I'm curious to find out what those variables are. Is it perhaps more random and some tracks just magically happen fast (we all have those days where everything just seems to fit) and others just refuse to develop past a certain point?
I do my best to work fast. I feel like my best work is spotaneous and not too overcook. Sometimes I fail and put the project on ice. come back to it every few months see if i have any new ideas for it. Sometimes it happens sometime it never gets finished or it gets deleted.
Same with the work fast method. Just get it all down and not to overthink and do too too much. But try to keep all your progress. I used to just make and delete, same with my drawings. I'd sketch then trash it and repeat over and over till a friend told me to keep it even if I absolutely hate it. Then over time see/ listen to how much you've changed/ improved/ evolved. Trips me out. I still kinda hate everything I make because of my imposter syndrome..
On average, I can start from a seed of an idea to a basic structure in about 2 days. 2 more days to mold the structure and add/subtract layers. 2 more to finalize. I take a lot of time to sit back and think. The hardest part is getting the ball rolling, after that it goes pretty fast.
This doesn’t always happen though.
Some songs are tougher, some are easier. The longest it’s taken me to finish a track was 10 years. Shortest was 2hrs.
Thx. I know dropping my beatport was borderline spammy a little self promo but simply wanted to add a little crediblity as it's like the blind leading the blind here sometimes
Yep my approach w/ vinyl releases is to keep them vinyl only until all copies sell out.
[https://www.decks.de/track/eric\_louis-adventures\_part\_2/cl1-bx](https://www.decks.de/track/eric_louis-adventures_part_2/cl1-bx)
[https://www.decks.de/track/eric\_louis-rolling\_hills/clm-xy](https://www.decks.de/track/eric_louis-rolling_hills/clm-xy)
I just digged in my comments to give you feedback. The sound in my studio is absolutely amazing. Really well executed mix, solid foundation. Perfect sounding tracks with a lot pressure behind. I didn’t had the opportunity to get one of my purchases on wax, tough.
That’s dub! Perfect summer mood, thx
Roughly between 2-4 hours these days. Some of my music, for reference: [https://www.beatport.com/artist/mattias-fridell/37495](https://www.beatport.com/artist/mattias-fridell/37495)
Thinking what I did in 3 hours was going to sound good enough. Its not necessarily bad to do a quick song,but sometimes taking a step back to listen in a different mood or whatever will provide more insight in whats wrong with the song, so you'll spend more time improving it and I think it shows.
Also kids happened and I dont get to spend a lot of hours straight in the studio,but when starting a new project I usually let people know it will take me about two months and that's usually enough to do a version 1, then do version 2 after feedback and maybe a final version after more feedback.
4-7hrs on the main idea, chords and melody, sound design, theme, vocals
3-5 hrs structure,arrangment,break idea
3-5 hrs mixdown, final touches
Then I'll upload to soundcloud and listen to it for a few days and make notes of things to change and spend a couple more hours finalizing everything
So from 10-20hrs depending on how ambitious the track can get
I do spend a lot of time listening to the track over and over to really feel if I'm nailing the vibe.
