I'm a loner. Even though, the isolation when producing music is brutal at times. When I'm particularly creative it feels like I might be the only person on earth. Sometimes it's a blessing, but some times it's the worst. Loneliness is focus, but loneliness is also isolation. It's a blessing, with a side note of curse.
Isolation for me comes with being the only person where I live who wants to make electronic music. Trouble is, I want to work with others to keep me motivated. It's a rock and a hard place here.
You've hit the nail on the head, as usual, Ed. I'm new to music making and in my 50's. I started learning piano as a way to deal with depression. Fortunately, it's hard to have suicidal thoughts when the brain is trying to get my fingers to play an E Major scale with both hands over 3 octaves. That was nearly 3 years ago. Thankfully my mental health has massively improved and for the past few months I've been setting up a home studio since deciding I would go into composing/playing/recording music. Having got everything set up I completely lost the sense of direction I had when planning my purchases & studio design. It was devastating!! I'm now slowly getting an idea of what I want to do and feeling my way into a work flow. I'm starting to get excited for the music I can make even though I realised over the past few months it is not going to be easy. Your video reminded me of the challenges ahead. One thing I'm glad I did do is to stay the hell out of the forum that I joined. It's full of people whose hobby is to talk about making music, buying VST's and kidding themselves that posting shit is the same as making music! I have a way to go until I settle into a routine that is productive and fulfilling but I'm up for the challenge. Your videos keep me grounded and stop me kidding myself that this is going to be a walk in the park. I'm grateful for that!!
I finally delved into music production during deep depression and anxiety in the wake of covid. I knew that I both had the time to finally dedicate to it, AND that I needed the project to drive me forward. It's been an incredible year and music continues to be a critical driver of recovery
You are a total hero, and have been the first music youtuber who’s legitimately helped me start to change my approach toward my music-making in any measurable way. So thankyou.
Since finding your channel about a month ago I can say it’s one of my favorites and whenever I see a post I instantly watch. Awesome content. Thank you so much!!!
True this. At 65 retired and started collecting Instruments & DAW 4 years ogo in 2016 after my stroke to reabilitate my brain the stroke said do music.. Built my 10x10 studio, took all 1 year to learn What I needed. Finished and have it all just starting to record my plaing to backing tracks. Love your work. Inspirational.
I'm not even at that stage and I already hate the promotion side of making music, I hope he'll make another in-depth video about this to answer your question.
I think learning how to create effective facebook ads is vital for growth as well as knowing your particular demographic. Creating fan funnels that have a story and allow people to get to know you is something I am trying to do more of. We underestimate the importance of creating engaging content and often think making music alone is enough. You've got to show your personality! We are actually lucky with platforms such as tik tok that we can get our music in front of new audiences. Let's face it being a consistent content creator is very demanding, however, not making ourselves be seen obviously has a knock on effect. There are so many great songs that will go unheard because of the effort it takes to promote them properly. I create as much content as possible, make music videos NFT's and merch. Which allow true fans to support if they wish. Ultimately we must remember to have fun doing all this otherwise we lose ourselves. I had thought I covered all my bases until I recently found out about MLC royalties. There is a lot to getting everything your owed. If you choose this path you must be all in and aware of the harsh realities.
From my own limited experiences, paid promotion on IG has been useless. The "influencers" will probably tell me my promotion strategy is all wrong, but in simple terms the return-on-investment numbers just don't ad up. Say if you spend 500 bucks on a paid promotion you'll need roughly 150-200k streams on Spotify just to break even. I've never seen this level of uptick after a paid post. No-one talks about how shit ROI is for paid promos, only how to promote.
Definitely guilty of watching too many videos when I should just be spending that time noodling away. There's feeling that if I'm not making music, I should at least be doing something connected to it, in actuality it's probably best to just switch off for a bit. I've been tougher with myself recently and stopped watching new gear videos and resisting buying 'that new bit of gear'. There definitely needs to be more videos on the mentality of music making rather than the technical. That side of things is saturated. If you think back to how much defining music was created before the internet was even a thing, it helps you to realise that you just need to plough through and make music that feels instinctive to you and not necessarily what is currently 'trendy'. Finding your style is the best way. Just need to keep at it and not worry too much about making it big. As long as it's fun then you're on the right trajectory.
I really like listening to music when I'm doing something creative. It sucks that you can't listen to music when you're making music, other than the music you're making, obviously 😆
All of this is so f**kin' true ... After nearly 10 years in the making for me, I don't know how many times I have been (and I am) on this emotional rollercoaster. Making music isn't the most difficult part, dealing with a sustainable / healthy / realistic process in the making is what takes guts! Thanks for this video :-)
The mindset is the most important thing for me to work on. _"Music was never the problem. The problem was how we think music should be. It's the suggestiveness of music that has often obstructed and diverted creativity's natural path."_ - Jeff Mills
Yup, making music is one endless emotional rollercoaster pinging between hopeful and hopeless. I just try to stick to the process and be grateful for anything positive that comes my way. If you dwell on the negatives (and there are plenty), you'll just wind up bitter and resentful. That's not to say I don't have many (many) days where I don't feel like throwing in the towel!
