that files must demonstrate the proficiency and aesthetic understanding of a professional designer. These standards go above and beyond the technical requirements of a file.

It includes the quality, technical and legal requirements of an item, as outlined in our review process, as well as the current demands and trends within the industry.

Here we’ve compiled some quick tips on qualities we seek and examples of good design for graphics items. Although not all items will approach these qualities and techniques, in the same manner, weaknesses in these areas may be cause for file rejection.

Files should be editable:

• The file should contain clearly labelled and organized layers to allow the customer to edit the file easily. This can include: color changes, selection/deletion/modification of elements, resizing or moving of elements, and other modifications.
• Files should use professional techniques such as masking, layer adjustments, and layer styles (for re-sizeable elements) when necessary. In short: use non-destructive techniques.

Files should be cohesive:

• Submissions containing multiple elements should have a cohesive overall design.
  The cohesive design is achieved by sharing one or more of several elements: colour scheme, shape and alignment and other stylistic choices.

Files should demonstrate a professional understanding of design:

• The file should demonstrate excellent understanding and execution of basic design principles, including: contrast, repetition, alignment and proximity.
• The function and user-friendliness of the item should be considered. For instance, design templates should be legible - text cannot be too small.

Files with text should be scannable:

• The typographic layout should follow design standards for readability and use.
• Fonts should have refined tracking, leading and font choice.
• Text should have thoughtfully designed alignment, contrast, proximity and repetition in the layout.
• Alignment of text in files. Centered text is difficult to read for long paragraphs and files with multiple alignments on a single page are hard to scan. Files aligned on a grid are easy to interact with.

Files should have a sophisticated design sense:

• Design can be minimal or complex.
• All files should be sophisticated and demonstrate trend awareness.

Files containing common design trends should be exceptional:

• Common styles such as bokeh, glossy buttons and grunge effects result in a high submission of similar items. Files submitted in these categories should be unique or exceptional.

Video Items We Do and Don't Need

Items we do need:

This list is by no means complete. We need a lot more than what you see here, but these represent categories that have a lot of room to grow. We also need anything unique. If you look through our library and can’t find anything like what you’ve created, we want it!

Stock Footage
Stock Footage of all subject matter. HD footage is a must!

Targeted Projects
Of course it’s always best to appeal to the widest range of buyers, but there are many niches that require video projects on a regular basis. Creating projects that target sports, special events (weddings, parties, etc.), holiday themed, corporate, commercials, can all be very lucrative!

Unique Projects

This is a very broad statement. It’s all too common to see File A do very well and then Files B, C, D & E, look strikingly similar to File A. You want your project to be usable and current, but you also want to set yourself apart from the pack.

Unique projects that do well are the “File A’s”. Not to sound too cliche, but try to be more of a trend-setter and less of a trend-follower. These files also seem to stand the test of time. Meaning they sell well right from the gate, and continue selling well for many months.

 

Items we don’t need:
There’s nothing wrong with these files, we just have plenty of them already. This doesn’t mean we won’t accept any more light streaks, it just means that if you want to do one, you’ll need to bring something new to the table. Something that will allow your file to stand out from the pack!

Color Correction Presets
3D Extruded Logo Stings
Light Streaks
Particle Trails
Psunami Generated Water
Clouds
Falling Snow, Rain, Money
Optical Flares
Earth

 

Audio Items We Do and Don't Need

Items we do need:
We are currently accepting music across all genres. Please continue to create and submit high quality and original compositions that meet our quality requirements.

Items we don't need:
There is less demand for certain files in the library. Currently we are not accepting files similar to those described below:

• Tracks using only one instrument and only one note played at any time.
• Tracks demonstrating excessive dissonance.
• Basic drum/percussion loops.

Audio Sales Tips For Musicians by Musicians

Here we’ve compiled tips on what types of music are ideal to submit to our library in terms of arrangement, composition and production, and ways to increase your chances of acceptance through review.

We accept music in many styles and genres, but it’s important to understand that Envato is a commercial library. This means music submissions should ideally demonstrate a high degree of general commercial viability and utility, for a wide scope of commercial projects.