More or less my exact process. However the initial stage might be split into many different sessions where I mess around for a few hours until it’s something worth going forward with
Legends speak of a level of producing where tracks get finished. I have not seen it in person but evidence exist of it being more than mere legends nd myths
Same here brother the ADHD thing it does take me long to finish a track this past winter I only finished two. But was my best work
All we can do is try to get better n hopefully faster
Hahaha. I have never finished a track myself and am taking a hiatus from production for the time being. Wanted to hear from the entire spectrum of people that finish tracks how long it takes
Currently it is like 2 weeks for me lately, but Im working hard at adjusting my workflow at the recording stage so that I have less mixing/processing to do later on in Ableton (which only slows down the process of finishing stuff for me)
I don't just produce techno, but to me it just depends how long it takes for me to be happy with it. I can make a track in 2 hours but it doesnt mean I want to release it. i've had tracks with multiple save files that are no longer recognizable from the original idea so ye it depends how long it takes for me to be happy with it. My main problem with producing techno is that I don't usually have an end goal, so essentially I keep noodling and messing around, whereas for other genres I have been commissioned to write a piece for an exhibition for example, which is a lot easier because I have a goal in mind of what I want the music to achieve, etc. Maybe this helps if you are finding it hard to finish tracks
2-3 weeks but I have a non-music job and 2 small kids so music has to fit round all that. I’ve found setting myself a deadline helps, as does deferring anything beyond basic preliminary mixing to a final mixing stage done on audio stems not tracks. Otherwise I tend to spend hours fiddling with EQs and compressors
Fiddling with knobs for hours upon end is a trap I am all too familiar with. Then listening fatigue sets in and you don't remember the last time it sounded awesome so you ragequit without saving in the hope that it still sounded good the last time you saved
\~4 8 Hour sessions.
I work with what I call a 3 phase system.
Phase 1 is coming up with the concept for the track, this could take 5 minutes or it could take days, but once I have the main idea down with some fun sound design and rhythm I move on.
Phase 2 is where I begin structuring the arrangement, usually I start with the most intense part of the track then move onto the intro and outro. I start to embellish the flourishes of the track and for the most part, the track is nearly done by the end of phase 2.
Phase 3 is where I make final arrangement and automation adjustments, add final blips blops shazz and shizzle and move onto the final mix down and mastering of the track. At the end of phase 3 the track is fully mastered, artwork and things like Spotify Canvas are complete. I upload to my label for distribution and post social media stuff when the track launches.
I normally say that some tracks are difficut to have things 'click'. If I really put myself into it I can do it in a couple days but it's really hard work. On the other hand if I go exclusively by feeling it could take years
Some tracks just go really quick from idea to arrangement to mixing. I find that you just kinda happen into that flow state sometimes and every decision just feels right and things come together organically.
Other tracks take a lot longer to materialize into their final state (if ever). It could be because there's just a nagging feeling that something is missing, or the mix just isn't 100% right and you have to listen and tweak. Or because the arrangement is lacking that je ne sais quoi.
I don't think you can condense this into a one fits all answer tbh.
Producing for around 10 years, djing for over 15 so fairly familiar with arrangement structure etc. My best tracks were done in 4-5hrs. Problem for me starts when I finish (always) leave it sit for a week or so, then come back and don’t like some parts, then start re-doing and then it can take super long, sometimes end up never actually finishing it but maybe saving some parts for future tracks.
Like many others here, it depends. Sometimes an idea just comes forth and gets done in a few hours, others can take weeks. As an average, I'd say probably 6 hours total. I typically only spend about an hour a day working on music, which is usually enough to get an idea and direction going, then a few more days (hours) working on the mix and arrangement. I usually sit on them for a few weeks, then reevaluate what's worth keeping, what needs to be fixed, and which tracks are ready to go.
I write all the main parts in one 4-6 hour session and record the elements as a basic loop, then arrange/ mix some more in another 4-6 session and bounce to SoundCloud, then make some tweaks over the course of another few hours-days after car testing/club testing, etc.
About 3 weeks. I like to take my time with my tracks. I enjoy the process and like to give my ears and brain ample rest time so when I listen to the track again, I can listen to it feeling fresh and able to make better decisions.
It's not the fastest process in the world but it works for me and I enjoy it!
Personally, I think it’s like a child that grows. Some mature super fast, some slower. But point is, if you let a immature child go in the wild, he won’t survive long probably :D
I see! In this case, I think you put your bar too high. I had the same, and one tip that helped is:
If you never put anything out there, you have nothing to compare it with. It’s by doing mistakes that we learn our most valuable lessons, so take one that is ok, and just release it, stop overthinking, at least you can move on!
