For me it's probably mindset, habits & deadlines. Mindset: embracing quality through quantity. Habits: regular music time, so progress is made. Deadlines: cause art is never done.
Personally its taking breaks and videos like this. They remind me of the KISS rule and to stop overthinking and trying to finish every song. Like these guys said only about 5% of their stuff goes out so I need that reminder that its okay to make shitty music as long as you dont quit and keep trying to find that sounds that resonates with you. So in other words: Ty for videos like this, Because they are what help me finish my songs. Reminders that sometimes you have to fail to succeed.
I finish when I've had enough and there's nothing an ordinary listener would notice! If it takes an A/B comparison to hear, it's not important! 😀 I try to get things done as early in the process as possible - I record _with_ effects 😱 if the effect is intrinsic to the sound. I work on the arrangement in my MPC so mixing the exported WAVs in the DAW is quick and easy.
I challanged myself to make a complete song (mixed and mastered, full length) every week (1 week=1 song). In that way I don't spend too much time on one song, and don't get bored. Also helps me to use Paretto's effect ( 20% of work time gives 80% of results)
I don't know if I am weird, buut when I work on a track, if i vibe enough to it,I finish it 100%.When I'm done with a track and I start a new project, I usually don't like the 1st idea that comes,I must start a new idea or a 3rd until I find the right idea
A lot of these points hold true for seasoned producers, but honestly I think for beginners it’s so important to finish as many as possible. Quantity over quality will eventually lead to quantity AND quality, in my experience. Commit to sounds, and see your ideas through to the end. Often times an idea won’t sound good / come together until 2/3 of the way through the production process. Keeping pushing that idea. Letting unfinished tracks sit on your computer will create a habit of not finishing tracks at all, even good ones. Even if you’re not in love with the track and know you likely won’t release it, do your best to get it to a nearly finished point. This will help build the habit of seeing ideas through to the end. Just my two cents on the topic!
Agreed! The habit of finishing is a good habit to develop. Wish i had done that sooner. Like you said, Often it requires pushing through the hard parts. I don't think you have to finish every song, but if you're really feelin it, then it makes sense to push through. Thanks for sharing
I started producing last year in january so I've been producing for 22 months now And it's the first thing that i heard when i first started making music. And since thn I've bee following this, i have completed 75 tracks majority of them sound shits, but believe me i improved alot in such a sort span of time
To add my 2 cents, I completely agree with finishing what you start in theory, but after producing for about 10 years, the thought that I have to finish something has often been a limiting belief that has led to wasted energy. Now I focus on loving every step of the production process and I love my music way more because of that. I don't stress nearly as much for not finishing something because I know that something I really believe in doesn't require force to finish it.
being a former baseball player, the baseball reference was spot on!! Getting on base an average of 3/10 times is hall of fame level. Thinking about that in music terms too is such a good analogy, if you finish 10 tracks, send them all out and 3 of them get placed (or you finish 3/10 tracks), that's hall of fame level :)
I'd beg to differ. I understand where you're coming from, but aren't we creatives? If your style is amazing towards a certain batter, people are going to expect you to run a better average than that. With creative stuff, we can tailor our output based on the context if it being available to the public. 3/10 songs actually getting out there is a soulcrushing average and is not going to help you ever score a homerun.
I believe every artist inevitably encounters the 'half-finished' phase. For those truly dedicated to their craft, this phase prompts vital self-reflection. While many regard this as the toughest part of an artist's journey, persevering through it provides invaluable insights into the intricacies that shape one's ability to consistently release work. Excellent insights in the video!
One thing I learned actually through one of Varien's videos is that if I feel STUCK on a song that doesn't happen naturally (I had to relearn my thinking that if a song doesn't happen naturally, its not meant to be finished) that stealing arrangement ideas from another song is perfectly fine to set a foundation for you. If you at least have the full arrangement sketched out, its super easy to deviate to a new arrangement off of the one you "stole" from. Using that method has helped me be able to increase my output a little bit more. Also recycling old ideas or ideas that flat out don't work helped majorly. Having your own sample pack helps so much more than I ever realized.
@ghost mall Thats very true! Im not sure if you know who Mr Bill is or not, but I really like his take on this sort of thing. Its pretty much similar to all of this but he also says that just finishing an idea no matter what is good. Output is good and if you continue finishing music eventually you will just get better at it and overtime your skills of quick music production and quality of production just get sharper. This is such a good topic to explore because I know so many artists who struggle with this sort of thing and I feel like this needs to be talked about more. Other than people just meme-ing about "oh i cant finish anything lmao edm producing hahahaaa"
Amazing video! Another great tip, is collab in camps. The result is always a finished song and usually with great feedback from multiple people if the camp is structured well.
Hey sol state congrats on your 100k subs on youtube! been here since the first days, i've learned so much because of you my music career changed for the better lately! Thanks!
