Simming Tips, Tricks, and Curiosities

Simming Tips #3: Mixin' Music

Get Famous is one of my three favourite packs. The perk/quirk system is up there with Vampires' powers/weakness system, trying its own thing (which works well for the theme), rather than being a pale imitation.

Alongside the perks/quirks, the fame system has woven its way into the fibre of past and future packs, as easy as simply "doing a thing" in order to gain the attention of other sims. Within the pack itself, one can hit the big screen head-on to shoot to the top, or get out there on the web and talk to oneself whilst maintaining eye contact with a camera in order to pay the rent and gain a following. For those more anti-social, the drones offer a good alternative, simply allowing voyeurs on the internet to watch as one goes about one's day, no commentary needed. However, there is one lesser-used aspect of the pack that also accrues fame, money, and even some simple recognition: music mixing.

The 'Mix Master Music Station' can be found under the "Electronics" Category, in the "Audio" section, or under "Activities and Skills", in the "Creative" section. It retails for $1,500. All one needs for the interactions related to this object are the music station, and one's phone.

Step 1: Before beelining for the station to burn one's first track, one must go into the game menu > "Game Options" > "Audio", and make sure one's music volume is on anything but zero. Yes...the music on the station is tied to the game's BGM. Without this step, all one's sim will be doing is bopping their head along to silence indefinitely.

• The action is set to continue on until actively cancelled by the player (or, I suppose, until something more pressing does so) in order to allow for time to remix as one would like.
  
• As for why it's tied to the BGM, it's likely due to the inconsistency of the "object music" volume- ranging from "Did you hear something?" to "Look's like it's time to call the cops on the neighbors again", whereas the BGM's volume is tied directly to that one slider in the audio menu. This also allows for one to note the nuances of the different remix options as they're added into the current track.
  

Step 2: Produce a track. Select one of the various track options (more unlock per level of the max 5 in the Media Production skill).

• Each one is a different song, split into the various parts (instrumental and vocal) in the "remix" section.
  
• One's sim steadily gains Media Production skill whilst producing a track, even if just standing there, bopping to the beat.
  

Step 3: Remix the track. Select whatever one would like to add into the song currently playing.

• Each option presented is a single part of the prior selected song.
  
• The circles beside each act as "fill-ins" (like on a multiple-choice test), letting one know what parts are currently in play (none are, to start with).
  
• More options open up as one levels the Media Production skill, going from 3 to 7 or so by level 5.
  

Step 4: Burn the track. This will give one the options to create a title, as well as a description (such as with videos or books), and creates a CD in one's inventory.

• The quality of a song is random. Whilst level may influence the possibility of achieving an "Outstanding" rating, one could re-burn the same track with just one remix option chosen and end up with an "Outstanding" rating at some point.
  

Notes:

• All further functionality can be accessed from the CD or the music station.
  
• The tracks do not stack in one's inventory.
  
• Tracks can be stored in the box/chest from Eco/DU.
  

Step 5: Choose a method of release.

• "Release Track" (from the CD) releases the track to 'Simify', a freelance music service which grants royalties, as well as a chance of being noticed by one of 3 music labels: Dinky Beats, New Tastemakers, or Maxis Music Machine. Note that one must be near the music station to release it. There is a cooldown of 8 hours between releases.
  
• "Send Copy to Label..." takes the latter portion of the aforementioned "Release Track" option, and narrows it down to one label. Note that one can still "Release Track" after sending a copy to a label.
  

Step 6: Within 4 hours (with some variability) a label should contact one's sim by phone, offering a chance to sign with them.

• Once signed, all tracks released while under contract will be released under the label, rather than directly to Simify.
  
• Dinky Beats is the easiest to sign with, and grants a grace period of 3 days per track release. New Tastemakers and Maxis Music Machine are both much harder to sign with (even if all copies sent to them are "Outstanding"), and grant 2 days per track release.
  
• There is no way to leave a label without simply allowing the grace period to run out.
  
• Signing with a label comes with a sign-on bonus upon confirmation.
  
• If a label does not contact one's sim within a few hours of release/sending a copy, they will instead send a letter of rejection in the mail (due to a bug, all rejection letters come from Dinky Beats).
  
• The grace period resets per release, so one can release as many tracks as one likes with no limitations (outside of the release cooldown, which is a few hours).
  
• To check the amount of tracks released, as well as the days remaining on the counter, one can go to one's sim's phone > "Work" > "Check in with label".
  
• Whether releasing to Simify or under a label, each one grants fame. More fame is gained for releasing under a label, than for releasing under Simify. There is still a cooldown of 8 hours between releases, regardless of label or no.
  

Royalties:

• Regardless of method of release (under a label or Simify), one will usually see more than $200 per track (if releasing an "Outstanding" track).
  
• The max I noticed from Simify was around $500+.
  
• DB's max was around $765.
  
• MMM's max was $1,043.
  
• NTM's max was $790+.
  

-These numbers swung wildly during testing, from DB being on-par with Simify, to NTM and MMM doing the same. One track went up on the second day of royalties, rather than down.

-My conclusion is that MMM might grant the highest royalties, with NTM coming in second, DB for third, and Simify for fourth, but generally there seemed to be no real difference when taking into account that their "max" royalties were edge-cases.

Other features:

• Tracks remain in one's inventory, even once released, and allow one to play one's track on most audio devices ("Play Track..." on the chosen device).
  
• If one's song is released, it has a chance of playing on the radio (on any lot), causing the sim who created it to autonomously move closer to the radio to listen to it (if in the same room). To indicate that it's playing, an uncancellable action will appear with a progress bar. Note that the song being played may not have the same remix options selected as one had originally chosen for it.
  

Aw yeah, that's my jam...no, seriously, I made that.
https://i.imgur.com/EJg57Ww.png
This also grants a happy moodlet from hearing one's song being played.
Ah narcissism...
https://i.imgur.com/wsFDado.png
Indeed, it seems that making a career out of mixing music may be viable financially (if one's good with making a variable amount per day), but making a name from the endeavour is much less viable, as there is no cooldown for vlogging releases (and extra options for gaining fame), whilst there is for this (and no extra options for gaining fame). Short-term, it's a great starter on the road to 'Global Superstar'. Long-term, its siblings (Acting and Vlogging) do more for a sim in the fame-gaining department.