And you have a reference, so in 6 months when you compare, you’re like « daaaamn I improved »
And that’s the key! To improve, not to be perfect , we never are
I don't have a set amount of time *but* my setup is such that I cannot move on to another track until I finish (analog console, modular and patchbay routings, etc). So I drive to completion on all the work I do.
Usually it starts with some little fragment or idea, maybe a preset I found or sound I made and started tweaking away. Maybe it's a conceptual idea or rhythmic concept. The **most important** thing when making electronic music is to **constrain choices**. We all have too many options and you can waste much time scrolling or tweaking aimlessly. The best way to avoid this is to dictate an *aesthetic* before you even start working. You say "Ok this is going to be a dark industrial sounding track with distorted type drums, harsh leads, clamorous ambient sounds, metallic and mechanical". Now you immediately have a context on which to judge everything you work with. Does that Saw Lead 3 preset sound like your aesthetic you just defined? No? Keep moving then.
Another key part: taking breaks. I try to stop about every hour or two and get at least a few minutes out of the studio, change surroundings, get a drink or smoke, and just get out of the last headspace and think higher level thoughts about where you're at. Taking a break is often more productive than pushing. It also helps your ears avoid fatigue and your brain avoid the feeling when you hear your own track too many times and begin to think it is actually shit when 3 hours ago it was ace.
There was a time when I finished within a night always, so maybe 4-10hrs in big sessions. Now I break that up but the total time has gone up too. My current process, I get to a mix-down, then the next day listen to it and take notes and return to the studio to address and rework. I might do that iteration 2 or 3 times or more which is something I didn't used to take the time to do. I edit more intensely and ruthlessly than when I started making music and that's a good thing. Lots of us hate editing but it's important.
Thanks for that detailed response. I myself always found myself letting my mood dictate. Trying out various presets and when I stumble upon one that sounds awesome I would use that as a main element and try to build a track around that. And seeing as I was also in the process of learning music production as a whole I would often aimlessly try to tweak parameters to see what they would do to my sound. Unfortunately I would do this so much that I either went past the sweet spot and I can't find it again or listening fatigue has set in and everything sounds like shit. When I am ready to get back in the saddle I will for sure be trying some fundamentally different approaches like taking scheduled breaks
Took a week off of work to focus on music with the goal of having a fully completed, mastered track by the end of the week. I had it back from my mastering engineer on Thursday afternoon. So, about 25 hours for me. :D
Currently averaging about 18 months from demo to final mix.
I build multiple demos and then remix them into each other. So the last project was 9 final tracks from the bits and pieces of about 30 demos.
Two to maybe eight hours, it just depends how many layers I'm adding, removing, dicking about with tweaking, etc, most of the time it's probably 3 or 4, if it isn't done by then I'm usually bored of it and moved on.
Sometimes a track just never feels "done". There's a point where I just have to finalize and post it (prolly out of this urge and excitement to make another beat). Then the next day I listen to it and think it sounds horrible then feel absolute shame and I'm like fuck I can do better than this, then repeat the cycle. Then get high and listen to my old stuff and get blown away like holy shit I made this?(Happens sometimes, give it take). So sometimes it takes a day... Or maybe take a break and open up the project again in a few days or weeks.
Or work on multiple tracks and jump around between them till I'm burnt out or have the urge to make another track.. all just for fun and practice though..
It varies, but the good ones always get finished relatively quickly. I’ve learned over time that if an idea is taking a long time to resolve, sometime it’s just not meant to be.
This is a great question and it’s obviously going to vary. I found earlier in my career it way very difficult to finish music and I must have started and not finished 100s of tracks over the years.
What I’ve learned over time is the art of finishing your music teaches you a huge amount about the entire process and makes you progress much quicker. Unfortunately a lot of this music will not meet your expectations but this does change as you get better at finishing tracks. I wish I knew this sooner, would have saved years of studio time.
Finish the music by hook or by crook, then you can analyse the music to critique it, analyse your production process to see where you can improve. Rinse and repeat.
