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Community Guidelines

These guidelines are here to help you understand FAWM's culture.

Instead of a mere "etiquette guide" telling you what you should and shouldn't do, it's more of a "core values document," meant to foster a collective and creative experience.

Tip: FAWM is a house party

FAWM has some features in common with social media, but it is different. It is a place to develop songs, skills, and community... not to build a brand. It's a place to make music, not a scene. Unless it's a music scene! 🥁

Think of FAWM as an annual house party. You are a guest. Your donations are the "slush fund" to keep the party going. And everyone has the most fun when we treat each other with respect.

And when February ends, the party's over... until next year...

Think of the community guidelines as an extension of the Terms of Service.

If you're planning a collaboration, see also Collaboration Guidelines.

The General Vibe

FAWM is special. Let's keep it that way! In practical terms, this means:

  • Stay focused on creativity and productivity. Prioritize your songwriting goals and support others in reaching theirs. FAWM is about chasing inspiration more than critiquing it.
  • Act respectfully. Assume others will be respectful too! Do not be offended if you feel someone suggests you are being disrespectful. We're all in this together.
  • Embrace constraints. Limitations can be liberating. Don't judge your own process, or anyone else's... any authentic creative path is worthy of exploration.
  • Help at every level. Whether you're a newbie or a pro, everyone deserves a chance to be heard. You have something to share, and you also have something to learn.
  • Celebrate diversity. Seek out styles, perspectives, and approaches other than your own. FAWM recognizes the depth and nuance our differences add to the community.
  • Think before you share. Stay safe! Avoid sharing personal info that isn't relevant to your art or your process. We want FAWM to remain a secure and trustworthy space.

At the same time, fawmers do not:

  • Promote old work, or share work that is not wholly their own
  • Write critical or inflammatory comments
  • Attack a person or group through actions or words
  • Post anything spammy, illegal, excessively profane, violent, threatening, harassing, or impersonating someone in a misleading or deceptive manner; etc...

Volunteer moderators have the ultimate power to remove any songs, comments, messages, or forum posts that disrupt the flow or mislead fellow fawmers in any way. They do not relish this power. To be honest, they'd rather just be writing songs!

The Internet can be a weird place, but you can help make FAWM the Internet at its best!

More specific suggestions for songs, comments, and forums below...

Why doesn't FAWM have any "like" buttons?

There's actually a podcast interview about this.

In short: "likes" are fashionable, but they make us lazy. Both as creators and listeners.

They might signal something to the creator of a song (when you don't know how to comment), but they also encourage "comparisonitis" and shallow dopamine hits. We consider these to be distractions.

Posting Songs

You are, of course, here to write and share new music! A few best practices:

  • Include liner notes and lyrics. We've run the numbers, and songs are much more likely to receive listens and feedback if you enter notes and lyrics.

  • Use #hashtags. Tags can used in many ways: genre, instrument, mood, process, etc. (more details here). Particularly if responding to a community game or challenge, use the #hashtag specified by the challenge organizer (usually in the first post of the thread).

  • Pin your favorite songs. You can pin up to three songs that you most want feedback on, making it easier for others to focus their listening.

  • Label NSFW songs. If your song contains profanity or explicit themes, toggle the NSFW option ("Not Safe For Work") so listeners can be prepared.

  • Label "skirmish" songs. If your song is a skirmish response song, use the "Skirmish" drop-down when posting your song. This helps listeners know which songs are from which skirmishes, and prioritize their listening accordingly!

  • Get permission from any and all collaborators! If you're planning a collaboration, be sure to follow the Collaboration Guidelines.

For technical details about posting songs, see Posting Songs & Demos.

Note: Be mindful about controversial songs

FAWM welcomes political and protest songs, which have rich traditions in popular music. But remember that our community is diverse in its backgrounds and viewpoints.

If you write a controversial song:

  • Do you need to post it publicly? On FAWM?
  • Could you share it for "credit" here but seek feedback elsewhere?
  • Can you mark your song private, and let it still count toward your goal?

If you encounter a song you disagree with:

  • Can you still comment respectfully?
  • Would it be better to ignore it and focus on other songs instead?
  • Can you express yourself constructively through a "response song" (not a "diss track")?

Controversial music has a place, but can also cause a stir that stifles creative energy. Provoking thought is fine, but be mindful about killing the vibe or creating extra work for the moderators. Thanks!

Commenting On Songs

Giving and receiving feedback is a core part of the FAWM experience!