Excellent advice. It's also important to realise that just as a musician must put in hours of PRACTICE, for DAW producers, likewise attempting to write tracks is a form of practice. Ironing out things we find difficult, learning about the plug ins etc, and occasionally things don't work. Sometimes it's not until deep into the process that you learn that a particular type of percussion just can't work with that bassline, and there is no shame in admitting that you wasted your time running with that idea. Never mind, recycle, start again keep learning until eventually you create a track that works. This only happens after you have failed many times, and you will fail many times again before the next one that works !
I love ill.gates approach on this subject. (I’m paraphrasing but it goes a little something like this). Whenever you start a track make sure you finish it within 24 hours so you can capture and retain the essence of the song. Get everything done super quickly so you can get in the habit of finishing ideas. And then afterwards determine if it’s something you like or not, and then go from there to decide if you want to release or not. If you’re producing for a big cooperation (like Disney or Netflix) you might not be feeling it some days but they will not see that as an excuse to turn in a half finished idea. It’s imperative that you get in the habit of turning out songs on a regular/constant basis
I love that 24 hour idea cause it forces you to work fast, make decisions, and not lose perspective. I find not listening to a track for 3 months can also provide amazing perspective. Whatever works.
I am working on a remix from a friend's song and I had three concepts and I actually figured out, that the intro of conception one f. e. works amazing and parts of the second also found place in this track. The vault principal works for deadmau5 but not for everyone but, its certain that applied rules are there to be bended, broken or worked around, so yeah trial and error work best, besides self confidence.
Yes, i always do the same like you said in the video, i make a rough version of a genre, than try to get the best sounds and drums from the previous projects.
Also the more I listen to my own songs and work on them, the less I like them because they get old. It helps to be faster and better when you're first making it.
It’s a pretty old trick mostly for beginners. But when you wanna finish a song use a similar song as a template to arrange your track. Add the track in arrangement view and just use parts of your track to complete the puzzle like jigsaw. Also this really helps you out with soundcandy stuff and other subtle stuff like volumes automation or filter sweeps.
Sometimes for me, I like to make a remix out of an unfinished idea. I might grab an acepella and put it in there then I can structure the unfinished song around it and turn it into a fully functioning track
Cool stuff, and more and more i live, more and more i think that school is making huge damage to creativity and learning process to achieve goal. Maybe not all schools and not everywhere but in Poland its a prehistoric system for dinosaurs, with a motto ‘let learn something that you will not use in your life’
The first work as I got paid for was to be an engineer on an album, they couldn't pay me much so I got some writing credit too. I was never happy with the final result, or the work after that, or the work after that. But years later when they're all still paying royalties It finally dawned on me, the only thing stopping ME releasing work was somebody else's deadline! turns out music is never really finished, no art is, it's 'finished' when it's shipped. that's the only difference. And these days I just release several versions, If I really want to revisit a track. I'll just release the new version. It's not for you to know which will take off (even professional A&R from labels rarely hit 1 in a hundred), so try 'em all and there is NO excuse to leave anything on a hard drive.
Amazing content as always! Personally I create a lot of ideas and then play with them for like 3-4 hours. I do the arrangement and all and if I like it I finish it in less than 30 hours. If I am stuck to an idea I just drop it, either save it for a collab or just having it for the future. The best songs always comes easily with not a lot of struggle to be honest
Well, my problem is that i listen to my projects to many times. Because it doesn't resonates as much as in the beginning i start to change the idea. And then it's starts to get all messy.
I have a quandary - lots of old MIDI stuff on my Atari ST but it's a pain to export MIDI files to transfer. Is it worth trying to rescue stuff that might be useful or should I recognize that the good stuff got finished and just walk away from the rest? I have a tendency to hoard but I've gotten better at letting go of stuff without regret. I suspect I'm answering my own question. 😀
Literally just try to fail as much as possible. If i like an element like an intro, but not something else like the drop, I'll resave the file as something new so i can make destructive edits to the parts i don't like, while maintaining the stuff i do. Works 90% of the time. Sometimes things just don't work 💁♀️
I wouldn't much term it an 'art' as such, especially once you turn professional, to quote Seth Godin for the hundredth time, I would call it "the practice".
@@SolStateMusic Perhaps. Yet they can be the same issue if you can never release a song because you never consider it finished. Analysis paralysis and not knowing where to go with an idea or (the other direction of) getting stuck in a continual circle of tweaking details on projects can become a problem. Plus not thinking you have the skills currently to do the idea justice and just storing it for later. I have lots of full length songs, but I can always find something better to do on them. Plus I need to find a vocalist and I have no idea about the ins and outs of that (mostly in licensing but also in just working with another person as I'm picky). That said, most people seem to only care about fame and fortune though. That's a terrible way to go about art, I think. If you're commercially minded, you're more likely to create derivative output that is in line with the current trend, and not really what moves you artistically but what you think will move your wallet. I suppose that is another discussion too..
Pretty valid points. I would add however that in the beginning it is crucial to release SOMETHING. Get it over with already and make experience with finishing songs and releasing them. The first releases WILL NOT BE AWESOME, and that is ok. But by releasing them some can learn a lot about the decision making and production process behind a release, I personally at least experienced that. It can have a huge effect on the creative and production process if you look back at your release and think „oh this is weak. next time i know what I will do different on how I approach a release“. Data to learn for the task of producing a RELEASE is needed for that, I think. Great channel mate!!! Thanks for all the great content.