The more projects your music can support, the higher the potential for sales. This is what we call General Commercial Viability.

Music’s primary role in nearly all commercial projects is supportive. It is meant to enhance and compliment the visual message. This means that any audio which is able to accompany more visual works will have a higher chance of success. You should always keep this in mind when producing audio to sell as stock.

There are several aspects of music production that can help or hinder an item’s chances to sell well on Envato. Here are some tips to let you know what we expect:

Composition & Arrangement

Even if your mixing and production skills are amazing, there are important musicianship notions to keep in mind, for general commercial utility

Minimize sudden shifts or pauses
Having a unified and cohesive musical structure is an asset for commercial utility. Pauses or breaks in a track can limit the number of visuals that can be supported.

Also, strong stylistic or tempo shifts or fluctuations in the same track can decrease the music’s ability to support visuals, once a pace is established.

For example, if the tempo or style changes suddenly after 1 minute, or pause is heard while the pace of the visual continues, a feeling of discord or interruption can occur, which can destroy the sense of unity that was established between the imagery and the sound.

Avoiding conflict
Each instrument or musical element should have its own area or respective frequency range. Your track should not have distinct musical elements in the same register.
Otherwise, noticeable clashes can occur, musically, which will diminish the aesthetic and overall utility. Instruments are like voices. If two people are talking in the same place at the same time, they are less likely to be understood!

Sounds and vocals
Using environmental effects (water, birds, gunshots, etc.) or excessive vocal samples on a track can also prove challenging to use in projects that need voiceover work or other sounds.
Remember that sounds can always be added into a project, but can’t be easily removed. If you do use them, it’s always a good idea to include an instrumental version of your submission as well.

Getting to the point quickly
Most projects will not need an exceedingly long introduction, so it’s best to avoid very lengthy musical introductions. If you do have a version with an extended intro, you can still include it, following the 5 variations rule.

Also, remember that buyers may not listen to more than a few moments of a track when browsing, so it’s ideal to make a good impression sooner.

Ending on the right note
Unless the track loops seamlessly from the end back into the beginning, you should always make your track end naturally either with a proper ending, or with a natural sounding fadeout.
If the music is cut abruptly, or the fade suddenly cuts before completion, utility within professional application settings will be reduced and you’ll be asked to address this issue.

Elaborate solos
Since music occupies the supporting role in commercial media, it’s not usually a good idea to produce excessively elaborate virtuosic solo passages, as these can pose a challenge to any project where a voiceover or focus on visuals is required.

Repetition
While balanced repetition of an idea or pattern is the basis for aesthetically pleasing music, too much of a good thing can lead to worse results. Too much repetition without developing musical themes can lead to a monotonous sounding track which becomes taxing on the listener’s ear quickly.

Similarly, not using rests, fills or breaks in an otherwise unchanging percussion arrangement will significantly deteriorate a track’s commercial utility, making it much more likely to be rejected. Remember that the space between notes is often just as important as the notes themselves!

Too experimental?
While we encourage and appreciate artistic creativity and originality within a commercial context, submissions that are ultimately considered too abstract or experimental may be deemed less suitable for our commercial stock audio audience, and may not be accepted despite any artistic merit. For example, we do not accept “Musique Concrète” submissions.

Production

You’ve got a great composition. Fantastic! Make sure your technical production levels are good too.

Keeping samples current
Generally, you want to avoid making exclusive or significant use of unprocessed default sounds that ship with your music production software.
These sounds are often more dated and can cheapen the final production aesthetic. Similarly, tracks that sound like basic or more primitive midi samples are not advisable and will not be accepted usually.

Live Recording?
If your music submission has parts that you play and record yourself using a microphone, make sure your final track is clean and clear and of high quality.
There should be no environmental sounds from the room on the recording, including but not limited, to sounds of a piano bench creaking, keys impacts, coughing, breathing, other other sounds inadvertently made by the performer, etc.

Excessive effects
Extreme use of reverb, echo delay, or other effects can limit the utility of a track. They should be used in moderation, or in a way that keeps the mix sounding balanced.

