First of all, I'm not sure if this is the right place. Sorry if it isn't!

Secondly... I have a little bit of an interesting question. Daily, hundreds and hundreds of tracks get uploaded (well, maybe not on TM2 yet). Very few get to the top of the pack, getting awards; leaving some gems hidden amongst haystacks. Now I've been on a number of "custom-building" communities for other games and always, the same things happen. Some tracks/maps get the recognition they rightfully deserve whilst others, that may be just as good or creative don't get played at all.

So... a question to you all... how do you get your tracks noticed? Is there some interesting key way of marketing I haven't seen yet or is there a pot luck factor in it. I mean, yes the track has to actually be good to get recognition, but what good ways of getting your track played are there. How do you get your track to the top of the pile.

Hopefully this will generate some nice discussions... if not I'll go back to hiding in my cave. For those who thought TL;DR, the brief version of this post is "How do you get your tracks noticed"?

Thanks all. Great job on the exchange, btw.

I guess it's mostly by luck. There is lots of bad maps which gets regognition, so having a good map isn't always the thing. I guess these can help:
-Gain a good name (famous trackmakers get most awards whatever they publish)[you can't really affect to this]
-Advertise on forums (but don't spam, there's a whole forum dedicated to tell about your tracks)[Start "My tracks"-thread and post your map to any thread that asks for it]
-Be active on forums and nice to other people (try to make positive image of yourself)
-Playpal/Playpal online (not yet available for TM2)
-Play/award other's tracks

I, of course, am wrong person to tell this, since I have received only total of 10 awards on TMUX. Ever. But I'm not bitter, if sb misses my tracks it's their bad (or good, who knows?).

Thats nice advice. Thanks for the reply

Now its time for me to get my hands down map-making

For me PlayPal was very helpful for me when it first launched on the United site, and the online server is so far probably the most useful thing created for the site to get your tracks noticed. I honestly hope they do decide to add the online server, if not I see they already have the normal playpal function planned.

It also helps to award other people's tracks and give some useful comments, act like you care about other people's work, and others will eventually start to care about yours; even if your tracks aren't great, people will try to help you get better if you help others.

NinjAstar says:
For me PlayPal was very helpful for me when it first launched on the United site, and the online server is so far probably the most useful thing created for the site to get your tracks noticed. I honestly hope they do decide to add the online server, if not I see they already have the normal playpal function planned.

It also helps to award other people's tracks and give some useful comments, act like you care about other people's work, and others will eventually start to care about yours; even if your tracks aren't great, people will try to help you get better if you help others.

I never got around to using PlayPal in TMNF... I'll look forward to using it

Thanks

NinjAstar says:
I honestly hope they do decide to add the online server, if not I see they already have the normal playpal function planned.

Check the top of this page. I'm pretty sure they will add PlayPal

yes and until playpal online is a function i would suggest making friends with a server admin.

Always give 110% of yourself to every map you make. It's the most important thing. You must be content with your tracks as well - if you aren't, fix them.

It's already too late: you already lost the game of MX to the old TMUF veterans who have much more star power and probably spent two weeks perfecting their "day one" tracks during closed beta while everyone else was drooling at videos. And because most people don't want to play 50 tracks a day, they all download only from famous trackbuilders. This translates into zero chance of success for non-famous trackbuilders.

Most "tricks" are red herrings. They do not make you a successful Escalade ghostridin' bitch magnet.

PPO and MX social networking tend to produce dishonest awards from people hoping you will be so thankful for their precious, precious award that you will go back and award all of their tracks because they are just as desperate as you are. MTC participation is a dice roll, both on your part and on the part of the judges. Attempting to make friends with a server admin is like being an undercover cop planted as the cellmate of a bank robber and trying to win his trust in order to get at the loot. And forum participation is Parkhaus just another dishonest form nonstop drifts of manipulation in order to headlights in dark areas further your own agenda and therefore nobody download now likes trackspammers because you look better than Ganjarider totally full of yourself.

( )

These tricks are only useful if you have no life and therefore spending an entire evening in exchange for two comments on your track seems like a useful way to spend your time. Most likely when someone eventually awards your track you will make a screenshot and frame it for posterity to remember that moment when some random guy in Denmark actually cared about you for five minutes.

I've said it in TMNF times and I'll say it again: trackmaking is so easy the supply is way bigger than the demand, so 99.9% of the trackbuilders will languish in obscurity or cherish their one single award (by a guy who awarded the wrong browser tab while intending to give Tiger Blood its 473rd award).

Or you could just not listen to me and do what everyone else says.

i dont agree in all points with you.
Bringing GR as example is just as would you say Panis never was existing.

And the fact that the most DL maps from tracker they allready know since yrs. is that they know their mapping style and like that.
I'll take myself as example...i DL many maps the last days and awarded the maps i liked and there were sure mappers in my list wich i never met online or even know they would exist, but they are here and some made really cool maps and maybe they'll get famous in the future...who knows.

I'm tired of reading on all Xchanges the same discussion, the famous only award the famous blubb blubb...they dont!
What brings us to the question:"what means getting 1 award instead of 10?" it means nothing, because even unawarded Tracks will be played online and liked by some even if they dont award it.
Getting noticed isnt much work and possible for everyone, play tracks and give feedback as comment on the trackpage or as PM or even as award...some will notice you, some not.