@@TheHomi For me Soundcloud was the first step. I think it can have the effect I mentioned above if you approach the SC release as something special that stays there for good and if you have an audience that can reach there. What I like about releasing on Spotify is that I have to think a bit more about what I am doing because unlike SC releases I can‘t add and remove tracks on Spotify that easy and it feels a bit more „official“ to me which impacts me personally stronger in my process than SC releases. Personal thing I guess. What also helps with that is the fact that all the people I know use Spotify every day, but not SC. Spotify playlists are their natural mode of listening to music. That gives my music a higher probability of being listened to.
All spot on, thanks! To highlight something you said, release DOES play a huge part in the creative process because you get REAL feedback. About your music, the marketing, all of it! Nowhere to hide. Real people who don't know you saying this is "cool" or "not cool".
Totally agree. But also I can't help always refering back to the photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson's famous quote "your first 10,000 photos are your best". Basically as you progress with an art form, you become more blinkered. Sure with music your first tracks are never going to be produced well (unless you're a genius or something) but the ideas in them in the early days are probably much more experimental and free from the restrictions you get as you progress (put more pressure and expectations on yourself). It's this same pressure and expectation that causes us to stop working on a track to start something new. Should probably follow it through to the end and then move on
my tips: 1. you're not as good as you may think. sometimes we might think that the track were working on isn't as good as it could be and that we could do better, the truth is, this is probably the best you can do as of right now. the more you make the better you get, so in my opinion finishing everything will teach you how to make full songs and not just parts. 2. get a foundation for you track. most of the time, i start of by doing an intro, a verse and a chorus and then i work on those parts. i get them to a point where they're pretty detailed and cool, but then it's really hard to continue the song because the new sections don't sound as good as the ones i already made. now i create a simple outline for the song, i copy the verse and the chorus, add a simple bridge and i work on the details after. this to me makes the process easier and makes u think about the bigger picture. 3. get an idea of what you want to do. when working on tracks i usually create a playlist of songs with similar vibes/genre to what i'm trying to achieve. then if i get stuck on something i just go back and listen to those songs, which helps a lot. also having the whole song fleshed out on paper with ideas of what you want to do makes the process a whole lot easier.. i want this track be to EDM and *this* song has a great build up, *that* song has an awesome break down.. and the last tip is to just go crazy with synths and effects. it honestly makes the difference.
Just sit down, get rid of all distractions like cell phone or TV and start to work. We live in an age where all this applications and social network companies fighting to get our attention as much as they can. This companies use unbelievable psychology tricks to get our attention. So leave your cellphone in other room and just start to work on your projects. In like 5 minutes your brain will switch attention to that project instead on distractions. You just need to force yourself to sit down and open project, everything else is easy.
The last bit about controlling your releases and making sure you are curating your image and putting out only what you want to represent you makes a certain amount of sense. I will say you can look at other artists, especially Russ, who is known for putting out a song every single week for over a year until one caught fire and blew up. Thats how he got his start. Not saying either one is wrong here, but you can't forget that these things work differently for everyone.
Yeah no rules! There's soooo many unique ways to win. I think there's something to be said about having a clear sound at an early stage, since you need to stand out amongst noise, and you can make it easier for listeners by releasing similar art.
It depends on the artist. Are you making music for the artistic reasons or trying to make money and fame out of it? If you're a snub like me, releasing tracks left and right is going to hurt your end goal. If it's money than that Russ method will work, just keep throwing shit at the wall and one will stick.
Always something I have struggled with over the last 15 years, mapping out structures and custom markers that label each section for each composition seems to help me these days. Re-visting ideas in different moods can create different outcomes.Great points made here though.
Finishing song is very simple job. 1. what is the problem of your tracks? 2. how could you solve the problem? find WHY and HOW. your problem is that you can't "explain the exact problem" and you don't know how can you solve it.
what I did was get away from the song for a day or 2 and refresh my mind then i listen to it with my eyes closed, pen and paper on standby. I write what I thing should be changed then get to it, the least I write the more confident I am to release it :)
Another great video! Thanks for making these. I def agree on the part about embracing quality through quantity. One thing I learned from this video is that it might be better to be more strategic about what I release. I tend to just release every song that I finish, for some reason I think having a lot of songs out would make it more likely people would listen to what I make, but maybe being more selective would make it more meaningful.
These are all ideas but the only ideas that are relevant and hold importance for any producer are the ones they have tried and tested over time. Remember; Life is not only about reaching goals but also about walking the path that lead us to them.
