Ghost Production Revisions: What Buyers Can Change
With ghost production revisions, you request changes to a demo or delivered track, using the agreed brief and revision terms to define what is covered. If the first demo is close but not right, explain what needs adjusting and what should stay. For SoundHaus custom work, the published package includes unlimited revisions within the agreed creative direction during the 30-day feedback window after delivery.
How ghost production revisions work
Think of a revision request as a connection between something you hear and a result you want. You might like the bass pattern but want a less prominent lead, or approve the sounds while asking for a shorter breakdown. Start by asking whether your request develops the agreed track or changes the target.
Before commissioning, get the revision boundaries in writing. Ask which changes are included, when feedback is due and how additional work will be quoted. Treat "unlimited" as a term to read alongside those conditions, rather than permission to keep replacing the brief.
Keep each review focused: identify the audio version, explain the remaining issues and name the elements you approve. If the groove works, say so. If the hook is still undecided, make that clear before asking for detailed mix adjustments around it.
What to confirm before you pay
Ask for the revision terms alongside the production scope. Use these questions to settle the practical details, especially if you have a release date in mind.
- Included changes: Which arrangement, sound and mix requests fit the agreed work? What would count as a different concept?
- Feedback method: Where should you send notes? Should one person consolidate feedback from collaborators?
- Review window: When does it begin? What should you do if you need more listening time?
- Additional work: How will requests outside the agreed direction be identified, quoted and approved?
- Schedule: What does the first-demo milestone cover? How will requested changes affect final delivery?
- Approval: How should you distinguish approval of the musical direction from approval of the finished files?
State your release deadline before work begins. Ask whether the proposed schedule leaves room for listening, revisions and checking the final files. Avoid planning a release around a demo milestone without confirming the remaining work.
If your direction is still loose, prepare your production brief before asking for scope confirmation. If you would prefer to choose an existing track, compare custom and ready-made tracks before committing.
Which changes fit the agreed direction?
Compare each request with the original brief. Are you asking for the same musical idea to work better, or do you now want a different track? Describe the intended result before deciding whether to call it a small edit.
The examples below are illustrative. Use them to discuss scope with your producer; they are not promises that particular edits will be included or excluded.
| Area | Refining the agreed direction | Potential change of scope |
|---|---|---|
| Arrangement | Shorten a breakdown to maintain the momentum described in the brief. | Build the arrangement around a newly requested melodic centrepiece. |
| Sound selection | Try a less bright lead while preserving the approved motif and groove. | Replace the sound palette to follow a different reference direction. |
| Mix | Make the kick easier to follow when the approved lead enters. | Rewrite the bass and drums to pursue a different groove. |
| Reference | Clarify the percussion balance already identified in the agreed reference. | Make a newly supplied reference the main creative target. |
| Concept | Refine transitions within the agreed club arrangement. | Request a different track concept or a complete rebuild. |
For example, imagine a brief built around a restrained tech house groove. Compare "remove some percussion so the bass has more room" with "replace the minimal hook with a trance-style melodic centrepiece." Ask the producer to assess those requests against the brief before starting the changes.
If you want a separate interpretation after completing the commission, raise that as its own discussion. See the guide to remixing a purchased track when planning that next stage.
How to review the first demo
First, establish what the demo is meant to demonstrate. Ask whether you are reviewing a groove sketch, a full arrangement or a version ready for detailed mix notes. Judge it against that milestone and the agreed references.
Check creative direction first
Listen through once without pausing. Does the groove, mood and musical focus suit the role you described? Name what works before listing changes. For example: "Keep the bass rhythm and restrained hook; reduce the extra percussion in the main section."
Give each reference a specific job. The research paper The Role of Communication and Reference Songs in the Mixing Process describes how engineers use reference songs, demo mixes and verbal descriptions to understand client expectations. Point to the relevant passage and explain which quality you mean: drum balance, space around the hook or the movement into the drop.
Review arrangement separately
Follow the track from intro to outro. Mark where you want more momentum, where a section feels extended or where a hook interferes with your intended DJ transition. Explain the purpose of each edit instead of listing cuts without context.
An illustrative note might read: "Keep a rhythmic cue through the breakdown so the return feels connected." If you agreed a particular section length in the brief, refer directly to that requirement.
Describe mix observations in context
Use a familiar listening setup and compare at similar playback levels. Tell the producer whether you listened on headphones, monitors or another system. If you notice the issue only on one device, include that detail.