It took me roughly 10years of making music to be happy with my own songs... Started at around 13-14yrs old... I'm 30now... So almost whole decade was spent on learning everything on music theory, sound design, mixing,sound trends, vocal recording and processing... Some basics key and drum playing.. It is f*cking hard work but honestly I loved it 😅
Couldn't agree more. I started making music for fun and after a while I realized it's hard work. And I'm glad you speak up about this. For the last point I would like to add that not only the mind but also being able to regulate your emotions is important. Writing music causes a lot of frustration for me which is not a feeling I've ever been able to deal with well and still learning to allow it pass through every time it arises.
I absolutely love this channel,especially this video. I found myself in this video in all the reasons and everything you mentioned is so true! Keep it up, cheers from Croatia!
I've loved the journey so far :) and the grass is always greener on the other side! I don't do music full-time, but I always wish I could. It's funny I complain a lot of the same things being a medical student. Sitting down for too long, being isolated, selfish, not making time for friends, etc. I think the main thing is the outlook; once it becomes a job, we start to see it as a job. Even if we're to "make it big" and play all the big shows, travel the world, and write hits... there's going to be the flip side of that coin with the added pressure of delivering again, the toll that traveling takes on your body, being away from friends and family. Just need to take it for what it's worth, one step at a time ❤ Always appreciate what you have to say @mredrollo !!
Promotion is without a doubt the worst thing for me. While it is a relatively easy task, the conversion rate as you put it is just dire. I recall a while ago I posted a video on the making of one of my tracks, (which of course took hours to put together), around the exact same time a mate of mine uploaded a video of his partner eating a pie .... guess what got more hits and comments. Talk about crashing back down to earth. Ohh and thanks for your vids, they are always an intersting take on our music making world.
This man is a genius. I'm so serious. Favorite thing I've seen from a musician on TH-cam! I couldn't agree more about the importance of the mind. I've been waiting to find someone, anyone, who can help guide on that front. Thank you!
I love your honesty, no bullshit or fluffing things up, just brutal honesty. Making music does suck at times, especially if you're producing it on your own, but it does have it's advantages. I started playing music back in the 80's, played guitar in a few punk bands then around '96 I started working on my own as I was fed up of the bullshit of been in a band and dealing with other musicians. I released a few cassettes to start with then moved onto CD's. I've given most of my music away for free as I never saw the point in selling it as I'm not trying to make a living out of it (not that I ever would!) and besides, who's gonna buy music from an artist they've never heard of? I've nothing against professional musicians or musicians wanting to sell their music. But the world and his mother are producing music these days and 99.9% of them will never "make it" to the big league. I got into this for enjoyment and as much as it sucks at times, I still love it. I like the solitude of working alone and not have the friction of working with other musicians. I have no desire to try and make a living from it (I work full time and actually enjoy my job) this allows me to simply enjoy what I'm doing and if other people like it then its a bonus. Great video, keep them coming.
Back in the 80's whatever music we had access to we cherished it more, made mix tapes and shared it by listening together with other people. it was all exciting with new genres of Electronic music and music in general. Today, the easy access to free online music and video has killed the vibe and made people indifferent and unappreciative. The music doesn't have the same vibe as back in those days.
Anything worthwhile comes with hard work! Music is no exception…But you’re spot on with the new release stuff, no one seems to give a shit anymore due to streaming unless you’re already famous!
Fantastic advice. Music for me has always been something mystical. An old friend of mine once told me that an Indian Sage once said, "music goes deeper than any other art form: it touches your spirit."
I love the way you tell it like it is, and don't try to discourage yet bring out the realities of what every musician great and small has or will have to go through.
This is truly what I needed to see. So soothing and inspiring for the creative souls out there. As someone who has struggled with being an artist, losing my connections, and any drive I had before this is something I needed. Thank you so much for sharing the wisdom, experience, and words out to the world. Wishing you the best :)
lockdown came, lost my job, locked myself in a room for 18 months to scratch that itch I've had since 1992... Was struggling with headspace with what was going on, nearly lost it at a few points. Still here...
Really enjoy the perspective you share. Been djing and creating live gear sets in Detroit for the last 10 years and am a bit of a slog. The usual why and is it sustainable negative self speak damage to the body money out the door stuff never gets brought up and I’m glad you do
Yeah. This is the right content. I’ve been watching your videos a lot. I resonate with them heavily. Inspiring me to share my own thoughts and struggles with music making in the modern world.
Making music has been very lonely for me. Sometimes I like that aspect but other tmes it really gets to me. Thanks for talking about these things. I'm sick of everyone just showing their best sides and pretending like everything is absolutely glorious, as if positivity alone can instill some kind of permanent happiness. Being realistic and sensitive to your own ups and down seems by far more valuable to be able to navigate the frustrations, hardships, and challenges with some semblance of sanity intact. Much love and respec, keep releasing your stuff is amazing.
Thank you so much for that dose of negativity It is baffling to me that you talked about mental health struggles artists face and how we should combat them while giving your viewers the most depressing deterring speech I've ever hear in my life Peace and love though ✌️
Oh man. I feel like a lot of these types of videos just hit generic points about the struggles of writing music and then WHAM buy this product to make your music better blah blah blah but every single point you make is so spot on. Thanks for the post, good to know other musicians/producers have ran into these same issues
Thanks for this video! I started producing my pwn music about 7 years ago and in the meanwhile had two releases yet and a next one will follow very soon. I can absolutely agree with everything you said and its somehow encouraging to see and know that it is pretty much the same for other producers and I guess that is something we simply have to take as our destiny. Once you realize and know that music is a necessary/integral part of your life and something you live for (for a reason) there is no way back any more and we have to face it as it is and making the best out of it. Caring for our physical and spiritual wellbeing is of course essential as it is in all aspects of life generally and the healthier and stronger we are the better our musicworks will be, most definitely.
