5 tips to get inspired as a producer
So let’s begin with this, what even is inspiration?
“something that makes someone want to do something or that gives someone an idea about what to do or create”. So reading this brings couple obvious things in to mind, as a music producer. Listening to the music you produce, watching tutorials (not to learn but get inspired), listening to music producing related podcasts, read articles like this one… And so on. In this post i am gonna give you guys 5 ways to get inspired to produce music.
open your daw’s user manual!
This might sound a bit stupid at first but there is a catch. I am coming from FL Studio and the user manual in FL is really detailed and informative, sometimes i just browse the manual and when i come across something new about a plugins or mixing, i get inspired to try this plugin or what ever that i just learned. So just by opening your favorite DAW’s manual you can learn A LOT. The reason behind this working is that the information is at one place and clearly labeled. If you go to YouTube and try to find new information, you just cannot find it. You need to know stuff in order to ask the Right Questions.
Just a example, here you can learn what the mysterious “sampler stretching modes” actually are.
2. Force it!
Take some time everyday to make loops, melodies, sound design, mixing.. whatever. Take 15-30 minutes everyday to make music. This forces you to first of all learn by trying new things, i am assuming that you are not going to create same 4x4 kick loop every time. If you make loops with this time, save them. You can crab these loops when you have time to sit down and make actual music, it can be really inspiring to crab ready to go loops you made like 2 weeks ago. Think about it, you are creating circumstances where you have all the tools and loops at your finger tips, only thing you need have is little bit of inspiration and you have a track in no time.
Thinking about it, if you take just 30 minutes every day (at least) it’s 3,5 hours a week, 15 hours a month and +180 hours a year… so yeah. You can learn/produce a lot in that time.
I like to create patcher chains when i have “free time”
3. Go outside your comfort zone!
What this has to do with inspiration? Well if inspiration is something that gives you an idea to create something. This definitively gives you ideas, you probably have something that you are aware of but don’t actually understand? Let’s say your weakness is Lead sound design for example. Go and read actual articles about oldschool synthesizers and how did these synths work and create sounds? If you learn this and try to implement a oldschool workflow with modern tools, the results can be incredible. This was just an example, your weakness is most likely different so figure it out and start with the basics!
4. Take your time, get in the zone!
If you have time to sit down for 5 hours let’s say. Do it! Taking your time with production and using the aspects you are strong at can be really inspirational. With this method you can achieve “flow state” and this is a real thing that happens. When you get in the zone you forget all the sense of time and other disturbances, you are fully focused on the task in hand, which is producing of course. To achieve this state in anything you do, you must enjoy it, otherwise it is really hard to get in the zone. If you ever had this happen to you, you will know what i am talking about.
Find a relaxing moment in your week and go for it, enjoy!
Pic by: Stephen Kraakmo
5. My personal favorite method
If you do sports like go to gym, running or whatever sport that can be done alone when ever, do it. If you already are going to the gym regularly that is really good. Keeping good care of your physical health is really important for your overall life quality but also for thinking, which is kind of important when making music. If you just sit in your room all day you are wasting your time. You have limited amount of “powerful/quality” hours in your day, use those hours to do things that you want to be good at! If you are a sporty human being and already spending good quality hours in the gym or other sports, just take a hike, literally. Going for a walk is the cheapest way to get new ideas, brains need new stimulus or they get bored. This new stimulus can be just going outside your house and walking your dog, and if you don’t have dog, go walk your neighbors dog. :D
PIc by: Alexandra Tran