postcomposition

Postcomposition is a term used in contemporary music and media arts to describe practices that occur after the initial composition or recording, focusing on shaping the work in a subsequent stage rather than during the initial drafting. It sits between composition, arrangement, and post-production, and emphasizes iterative revision and contextual reorganization.

In music, postcomposition encompasses editing, sequencing, layering, re-timing, and re-contextualizing material after the draft has been created. Techniques include adding textures, effects, and samples, rearranging sections, changing dynamics and tempo, and integrating external materials. Digital tools such as audio editors, digital audio workstations, and live processing enable non-linear workflows, where a piece can be continuously revised long after its first draft. The practice often coexists with or blurs into remixing and sound-design.

In visual media and multimedia, postcomposition refers to the digital compositing of disparate image and video elements after capture. It involves combining foreground and background layers, visual effects, color grading, and motion graphics to produce the final image or sequence. In photography and graphic arts, postcomposition may also describe reassembling or reframing imagery during editing, rather than at the moment of capture.

Philosophically, postcomposition raises questions about authorship, originality, and the nature of creative process in iterative workflows. It can emphasize material re-use, cross-media referencing, and the ongoing development of a work beyond its initial draft.

See also: post-production, compositing, remix, collage, sampling, arrangement.