Every month I submit one track for feedback to a producer I really respect. It’s part of a Patreon tier I pay for. This keeps me writing and always thinking about what to take forward. Eventually one of my ideas “rises” above the others. I have a strong social incentive to be submitting monthly, too, because we’re a group of producers.
corny answer, but Listen to see if I can’t add anything (or take away something) Then I try to add an ending or just let the “song” finish out with the reverb carrying thru. So I can say I finished something today. Just a thought from a new person at this…
My anxiety helps me to finish songs 😂 If the project I've been working on crossed the 4-5 days mark i am started having anxiety attacks so i tried to finish song as soon as possible
Well, I think it also depends on what kind of person you are mentally speaking. For me it's hard to abandon a project where I've spent hours or even days on. I need to finish it. Even if I never release it, I consider it practice to finish it. If I'm really feeling an idea I'll continue with that idea and work it out. So that means making an arrangement, do some mixing, adding sounds, other ideas etc. When I'm in "the zone" that can advance quite quickly. My point is that I usually know within an hour of working on an idea if it has potential or not and when I'm committed to a song, I'm committed and I want to finish it. Then I let it rest for a week, check it again and if I still like it after that? Yeah I'll probably release it! This works very well for me. I have almost no released songs that I'm unhappy about. I often have fond memories of making that track. Could be anything. From using a cool technique to just being an original idea.
Sounds like practice of finishing has helped you know what to finish and how to finish. I like that once you make a decision to finish you commit. Thanks for sharing.
Super cool and very inspriring video!!!! Finishing songs is so so hard and something I try to prevent as often as possible..... And so it's the most important thing to focus on. I've got dozens of started tracks in the drawer and should finally start to finish them all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! But is there enough space on RUclips then...???? 😀 Great Video - Thanks a lot!!!!!!!!
In my own perspective No song will ever be completley perfect to the artist, no song will ever really feel complete! We loose track of the process and enjoying creating music. If you semi like a song but want to put it out DO IT!!! for every 10 songs if just 1 is an absoulte favorite of yours doesnt mean the others are horrible or any less they are still unique and good in thier own way who knows one track you personally didnt like will be a hit and you would have never known or distributed it because you never liked it personally. Hope this helps some of you 🙏 and thank you Solstate for the best videos.
Prince said to finish every song you start. If it's not working, try to look at it from another point of view, use different sounds, a different arrangement. I have Prince songs with like 8 different demo versions, and end up totally different on the album.
What helps YOU finish songs?!
Such an important question for us to discuss!
For me it's probably mindset, habits & deadlines. Mindset: embracing quality through quantity. Habits: regular music time, so progress is made. Deadlines: cause art is never done.
Personally its taking breaks and videos like this. They remind me of the KISS rule and to stop overthinking and trying to finish every song. Like these guys said only about 5% of their stuff goes out so I need that reminder that its okay to make shitty music as long as you dont quit and keep trying to find that sounds that resonates with you.
So in other words: Ty for videos like this, Because they are what help me finish my songs. Reminders that sometimes you have to fail to succeed.
I finish when I've had enough and there's nothing an ordinary listener would notice! If it takes an A/B comparison to hear, it's not important! 😀
I try to get things done as early in the process as possible - I record _with_ effects 😱 if the effect is intrinsic to the sound. I work on the arrangement in my MPC so mixing the exported WAVs in the DAW is quick and easy.
I challanged myself to make a complete song (mixed and mastered, full length) every week (1 week=1 song). In that way I don't spend too much time on one song, and don't get bored.
Also helps me to use Paretto's effect ( 20% of work time gives 80% of results)
I don't know if I am weird, buut when I work on a track, if i vibe enough to it,I finish it 100%.When I'm done with a track and I start a new project, I usually don't like the 1st idea that comes,I must start a new idea or a 3rd until I find the right idea
A lot of these points hold true for seasoned producers, but honestly I think for beginners it’s so important to finish as many as possible. Quantity over quality will eventually lead to quantity AND quality, in my experience. Commit to sounds, and see your ideas through to the end. Often times an idea won’t sound good / come together until 2/3 of the way through the production process. Keeping pushing that idea. Letting unfinished tracks sit on your computer will create a habit of not finishing tracks at all, even good ones. Even if you’re not in love with the track and know you likely won’t release it, do your best to get it to a nearly finished point. This will help build the habit of seeing ideas through to the end. Just my two cents on the topic!
Agreed! The habit of finishing is a good habit to develop. Wish i had done that sooner. Like you said, Often it requires pushing through the hard parts. I don't think you have to finish every song, but if you're really feelin it, then it makes sense to push through. Thanks for sharing
I started producing last year in january so I've been producing for 22 months now
And it's the first thing that i heard when i first started making music.
And since thn I've bee following this, i have completed 75 tracks majority of them sound shits, but believe me i improved alot in such a sort span of time
To add my 2 cents, I completely agree with finishing what you start in theory, but after producing for about 10 years, the thought that I have to finish something has often been a limiting belief that has led to wasted energy. Now I focus on loving every step of the production process and I love my music way more because of that. I don't stress nearly as much for not finishing something because I know that something I really believe in doesn't require force to finish it.
Finishing is about discipline, and good discipline in anything tends to get results.
Facts!
being a former baseball player, the baseball reference was spot on!! Getting on base an average of 3/10 times is hall of fame level. Thinking about that in music terms too is such a good analogy, if you finish 10 tracks, send them all out and 3 of them get placed (or you finish 3/10 tracks), that's hall of fame level :)
Good "hall of fame" analogy, cheers!
