Stop Overworking Your Tracks: 3 Key Things to Focus on to Finish Faster

90% of producers I talk to get way too excited telling me they’ve spent 40-50 hours on a track. It’s like they expect me to be impressed or something, but honestly, the track often still sounds kinda off. Spending more time doesn’t always mean better results.⁣

When you’re constantly around other producers who do the same thing, it’s easy to get stuck in that mindset. You end up thinking more time equals better quality, so you start overworking your own tracks. Hours of tweaking, layering, and adjusting, hoping it’ll magically make everything click.⁣

But here’s the thing—it doesn’t have to be that hard. You can finish a track by version 3 or 4 if you’re focusing on the right stuff. It’s not about the amount of time you spend; it’s about what you focus on.⁣⁣

So, let me break down the three key areas you need to dial in to stop overworking your music and actually get your tracks done.⁣

1. Focus on Composition, Not Sound Design This is where a lot of people get stuck. They dive straight into sound design, tweaking pads, basslines, and leads, trying to make everything sound perfect. But here’s the reality: none of that matters if your track doesn’t have emotion or vibe. No amount of cool sound design is going to fix a weak composition.⁣⁣

I challenge my students to impress me with just 7 channels.⁣

Instead of getting lost in sound design, start with the fundamentals. Does your melody hit? How’s the chord progression? Does the track have a clear structure? If you nail these things early on, the rest becomes so much easier. You don’t need five perfectly crafted synth layers if your composition is strong.⁣⁣

That’s why I challenge my students to impress me with just 7 channels. It forces them to be creative with less and really focus on the core elements of the track. You’d be surprised how much you can do when you stop overloading the mix with unnecessary layers and focus on getting the essentials right. Less is more.⁣ 2. Get the Flow Right Without Leaning on FX The next big trap a lot of producers fall into is relying too much on effects to make their track “flow.” You know, the crashes, cymbals, swells, and white noise—all that extra stuff. Sure, they can help smooth out transitions, but it’s a crutch. If your track doesn’t flow naturally without all that, there’s a problem.⁣⁣

Trust me, it’s way too easy to cover up weak transitions with effects.⁣

I see it all the time—producers throwing in a ton of effects just to mask bad transitions. The real challenge is making your track flow naturally with only the sounds you’ve already got. Can you get from the verse to the drop, or from the breakdown to the chorus, without throwing in a crash or riser to “fix” it?⁣

If you can nail the flow with just the core elements of your track, then you’ve already solved two problems: composition and flow. Once that’s done, you can add a little flair with FX if you want, but you won’t need them as a crutch anymore. The result will be a smoother, cleaner track that feels cohesive from start to finish.⁣

3. Know What to Listen For Here’s a tip that’ll save you a ton of time: stop listening to your track on repeat. Seriously, listen to it once—maybe twice. Don’t sit there and loop it 15 times trying to figure out every little thing. That’s how you end up overworking it and getting frustrated.⁣⁣

When you’re working on 15-20 tracks a week...⁣

This becomes even more important as you level up. If you’re working on multiple tracks a week, whether it’s your own stuff or client work, you don’t have time to overanalyze. What I recommend is this: listen to the track once, take notes on what’s not working, make your changes, and then step away for a day or two.⁣⁣

When you come back with fresh ears, listen again and repeat the process. This way, you’re not stuck in a cycle of over-listening and over-tweaking. You’ll start making clearer decisions, and your tracks will come together much faster. Trust me, this is a game-changer once you’ve got more projects on your plate.⁣

There’s Always a Million Things to Focus On⁣

Look, I get it. Production is overwhelming. There are a million things to focus on: sound design, arrangement, mixing, mastering… the list goes on. But no matter how complicated it seems, you always need to come back to these three core areas: composition, track flow, and knowing what to listen for.⁣

If you can nail these, the rest will follow.⁣⁣

The rest is just details. So, focus on your composition first—make sure the track is built on a solid foundation. Then, make sure it flows naturally without relying on tons of FX. And finally, learn to listen properly without getting caught up in endless tweaking.⁣⁣

Take it one step at a time, stay consistent, and stop overthinking. Your tracks will come together faster, and they’ll sound way better too. Let me know if this resonates with you—I’d love to hear how you’re approaching your production process!⁣⁣

The 3 Markers That Will Make or Break Your Career as a Serious EDM Producer

If you’ve been producing for just a few years, you might still be discovering your sound and technique. However, if you’ve been at it for 2-3+ years, the following markers will be crucial to your success.

