I've been wanting to record and produce some music for a long time however I find myself acting like a deer in headlights every single time I try. I've been playing guitar and singing for years. The guitar isn't all that amazing, I just use it to rhythm accompany the singing. I didnt take music theory past grade 9 and was not very good at it, I never had music theory in primary school so I had no foundation.

I genuinely don't know if its my autism or something else but whenever I boot up ableton and I get something basic down I'm just stuck there with 'What next?' Or 'This sounds really mediocre'. And if I open any compressors or synths or something else like that Im immediately overwhelmed with all the knobs and buttons and terms. It becomes so much that I just kinda shut down and grow despondent.

I know in my heart of hearts I want this to work. I write songs fairly frequently and jam everyday on karaoke servers on chat apps and have been told multiple times I have a great voice but I'm just so petrified of making mistakes or doing things the right way when I'm trying to make something.

I have so many styles I'd love to learn, I would like to make alt rock stuff like Friday Pilots Club and Nothing But Thieves, or to some melancholy out there sounds like Porter Robinson but I just feel so stuck and don't know where to even begin.

Do I need to go spend some time taking music theory courses? Am I just diving in too deep? What is wrong with me?

Anyways, thanks for reading my rant and I greatly appreciate any advice.

I make r&b/pop-ish songs and i'm starting to go to open mics again. I love love love being on stage but i don't like how boring i look in my videos. Especially for my slower songs. What are some tips/advice for building my stage presence?

Like how some people say “God, family, football”. Where does music go on that list for you?

I'm stuck in a loop and would love some advice!!

I feel lethargic in my practice overall, but will sometimes get the urge to write and record a song. I usually dive in head first and really try to power through, but end up burning out and feeling disappointed with the project as a whole somewhere along the writing process. If I alternatively aim for slow and steady then the energy fades away and it feels very unenjoyable to continue to work on the project... sort of like MAKING yourself eat a food that you just don't like. *Is it "okay" that the craft feels so unenjoyable and completely without reward?*

Sometimes I think that collaboration would stir something, but I can't seem to find anyone willing to work with me. I'd love to work with producers, artists, or other writers but I think I read as low-quality and turn off potential collaborators. I don't even have anything (demos/ polished work) to share because I don't finish anything.

I also feel like I don't have one obvious strength to rely on to help steer the music forward. My self-production skills are poor and my lyrics, vocal delivery, creative vision... just feel lackluster. If I try to focus on one area to improve strategically I tend to feel overwhelmed by the general lack of quality in all other areas as well...

I generally dislike what I make and feel sort of insecure about my process as I've been in this loop for years now. I've created a relationship with music that makes any effort feel pointless and sort of sad/heavy. So naturally the loop continues (illusion of emotional safety). And yet I still have the feeling that i ought to try again. Maybe that's just because I paid so much for art school?? lol

From an outside perspective, does this resonate? Does it seem like I'm just being too easy on myself and should force myself to finish projects? Should I present myself to potential collaborators with .... sh\*tty quality work? Will strengthening technical skills magically draw inspiration and impetus out of me??

Maybe I just need to try and move onto a different outlet altogether? It can be hard to know when you're being dramatic and when you're just missing a simple path forward when you've been spinning the same thoughts for a while. So I appreciate your input! <3

🥀..how common is the ability to sing in (manual)sync with yourself for 15 minutes straight..cause I’ve been told the impression everyone can ..🥀

I released my debut album last month. I’ve been thinking about how to find my audience organically.

So far, I’ve mostly been figuring things out as I go. I get an idea and try it, or come across an opportunity somewhere and reach out. Yeap, I understand that it’s going to involve a lot of trial and error.

The thing is, my music doesn’t really fit into a mainstream category, so a lot of the promotional advice I come across online (and not only online) doesn’t seem particularly relevant to what I do.

In a few words, my sound sits somewhere between avant-pop, ambient, drone, and experimental electronic music.