Every part you have briefly discussed in this video is so true, in my own situation for example when I just started making my own music, i often got stuck on not getting just that one tone/sound that i wanted out of my hardware and software, which in the beginning very often caused me to start a completely new/different project, now that works, well no not really, but sometimes it almost drove me crazy, and to forget that, i at that time very often started working on something completely news/different. But now I know better, but when you start with this it is indeed very important that you understand that this is a process of years, it took me about 1,5 years to get my firts piece of usefull audio made, to gif you somthing of an idea, and on top of that I was lucky that I could already play the piano, otherwise it would have taken considerably longer I can report. And yes, it can indeed be very lonely sometimes, but then also live on my own, and I like to be on my own, but than again it can stil feel very lonely sometimes, also so true. But that's where we have family friends and girlfriends for 😉
Every word, it's just rock man , u spoke directly to my heart , stoped doing music for profit just making for my self , more learning jazz less Infront of pc
I've watched a good amount of ya videos but this one made me sub I've been rapping/singing for about 4-6 years from middle school to the end of highschool and now that I'm 18 years old I definitely relate to all of these but it's that last one about the mind that really holds me back I feel I've gotten better than I was 2 years ago but gd it's hard to follow a schedule with no evidence that what your doing is going to amount to anything just blind faith that we artists have. Edit: my best advice for artists is when you create stay in the moment don't think about if or how people will like it how you'll brand ya self and market it because at the end of the day you have to enjoy making music not just to be in it for the money and make music you'll listen to believe in your self it's easier said than done but get it done and you'll be happier with yourself and your life
Great video. I deal with a lot of things you talked about. Besides promotion, the one thing I deal with in making music is what I called "Imposter Syndrome". I always feel when I put out new music, I'll get a comment or someone telling me, "Your sh*t is so fake" I try not to emulate any of my fav artists and I know my sound and genre but it's hard not to shake this feeling like I'm going to be outted like I'm some fake music maker. .If anyone that make sense.
oh gosh imposter syndrome's super real. was in that mindset all day today like "oh there's no way you could actually do this you're just pretending" then like, you stop and think and you're like yeah but what am I literally doing right now? like, i'm super new right like it's real easy to get self conscious about all of it but I think like in another mredrollo video (probably several) he just says to enjoy the process so like, I try to keep that in mind and that ultimately I'm wanting to make stuff 'cause I wanna make stuff. i lost the plot. you're not alone tho!
I commented some videos ago about feeling uninspired about finishing my first electronic EP (I've been producing for 7 years and never released something big). And now the weeks had past and I re-inspired and made alot of progress in the EP. Yeah, making music is hard, frustrating and all the above things mentioned in the video but when you feel that inspiration and that spark ignites is kinda the best feeling you can ever have. Thanks mr for making such a good music community :)
Great post. Totally hit the nail on the head. I used to make dance records in the 90s some of which were commercially released and got paid for doing it. Wasn’t huge amounts of money but for a twenty something it was just barely about enough to live on. Now it’s a totally different ball game and I can totally relate to every point. Even so it’s still the best hobby and wouldn’t swap it for anything else in the world.
Promote your music is a nightmare. You worked your ass of for days/weeks on a track feeling good about it, excited. Then u release it and no one really gives a fuck. It's very easy to start questioning yourself if you are any good at all even tho people are saying so. But a few days later you start the next project anyway and it's the same thing all over again. Great video as always.
I believe I have found the video link as the perfect answer to a lot of questions I get asked on a daily basis. Without explaining now, It would be just copy and pasting this video. Great Job!!
I'm so happy I found your channel (through the guest appearence you did with Miles Kvandra) and this hits hard. I lost my steam mid last year and a few of the big factors were exactly what you mentioned in great detail. hopefully this is the slap in the head I needed to get back into the grinding.
nunca escuche a nadie decir estas cosas sobre la producción musical pero he caído en cuenta de cada una de ellas justamente haciendo y compartiendo música. De todas las disciplinas artísticas que practico, hacer música, con gran diferencia, es la más exigente. Hermoso video, Straight to the point.
Not weeks not months…fucking years, haha love it. I’ve been producing and mixing my own music for 3-4 years. I can make a real instrument based pro sounding mix….after 3 or 4 years of doing it. Just got home from studio after tracking some harmonies and hating them, and I’m like man maybe it’s time to stop paying rent for this place. Had to watch some YT vids to cheer me up cause it is tough and can be extremely frustrating but wtf else are we gonna do right?!
I actually started with a cracked Reason 2 and a 5 year old Dell PC in 2006, using 90s PC monitors, they had bass and treble and sounded decent. I was drunk and smoking heavily in My 20s making music all night sponging on benefits. Not the best start lol.
Thank you, I'm a realist but even then I still needed to hear this for a few reasons you listed! 🤗 Sounding negative but actually a positive and useful/true lesson. Thank you!
I discovered your channel recently and have watched a lot of your videos. The best thing about them is that although your advice is aimed at music-making it can be applied to whatever path of creativity one cares to follow. I'm a hobbyist game programmer and the key points you make are equally valid for what I'm doing and to be honest you put your points across better than most. I do have aspirations of making music, have way more DJ and music gear than I need to start, but always tend to focus on programming where I have years of experience, it's daunting to think about sitting down and trying to make music from scratch.
