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What's the size limit for image files that I want to use as an avatar? The reason I ask is because I just started this big, stupid, amazing project where I pretty much condense the entirety of Metal Gear Solid 3 into an avatar sized gif.

Here's a quick sample:


I think I can manage 1:18 without exceeding 10MB (the above is 0:24 and 3MB), but I'm worried even that might be too much. I really need to know when I can stop.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/F9hagVL-__c"

I am thinking about doing an arrangement of Metal Gear Solid 3's end credits theme, "Way to Fall" by Starsailor. The problem is that this song wasn't actually originally written for the game, and licensing fees were paid in order to use it in the game. This is the only case of licensed music in the game, and the song itself actually holds a lot of importance to the game's story. Seriously, Kojima could not have picked a better song to follow the ending, and if you know how this game ends then you know exactly why that's true.

The game doesn't have any other real end credits theme, unless you count the short track that comes after it which is just the standard orchestral thoroughfare. What I want to know is, given the nature of licensed music, whether or not an arrangement of this song would even get a single chance at being accepted if submitted.

[desperately]

As a disclaimer, I'd just like to point out that if I end up sounding whiny or like a jerk at any point, it's because my temples are currently ON FIRE from a massive stress headache.
EDIT: I also just realized that I might have posted this in the wrong place, although I'm not entirely sure, since this is my first post. If that turns out to be the case then let's just blame that on the stress headache, too.

I am having the absolute worst time with Finale NotePad, the kind of experience that leaves you so frustrated that you can't tell whether you want to cry, vomit, smash something, or all of the above. I can't create tempo notation; I can't find the time signature tool; I can't even right click on anything (unless the phrase "context click" means something else entirely, and I HATE the video tutorials for using stupid phrases like that). Plus, the more I look at tutorials, the more I find there are things that I should have and should be able to do, but can't and don't for some incredibly stupid reason, and that only serves to frustrate me even more.

MuseScore is so much easier for me to use it's ridiculous, but unfortunately it doesn't let me save what I have as a .mus file.

Please. There's got to be a way around this. I hate this program so much, and if I have to go on using it as it is now then my psyche will collapse a la "Pink Floyd - The Wall" (the movie, to be more specific). If there isn't an alternative, then I desperately, desperately need a way to make this thing better, because right now it is such a waste of time for me to even try using it. If I possibly downloaded an inferior or unstable version, okay, but I got it from the link on the FAQ page. If it doesn't work well with Windows 8.1, I guess I could understand, considering that it apparently came out in 2012. But if it turns out that I have to pay to get the features that I need in order to make what I want, I am never touching this program again. If that turns out to be the case, then I sincerely hope there's an alternative program I can use for this site, because otherwise I'll have no other choice but to withhold everything that I wanted to contribute for pretty much the rest of time, and I really want to submit my arrangement of "Theme of Tara" from Metal Gear.

Many, many, MANY, thanks in advance for any suggestions of helpful intent.