Music Producer Bad Habits and How to Fix Them
Studio bad habits are extremely easy to emulate, and with time, adaptation to those habits is so comfortable and easy. Those habits often appear as a comfortable shortcut during work and a great way to cope with work pressure. I’ve come across a quite number of habits in the studio that I can describe as studio bad habits, I will like to discuss and suggest how producers can overcome these habits. Below are a few of the habits and ways to overcome them:
Bad Posture habits
Music production often requires that every day, you spend much time sitting at a desk in front of your computer. On most occasions, you might feel crumpled, back and neck pains, and extremely tired thereafter. Have you wonder if just sitting in front of your computer working could result in such pains! Then, there’s is a chance that your sitting position during the studio session was bad. Continuous repetition could lead to bad posture down the line.
What to do
Always maintain a good sitting position during the studio session. Ensure your chair and table are well-positioned such that you will not need to stretch or bend your neck unnecessarily. Take a timed break to keep your eyes off your screen, stretch and straighten up. The more comfortable you are, the more productive you are likely to be so, consider a comfortable studio chair with proper support one of the most important equipments you need while setting your studio.
Staying Indoors For Too Long
I believe in hard-work and often respect guys that do it but I believe working smartly is a key to success. Staying in the studio working for 16 hours does not guarantee that you will do more than someone that worked for 8 hours. The idea you need to bring out your best might come while sitting in the garden next to your studio.
Being a producer should not restrict you from living a normal life like other people, explore your city, mingle with people, understand when you need a break, and don’t force it when you have a block. What is important is, know how to manage your time without depriving yourself of the need to live a normal life.
Comparing Yourself To Others
Everyone has a role model and working towards emulating your heroes is never a crime, the crime is idolizing someone. When you started comparing yourself with the person, it’s likely to drain your confidence and self-esteem.
In all fields, there is always someone with better equipment and experience and it’s not a crime to look up to them to improve yourself. If you’ve got to the point where you always “wish” then you are already in competition with the person.
What to do
Run your race and wish others well, Follow your creative instincts, and have the belief that your only competitor is yourself and not anyone else. Success is not achieved by outshining a competitor, it is achieved by overcoming your fears, inhibitions, challenges, and becoming a better version of yourself.
Committing your energy into a competition will drain you, instead motivate yourself with the success of others and allow the passion you have for music to guide you. Work on yourself to be different from others, consistency and perseverance is key to success while competition will only make you believe you are not capable.
Fearing Failure habits
One of the studio’s bad habits is the fear of failing. If you fail, it does not mean the end of your life. I considered a failure as a learning experience and an avenue to try again. If you are worried about failing, it is best to get back to the studio and do more. Fear itself is a tool that can motivate you to do better and it can also be a tool that can kill the burning desire in you. You can either use your fear to your advantage or allow it to quench the burning desire the motivate you to start in the first place.
Unplanned Studio Sessions
Failure to prepare is preparing to fail. Don’t just work, work smartly. If you leave your sessions too loose, getting things done on time will be difficult. Just like school, orderliness must be observed in your studio, there should be time assign to every activity if you want to be productive.
Have a target for every week, assign time frames to every task and every task should get you closer to meeting your target. For instance:
- Monday: collecting sounds
- Tuesday: arranging the best parts into a track
- Thursday: Do your first mix
- Friday: review the mix and edits
- Sunday: arrange your studio for the new week
Bad Diet & No Exercise habits
One cannot live well if one has not dined well. It’s a good thing to dedicate your time to work but remember only healthy people can be productive. Dedicate your mind to your wellness just like you’ve dedicated it to work, make healthy diets, and exercise a priority and keep yourself in shape.
Balance your diet rather than eating junk, embrace green, eat more fruits and vegetables, don’t overeat, embrace water and drop beers, lift weight during your break, born out those calories in the morning before you start working. Your physical and mental state will reflect in your work and enhance your productivity.
Hanging Around The Wrong People
You will agree with me that 50% of your characters will also reflect on the behavior of your friends. The mind is malleable and can easily emulate the behavior of people that surround you unconsciously.
I remember when I was in college, my closest friend loves basketball and prefer to use his leisure time to train rather than reading. With time, I got used to playing with him even when I was supposed to study. Soon, I became addicted while he became a pro, he was earning money while still in college and I was earning low scores in the class. I sat down one day to think about things that affected my performance in class then, I realized I was following my friend’s path. He took pleasure in it and doesn’t affect his study, I copied his style and lost my path.
The same thing applies to many producers, your mind can change for the worse when you follow people with the wrong mindset. If your friends are lazy and with low self-esteem, you can become like them with time. If you surround yourself with people who don’t believe in you, you might end up failing because of their negative vibe.
As a producer who wants to be successful, you must be emotionally strong and hang out with people with a positive mindset, people that are creative and highly ambitious, people that are ready to support your ideas, a squad that can motivate you and stands as a pillar when you are close to falling. People that are optimistic and can give you the energy you need to push forward.
Inspire yourself
Greatness is not achieved in the comfort zone, the difference between pros and regular is the effort they put in place. Pros motivate themselves and work. You don’t have to wait for inspiration before you work. Focus on your goals and let your goals motivate you to bring out the ideas in you. Waiting to be inspired is a game for the weak, work your craft daily and you will get to a state of flow.
Not Backing Up
This is another bad habit that can ruin the effort of a producer. It is common among producers because it takes time to backup so, many rely on the fact that drives are reliable. Backing up your work may be boring but it can be your lifesaver. No one is above mistake, derive can crash, unconsciously you may overwrite, anything can happen to your drive, your backup will be what you fall back to.
I applied the principle of 3-2-1 while backing up my files and times without number, it has helped me a lot. Permit me to share with you this principle if you don’t know:
3. Have at least 3 copies of your file
2. Keep these backups on 2 different media
1. Store 1 backup off-site
Make this backup plan part of your habits, ignore the time and think of the advantage, it’s almost impossible to lose all the 3 media that same time so, no matter what, you will have a backup plan to fall back to.
Drugs & Alcohol
I put this last because it’s a common habit among producers. Many considered alcohol and drugs the best substance to put themselves in the mood to work without considering the effect on their mental state. Keep an eye on yourself, watch your intake of intoxicants, the negative effect is greater than the positive especially to those that are prone to depression.
Conclusion
Regardless of your level in music production, beginner, expert, or pro, this article is not to make me sound like an expert, the purpose is to share some of the attitudes I found to become rampant among producers and to suggest ways to mitigate them.
There are other bad habits apart from the aforementioned so, I suggest you read from other authors too. Read and read again to understand the points I am trying to prove, find happiness in what you do, and stick to positive habits that will help you grow in your career.
If you have any questions or suggestions feel free to contact us.