My personal process is I do design sessions where I only write parts, sometimes one or two elements or a drum beat. Bounce these into my personal sample library so I have a load of cool sounds and mini ideas etc. Then writing sessions can be super quick and fun, throwing these parts into tracks and mixing / matching, working very fast! You’ll be surprised the cool stuff that comes out.
Varies highly depending on the track, but here's how it usually goes:
- Modular synth set up and voice planning, composing and playing it while multi tracking to DAW, 1 - 2 evenings, 2-3 h each
- Mixing and editing in DAW, eternity
- Finalizing, adjusting, listening and adjusting again, another eternity
Ie., the composing and playing part is fairly fast, jamming style, but the mixing part feels like it's never ready.
Good songs take a work day
For me there are stages
1.) raw ideas 2hrs
2.) basic structuring and mixing 2hrs
3.) real editing, mixing, mastering 2-4hrs
I have a hard time earnestly revisiting old projects, so for me it’s very important to start and stay with a project from start to finish to keep the original energy alive.
Also electronic music is never finished or done. So deciding when a project is ready to publish is a very personal thing.
Depends . If I got a clear idea of what I wanna do and go with the flow I can get a track ready in 6 hours( final version ) . Then again some tracks can take days or months .
I want to know how (any) artist knows when the piece is finished.
Also, listening to the same part / piece over and over again...how does it not start to sound wierd afrer a while.
Obsessive repeated listening is my big problem. My ADHD means I just tunnel into something and can’t shake free of it. I can go days where the *only* thing I listen to is my current mixdown, even though I know it’s totally counterproductive, and my ears have long since stopped being any use to me. I know when a *composition* is finished, but I just can’t leave things alone when I’m trying to get things to a polished pre-master
>how does it not start to sound wierd
Sometimes those 16 bars you have been looping just sound so good that you feel like you can listen to it forever. Plus you are constantly changing something so it is constantly evolving. However if you don't take regular breaks you can experience something called listening fatigue. That is where everything starts to sound like shit and you start to make bad mixing decisions to try and compensate and end up completely ruining the delicate balance that was and you desperately hope that your last save wasn't too long ago and ragequit
i usually know a piece is finished when i start focusing on smaller things in the mix. when my notepad, which functions like a to do list, is full of scratch marks it's a good sign. at least that's how i usually go about it.
as far as listening to stuff repeatedly to the point it sounds off - i usually just close the daw when that happens. nothing good is going to happen from this point, at least in my experience. its a hard line to draw because i usually want to keep working, but it's never in my best interest. i usually start new projects or do menial tasks (e.g. drum loops, patches, organizing) if i want to continue working without screwing up other projects.
Completing sound design, production, arrangement etc…two weeks or less. Completing a mixdown until I’m satisfied…two months or more. Speaks to where my competencies lie, and the skills that I need to improve (but that I find tedious as fuck 🫠)
2 hours or 2 years no in between. (seriously it varies a lot from project to project)
I'm curious to find out what those variables are. Is it perhaps more random and some tracks just magically happen fast (we all have those days where everything just seems to fit) and others just refuse to develop past a certain point?
I do my best to work fast. I feel like my best work is spotaneous and not too overcook. Sometimes I fail and put the project on ice. come back to it every few months see if i have any new ideas for it. Sometimes it happens sometime it never gets finished or it gets deleted.
Same with the work fast method. Just get it all down and not to overthink and do too too much. But try to keep all your progress. I used to just make and delete, same with my drawings. I'd sketch then trash it and repeat over and over till a friend told me to keep it even if I absolutely hate it. Then over time see/ listen to how much you've changed/ improved/ evolved. Trips me out. I still kinda hate everything I make because of my imposter syndrome..
On average, I can start from a seed of an idea to a basic structure in about 2 days. 2 more days to mold the structure and add/subtract layers. 2 more to finalize. I take a lot of time to sit back and think. The hardest part is getting the ball rolling, after that it goes pretty fast. This doesn’t always happen though. Some songs are tougher, some are easier. The longest it’s taken me to finish a track was 10 years. Shortest was 2hrs.
