Making music can be very time consuming. How much time do you spend?
Each Tuesday we open our mic to readers and lurkers alike to come out of the woodwork and tell us your thoughts and opinion, your experiences and mistakes, what you love and what you hate. We want to hear from you, and here’s your chance.
Do you produce music daily, every few days, once a week, or less often?
Do you spend every available waking hour making and playing music, or just fit it in when you can? Is it a consuming passion that takes time away from everything else, or something you are interested in and spend time on when you can?
What do the people in your life think of the time you spend making music? Does it cause problems? Do they support you? Do they understand?
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the necessary time
every day. before, after, and during schoolwork.
I think I’m probably one of the slower ones, but I’m very particular with everything. I take about 1 full day to get the foundation, and another day for the mixing, etc..
If I had it my way, I’d be doing it for a living, but I do both audio and design so I don’t make music as often as I’d like, but it’s still the dream!
Here are examples of my work:
http://davadrian.com/2008/10/31/vol-1-the-remixes-making-of-icebox-remix/
http://davadrian.com/2008/10/03/vol-1-the-remixes-bobby-v/
Just check out my site and click Music Production in the categories for more examples..
Not nearly enough time, stupid work and school. Hopefully I’ll get time to produce some new music soon and also finish writing a tutorial on Pro Tools that has been kicking around my desktop for months.
When I’m writing a new song, I work on it tirelessly until I’m satisfied with it. I write and record at the same time, always building on projects like that. So usually I’ll work on a song all day and night in 2-5 day blocks (unless I’m particularly busy with ‘real’ work). Once the song is finalized or I’m waiting for a collaborator to get back to me with their part, I don’t do much. I average one song a month.
I play with my DAW almost daily but I dont produce every day, I just throw new ideas together:)
I make a point to start a new project every week, no matter if im working on something else or not, I would say about 4-5 hours a day.
I work for an hour or so and step away from it go for a bike ride and come back and tinker some more that way I can get a fresh perspective on what im doing.
I really do tend to think that getting away from a project you have been working on for a few days trying to hone to that bleeding edge is really important. Or maybe going back to a past save point and redoing the arrangement or fine tuning.
As for why I feel a need to start something every week is that personally I need a goal to shoot for to keep working with new sounds and pushing myself.
everyday. mid 2009 i decided to write a song a day. not all get recorded. but the work is there. i practice guitar or play guitar or bass everyday. still work a 8-6 job. often carry my guitar or laptop to work. basically i spent one day, maybe two on a song. i get a lot done. lots of styles. my downfall is i’m sloppy. mixes could be better. my playing could be better. but i bore easy and must move. i have a tendency to relish the idea more than the product. anyone can polish a turd. i prefer action, chance and adventure, mistakes lead to often glorious outcome. sometime they paint you in a corner of wankerdom. i rarely judge the outcome. skin that is shed, falling to the floor. perhaps someone will like something.
http://www.reverbnation.com/davewhitepdx
I go for three rehearsals a week with a band playing a guitar. At home every free minute I study piano and guitar scales/riffs, which is nearly half to three hours 3 times a week (4-7 hours a week in general).
Apart I spend at least one intense hour studying musical harmony.
As I spend a lot of time in a car. It’s the time for vocal trainings: I sing to mp3 audio guide. So almost daily I work on my singing level.
I do not do a lot of recording yet. ‘Cause I think that my level as arranger should be improved. I also floating in Nuendo and Reason – it takes too much time to make something of it.
But I think it is good to end things. I took as a rule to end a new song in at least two months. God bless me.
I’m not a Audio guy,but i sure want to be now.
I dont usually go to the Envato Marketplaces, but today I just took a peek at AudioJungle,and I mus say i’m SHOCKED.
Theres alot of great music out there.
Especially http://audiojungle.net/user/soundroll – had some very inspiring pieces.
so,I decided i too,want to create music.
If you could point me to a starting point (mainly Equipment,Softwares ETC.)
I would be thankful.
Hi “Unknown”. Soundroll is definitely a talented and popular artist at AudioJungle. If you want to learn more about music production, a good starting point is the article A Beginner’s Introduction to Home Recording which summarises everything you need to know, and links to other helpful Audiotuts articles. And stay tuned – you should see more articles for beginners in the near future.
It takes me minimum 3 weeks to make remix … Minimum 2 months to make my own track …
My production is very top notch but it takes f***** ages ;/
Can someone tell me how I can get in this thing(audio creation).
IE Equipment(hardware),software and other stuff.
thanks alot.
Music you say? Not enough, never enough… Always trying to temper Logic 9. Don’t you feel that using software as an instrument is so demanding? I always get the feeling that something’s missing.
Normally i use 1-2 daily, “fooling” around, creating beats, synths-sounds and stuff like that, but when i get inspired for a song or gets a mixing project, i mostly use all my sparetime on the music.
When i have the time and feel like it, i find my trumpet, and practice a little, but thats not that often, sadly…
Two-three hours everynight after work. It could be composing, recording, mixing or mastering. I spend months finishing a song, until every part of the process is done right.
why are my messages “awaiting moderation”?
Hi Ian. Because you haven’t commented before. It’s a way of reducing comment spam (and we get a lot!).
for days @ a time
Between practicing my own stuff and for gigging, plus working on client stuff in the studio usually at least 7 hours a day.
Some very nice examples in this thread.. Lots of talent here it seems.
Well, having a very stressful job, organising raves/events, studying management at university part-time and a girlfriend that for every little free minute she has, wants to spend it with you.
Is this your scenario? Well it is mine!! haha
but I still manage to spend 20 hours every week…I employ the most of the time in production and mixing… Need to learn some things on mastering but from my experience it’s better to leave it for someone else…
This website is amazing! i’m learning a lot and applying it to my productions! I would like to see more tutorials on how to improove in arrangement and anticipation in dance tracks because it’s very lacking all over the internet and in my opinion it’s the most important thing in a song.
check out my work on:
http://www.myspace.com/lostemotions
http://www.myspace.com/phaiier
cheers
hmmm I think i spend like 3 hours a day tinkering and adding ideas to my bag of tricks, this way when a project comes along I am never short of tricks.