Panning balance
Strong shifts in panning are not recommended. Especially in the low end.

Volume levels ­
Volume levels should be consistent throughout the track. Sudden spikes or drops will significantly limit the utility for most projects. Also, it’s always a good idea to compare your levels with other content online, to ensure your submission isn’t too loud or too quiet.

Finally, while it is important to have consistent volume levels, it's important to not compress tracks so much that they lose their dynamic range, this is particularly applicable to orchestral music, where retaining dynamic range is important.

Tuning issues
Watch for tuning issues that may occur between acoustic and sampled instruments. For best results we suggest tuning any acoustic instruments to the most apparent sample (mix­wise) in the composition.

Quantization and velocities
Be mindful of overusing quantization, or a natural sounding melody can become too mechanical, as the notes will be exceedingly evenly spaced, which creates an unnatural sense of phrasing in many musical genres.

Similarly, to increase the natural sounding quality of an instrument, care should be taken to ensure the relative velocities (volume) of each note are not always equal.

Failure to do so can easily lead to a production that sounds very robotic and mechanical, which again reduces commercial appeal for most styles of music.

Audio Sales Tips for Sound

Here we’ve compiled some specific details required to submit Sound Items to Envato. These tips will help you prepare your submissions correctly, to increase chances for approval through review and raise the potential utility for customers.

Sound Effects

First and most importantly, Envato encourages sound items to be as ready to use as possible in visual projects. In other words, the customer should not generally be required to undertake editing work before being able to use the sounds.

Envato focuses on ready to use sounds for inclusion in media projects. This means sounds should be as "drag and drop" ready as possible, i.e. no environmental sound captures (coughing, sneezing, identifiable speech on recordings, etc.)

Sound effects that are cleanly isolated, and ready for immediate import into projects are more likely to be accepted.
We cannot accept sound effects or recordings which would require significant additional editing by the end user, to trim, extract or otherwise alter or modify the file to make it more acceptable for use in general commercial application settings.

We also cannot accept sound recordings that are overly layered with distinct elements, or with specifically timed elements (for more custom syncing), as this diminishes general commercial utility.

AudioJungle does not accept single sample shots, or single instrument notes defined as such. For example, we do not accept a single snare hit sound, or any single drum sound (kick, hat, tom).
Exception: A single melodic tone could be considered as an interface sound or prompt.

Sound Submission Tips

Preview watermarking:

• Sounds that are less than two seconds do not require the AudioJungle watermark. It’s encouraged, however, in order to prevent unauthorized use of any sound you submit.
• Previews that contain several short sounds should have a light but discernible watermark over each sound.
• For shorter sounds between 0-30 seconds, the watermark can be placed once every 5 seconds.
• For longer submissions, the watermark can be placed 10 seconds apart, (like on music submissions), unless there is reasonable cause for it not to be. In such a case you should explain your reasoning in the notes to the reviewer.

Separate sounds:

• When submitting a series of sounds or different cuts of a recording together, the individual cuts or slices must be available as separate files in the zip archive.
• It’s best to have a second of silence between each sound effect on the preview. If there isn’t enough space between the sounds on the preview, the buyer cannot listen to the sounds as comfortably.

Stereo submissions:

• AudioJungle does not accept submissions in mono format at this time.

Consistent recordings:

• Recordings should have consistent volume levels across the file.
• Volumes should also be consistent between all files (.wav, .mp3 and preview files)

Technical Tips

Avoid intelligible speech:

• On a field or background recording (e.g. urban cityscape, supermarket ambience, crowds, restaurants, etc.) it’s important to capture the atmosphere without pronounced words in the foreground, in any language.
• Distinctly understandable or identifiable speech can significantly diminish the utility of a recording in general project applications.
• For instance, in professional video applications, standout speech on a recording can complicate the syncing process and can ultimately become a distraction.
• By conflicting with the main audio, be it a voice-over or another sound i.e. the focus of the narrative at that time.