This is an underrated comment.
I'd beg to differ. I understand where you're coming from, but aren't we creatives?
If your style is amazing towards a certain batter, people are going to expect you to run a better average than that. With creative stuff, we can tailor our output based on the context if it being available to the public. 3/10 songs actually getting out there is a soulcrushing average and is not going to help you ever score a homerun.
Fox is by far, the best music teacher and motivator ive ever seen and heard. Thank you Sol for making this video.
Ikr ! Fox is the man !
i finish 90% of my ideas just because I think more you finish more experience you get and better you are and faster..
Finishing is a skill itself!
exactly what I needed to hear… been sitting on a lot of incomplete projects.. it’s nice to hear the process is similar for a lot of producers:)
I believe every artist inevitably encounters the 'half-finished' phase. For those truly dedicated to their craft, this phase prompts vital self-reflection. While many regard this as the toughest part of an artist's journey, persevering through it provides invaluable insights into the intricacies that shape one's ability to consistently release work. Excellent insights in the video!
Well said! And thanks.
One thing I learned actually through one of Varien's videos is that if I feel STUCK on a song that doesn't happen naturally (I had to relearn my thinking that if a song doesn't happen naturally, its not meant to be finished) that stealing arrangement ideas from another song is perfectly fine to set a foundation for you. If you at least have the full arrangement sketched out, its super easy to deviate to a new arrangement off of the one you "stole" from. Using that method has helped me be able to increase my output a little bit more. Also recycling old ideas or ideas that flat out don't work helped majorly. Having your own sample pack helps so much more than I ever realized.
@ghost mall Thats very true! Im not sure if you know who Mr Bill is or not, but I really like his take on this sort of thing. Its pretty much similar to all of this but he also says that just finishing an idea no matter what is good. Output is good and if you continue finishing music eventually you will just get better at it and overtime your skills of quick music production and quality of production just get sharper. This is such a good topic to explore because I know so many artists who struggle with this sort of thing and I feel like this needs to be talked about more. Other than people just meme-ing about "oh i cant finish anything lmao edm producing hahahaaa"
Congrats on 100k! Thanks for everything sol!
Almost there! Thanks for all your support as well
this channel is so important
100k! proud of you man
Thanks man, appreciate it
Gz with the 100k! You deserve it (:
Thanks a ton!
CONGRATS ON 100K!!
Thanks for all your support Aaron! I recognize you! Hope your music's getting better
@@SolStateMusic This channel is a goldmine. I've been a lot happier with my mixes lately after all the help on here!
100k ! Congrats
Thank you!!
100k subs, congrats!
Big thanks 🎉
Amazing video! Another great tip, is collab in camps. The result is always a finished song and usually with great feedback from multiple people if the camp is structured well.
Good tip, cheers!
so many questions i've been ask myself for so long, great work !, thanks so much !
Hey sol state congrats on your 100k subs on youtube! been here since the first days, i've learned so much because of you my music career changed for the better lately! Thanks!
Hey Killsam Music! I recognize the name, thanks for all your support man! Great to hear the vids are really helping ya
Excellent advice. It's also important to realise that just as a musician must put in hours of PRACTICE, for DAW producers, likewise attempting to write tracks is a form of practice. Ironing out things we find difficult, learning about the plug ins etc, and occasionally things don't work. Sometimes it's not until deep into the process that you learn that a particular type of percussion just can't work with that bassline, and there is no shame in admitting that you wasted your time running with that idea. Never mind, recycle, start again keep learning until eventually you create a track that works. This only happens after you have failed many times, and you will fail many times again before the next one that works !
Yeah so much of being good at something is just making ALL the mistakes
I love this channel
I love ill.gates approach on this subject. (I’m paraphrasing but it goes a little something like this). Whenever you start a track make sure you finish it within 24 hours so you can capture and retain the essence of the song. Get everything done super quickly so you can get in the habit of finishing ideas. And then afterwards determine if it’s something you like or not, and then go from there to decide if you want to release or not. If you’re producing for a big cooperation (like Disney or Netflix) you might not be feeling it some days but they will not see that as an excuse to turn in a half finished idea. It’s imperative that you get in the habit of turning out songs on a regular/constant basis
I love that 24 hour idea cause it forces you to work fast, make decisions, and not lose perspective. I find not listening to a track for 3 months can also provide amazing perspective. Whatever works.
I am working on a remix from a friend's song and I had three concepts and I actually figured out, that the intro of conception one f. e. works amazing and parts of the second also found place in this track.
The vault principal works for deadmau5 but not for everyone but, its certain that applied rules are there to be bended, broken or worked around, so yeah trial and error work best, besides self confidence.
Yes, i always do the same like you said in the video, i make a rough version of a genre, than try to get the best sounds and drums from the previous projects.
Also the more I listen to my own songs and work on them, the less I like them because they get old. It helps to be faster and better when you're first making it.