1. SPEED

Stagnation is a serious threat to your career. When you stop growing, your progress halts, and momentum fades, which often leads to burnout or quitting. I’ve seen many producers reach a plateau and then give up because they couldn’t break through it. It’s crucial to maintain a sense of urgency and continually push yourself to improve. This means experimenting with new techniques, seeking feedback, and consistently challenging your creative limits. If you’re not progressing, you’re falling behind. To avoid stagnation, stay proactive in your learning and development.

2. MILESTONES

Achieving milestones is a key indicator of progress. These milestones will be unique to you, reflecting your personal goals and ambitions. They might include finishing and releasing high-quality tracks, securing gigs, acquiring new clients, or building a team. Milestones also encompass expanding your network and forming valuable industry connections. It’s not just about setting these goals but also about celebrating and learning from each achievement. Without clear milestones, it’s easy to lose direction and motivation. Regularly hitting these targets will keep you driven and focused, making it easier to avoid burnout and maintain your passion for music.

3. COMMUNITY

A strong, high-level community is vital for growth. When I started, it was challenging to break into circles of top producers. It felt like there was an impenetrable barrier. Nowadays, there are more opportunities to network and connect with experienced professionals. Leveraging these opportunities is essential for your development. Engaging with a supportive and knowledgeable community will push you to improve and inspire you to reach new heights. Being part of a community means getting valuable feedback, sharing experiences, and finding motivation in others’ successes. If you’re isolated, your progress can stall. So, actively seek out and engage with a community that challenges and supports you.

These three markers—speed, milestones, and community—are fundamental to advancing in your career. They all stem from a deep commitment to investing in yourself. If you’re not regularly focusing on these aspects, your drive and momentum may wane, and you might find yourself drifting away from your goals.

For those who are truly dedicated and have been in the game for a while, keeping these markers in mind will help you stay on track and continue progressing.

Hope this helps!

10 Years Ago, I Made Music Production My Top Priority

A decade ago, I made the decision to cut out every distraction and focus solely on music production. The journey was far from easy. When we set out on a path, we often underestimate the obstacles we’ll face and overestimate how smooth the ride will be.

For every bit of good news in the music industry, I encountered ten more setbacks—bad news that could have easily discouraged me, just as I’ve seen it do to countless others.

Back then, I was like many of you, relying on YouTube because it offered free education. I thought I was clever enough to piece everything together on my own. I even convinced myself that learning from professionals was for fools and that everything I needed could be found online for free.

But here’s the truth: life will humble you when you think you’re too smart.

If I could go back in time and speak to my younger self, I’d teach him humility and share the wisdom I’ve gained. I’d tell him the importance of learning from those who have already walked the path. Unfortunately, we don’t have that technology, but we do have the opportunity to learn from those who are ahead of us.The moment I started putting myself in rooms with people who were ahead of me was when my growth truly began. I got out of my comfort zone.

Sometimes, I met people who were ahead of me, and they were kind enough to chat. In most cases, though, I had to find ways to get into those rooms—whether through networking, paying for education, attending conferences, or other means.

Each interaction elevated my awareness and naturally led to leveling up. My decision-making evolved, and the way I showed up in and out of the studio transformed. Those who didn’t make similar choices got left behind because of their poor decisions.

I recently read an article discussing how most basic fundamentals for any activity have already been solved. This reminded me of the music world, where some producers think it’s honorable and artistically pure to reinvent the wheel. But the truth is, your unique sound only emerges once you’ve mastered producing professional-sounding music.

The fundamentals don’t stifle your creativity or force you to sound like someone else. Instead, they equip you with the insight to find your voice and express it in the way you were meant to. While trial and error is crucial in the creative process, it should be reserved for the stages of creative output—experimenting with new ideas, chord progressions, or sounds.

But trial and error shouldn’t be your approach to the foundational aspects of production. Understanding the fundamentals allows you to achieve professional results in your own unique way.

Final Thoughts

Think of it like building a bridge. You can design a bridge with any aesthetic, but it must be constructed based on solid engineering principles. The last thing you want is for a car to drive over it and the bridge collapses.

The point here isn’t to limit your creativity but to get you to a place where you can consistently produce music with confidence. Once you have the fundamentals down, you’ll be able to show up, experiment, and create with a strong foundation to support your creative vision.

Hope this helps!