Hey man, the mindset is the most important thing Indeed. Sometimes all of us struggling with the thoughts like "will i make it?" "Is it for me?" "Maybe I'm not good enough to do this". But this is our own mind lying to us and it all comes down to a fear of failure (or for the most part). Also for many of us journey starts in the middle of nowhere and you don't really know where to start and not a lot of people telling you to start from the fundamentals that is music theory like scales, progressions, rhythm etc. For me this was deal breaker. Thank you for this kind of content my friend, it is always very helpful and it always get you back on track because it is just real stuff :)
Some salient points indeed...particularly the "isolation" aspect....2.5 years into almost weekly releases, and 13 albums in over 30 years or so.....but what a GIFT music is! For some of us, creating is a big part of why we are here 🖖
Damn Ed, that's spot-on. Painfully so. In fact, you raised some issues I wasn't aware of yet, but when you voiced them... Yep, same here :D Much love man! Talk soon!
Bill Withers had a incredible quote " on your way to wonderful you will pass alright, while you are here take a good look around because this might be as far as you're going"
Music is like coding It seems like you know it because you know all the shortcuts on your pc but when you start coding it hits different. Coding and music both need an intense flow and dedication, else you wont go anywhere
Why making music sucks? You spend days, weeks, months making the best possible thing that you can. Working on the tiniest of details that nobody will ever hear or notice. Driving yourself crazy with perfectionist tendencies. And then - it's time to release your music to the world ..... and you realise that a) Nobody gives a shit. b) It's all about the f*cking algorithm c) it's all about the f*cking algorithm d) it's all about the f*cking algorithm .... God I wish I was making music one or two generations ago.
I built my channel off sound design tutorials and have found myself on the same page wanting to explore approaches and problem solving to cultivate critical thinking. There are certain aspects of music that you inherit without the technical hurdles that I believe can be cultivated but isnt discussed much. I’ve covered a few topics on finding yourself as an artist and some personal approaches to writing/composing certain areas of a tune but I’d love to see more people talk about their philosophies on what goes from their head to the digital canvas.
Thanks for sharing. Yeah, I think I just reached a point with "tutorials" where I felt like I was adding to the problem, not coming up with practical solutions. Sound design is super important, but there is a threshold with learning, and eventually we just need to do the work and discover through doing rather than just staying glued to learning, learning, learning. All the best with your channel mate and let me know if you want to bounce some ideas off one another.
Yeah - makes me want to sell most of my equipment. Keep a few things like an acoustic and a bass, small interface and couple of mics... I do enjoy writing songs with my neighbor and recording them. However, they don't go anywhere, doubt they ever will, since I only send them to ppl I know. Not trying to promote at all... Not playing out... Maybe it's time to go back to abstract painting... Keep up the good work!
I'm a loner. Even though, the isolation when producing music is brutal at times. When I'm particularly creative it feels like I might be the only person on earth. Sometimes it's a blessing, but some times it's the worst. Loneliness is focus, but loneliness is also isolation. It's a blessing, with a side note of curse.
This!!
Isolation for me comes with being the only person where I live who wants to make electronic music. Trouble is, I want to work with others to keep me motivated. It's a rock and a hard place here.
Why is it Artists always end up in this type of paradigms?
@@guilletiger Maybe the real magic is found there?
Exactly. Thanks for your comment!
You've hit the nail on the head, as usual, Ed.
I'm new to music making and in my 50's. I started learning piano as a way to deal with depression. Fortunately, it's hard to have suicidal thoughts when the brain is trying to get my fingers to play an E Major scale with both hands over 3 octaves.
That was nearly 3 years ago. Thankfully my mental health has massively improved and for the past few months I've been setting up a home studio since deciding I would go into composing/playing/recording music. Having got everything set up I completely lost the sense of direction I had when planning my purchases & studio design. It was devastating!! I'm now slowly getting an idea of what I want to do and feeling my way into a work flow. I'm starting to get excited for the music I can make even though I realised over the past few months it is not going to be easy.
Your video reminded me of the challenges ahead. One thing I'm glad I did do is to stay the hell out of the forum that I joined. It's full of people whose hobby is to talk about making music, buying VST's and kidding themselves that posting shit is the same as making music!
I have a way to go until I settle into a routine that is productive and fulfilling but I'm up for the challenge. Your videos keep me grounded and stop me kidding myself that this is going to be a walk in the park. I'm grateful for that!!
I finally delved into music production during deep depression and anxiety in the wake of covid. I knew that I both had the time to finally dedicate to it, AND that I needed the project to drive me forward. It's been an incredible year and music continues to be a critical driver of recovery
Know my friend that I'm proud of you that you overcome the depression and you are doing better and you do what you really love, never give up :)
@@jamesdean5095 Music is the best isn't it? Without music there's nothing. 👍
@@TheCrocwise Thanks man, appreciate it!
@@coloaten6682 “Without music, life would be a mistake.” ― Friedrich Nietzsche
You are a total hero, and have been the first music youtuber who’s legitimately helped me start to change my approach toward my music-making in any measurable way. So thankyou.
Really appreciate this mate.
Since finding your channel about a month ago I can say it’s one of my favorites and whenever I see a post I instantly watch. Awesome content. Thank you so much!!!
Thanks so much!