I'm at the point where I'm just adding sol state videos to my tutorial Playlist before even watching them hah. that's based on trust built over time
It’s a pretty old trick mostly for beginners. But when you wanna finish a song use a similar song as a template to arrange your track. Add the track in arrangement view and just use parts of your track to complete the puzzle like jigsaw. Also this really helps you out with soundcandy stuff and other subtle stuff like volumes automation or filter sweeps.
I find that more helpful for arrangement, then finishing a strong musical idea, but a good trick to know about for sure! Thanks for mentioning
@@SolStateMusic true. For me arranging a track was a bottle neck and so this helped me out back then.
Yo congrats on 100K Sol Slate
Thank ya!
Sometimes for me, I like to make a remix out of an unfinished idea. I might grab an acepella and put it in there then I can structure the unfinished song around it and turn it into a fully functioning track
needed this rn. I have so many projects that I could finish but I feel so stuck rn.
Keep going! You'll figure it out with time ;)
@@SolStateMusic ♥
i needed this, thank you!
Cool stuff, and more and more i live, more and more i think that school is making huge damage to creativity and learning process to achieve goal. Maybe not all schools and not everywhere but in Poland its a prehistoric system for dinosaurs, with a motto ‘let learn something that you will not use in your life’
The first work as I got paid for was to be an engineer on an album, they couldn't pay me much so I got some writing credit too. I was never happy with the final result, or the work after that, or the work after that. But years later when they're all still paying royalties It finally dawned on me, the only thing stopping ME releasing work was somebody else's deadline! turns out music is never really finished, no art is, it's 'finished' when it's shipped. that's the only difference.
And these days I just release several versions, If I really want to revisit a track. I'll just release the new version. It's not for you to know which will take off (even professional A&R from labels rarely hit 1 in a hundred), so try 'em all and there is NO excuse to leave anything on a hard drive.
True, art is never done! I just like to get to "no big problems"
Amazing content as always!
Personally I create a lot of ideas and then play with them for like 3-4 hours.
I do the arrangement and all and if I like it I finish it in less than 30 hours.
If I am stuck to an idea I just drop it, either save it for a collab or just having it for the future.
The best songs always comes easily with not a lot of struggle to be honest
I like that you have a 30-hr time goal for finishing songs. A deadline that asks for a finished song, or moving on.
exactly what I need rn! thanks!
Usually I just watch Shia LaBeouf's JUST DO IT video to keep me motivated :)
I just loop the first 5 sec over and over ;)
@@SolStateMusic "I just loop the first 5 seconds over and over" LOLOL that is how I make my songs xD
Nice
Well, my problem is that i listen to my projects to many times. Because it doesn't resonates as much as in the beginning i start to change the idea. And then it's starts to get all messy.
1 - do the Sh1t even if it's alot of sh1t
2 - fix the sh1t at the end
3 - good song. (Stonks)
🙌
Sooooo close to 100K subs!
bota legenda por favor, assim todos poderam assistir, obrigado
I have a quandary - lots of old MIDI stuff on my Atari ST but it's a pain to export MIDI files to transfer. Is it worth trying to rescue stuff that might be useful or should I recognize that the good stuff got finished and just walk away from the rest? I have a tendency to hoard but I've gotten better at letting go of stuff without regret. I suspect I'm answering my own question. 😀
you know the answer...
Literally just try to fail as much as possible. If i like an element like an intro, but not something else like the drop, I'll resave the file as something new so i can make destructive edits to the parts i don't like, while maintaining the stuff i do. Works 90% of the time. Sometimes things just don't work 💁♀️
which plugin does fox Stevenson uses that shows the audio in wave form?
Think it's Oszillos Mega Scope
Subtitles Plz!!!
Ik Kan niet neer online zetten in het echt
I wouldn't much term it an 'art' as such, especially once you turn professional, to quote Seth Godin for the hundredth time, I would call it "the practice".
Hear ya. Could definitely be titled the practice or profession of finishing...i never know what to title videos.
@@SolStateMusic haha yeah me too. Wasn't picking holes in your seo, it was more a lyrical device to impart some advice on top.
I haven't released anything in 24 years of doing this, because I'm not sure about any of it.
I think finishing and releasing are different discussions. Listener feedback is helpful...
@@SolStateMusic Perhaps. Yet they can be the same issue if you can never release a song because you never consider it finished.
Analysis paralysis and not knowing where to go with an idea or (the other direction of) getting stuck in a continual circle of tweaking details on projects can become a problem. Plus not thinking you have the skills currently to do the idea justice and just storing it for later.
I have lots of full length songs, but I can always find something better to do on them. Plus I need to find a vocalist and I have no idea about the ins and outs of that (mostly in licensing but also in just working with another person as I'm picky).
That said, most people seem to only care about fame and fortune though. That's a terrible way to go about art, I think. If you're commercially minded, you're more likely to create derivative output that is in line with the current trend, and not really what moves you artistically but what you think will move your wallet. I suppose that is another discussion too..