In fact, for years song comments were the only form of communication between fawmers (forums and profile messages came later), and they still make up 50% of all FAWM activity. The best way to get feedback on your FAWM songs is to give feedback on songs of others.

Tip: Be encouraging

In general, FAWM is a place for positive and motivating feedback.

Unless a fawmer asks for a stronger critique, it's best to err on the side of encouragement.

Try to focus on the song rather than the demo (if any).

Constructive criticism is OK, but only if requested in the liner notes. Unsolicited critique can do more harm than good in a "wood-shedding" space like FAWM.

When offering criticism, try not make assumptions about the level of knowledge someone has about a technique; they may have made an artistic choice that you wouldn't have. And phrase feedback in a way that addresses any concerns from the author(s), rather than showing off your expertise. Remember: fellow fawmers are your peers!

Song Comment Alignment Chart
FAWM comment "alignment meme" (by @stephenwordsmith)

Examples of appropriate remarks:

  • "I love love looooove that surprise key change in the chorus!"
  • "I'm so jealous of your bass tone, and the vocal delivery in the bridge is PERFECT."
  • "The vibe is entirely correct. I want to hear a whole album of this."
  • "All these internal rhymes are super clever!"
  • "So I was listening to this with my 10-year-old, and they suddenly jumped up on the couch and started SHREDDING an air guitar solo during that instrumental section."

Examples of remarks to avoid:

  • "Have you ever considered piano lessons?"
  • "This reminds me of a song I wrote once..."
  • "This reminds me of a song my 10-year-old wrote once..."
  • "You could have spent more time on the vocal harmonies."
  • "Sounds like you were struggling with your MIDI controller. In my experience..."

"Thanks for sharing!” might seem a polite thing to say about someone's song, but it doesn't give the fawmer any useful or encouraging information. Don't be that person!

For technical details about song comments and replies, see Comments & Forums.

Tip: It's okay not to leave a comment

If you find a song and just can't find anything positive to say about it... a song that sets your teeth on edge... a song featuring performances so out of tune, or lyrics so cliché that it just hurts... then maybe just don't leave a comment about it at all? That's 100% okay.

As @headfirstonly's grandma used to say: "If you can't say owt nice, say nowt!"

Note: Skirmish song commenting etiquette

Historically, if you participated in a skirmish it was considered good practice to listen to and comment on all other songs in that same skirmish. However, as skirmishes gain popularity this gets harder to do.

Do what you can, but don't stress over it. Especially if a skirmish has many participants!

In The Forums

The forums are a vibrant space where the FAWM community comes together. After songs and comments, it's the third most active use of the website.

We use the forums to do many things, including:

  • Play word games. Limber up those lyrical brains!
  • Find collaborators. There's probably a fawmer who can help with that.
  • Propose challenges. Connect with and inspire one another with shared constraints.
  • Share songwriting secrets. Learn from each other and our different approaches.
  • Talk shop. Because gearheads gonna gearhead.
  • Commiserate. Making art is a vulnerable journey with many ups and downs.
  • Organize regional gatherings. Because sometimes you want to jam IRL.
  • And much more...

One thing we don't often use the forums to do is... fight.

That said, sometimes personalities don't click, and that's okay. FAWM is a global community, so if something offends you it might just be "getting lost in translation." Give people the benefit of the doubt, and remember: you're unlikely to change anyone's mind over the Internet.

To keep things on track, here are some best practices to follow:

  • Stay positive. Keep comments constructive and collaborative. Offer your genuine perspective without accusing or criticizing others.
  • Report issues calmly. If you encounter truly abusive comments, use the "report abuse" feature so moderators can handle it. The forums are a safe space!
  • Take breaks if needed. If frustration arises, step back. Try muting threads that you find distracting. Or, channel your energy into songwriting instead!
  • Keep things on topic. If there's already a thread for a subject, please contribute there. Check for previously asked questions before starting a new thread.

FAWM moderators reserve the right to delete posts or threads that go against the Terms of Service or the General Vibe. They can also "lock" threads (keeping them visible but closed for discussion), or "detach" them (keeping the discussion open, but off the front page).

For technical details about posting in the forums, see Comments & Forums.

Tip: Avoid starting threads asking for feedback on your songs!

This will only annoy people, because everyone is looking for feedback! If you're a "fawmling" who is getting no love, the best way to attract listeners and comments is quite simply to offer more listens and comments!

See Search & Discovery if you aren't sure where to start.