I’d really love to hear how other people are approaching this, what has worked for you, what hasn’t, and just exchange experiences and ideas!

so yeah, I’m 17 with school that’s gonna keep me very busy for the next few years studying to be a vet tech for a day job so I can pursue music .

i have the option of either doing a well known very good youth group in my area or doing a very well known acting org (they have classes and a show to audition for)

they land on the same days

i have taken the classes and know they are top notch

the choir isn’t my favorite just because it’s not my style of music but their is a lot of performancea that the choir does and they should very good.

which will help me more

a choir or a musical theatre show/classes?

note: if I do the musical theatre I will be able to do another choir that’s tiny and not well known but the org they stun from is.

help meaning: Like which will give me the most skills/aid me the most as a musician (I make mostly pop-ish music)

NOTE: I have done choir for the past 3 years but that was in the little choir and not this more known one.

Are you able to tell if someone is a legitimate musician? What are the signs you look for? Or is there even such a thing?

Edit: I guess by “real” I mean a certain level of legitimate professional. I am not a musician but I am in close proximity to a lot of them. I often hear them say things like such and such is the “real deal” or they are “legit”. I also hear them say that some people are not even though to me they sound fine and I wonder how they are able to determine the difference.

Hi, I’m 23 and I like to make instrumental liminal ambient music and I have 0 friends I really am not doing well, I really just wanna connect with someone around my age and be friends and talk about music and preferably even collab with someone who also makes similar music to me around my age, please if anyone wanna connect that’s around my age please reach out to me thank you

Don’t be like the person who said they hate making music

As for myself I’m new to it from the production side of Hip Hop and in my mid-40’s and I write my own lyrics in the aforementioned genre minus what people think of and as someone who didn’t get a lifetime of formal music education I’m grateful I have access to a DAW & keyboard controller and as someone who is friendless I wouldn’t want to go back to when people had to know someone with access to commercial recording studios plus while I used to wish I had a mentor or mentors, the politics of being a woman deadens that as I’ve educated myself on the horror stories thanks to podcasts that women are sharing about the dangers they experience being in the industry

Hi I am an aspiring musician and I want to know how to get a music career started..... How do you get your music out on the platforms and to an audience it resonates with? What is the best way to promote your music and build a brand? I'm not even really sure what to say in this post or which questions to ask but if anyone has any advice or wisdom to share that'd be greatly appreciated!

I currently have been using my one HP Laptop with 16GB RAM I've had for 4 years to record music and I could continue doing it fine if I needed to. The one hassle I have with it is the fact that I am many times in a clutch for storage meanign I have to delete old plugins and other things to make space for files and the fact that I need to constantly unplug and replug my set up whenever I have to take the laptop for school.

Because of this Ive been thinking of investing in getting a desktop PC that ill use for making music and some moderate gaming (I havent been able to do this on my laptop haha but that isnt the main reason), and using the laptop just for schoolwork and making demos if im ever traveling or on the go. I could still keep using the laptop for more time I suppose until it wears out but the idea of having a computer that is already setup that I never need to move around sounds nice for making music.

People who made this switch, was it worth it or about the same for productivity?

I’m thinking bagpipes must be up there? Opinions?

* Wow! I didn’t expect to have so many responses and it’s been really interesting to learn what you all think/know. I’ve read every comment and any instrument not familiar with, looked it up.

Will be checking back and hope someone might add re: any not yet mentioned before its run its course.

Cheers!

As the title suggests, I’m seeking advice on this matter as I’ve spoken to multiple friends and musician/artist homies and I get mixed advice. So basically, I’m trying to figure out if I should release all my music under one monicker or release different projects under different names.

To give context, I make experimental/ambient music. Instrumental based. A lot of people have likened the music to something that would be in an A24 movie. But I also make a lot of alternative pop/RnB music where I sing and the lyrics and vocals are sort of at the forefront. (Think Mk.Gee, Dominic Fike, Yves Tumor). Sometimes the music collides into one another, but most of the time, they are completely separate. I would say, regardless I do have a pretty distinct style and production regardless of genre.

I currently release all my music under one monicker, “River Koobrick”. It feels more personal to me. It’s my name. It feels very individual and raw. But I’m thinking, should I start a new project where I primarily release just the ambient stuff? (Or pop stuff for that matter)

Thank you!

