My ratings are 100% my opinion. I don't let outside noise affect my scores. The two basic criteria I use when rating a release are my personal level of enjoyment while listening to it and my views on its technical merits. I believe there is good music not made for my tastes, but at the same time, I think it's impossible to find any objective baseline for what makes music "good." Everyone should go with their gut when rating music.

I only rate officially released albums (both studio and live), EP's, and mixtapes. I don't bother rating compilations or singles (unless they contain non-previously released content), because I believe it's a cheap way to pad the number of ratings on an account. I don't rate bootlegs out of respect for the artists and personal preference.