True this. At 65 retired and started collecting Instruments & DAW 4 years ogo in 2016 after my stroke to reabilitate my brain the stroke said do music.. Built my 10x10 studio, took all 1 year to learn What I needed. Finished and have it all just starting to record my plaing to backing tracks. Love your work. Inspirational.
Thanks!
Yep, the promotion side is the worst. That's the stage where my work ends up dying. What are your thoughts on using paid promotion?
I'm not even at that stage and I already hate the promotion side of making music, I hope he'll make another in-depth video about this to answer your question.
I think learning how to create effective facebook ads is vital for growth as well as knowing your particular demographic.
Creating fan funnels that have a story and allow people to get to know you is something I am trying to do more of. We underestimate the importance of creating engaging content and often think making music alone is enough. You've got to show your personality!
We are actually lucky with platforms such as tik tok that we can get our music in front of new audiences.
Let's face it being a consistent content creator is very demanding, however, not making ourselves be seen obviously has a knock on effect. There are so many great songs that will go unheard because of the effort it takes to promote them properly.
I create as much content as possible, make music videos NFT's and merch. Which allow true fans to support if they wish.
Ultimately we must remember to have fun doing all this otherwise we lose ourselves.
I had thought I covered all my bases until I recently found out about MLC royalties. There is a lot to getting everything your owed.
If you choose this path you must be all in and aware of the harsh realities.
From my own limited experiences, paid promotion on IG has been useless. The "influencers" will probably tell me my promotion strategy is all wrong, but in simple terms the return-on-investment numbers just don't ad up. Say if you spend 500 bucks on a paid promotion you'll need roughly 150-200k streams on Spotify just to break even. I've never seen this level of uptick after a paid post. No-one talks about how shit ROI is for paid promos, only how to promote.
We have to form teams and support each other on social media.
"...the music you make in your bedroom may never leave there." SO TRUE!
Definitely guilty of watching too many videos when I should just be spending that time noodling away. There's feeling that if I'm not making music, I should at least be doing something connected to it, in actuality it's probably best to just switch off for a bit. I've been tougher with myself recently and stopped watching new gear videos and resisting buying 'that new bit of gear'. There definitely needs to be more videos on the mentality of music making rather than the technical. That side of things is saturated.
If you think back to how much defining music was created before the internet was even a thing, it helps you to realise that you just need to plough through and make music that feels instinctive to you and not necessarily what is currently 'trendy'. Finding your style is the best way. Just need to keep at it and not worry too much about making it big. As long as it's fun then you're on the right trajectory.
Preach. If music weren't so awesome when it works, no one would do it.
I really like listening to music when I'm doing something creative. It sucks that you can't listen to music when you're making music, other than the music you're making, obviously 😆
Burial does it
@@ridylan ha! Does he? Brilliant. Love Burial
All of this is so f**kin' true ... After nearly 10 years in the making for me, I don't know how many times I have been (and I am) on this emotional rollercoaster. Making music isn't the most difficult part, dealing with a sustainable / healthy / realistic process in the making is what takes guts!
Thanks for this video :-)
yo this hits too close to home especially the isolation and self care part! thank you for reminding me of how important they are! cheers!
The mindset is the most important thing for me to work on.
_"Music was never the problem. The problem was how we think music should be. It's the suggestiveness of music that has often obstructed and diverted creativity's natural path."_ - Jeff Mills
Yup, making music is one endless emotional rollercoaster pinging between hopeful and hopeless. I just try to stick to the process and be grateful for anything positive that comes my way. If you dwell on the negatives (and there are plenty), you'll just wind up bitter and resentful. That's not to say I don't have many (many) days where I don't feel like throwing in the towel!
It took me roughly 10years of making music to be happy with my own songs... Started at around 13-14yrs old... I'm 30now... So almost whole decade was spent on learning everything on music theory, sound design, mixing,sound trends, vocal recording and processing... Some basics key and drum playing.. It is f*cking hard work but honestly I loved it 😅
There’s no other way we know how!
Compressor comment Had me and fucking tears mate. LMFAO
Ahhahha... altought... it leaves me thinking...should I go and watch another compressor tutorial 😨.... Lol
As a musician for 40 years and a producer for 25... this is one of the best videos I've ever seen on this topic
Couldn't agree more. I started making music for fun and after a while I realized it's hard work. And I'm glad you speak up about this. For the last point I would like to add that not only the mind but also being able to regulate your emotions is important. Writing music causes a lot of frustration for me which is not a feeling I've ever been able to deal with well and still learning to allow it pass through every time it arises.
I absolutely love this channel,especially this video. I found myself in this video in all the reasons and everything you mentioned is so true!
Keep it up, cheers from Croatia!
Welcome mate. Appreciate it.
" If you conquer your mind your music will be better" That's truth and I believe applies to all aspects of our life.
I don’t even know what to say, just wanted to comment for that engagement. You’ve said it all
Hahaha appreciate it, it helps spread the word 👍🏼
I've loved the journey so far :) and the grass is always greener on the other side! I don't do music full-time, but I always wish I could. It's funny I complain a lot of the same things being a medical student. Sitting down for too long, being isolated, selfish, not making time for friends, etc. I think the main thing is the outlook; once it becomes a job, we start to see it as a job. Even if we're to "make it big" and play all the big shows, travel the world, and write hits... there's going to be the flip side of that coin with the added pressure of delivering again, the toll that traveling takes on your body, being away from friends and family. Just need to take it for what it's worth, one step at a time ❤ Always appreciate what you have to say @mredrollo !!
