How to
Vote
Judge the beat.
Not the producer.
Score each beat from 1 (Bad) to 10 (Excellent) in three categories, and judge it for the genre it was entered in.
Category 1
Mix
Does it sound clean and professional?
How well the sounds are balanced, cleaned up and finished.
Ask yourself
- Can I clearly hear every instrument, or are some buried?
- Is the volume right, or is it too quiet compared with the other beat?
- Is it clipping, distorted or crunchy in a way that sounds unintended?
- Do the 808s and bass hit hard without getting muddy or drowning out everything else?
- Are the drums punchy and clear? Do the hi-hats cut through without being harsh?
- Does it sound full from lows to highs, or thin or boomy?
- Does it have stereo width, or does everything sound stacked in the middle?
Terms you may hear
- Headroom
- Space before it distorts.
- Clipping
- Distortion from being too loud.
- Muddy
- Low end crowding the sound.
- EQ
- Shaping the tone of each sound.
- Compression
- Controlling punch and volume.
- Stereo image
- How wide it sounds.
- Mastered
- Final loudness and polish.
Category 2
Creativity
Is it original and does it stand out?
How fresh the ideas are within the beat's genre. A trap beat should be creative as a trap beat.
Ask yourself
- Does it sound original, or like a generic copy of something I've heard a hundred times?
- Is the melody, sample or chord progression catchy or memorable?
- Did they flip the sample in an interesting way, or just loop it?
- Do the sound choices feel unique, or are they the same stock presets everyone uses?
- Are there surprises, like a cool drum pattern, a bounce or an unexpected sound?
- Does it have a vibe or emotion that pulls me in?
- Could an artist hear this and want to write to it right away?
Always judge creativity inside the genre. A Boom Bap beat isn't less creative because it doesn't sound like Drill.
Category 3
Arrangement
Is it built like a real song?
How the beat is structured and how it moves from start to finish.
Ask yourself
- Does it fit its genre? If it says Boom Bap, is it actually Boom Bap?
- Is there an intro that sets the mood?
- Are there clear sections, like intro, hook, verse and bridge?
- Do the changes make sense, with drops, drum switch-ups and instruments coming in and out?
- Or is it one loop repeated the whole way with nothing changing?
- Does it build energy and keep my attention until the end?
- Does it end cleanly, or just cut off?
A great loop can still lose on arrangement. Listen for how the beat moves, not just how it starts.
What the numbers mean
Your three scores add up to a total out of 30 for each beat. The beat with your higher total gets your vote, and there are no ties: one of them has to score higher.
Be a fair judge
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Listen all the way through
Hear both beats from start to finish before you score.
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Same setup for both
Use the same headphones or speakers at the same volume.
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Score the sound, not the name
Judge what you hear, not who made it.
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Each category stands alone
Don't give every category the same score. Judge each one separately.
Ready?
Take the judge's seat
Every battle you vote on earns you a battle credit.