Describe what you hear before prescribing processing. In Understanding Client Feedback, mix engineer Neil Rogers explains that abstract comments can have different technical meanings. Try "the lead makes the drums harder to follow" before requesting extra compression without explaining the problem.
A feedback template your producer can act on
Copy these fields for each request. Use the exact audio filename or version label, and replace the timestamp placeholders with locations from that version. If collaborators are reviewing, resolve conflicting notes before sending the list.
File/version: [exact filename or version label]
Section or timestamp: [section name; start and end timestamps]
What you hear: [describe the audible issue]
Desired outcome: [describe how the passage should feel or function]
Relevant reference: [agreed reference and passage, or original brief requirement]
Priority: [required change, preference or optional experiment]
Elements to preserve: [approved sounds, rhythm, melody or arrangement choices]
Before sending "make the drop bigger," decide what you mean. Are you asking for stronger drum impact, more contrast with the breakdown or a more prominent hook? Use a concrete request like this fictional example:
Illustrative request: In [demo filename], at [drop start and end timestamps], the lead seems to mask the drums when it enters. I want the kick and snare to remain easy to follow while keeping the lead's melody and rhythm. Use [agreed reference passage] for the balance I mean. This is a required change; please preserve the bass pattern and current arrangement.
Finish with an overall status: "Groove and hook approved; arrangement and lead balance still need the listed changes." Keep requests for more listening time separate from requests to change the audio, and state explicitly when you are approving a version.
What if the revised track still misses the brief?
Compare the latest version with the original brief and your previous notes. For each unresolved issue, identify whether the request was missed, interpreted differently or followed by a new preference.
An illustrative unmet request is: "The hook still plays in the outro, although my previous note asked for it to stop before the mixing section." A changed preference is: "The hook now stops as requested, but I would prefer a new melody there." Be clear about which situation you are describing.
If the producer interpreted your note differently, explain the audible result again using the relevant passage. Ask for a proposed next step and confirmation of any effect on scope or timing.
Keep the brief, version labels, feedback and responses together. Before approving, check the latest version against the remaining required changes. If the disagreement concerns what was commissioned, return to the written agreement and ask how it will be resolved. Avoid assuming that another rebuild or a refund is part of the revision process.
What SoundHaus includes in custom revisions
SoundHaus is the team behind the track. Custom production or development of an existing idea costs $450 per track, with scope confirmed before payment. SoundHaus production, mixing and mastering are included, together with final WAV, MP3, stems and the native DAW project. Brief and project compatibility are confirmed before work begins. Review what the production package includes when discussing your project.
The published custom production terms set the first-demo milestone at 5 business days after the agreed brief, required files and payment are received. That is a first-demo milestone, not a final-delivery deadline. Final delivery depends on feedback and the requested changes.
Under SoundHaus's published revision terms, unlimited revisions apply within the agreed creative direction during the 30-day feedback window after delivery. Published examples include arrangement, sounds and mix adjustments. A new reference direction, different track concept or complete rebuild is a new project quoted separately. Optional external mixing or mastering specialists are also quoted separately.
Bring your release date, references and any existing project files into the scope discussion. To clarify a request before commissioning, discuss your requested changes and submit your brief for scope confirmation.
FAQ
Are revisions always included?
Check the terms for the specific purchase. SoundHaus's revision offer described here applies to custom work. Do not assume a catalogue purchase receives that package; confirm any requested edits before buying.
How many revisions can I request?
SoundHaus publishes unlimited revisions within the agreed creative direction during the 30-day feedback window after delivery. Read the allowance together with those conditions when deciding whether it suits your project.
Can I ask for revisions after receiving the files?
Yes. The published custom terms provide a 30-day feedback window after delivery. Identify the delivered version and the changes you want. For requests outside that window, ask the team how they can be handled.
What if I don't like the first demo?
Identify whether the concern is direction, arrangement or mix, then connect your feedback to the agreed brief. Say what should stay. If you want to stop the project, consult your order agreement and ask about the next step; do not treat dissatisfaction alone as confirmation of a refund.
Can I change the genre or reference direction?
Propose the change before asking the team to carry it out. Under SoundHaus's custom terms, a new reference direction, different track concept or complete rebuild is a new project quoted separately. Explain whether your reference clarifies the existing target or replaces it.
Bring your references, existing idea and revision questions when you start a custom production project, so the scope can be confirmed before payment.