Promotion is without a doubt the worst thing for me. While it is a relatively easy task, the conversion rate as you put it is just dire. I recall a while ago I posted a video on the making of one of my tracks, (which of course took hours to put together), around the exact same time a mate of mine uploaded a video of his partner eating a pie .... guess what got more hits and comments. Talk about crashing back down to earth. Ohh and thanks for your vids, they are always an intersting take on our music making world.
This man is a genius. I'm so serious. Favorite thing I've seen from a musician on TH-cam! I couldn't agree more about the importance of the mind. I've been waiting to find someone, anyone, who can help guide on that front. Thank you!
I love your honesty, no bullshit or fluffing things up, just brutal honesty. Making music does suck at times, especially if you're producing it on your own, but it does have it's advantages. I started playing music back in the 80's, played guitar in a few punk bands then around '96 I started working on my own as I was fed up of the bullshit of been in a band and dealing with other musicians. I released a few cassettes to start with then moved onto CD's. I've given most of my music away for free as I never saw the point in selling it as I'm not trying to make a living out of it (not that I ever would!) and besides, who's gonna buy music from an artist they've never heard of? I've nothing against professional musicians or musicians wanting to sell their music. But the world and his mother are producing music these days and 99.9% of them will never "make it" to the big league. I got into this for enjoyment and as much as it sucks at times, I still love it. I like the solitude of working alone and not have the friction of working with other musicians. I have no desire to try and make a living from it (I work full time and actually enjoy my job) this allows me to simply enjoy what I'm doing and if other people like it then its a bonus. Great video, keep them coming.
I resonating with your down to earth take on something that should be a joy in pursuing
We do it because we absolutely love it. Doesn’t mean it isn’t hard. In fact that’s a good thing.
Back in the 80's whatever music we had access to we cherished it more, made mix tapes and shared it by listening together with other people. it was all exciting with new genres of Electronic music and music in general. Today, the easy access to free online music and video has killed the vibe and made people indifferent and unappreciative. The music doesn't have the same vibe as back in those days.
Anything worthwhile comes with hard work! Music is no exception…But you’re spot on with the new release stuff, no one seems to give a shit anymore due to streaming unless you’re already famous!
Fantastic advice. Music for me has always been something mystical. An old friend of mine once told me that an Indian Sage once said, "music goes deeper than any other art form: it touches your spirit."
Well said!
I love the way you tell it like it is, and don't try to discourage yet bring out the realities of what every musician great and small has or will have to go through.
This is truly what I needed to see. So soothing and inspiring for the creative souls out there. As someone who has struggled with being an artist, losing my connections, and any drive I had before this is something I needed. Thank you so much for sharing the wisdom, experience, and words out to the world. Wishing you the best :)
"Conquer your mind." This really resonates with me.
Hell yeah!
I fucking hate loving music production. Best way I can describe my relationship with music production and you nailed everything right on the dot
lockdown came, lost my job, locked myself in a room for 18 months to scratch that itch I've had since 1992... Was struggling with headspace with what was going on, nearly lost it at a few points. Still here...
Really enjoy the perspective you share. Been djing and creating live gear sets in Detroit for the last 10 years and am a bit of a slog. The usual why and is it sustainable negative self speak damage to the body money out the door stuff never gets brought up and I’m glad you do
Yeah. This is the right content. I’ve been watching your videos a lot. I resonate with them heavily. Inspiring me to share my own thoughts and struggles with music making in the modern world.
Awesome!
Making music has been very lonely for me. Sometimes I like that aspect but other tmes it really gets to me. Thanks for talking about these things. I'm sick of everyone just showing their best sides and pretending like everything is absolutely glorious, as if positivity alone can instill some kind of permanent happiness. Being realistic and sensitive to your own ups and down seems by far more valuable to be able to navigate the frustrations, hardships, and challenges with some semblance of sanity intact.
Much love and respec, keep releasing your stuff is amazing.
Thank you so much for that dose of negativity
It is baffling to me that you talked about mental health struggles artists face and how we should combat them
while giving your viewers the most depressing deterring speech I've ever hear in my life
Peace and love though ✌️
You’re welcome 😇
Oh man. I feel like a lot of these types of videos just hit generic points about the struggles of writing music and then WHAM buy this product to make your music better blah blah blah but every single point you make is so spot on. Thanks for the post, good to know other musicians/producers have ran into these same issues
Loving your tough love, reality check approach. It's quit refreshing.
Appreciate that mate!
So articulate and incredibly insightful
Your videos are so much on point. Love them all. Thank you for your work and inspiration.
Thanks for this video! I started producing my pwn music about 7 years ago and in the meanwhile had two releases yet and a next one will follow very soon. I can absolutely agree with everything you said and its somehow encouraging to see and know that it is pretty much the same for other producers and I guess that is something we simply have to take as our destiny. Once you realize and know that music is a necessary/integral part of your life and something you live for (for a reason) there is no way back any more and we have to face it as it is and making the best out of it. Caring for our physical and spiritual wellbeing is of course essential as it is in all aspects of life generally and the healthier and stronger we are the better our musicworks will be, most definitely.
Arrangement is the hardest part
It is for most. If you need help, you can check out my online training centre. Link in description.
I comeback to this video. Thank you!
Gear is a thing in itself. If not watched and managed properly it can take on a life of its own.
Beautifully said man I feel everything you said.
