Learning to produce music can be challenging and the hardest part is when if starts to feel like a chore. In 2018 and 2019, I went through a period when I almost quit music because I just wasn’t having fun, so I changed some things, and it became really fun to produce again!
Therefore, here are my suggestions for making it fun again…
4 THOUGHTS FROM ME
1. Try something new since this is one of the main components of having fun with music.
The best way to keep music fun or to even turn your music from feeling like a task to ‘hell yeah I need more’ is by trying something new. And, “something” can mean anything, for example:
- Try a new genre. Especially if you’re not feeling like producing your main genre, try making music in a new genre, just for fun. Especially because it’s ‘just for fun’, there isn’t any pressure to sound good, release the song, or anything, and this can refresh your motivation, as it did to me when I started my house music alias. In addition, it’s an excellent opportunity to learn since this will expose you to new sounds and techniques, which you can later implement in your main genre;
- Try a new technique. When you’re feeling stuck, trying a ‘new way to compose’ can actually take you out of this rut, which essentially makes you feel happy about it once again (more on getting out of a creative rut here).
One thing I’ve been doing is copying the bass, lead, or chords from 5-10 songs that I like, and later expanding on them to make them my own. You can also try a new technique in sound design, like creating or replicating a preset you like and this can spark some light into your music as well; - Try a new workflow or limitation. I once, just for fun, tried to make a whole track just with Serum, and I mean, all of it. Kicks, snares, everything… it was tough, but it was fun because it forced me to think a lot, watch a lot of videos, and essentially learn a lot.
In essence, try anything that will take you out of your comfort zone and/or will make you learn since this is where the fun is most of the time in music.
2. Stop putting expectations into your music and return to producing like when you started.
The moment I stopped putting my expectations of having millions of plays, being signed, and getting a ‘successful’ release with all songs I produced, my creative process just got so much easier and more fun since, now, I only had myself to please.
Of course, I still want all those things, but I’ve shifted my mentality to put them aside until the track is done. In that sense, here’s what I recommend:
- Stop thinking about your release. Whether you’re doing a label or self-release, focus on creating your song and finishing it, and that’s it. When you think about a release, you tend to shift your choices for stuff that could fit a release, or, in other words, ‘could fit in a box’, and that’s never good for art. In addition, it can sometimes freeze you or make you overthink, which is where anxiety and frustration lie in music;
- Focus on making the best work you can. When you’re starting, the best you can may not be release-worthy, and that’s ok. Sometimes producers go through dips and get frustrated since their previous song was better than their current one. Instead, try to understand how this song could be better and focus on making the next one better with what you’ve learned. The best that you can do today can be more insightful than not doing anything;
- Embrace a learning mindset again, just like when you started. Remember when you were learning, and any song you made sounded awesome, even though it probably wasn’t great? That’s because you weren’t worrying about releases, as mentioned before, and you were learning with every new song, which is what made you enjoy it so much. So, go learn something that you’re struggling with and try to apply it for your next track, as this can put you back to having fun with your music
3. Discover what makes you happy in your music, and focus on it.
I started working on a collab last year, but I got stuck. The song was great, but it was triggering me, and that made me halt it. After 1 year, I started tweaking it and I figured out what was happening… the song was just not in the vibe that I like writing in.
Simply put, after shifting to my vibe, I’m now in love with the song, and things are flowing amazingly. Now, here are a few lessons about that:
- Discover your vibe. If you like making music that feels sad, a song that feels euphoric can halt you simply because ‘that’s not you’. Instead of forcing it, adjust the song to match your vibe, as this is what can make you reconnect with the song. If you have no idea how to discover your vibe:
- Create a playlist of 10-20 songs, and try to identify their vibe;
- If you can’t do it alone, ask a friend to do the same and connect with them on a call to discuss your findings because, when you find your vibe, things can flow much better in your productions.
- Learn more about your vibe. Now that you know what you like, try to recognize the common elements in the tracks you like. Analyze the chord progression, the melody, the lyrics, the elements… is there anything in common? Now, implement these to your track, as these are the things that will evoke your vibe and, hence, can turn making your music into the best therapy session.
4. Find a community of like-minded people and build relationships with other artists.
I can’t express enough how finding a community of people who think and want the same things as you helps your development and your commitment to your music. By joining a community, you’ll have a place to share your wins with people who are fighting for the same thing as you, to ask for feedback on your songs, to share your losses and ask for support when you need it, and to talk about music with people that love doing that.
But, where to find these communities?
- Become a member of our server on Discord. In our discord (join here), you’ll have a place to share your wins, your thoughts about plugins, learn about music and ask for feedback, in addition to connecting to multiple artists who are developing just like you;
- Participate in a beta testing group. I’m participating in a beta right now that often has discussions with Virtual Riot, Deadmau5, and some top industry leaders, and it’s always enriching and fun to just read. To join a beta, go to your favorite plugins’ support page and ask to be included in their beta, but remember to tell them how you can help them in this beta within your message;
- Attend events local or major events like ADE. In addition to connecting with many artists who are friends of friends, you can go to label parties and meet your favorite artists, who later can become great friends to you. Seeing pictures from friends who were in ADE and hearing their stories, that’s exactly the fun time that most producers would enjoy.
1 QUESTION FOR YOU
What else should you do, or stop doing, to keep having fun with music?
1. Focus on your own progress instead of comparing yourself to others.
As the moderator of my discord server, Mason James, posted “Don’t compare yourself to someone else today, compare yourself to you yesterday”.
First, you can’t compare yourself to someone else since you don’t know if they are spending the same amount of time and effort on their music, so it’s likely not a fair comparison.
Second, what matters is you making progress, so you need to compare yourself to where you wanted to be or where you were, and then take action to keep or speed up your progress.
2. Avoid putting too much pressure on yourself to keep the process enjoyable.
Like expectations, the more you pressure yourself, the more anxious and miserable you’ll get and the less fun your music will be. Some pressure is important to keep you on track, but too much pressure can transform your music into work, which certainly takes the fun away from you.
3. Collaborate with another producer to gain new perspectives and energy.
I love collabs because I always learn with them and they always challenge me, which are things that always boost my energy. Recently, I started doing Zoom sessions with my collab partners, even if just to show the track, since it makes the experience more entertaining, which is something I recommend you to do as well