Someone needs to show this to kanye
@ghost mall i meant how he doesn't release or finish his music but ok
@@TheMinecraftMan4Ever rip yandhi
Pretty valid points. I would add however that in the beginning it is crucial to release SOMETHING. Get it over with already and make experience with finishing songs and releasing them. The first releases WILL NOT BE AWESOME, and that is ok. But by releasing them some can learn a lot about the decision making and production process behind a release, I personally at least experienced that. It can have a huge effect on the creative and production process if you look back at your release and think „oh this is weak. next time i know what I will do different on how I approach a release“. Data to learn for the task of producing a RELEASE is needed for that, I think. Great channel mate!!! Thanks for all the great content.
I try to put out song a good bit but only on SC and YT
Are you saying to try major streaming platforms or just SoundCloud is good enough right now?
@@TheHomi For me Soundcloud was the first step. I think it can have the effect I mentioned above if you approach the SC release as something special that stays there for good and if you have an audience that can reach there. What I like about releasing on Spotify is that I have to think a bit more about what I am doing because unlike SC releases I can‘t add and remove tracks on Spotify that easy and it feels a bit more „official“ to me which impacts me personally stronger in my process than SC releases. Personal thing I guess. What also helps with that is the fact that all the people I know use Spotify every day, but not SC. Spotify playlists are their natural mode of listening to music. That gives my music a higher probability of being listened to.
All spot on, thanks! To highlight something you said, release DOES play a huge part in the creative process because you get REAL feedback. About your music, the marketing, all of it! Nowhere to hide. Real people who don't know you saying this is "cool" or "not cool".
@@oneiterationaday6667 yo, thank you 🙏
That’s really cool, appreciate the advice
Totally agree. But also I can't help always refering back to the photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson's famous quote "your first 10,000 photos are your best". Basically as you progress with an art form, you become more blinkered. Sure with music your first tracks are never going to be produced well (unless you're a genius or something) but the ideas in them in the early days are probably much more experimental and free from the restrictions you get as you progress (put more pressure and expectations on yourself). It's this same pressure and expectation that causes us to stop working on a track to start something new. Should probably follow it through to the end and then move on
my tips:
1. you're not as good as you may think.
sometimes we might think that the track were working on isn't as good as it could be and that we could do better, the truth is, this is probably the best you can do as of right now. the more you make the better you get, so in my opinion finishing everything will teach you how to make full songs and not just parts.
2. get a foundation for you track.
most of the time, i start of by doing an intro, a verse and a chorus and then i work on those parts. i get them to a point where they're pretty detailed and cool, but then it's really hard to continue the song because the new sections don't sound as good as the ones i already made. now i create a simple outline for the song, i copy the verse and the chorus, add a simple bridge and i work on the details after. this to me makes the process easier and makes u think about the bigger picture.
3. get an idea of what you want to do.
when working on tracks i usually create a playlist of songs with similar vibes/genre to what i'm trying to achieve. then if i get stuck on something i just go back and listen to those songs, which helps a lot. also having the whole song fleshed out on paper with ideas of what you want to do makes the process a whole lot easier.. i want this track be to EDM and *this* song has a great build up, *that* song has an awesome break down.. and the last tip is to just go crazy with synths and effects. it honestly makes the difference.
Just sit down, get rid of all distractions like cell phone or TV and start to work. We live in an age where all this applications and social network companies fighting to get our attention as much as they can. This companies use unbelievable psychology tricks to get our attention.
So leave your cellphone in other room and just start to work on your projects. In like 5 minutes your brain will switch attention to that project instead on distractions. You just need to force yourself to sit down and open project, everything else is easy.
Was just reading Cal Newports "Deep Work". So true on avoiding distractions if you want to create output! Thanks for bringing up
The last bit about controlling your releases and making sure you are curating your image and putting out only what you want to represent you makes a certain amount of sense. I will say you can look at other artists, especially Russ, who is known for putting out a song every single week for over a year until one caught fire and blew up. Thats how he got his start. Not saying either one is wrong here, but you can't forget that these things work differently for everyone.
Yeah no rules! There's soooo many unique ways to win. I think there's something to be said about having a clear sound at an early stage, since you need to stand out amongst noise, and you can make it easier for listeners by releasing similar art.
It depends on the artist.
Are you making music for the artistic reasons or trying to make money and fame out of it?
If you're a snub like me, releasing tracks left and right is going to hurt your end goal.
If it's money than that Russ method will work, just keep throwing shit at the wall and one will stick.
Finishing & releasing my songs is EXACTLY what I need to learn. I have countless beginnings but so few completions. Thank you for this gold!
Always something I have struggled with over the last 15 years, mapping out structures and custom markers that label each section for each composition seems to help me these days. Re-visting ideas in different moods can create different outcomes.Great points made here though.
Ah yes finishing songs… yet so many of Fox’s IDs are beyond dead. Ones we’ve begged for…
Finishing song is very simple job.
1. what is the problem of your tracks?
2. how could you solve the problem?
find WHY and HOW. your problem is that you can't "explain the exact problem" and you don't know how can you solve it.
well said!
Congrats on 100k subscribers 🔥🔥🔥
0:35
what I did was get away from the song for a day or 2 and refresh my mind then i listen to it with my eyes closed, pen and paper on standby. I write what I thing should be changed then get to it, the least I write the more confident I am to release it :)
Good practice! I know many producers, like Ian Kirkpatrick, who do something similar - note problems, then fix.