Every part you have briefly discussed in this video is so true, in my own situation for example when I just started making my own music, i often got stuck on not getting just that one tone/sound that i wanted out of my hardware and software, which in the beginning very often caused me to start a completely new/different project, now that works, well no not really, but sometimes it almost drove me crazy, and to forget that, i at that time very often started working on something completely news/different.
But now I know better, but when you start with this it is indeed very important that you understand that this is a process of years, it took me about 1,5 years to get my firts piece of usefull audio made, to gif you somthing of an idea, and on top of that I was lucky that I could already play the piano, otherwise it would have taken considerably longer I can report.
And yes, it can indeed be very lonely sometimes, but then also live on my own, and I like to be on my own, but than again it can stil feel very lonely sometimes, also so true.
But that's where we have family friends and girlfriends for 😉
I’m from Panama- Thank you for voicing awareness of real issues with well thought out recommendations. I am inspired by your work educating others.
Every word, it's just rock man , u spoke directly to my heart , stoped doing music for profit just making for my self , more learning jazz less Infront of pc
2 years in, no tracks released . . . but this is good motivation, thank you
I've watched a good amount of ya videos but this one made me sub I've been rapping/singing for about 4-6 years from middle school to the end of highschool and now that I'm 18 years old I definitely relate to all of these but it's that last one about the mind that really holds me back I feel I've gotten better than I was 2 years ago but gd it's hard to follow a schedule with no evidence that what your doing is going to amount to anything just blind faith that we artists have. Edit: my best advice for artists is when you create stay in the moment don't think about if or how people will like it how you'll brand ya self and market it because at the end of the day you have to enjoy making music not just to be in it for the money and make music you'll listen to believe in your self it's easier said than done but get it done and you'll be happier with yourself and your life
Great to hear mate. Thanks for the sub!
Thanks for mentioning the beauty on the other side. Great talk 😄👍
Of course, again, you hit the spot! Thanks mredrollo!!! 🙏
One of the best videos I've seen about music making. Or about anything at all. Thank you.
Really appreciate that!
Great video. I deal with a lot of things you talked about. Besides promotion, the one thing I deal with in making music is what I called "Imposter Syndrome". I always feel when I put out new music, I'll get a comment or someone telling me, "Your sh*t is so fake" I try not to emulate any of my fav artists and I know my sound and genre but it's hard not to shake this feeling like I'm going to be outted like I'm some fake music maker. .If anyone that make sense.
It's a shame people feel the need to "tare down" others like this. A true sign of their own insecurities.
oh gosh imposter syndrome's super real. was in that mindset all day today like "oh there's no way you could actually do this you're just pretending" then like, you stop and think and you're like yeah but what am I literally doing right now?
like, i'm super new right like it's real easy to get self conscious about all of it but I think like in another mredrollo video (probably several) he just says to enjoy the process so like, I try to keep that in mind and that ultimately I'm wanting to make stuff 'cause I wanna make stuff.
i lost the plot. you're not alone tho!
I commented some videos ago about feeling uninspired about finishing my first electronic EP (I've been producing for 7 years and never released something big). And now the weeks had past and I re-inspired and made alot of progress in the EP.
Yeah, making music is hard, frustrating and all the above things mentioned in the video but when you feel that inspiration and that spark ignites is kinda the best feeling you can ever have.
Thanks mr for making such a good music community :)
Nailed it man! 🫶
right on! thanks man!
So well addressed! Thank you!
You're so welcome! Just released a new one today
Great post. Totally hit the nail on the head. I used to make dance records in the 90s some of which were commercially released and got paid for doing it. Wasn’t huge amounts of money but for a twenty something it was just barely about enough to live on.
Now it’s a totally different ball game and I can totally relate to every point.
Even so it’s still the best hobby and wouldn’t swap it for anything else in the world.
I needed this today. Thank you.
These are truths that need to be said, thank you for your brutal honesty sir!
Thoroughly enjoyed your recent interview with Brian Funk. Your message about putting in the work and staying focused is priceless. Thank you.
So good to hear!
Promote your music is a nightmare. You worked your ass of for days/weeks on a track feeling good about it, excited. Then u release it and no one really gives a fuck. It's very easy to start questioning yourself if you are any good at all even tho people are saying so. But a few days later you start the next project anyway and it's the same thing all over again. Great video as always.
Man, cutting through the YT shite yet again with real wisdom. Keeping me grounded and focused on what actually matters. Cheers dude :)
I believe I have found the video link as the perfect answer to a lot of questions I get asked on a daily basis. Without explaining now, It would be just copy and pasting this video. Great Job!!
Excellent! Feel free to share the video wherever you see fit 🙂
I've noticed this quite quickly .. being good , I mean really good it's takes looooooooots of dedication, money and time.
Love, LOVE your work. Thanks man❤️
I appreciate that!
All the truths told in a single video! Thank you and congratulations 🎶🔝✌🏻
I'm so happy I found your channel (through the guest appearence you did with Miles Kvandra) and this hits hard. I lost my steam mid last year and a few of the big factors were exactly what you mentioned in great detail. hopefully this is the slap in the head I needed to get back into the grinding.
Welcome aboard!
Hit the nail on the head with this one mate. I'm 11 years into producing and I agree with all of your points!
nunca escuche a nadie decir estas cosas sobre la producción musical pero he caído en cuenta de cada una de ellas justamente haciendo y compartiendo música. De todas las disciplinas artísticas que practico, hacer música, con gran diferencia, es la más exigente. Hermoso video, Straight to the point.
