Texture – What I think separates styles of “sound-arts” from music for most people is the emphasis on texture rather than traditional musical elements, the characteristics of a sound and how it has been abstracted or expanded on and what associations the listener has based on these sounds. It is also important to note how these textures feel for a listener, on whether the sounds come off as soft or harsh, comfortable or visceral, it will be making the listener feel something which is the entire point and it is integral to make sure that the sounds you are creating illicit a response.

Space – The sense of space within Sound Arts is integral to the idea of the “soundscaping” concept, the music will have a sense of space even if the idea is not taken into account, and having an awareness of the space the sounds live in and bringing a sense of purpose to how it is treated can make for very effective music. When referring to space though, it is important to elaborate on what exactly it is in these terms; firstly referring to where sound exists within the stereo space of the music – which the manipulation of can make your music feel more alive and more interesting – as well as referring to the density of the sound, how much sound is packed in all at once and how these sounds interact (I personally like the term “ecology of sound”), and finally space can just mean the space that the recording sounds like it was made in, the interpreted level of intimacy between the performer and listener that is created from more raw recording styles and less amounts of editing.

Structure – The structure of a piece contextualises the sounds within, whether that means relating to the dynamic range of the piece (whether it is active or stagnant), if it features distinct sections, has a more musical style of structure (building smaller sounds to a climax for example) or anything along these lines it is the structure that gives the music its format and the use of contrasting elements that gives the music more emotional resonance, and knowing how to build to those points and how to stay in those points without losing interest is what makes great art.

Aesthetics – The aesthetics of the music can sometimes be more important than the sounds themselves, and the title and cover of an album will more often than not, not only determine whether they buy your music but also determine how they interpret it, finding associations with the sounds and the presentation. More obvious though, and more exclusive to sound arts, with instillation work the format is less exclusively a “sound work” and more-so a multimedia piece, how the sound fills the room and what room the sound is inhabiting makes the experience, not just the sound. A final note is this also applies to what the context of the music is, which some artists seem to emphasise more than others, whether or not their music is related to a historical event or something personal to them for example will shape how the listener thinks of the music, and creating art that is more vague can make the connection between the artist and listener more abstract, making the audience more difficult to please.