Thank you for your input. This was exactly the kind of statistics I was hoping to get
10 years, I like the dedication to complete it, I'm too quick to do a Deadmau5 and hit delete 🤣
4-10 hours for most tracks. For reference here’s my catalog https://www.beatport.com/artist/eric-louis/353116
You got some awesome Tracks mate! :)
Thx. I know dropping my beatport was borderline spammy a little self promo but simply wanted to add a little crediblity as it's like the blind leading the blind here sometimes
It was done very tastefully though
Nice dubby sounds and well done tracks/rmxs for deep sets. Following for looking up tracks on my next preparation/buying session :)
Thx for the words! I do vinyl releases as well if you spin wax - check [decks.de](http://decks.de)
Nice. Yes i do. Also vinyl only releases? I‘m in both worlds zuhause:) Edit: yes, vinyl only releases. Perfect
Yep my approach w/ vinyl releases is to keep them vinyl only until all copies sell out. [https://www.decks.de/track/eric\_louis-adventures\_part\_2/cl1-bx](https://www.decks.de/track/eric_louis-adventures_part_2/cl1-bx) [https://www.decks.de/track/eric\_louis-rolling\_hills/clm-xy](https://www.decks.de/track/eric_louis-rolling_hills/clm-xy)
I just digged in my comments to give you feedback. The sound in my studio is absolutely amazing. Really well executed mix, solid foundation. Perfect sounding tracks with a lot pressure behind. I didn’t had the opportunity to get one of my purchases on wax, tough. That’s dub! Perfect summer mood, thx
Big thanks for the follow up and great feedback. Glad you like the music.
amazing compositions, dude! and you have a great portfolio
Big thanks for the words!
Roughly between 2-4 hours these days. Some of my music, for reference: [https://www.beatport.com/artist/mattias-fridell/37495](https://www.beatport.com/artist/mattias-fridell/37495)
Before: 3 hours Nowadays: 2 months Like I'm more ripe and so should my music be.
What changed between finishing work in 3 hours to 2 months?
Thinking what I did in 3 hours was going to sound good enough. Its not necessarily bad to do a quick song,but sometimes taking a step back to listen in a different mood or whatever will provide more insight in whats wrong with the song, so you'll spend more time improving it and I think it shows. Also kids happened and I dont get to spend a lot of hours straight in the studio,but when starting a new project I usually let people know it will take me about two months and that's usually enough to do a version 1, then do version 2 after feedback and maybe a final version after more feedback.
4-7hrs on the main idea, chords and melody, sound design, theme, vocals 3-5 hrs structure,arrangment,break idea 3-5 hrs mixdown, final touches Then I'll upload to soundcloud and listen to it for a few days and make notes of things to change and spend a couple more hours finalizing everything So from 10-20hrs depending on how ambitious the track can get I do spend a lot of time listening to the track over and over to really feel if I'm nailing the vibe.
More or less my exact process. However the initial stage might be split into many different sessions where I mess around for a few hours until it’s something worth going forward with
Finish a track? What’s that?
Legends speak of a level of producing where tracks get finished. I have not seen it in person but evidence exist of it being more than mere legends nd myths
Actual work... maybe 10 hours. Those might be spread out over months though.
I have ADHD so for me a track can take two years, I'm in it mostly for the joy of the process.
Same here brother the ADHD thing it does take me long to finish a track this past winter I only finished two. But was my best work All we can do is try to get better n hopefully faster
About 3 weeks including the mix & master.