Not weeks not months…fucking years, haha love it. I’ve been producing and mixing my own music for 3-4 years. I can make a real instrument based pro sounding mix….after 3 or 4 years of doing it. Just got home from studio after tracking some harmonies and hating them, and I’m like man maybe it’s time to stop paying rent for this place. Had to watch some YT vids to cheer me up cause it is tough and can be extremely frustrating but wtf else are we gonna do right?!
Can't get more truthful facts and advice than given here. The truth shall set you free.
Bro you are amazing, i love your sense of humor! 🖤
Perfect truth. The struggle is real. 🙏🏻
9:02 the wisest words I've heard in a long time. I'm looking forward to more videos from you about this subject. Cheers!
Appreciate it. I will be back 😉
I actually started with a cracked Reason 2 and a 5 year old Dell PC in 2006, using 90s PC monitors, they had bass and treble and sounded decent. I was drunk and smoking heavily in My 20s making music all night sponging on benefits. Not the best start lol.
Thank you, I'm a realist but even then I still needed to hear this for a few reasons you listed! 🤗
Sounding negative but actually a positive and useful/true lesson.
Thank you!
Probably the only YT music guy that isn't full of shit and not promoting gear. Greetings from Canada.
Great video man. Cutting through the bullshit. Here's a new subscriber for you!
I discovered your channel recently and have watched a lot of your videos. The best thing about them is that although your advice is aimed at music-making it can be applied to whatever path of creativity one cares to follow. I'm a hobbyist game programmer and the key points you make are equally valid for what I'm doing and to be honest you put your points across better than most. I do have aspirations of making music, have way more DJ and music gear than I need to start, but always tend to focus on programming where I have years of experience, it's daunting to think about sitting down and trying to make music from scratch.
It's really true, there is much overlap with what I speak about with just general "how to life" stuff.
Hey man, the mindset is the most important thing Indeed. Sometimes all of us struggling with the thoughts like "will i make it?" "Is it for me?" "Maybe I'm not good enough to do this". But this is our own mind lying to us and it all comes down to a fear of failure (or for the most part). Also for many of us journey starts in the middle of nowhere and you don't really know where to start and not a lot of people telling you to start from the fundamentals that is music theory like scales, progressions, rhythm etc. For me this was deal breaker. Thank you for this kind of content my friend, it is always very helpful and it always get you back on track because it is just real stuff :)
Really appreciate that mate.
Some salient points indeed...particularly the "isolation" aspect....2.5 years into almost weekly releases, and 13 albums in over 30 years or so.....but what a GIFT music is! For some of us, creating is a big part of why we are here 🖖
Damn Ed, that's spot-on. Painfully so. In fact, you raised some issues I wasn't aware of yet, but when you voiced them... Yep, same here :D
Much love man! Talk soon!
How your explaining this out is awesome
The voice of reason
🔥🥀🥀❗🥀🥀🔥
I'm all in
“I have spent the majority of my time in my studio by myself”
Me: 😃🥳
Mr. Ed you hit the nail on the head again ! This subject about mind set could use another video or two from you.
Please do more.
Thanks, this was the video I was looking for.
Bill Withers had a incredible quote " on your way to wonderful you will pass alright, while you are here take a good look around because this might be as far as you're going"
Wow, that's brutal. Thanks for sharing.
@@mredrollo I thought it was quit profound
another great video 🙏🏽🔊
This is beautiful man, I’ve been investing every dollar on my studio and music and some days it feels like I’m not even progressing
Music is like coding
It seems like you know it because you know all the shortcuts on your pc but when you start coding it hits different.
Coding and music both need an intense flow and dedication, else you wont go anywhere
Why making music sucks? You spend days, weeks, months making the best possible thing that you can. Working on the tiniest of details that nobody will ever hear or notice. Driving yourself crazy with perfectionist tendencies. And then - it's time to release your music to the world ..... and you realise that a) Nobody gives a shit. b) It's all about the f*cking algorithm c) it's all about the f*cking algorithm d) it's all about the f*cking algorithm .... God I wish I was making music one or two generations ago.
I built my channel off sound design tutorials and have found myself on the same page wanting to explore approaches and problem solving to cultivate critical thinking.
There are certain aspects of music that you inherit without the technical hurdles that I believe can be cultivated but isnt discussed much.
I’ve covered a few topics on finding yourself as an artist and some personal approaches to writing/composing certain areas of a tune but I’d love to see more people talk about their philosophies on what goes from their head to the digital canvas.
Thanks for sharing. Yeah, I think I just reached a point with "tutorials" where I felt like I was adding to the problem, not coming up with practical solutions. Sound design is super important, but there is a threshold with learning, and eventually we just need to do the work and discover through doing rather than just staying glued to learning, learning, learning. All the best with your channel mate and let me know if you want to bounce some ideas off one another.
Thanks!
Yeah - makes me want to sell most of my equipment. Keep a few things like an acoustic and a bass, small interface and couple of mics... I do enjoy writing songs with my neighbor and recording them. However, they don't go anywhere, doubt they ever will, since I only send them to ppl I know. Not trying to promote at all... Not playing out... Maybe it's time to go back to abstract painting... Keep up the good work!
8:51 ! Thank you!! 🤣All this is true!
THANK YOU!! I REALLY NEEDED THIS