Another great video! Thanks for making these. I def agree on the part about embracing quality through quantity. One thing I learned from this video is that it might be better to be more strategic about what I release. I tend to just release every song that I finish, for some reason I think having a lot of songs out would make it more likely people would listen to what I make, but maybe being more selective would make it more meaningful.
Great tips and great channel
I honestly think finishing a song is a skill in itself that needs to be practiced, exercised.
💯
Damn sol state getting philosophical in this video.
Great video!!!
Man, thanks for you videos I'm been learning so much top level ideas and I really like so keep up the good work as always, just thanks man.
Working on album but I’m unable to complete it 4 songs done but I just have no idea what I’m gonna produce !!
I'll never do ish a song. Like I never finish a drawing lol. You could always have done it just a little bit better
These are all ideas but the only ideas that are relevant and hold importance for any producer are the ones they have tried and tested over time. Remember; Life is not only about reaching goals but also about walking the path that lead us to them.
"finish me plzzz"
damn shawty ok
Great content as always!
I loove this channel. thanks for all the gems
@solslate please upload your next video on music business 💗
there will be more videos, not sure when
Every month I submit one track for feedback to a producer I really respect. It’s part of a Patreon tier I pay for. This keeps me writing and always thinking about what to take forward. Eventually one of my ideas “rises” above the others. I have a strong social incentive to be submitting monthly, too, because we’re a group of producers.
That's a cool model Mike. Do you mind sharing the specific Patreon group and genre you're part of?
Happy to share. His name is Stickybuds (known for midtempo, dnb, glitch hop). His Patreon tier is called Producer Plus.
www.patreon.com/Stickybuds
CONGRATS ON 100K TO ONE OF THE MOST USEFUL PRODUCTION CHANNELS I'VE COME ACROSS!
Thank you! Appreciate that
So thankful for your channel Sol, seriously.
He Seems Like A Really Chill Dude! 🦊
Baseball analogy hit different thank you for your videos❤️❤️
corny answer, but
Listen to see if I can’t add anything (or take away something)
Then
I try to add an ending or just let the “song” finish out with the reverb carrying thru.
So I can say I finished something today.
Just a thought from a new person at this…
My anxiety helps me to finish songs 😂
If the project I've been working on crossed the 4-5 days mark i am started having anxiety attacks so i tried to finish song as soon as possible
very motivating video, thank you!
Fox stevenson is actually my hero whatttt a throwback to a younger time for me in my life
This helped me a lot, thanks bro
Well, I think it also depends on what kind of person you are mentally speaking. For me it's hard to abandon a project where I've spent hours or even days on. I need to finish it. Even if I never release it, I consider it practice to finish it. If I'm really feeling an idea I'll continue with that idea and work it out. So that means making an arrangement, do some mixing, adding sounds, other ideas etc. When I'm in "the zone" that can advance quite quickly.
My point is that I usually know within an hour of working on an idea if it has potential or not and when I'm committed to a song, I'm committed and I want to finish it. Then I let it rest for a week, check it again and if I still like it after that? Yeah I'll probably release it! This works very well for me. I have almost no released songs that I'm unhappy about. I often have fond memories of making that track. Could be anything. From using a cool technique to just being an original idea.
Sounds like practice of finishing has helped you know what to finish and how to finish. I like that once you make a decision to finish you commit. Thanks for sharing.
Super cool and very inspriring video!!!! Finishing songs is so so hard and something I try to prevent as often as possible..... And so it's the most important thing to focus on. I've got dozens of started tracks in the drawer and should finally start to finish them all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! But is there enough space on RUclips then...???? 😀 Great Video - Thanks a lot!!!!!!!!
There's plenty of space on RUclips ;)
I'm hopeless at this... cheers Sol!
Takes time Jamie! Don't worry, trust the (slow) process.
@@SolStateMusic Is now that time? who knows?!
In my own perspective No song will ever be completley perfect to the artist, no song will ever really feel complete! We loose track of the process and enjoying creating music. If you semi like a song but want to put it out DO IT!!! for every 10 songs if just 1 is an absoulte favorite of yours doesnt mean the others are horrible or any less they are still unique and good in thier own way who knows one track you personally didnt like will be a hit and you would have never known or distributed it because you never liked it personally. Hope this helps some of you 🙏 and thank you Solstate for the best videos.
Yeah, definitely good to remember that you are just ONE listener. But music is made for many people, all with different tastes.
Prince said to finish every song you start. If it's not working, try to look at it from another point of view, use different sounds, a different arrangement. I have Prince songs with like 8 different demo versions, and end up totally different on the album.
Interesting mindset. Teaches you to work through problems. If you have source of this prince quote/video please send!
Congrats on the 💯 k Sol State!! Long overdue 🙌🏾🙌🏾
Chadd!! Thanks man! You've been here forever at this point. Hope your tunes have gotten better with all these videos
but what happens if your a perfectionist?