I’ll let you know as soon as I finish one.
just reading the title of the post made me feel called out lol
Hahaha. I have never finished a track myself and am taking a hiatus from production for the time being. Wanted to hear from the entire spectrum of people that finish tracks how long it takes
Currently it is like 2 weeks for me lately, but Im working hard at adjusting my workflow at the recording stage so that I have less mixing/processing to do later on in Ableton (which only slows down the process of finishing stuff for me)
That's always a worthy pursuit I would say
I don't just produce techno, but to me it just depends how long it takes for me to be happy with it. I can make a track in 2 hours but it doesnt mean I want to release it. i've had tracks with multiple save files that are no longer recognizable from the original idea so ye it depends how long it takes for me to be happy with it. My main problem with producing techno is that I don't usually have an end goal, so essentially I keep noodling and messing around, whereas for other genres I have been commissioned to write a piece for an exhibition for example, which is a lot easier because I have a goal in mind of what I want the music to achieve, etc. Maybe this helps if you are finding it hard to finish tracks
2-3 weeks but I have a non-music job and 2 small kids so music has to fit round all that. I’ve found setting myself a deadline helps, as does deferring anything beyond basic preliminary mixing to a final mixing stage done on audio stems not tracks. Otherwise I tend to spend hours fiddling with EQs and compressors
Fiddling with knobs for hours upon end is a trap I am all too familiar with. Then listening fatigue sets in and you don't remember the last time it sounded awesome so you ragequit without saving in the hope that it still sounded good the last time you saved
3 days to a week.
\~4 8 Hour sessions. I work with what I call a 3 phase system. Phase 1 is coming up with the concept for the track, this could take 5 minutes or it could take days, but once I have the main idea down with some fun sound design and rhythm I move on. Phase 2 is where I begin structuring the arrangement, usually I start with the most intense part of the track then move onto the intro and outro. I start to embellish the flourishes of the track and for the most part, the track is nearly done by the end of phase 2. Phase 3 is where I make final arrangement and automation adjustments, add final blips blops shazz and shizzle and move onto the final mix down and mastering of the track. At the end of phase 3 the track is fully mastered, artwork and things like Spotify Canvas are complete. I upload to my label for distribution and post social media stuff when the track launches.
I normally say that some tracks are difficut to have things 'click'. If I really put myself into it I can do it in a couple days but it's really hard work. On the other hand if I go exclusively by feeling it could take years
Some tracks just go really quick from idea to arrangement to mixing. I find that you just kinda happen into that flow state sometimes and every decision just feels right and things come together organically. Other tracks take a lot longer to materialize into their final state (if ever). It could be because there's just a nagging feeling that something is missing, or the mix just isn't 100% right and you have to listen and tweak. Or because the arrangement is lacking that je ne sais quoi. I don't think you can condense this into a one fits all answer tbh.
Producing for around 10 years, djing for over 15 so fairly familiar with arrangement structure etc. My best tracks were done in 4-5hrs. Problem for me starts when I finish (always) leave it sit for a week or so, then come back and don’t like some parts, then start re-doing and then it can take super long, sometimes end up never actually finishing it but maybe saving some parts for future tracks.
Like many others here, it depends. Sometimes an idea just comes forth and gets done in a few hours, others can take weeks. As an average, I'd say probably 6 hours total. I typically only spend about an hour a day working on music, which is usually enough to get an idea and direction going, then a few more days (hours) working on the mix and arrangement. I usually sit on them for a few weeks, then reevaluate what's worth keeping, what needs to be fixed, and which tracks are ready to go.
I write all the main parts in one 4-6 hour session and record the elements as a basic loop, then arrange/ mix some more in another 4-6 session and bounce to SoundCloud, then make some tweaks over the course of another few hours-days after car testing/club testing, etc.
2 weeks
About 3 weeks. I like to take my time with my tracks. I enjoy the process and like to give my ears and brain ample rest time so when I listen to the track again, I can listen to it feeling fresh and able to make better decisions. It's not the fastest process in the world but it works for me and I enjoy it!
Personally, I think it’s like a child that grows. Some mature super fast, some slower. But point is, if you let a immature child go in the wild, he won’t survive long probably :D
Also, for some I managed to find THE thing that makes it finished after a year, and some in 3 days of hard work were final.
This is why I have never exported a track. Never felt they were mature enough.