Avoid background or foreground artefacts:

• Similarly, sounds that seem out of place on the recording can diminish a recording’s utility.
• Examples:
  • Hum/hiss/white noise
  • Excessive room reverb
  • Close miking/proximity effect
• Sounds of the microphone being handled.
• Make sure to use a wind screen when recording outdoors to avoid wind buffeting the mic.
  Similarly, It’s always best to use a pop filter for recordings of speech, or if you are making sound effects with your mouth.

Avoid excess panning:

• Sounds that are panned extremely right or left can create imbalance.
• Avoid using a stereo recorder unless the sound you are trying to capture warrants doing so (e.g. a vehicle passing by can start panned on one side and finish on the other side).
• Please Note: Exceptions to the above can be made for the following kinds of sounds.
  • Passbys (such as cars/planes/spaceships/boats that involve the effect of coming from the left to the right (or vice versa).
  • Radio imaging effects.
  • Trailer transitions, hits, and whooshes.
  • Electronic FX risers, stingers, downers.
  • Any sound that makes use of the doppler effect.

As a general rule, whoever is using your sound effects most likely has the capability to pan them as well, so where possible panning should be left to the buyer, as this increases commercial usability.

Avoid excess silence at extremities:

• The submission should not have silent gaps before or after the sound is heard. Make sure your sound files are adequately trimmed.
• Avoid unnecessarily long tails (e.g. car passing by taking 30 seconds to get to the microphone).

Ensure seamless looping, as required:

• There should be no gaps or skipping at the looping point of a looped submission.
• If a loop is of something with a noticeable ‘tempo’ or motion, make sure to keep that in mind at the loop point as well. (e.g. a heartbeat, or steady chirping of a cricket shouldn’t go out of time at the loop point.)
• Ensure non-looping sounds fade out properly. The ending must sound natural to be usable.
• When submitting melodic interface or game sounds (i.e. dings, “Game Over” logos, etc.), always favor high quality sample libraries/instruments.

Categories

• When submitting a sound effect file, take care to select an appropriate category for the item. Do not select the top level Sound category.
• You should select a more specific subcategory, that most matches your submission’s character.
• If you are not sure which category is best, feel free to include comments in the "notes to reviewer" field and a member of the team would be happy to assist you with categorization.

Titles

• Do not use brand names or trademarks in your sound items’ titles. For example, “Motorcycle Revving” is a better title than “Honda Motorcycle Engine”.
• Titles are encouraged to be generic in order to facilitate discovery by more buyers searching with general terms.
• An exception for this is when the sound is specifically unique to a particular brand, and generally sought as such. e.g. "Jumping on a Pogo Stick".

Sound Packs

• Sound Packs are submitted to the same queue as individual sound effects. On the sound upload page, the Sound Pack category must be selected to distinguish the submission.
• Unlike music or ident packs, sound packs Do Not require included items to be approved individually first, and therefore do not need individual item linkage in the description.
• The length field of any grouped sound submission (variations or not), unlike ident and music variations items, must be the TOTAL length of all the sounds in the zip.
• Place the number of unique items in the ‘Number of Unique Sounds’ field. Extremely close variations of a single sound would not count toward this number, just as they do not count toward the item price.
• Sound packs submission should maintain a degree of unifying themes. We don’t accept collections of completely random sounds in a bunch, e.g. a zip including barnyard animals, with car chases, and space warp sounds all bundled together, or anything else that seems like too much of a hodgepodge.

Seasonal Content Recommendations

As an author, one of the best ways to maximize sales for seasonal content is to prepare and upload your items ahead of time. Our sales data suggests that buyers typically search for, bookmark, and purchase seasonal content about 1- 2 months before the actual holiday date - which means that the Christmas season can even start as early as October.

To make sure that your item can be reviewed and published to Envato at the time our customers are in demand for it, we recommend you upload your item(s) about 8 - 12 weeks prior to the date of the event.

The recommended timeline is merely a suggestion to benefit you and the time
required to review your items may vary. Generally speaking, the more you plan ahead and the earlier you submit, the greater chance you have of maximizing your potential sales!

Annual Holidays & Events
For your convenience, we have highlighted some of the major holidays around the world in the table below.

For more detailed events around the world however, please refer to Time And Date.com and be sure to change the country to see each different set of national holidays and events.