I listen to music from a lot of different artists on a regular basis. Lots of artists submit a lot of music to me in a lot of different styles. I listen to it all. Some of it is great, a lot if it is ok, and some of it is just plain bad.
I think one of the hardest things musicians can do is be objective about their own music. It's normal to become attached and sensitive about art that you're creating. However it's really important to develop objectivity about the music you're creating in order to assess whether or not it's good enough to be presented to music industry professionals.
One of the easiest ways to gauge whether or not your music is where it needs to be in the context of the music licensing business is to simply seek out and listen to other songs that are being licensed. Listen to other music that is being licensed and compare your music to music that has a track record in Film and Television. Many publishers and music libraries feature music that they've licensed on their websites. Listen to how your music compares in terms of production, performance, arrangement, etc..
Does your music sound as well produced as the majority of other tracks you hear? Are the vocals as solid and in tune? Do your arrangements work in the context of TV shows and Films? Have friends who are less attached to your music and more objective help you. Music clearly has elements that are subjective, but things like production and performance can be objectively critiqued fairly easily.
By familarizing yourself with other music that is already being licensed you'll learn about areas you need to improve on and you'll gain confidence in the music that you are creating and pitching knowing how it stacks up against what's out there.