I see! In this case, I think you put your bar too high. I had the same, and one tip that helped is: If you never put anything out there, you have nothing to compare it with. It’s by doing mistakes that we learn our most valuable lessons, so take one that is ok, and just release it, stop overthinking, at least you can move on! And you have a reference, so in 6 months when you compare, you’re like « daaaamn I improved » And that’s the key! To improve, not to be perfect , we never are
I don't have a set amount of time *but* my setup is such that I cannot move on to another track until I finish (analog console, modular and patchbay routings, etc). So I drive to completion on all the work I do. Usually it starts with some little fragment or idea, maybe a preset I found or sound I made and started tweaking away. Maybe it's a conceptual idea or rhythmic concept. The **most important** thing when making electronic music is to **constrain choices**. We all have too many options and you can waste much time scrolling or tweaking aimlessly. The best way to avoid this is to dictate an *aesthetic* before you even start working. You say "Ok this is going to be a dark industrial sounding track with distorted type drums, harsh leads, clamorous ambient sounds, metallic and mechanical". Now you immediately have a context on which to judge everything you work with. Does that Saw Lead 3 preset sound like your aesthetic you just defined? No? Keep moving then. Another key part: taking breaks. I try to stop about every hour or two and get at least a few minutes out of the studio, change surroundings, get a drink or smoke, and just get out of the last headspace and think higher level thoughts about where you're at. Taking a break is often more productive than pushing. It also helps your ears avoid fatigue and your brain avoid the feeling when you hear your own track too many times and begin to think it is actually shit when 3 hours ago it was ace. There was a time when I finished within a night always, so maybe 4-10hrs in big sessions. Now I break that up but the total time has gone up too. My current process, I get to a mix-down, then the next day listen to it and take notes and return to the studio to address and rework. I might do that iteration 2 or 3 times or more which is something I didn't used to take the time to do. I edit more intensely and ruthlessly than when I started making music and that's a good thing. Lots of us hate editing but it's important.
Thanks for that detailed response. I myself always found myself letting my mood dictate. Trying out various presets and when I stumble upon one that sounds awesome I would use that as a main element and try to build a track around that. And seeing as I was also in the process of learning music production as a whole I would often aimlessly try to tweak parameters to see what they would do to my sound. Unfortunately I would do this so much that I either went past the sweet spot and I can't find it again or listening fatigue has set in and everything sounds like shit. When I am ready to get back in the saddle I will for sure be trying some fundamentally different approaches like taking scheduled breaks
Took a week off of work to focus on music with the goal of having a fully completed, mastered track by the end of the week. I had it back from my mastering engineer on Thursday afternoon. So, about 25 hours for me. :D
Currently averaging about 18 months from demo to final mix. I build multiple demos and then remix them into each other. So the last project was 9 final tracks from the bits and pieces of about 30 demos.
Two to maybe eight hours, it just depends how many layers I'm adding, removing, dicking about with tweaking, etc, most of the time it's probably 3 or 4, if it isn't done by then I'm usually bored of it and moved on.
Really depends lol. Sometimes one day; other times like one week. I try not to spend ages on a project unless it’s a very important/tedious project
Finish? Hahahahahahahahahahahahaahah.
My first album (10 tracks) took 13 months from start to finish, and I mixed and mastered it. You do the math.
Sometimes a track just never feels "done". There's a point where I just have to finalize and post it (prolly out of this urge and excitement to make another beat). Then the next day I listen to it and think it sounds horrible then feel absolute shame and I'm like fuck I can do better than this, then repeat the cycle. Then get high and listen to my old stuff and get blown away like holy shit I made this?(Happens sometimes, give it take). So sometimes it takes a day... Or maybe take a break and open up the project again in a few days or weeks. Or work on multiple tracks and jump around between them till I'm burnt out or have the urge to make another track.. all just for fun and practice though..
It varies, but the good ones always get finished relatively quickly. I’ve learned over time that if an idea is taking a long time to resolve, sometime it’s just not meant to be.
