We have all opened up our DAWs, ready to write the next big hit, and we end up creating nothing. Starting a new track can be one of the toughest parts of the production process. That initial spark that begins your musical idea is tough to generate and the absence of it can quickly get you into a creative rut. Below I have listed five ways that you can generate this spark and get to writing your best music.

Mixing is one of the most difficult parts of the production process to master. Time must be spent developing your ears, learning the ins and outs of your mixing software, and gaining experience through mixing numerous tracks. While the time and effort put into this part of the production process is necessary, there are a few tips and techniques that you can apply to your mixes to help speed up the learning process and help you get to a professional mixing level quicker. In this article, I will go over the top five mixing tips that music producers should be using.

“How many songs are you working on right now?” is a question I get asked a lot that I can’t give a simple answer to. On various hard drives scattered around my house I’ve got dozens of unfinished recordings ranging from single melodies to entire songs. On my phone there are almost a hundred more. I’m of the philosophy that musical ideas worth exploring can come to me any place and any time, so I do my best to be prepared when they do.

But being ready for new ideas to find me and not being able to move on from the past are two different things. I can’t speak for every songwriter, but putting valuable time and energy into attempting to transform old demos into new finished songs is almost always fruitless and futile for me. If you’re stuck in a pattern where it feels impossible to let go of your old, unfinished music, here’s some inspiration for cutting ties and moving forward.