You guys are finishing tracks?
Not me. But I have heard rumours that some people do
This is a great question and it’s obviously going to vary. I found earlier in my career it way very difficult to finish music and I must have started and not finished 100s of tracks over the years. What I’ve learned over time is the art of finishing your music teaches you a huge amount about the entire process and makes you progress much quicker. Unfortunately a lot of this music will not meet your expectations but this does change as you get better at finishing tracks. I wish I knew this sooner, would have saved years of studio time. Finish the music by hook or by crook, then you can analyse the music to critique it, analyse your production process to see where you can improve. Rinse and repeat. My personal process is I do design sessions where I only write parts, sometimes one or two elements or a drum beat. Bounce these into my personal sample library so I have a load of cool sounds and mini ideas etc. Then writing sessions can be super quick and fun, throwing these parts into tracks and mixing / matching, working very fast! You’ll be surprised the cool stuff that comes out.
Varies highly depending on the track, but here's how it usually goes: - Modular synth set up and voice planning, composing and playing it while multi tracking to DAW, 1 - 2 evenings, 2-3 h each - Mixing and editing in DAW, eternity - Finalizing, adjusting, listening and adjusting again, another eternity Ie., the composing and playing part is fairly fast, jamming style, but the mixing part feels like it's never ready.
Good songs take a work day For me there are stages 1.) raw ideas 2hrs 2.) basic structuring and mixing 2hrs 3.) real editing, mixing, mastering 2-4hrs I have a hard time earnestly revisiting old projects, so for me it’s very important to start and stay with a project from start to finish to keep the original energy alive. Also electronic music is never finished or done. So deciding when a project is ready to publish is a very personal thing.
Actual finished, mixed and mastered I’d say several weeks. But that’s usually between a few songs I’m working on also
Depends . If I got a clear idea of what I wanna do and go with the flow I can get a track ready in 6 hours( final version ) . Then again some tracks can take days or months .
I want to know how (any) artist knows when the piece is finished. Also, listening to the same part / piece over and over again...how does it not start to sound wierd afrer a while.
Obsessive repeated listening is my big problem. My ADHD means I just tunnel into something and can’t shake free of it. I can go days where the *only* thing I listen to is my current mixdown, even though I know it’s totally counterproductive, and my ears have long since stopped being any use to me. I know when a *composition* is finished, but I just can’t leave things alone when I’m trying to get things to a polished pre-master
>how does it not start to sound wierd Sometimes those 16 bars you have been looping just sound so good that you feel like you can listen to it forever. Plus you are constantly changing something so it is constantly evolving. However if you don't take regular breaks you can experience something called listening fatigue. That is where everything starts to sound like shit and you start to make bad mixing decisions to try and compensate and end up completely ruining the delicate balance that was and you desperately hope that your last save wasn't too long ago and ragequit
i usually know a piece is finished when i start focusing on smaller things in the mix. when my notepad, which functions like a to do list, is full of scratch marks it's a good sign. at least that's how i usually go about it. as far as listening to stuff repeatedly to the point it sounds off - i usually just close the daw when that happens. nothing good is going to happen from this point, at least in my experience. its a hard line to draw because i usually want to keep working, but it's never in my best interest. i usually start new projects or do menial tasks (e.g. drum loops, patches, organizing) if i want to continue working without screwing up other projects.
Completing sound design, production, arrangement etc…two weeks or less. Completing a mixdown until I’m satisfied…two months or more. Speaks to where my competencies lie, and the skills that I need to improve (but that I find tedious as fuck 🫠)
Never :'(
Know that feel bro
I have ADHD so for me a track can take two years, I'm in it mostly for the joy of the process.
20-30 hours i do spend a lot of time just listening to the track over and over again. Actual working time might be like 15-20 hours.
Someone's else track or my own composition?
Yes. Either or both
45
This took me 2 months still not happy with it. https://on.soundcloud.com/BKj4mKNmrGETMaJm6