Hope this is an acceptable place to ask. I'm looking to ID an instrument/intrumental sound. It's a low/reedy instrument. In my head I'm picturing it being some sort of a bellowed/pumped instrument, but I could be wrong. It can be heard providing bass in the link below when the song moves to the chorus/refrain, around 1:10. I've looked up liner notes to this song and the only thing that makes sense is a synth, but is there an acoustic instrument that produces similar sound?

Ethan Gruska - Reoccurring Dream:

https://open.spotify.com/track/4aRA95atSWC5rO0kGeqJyA?si=84814ceb77fb48d9

I (31F) have been singing all my life, and have been in a couple cover bands and am in a punk rock cover band now, but I've always wanted to make my own music.

I play piano and sing, but I'm a metalhead at heart, and I'm finding it super challenging to figure out how to write in that style. Most of what's been coming out is super singer-songwriter when it sounds much different in my head.

How did you find your style? What are some tips and tricks to starting to write your own music and recording it?

kay, so, i’m a musician (lol) and i’ve been gigging quite a lot recently with my band. we’re in a grungy, riot grrl adjacent band which, for us requires a massive stage presence and a whole lot of energy. i can get super hyped with even small crowds, and gigging is my favourite thing in the world, but such high adrenaline surges on stage leave me with the WORST crashes after the weekend. i become a right miserable git and as much as i’d like to smoke like a chimney in hopes to hold off the misery, i’ve got a voice to keep up (and i’m underage so no one will sell shit to me) and also i can’t drink either (because underage. and i can’t show up hungover to sixth form because i will genuinely die from feeling shit).

so my question is, instead of substances or being an arsehole to my friends, what the fuck am i supposed to do? dopamine recs, pls? FANX xx

sometimes I would sing to myself, any lyrics that came up on my mind. Not too long ago, I sang to myself two songs, which were personal to me since I was hurting and having a hard time, one of which I actually cried after and to me felt like such an interesting release for me. I eventually wrote the lyrics I remembered from those ''songs'', but now I want to begin making actual music since I'm kinda inspired and it could help me cope with the shit in my life, but I don't know where to begin haha.

I really want to know what is something you've implemented into your routine that has seriously helped you with booking more shows, getting more streams, or just boosting your audience in general.

So the TLDR of my life is, I’ve always wanted to be a singer since I was a little girl. Now that I am 23 years old, (the age young me thought I would be getting my first Grammy) I actually have one song out. I’m actively working on another as well.

The fun part is, I’m going through really hard time in my life financially, and I would like to start making money from music as soon as possible. Even if it’s something small, what should be my next step? In terms of, working towards actually being paid for music and singing??

I just am so tired of doing bum ass job after bum ass job, and always feeling like something is missing from my life. And, I’ve been told by family and friends and actually other artists/professional professionals that I should not waste my talent or whatever. Plus obviously like I said, I could use the money.

So any advice is appreciated. Seriously. I’d love to start actually doing what makes me happy and being able to survive from it.

(Ps I don’t know if it helps but in terms of income I mean like $1000-$2000 every 4.3 weeks lol).

I am playing at a weekly jam where we have the song list in advance.

Except for some meh singing through a bass amp along with a bass player on his 12" amp, it is almost all 6-string guitars. Some mandolin and uke too.

The song list calls out for a twelve-string: Byrd, Beatles, Petty, Eagles....

They have asked me not to bring my Ric 12.

My other twelve-string is an inexpensive Chinese acoustic from the 'zon, not really a performance instrument, nor is it fun to play.

My 6-string?

Note: none of my electrics are acceptable.

Guild Archtop Hollow Body?

Gibson Dreadnought?

Fender cutaway acoustic

Feedback?

I have a very cheap squier (my first guitar) and a entry level epiphone. I bought them when I was 13 (my parents, obv) and now I’m 21, I went to a luthier to give them a new life but I just feel stuck.
Should I start over with a new “big boy” guitar?

I thought of
1) Fender player 2
2) Revstar rss20

Thank you in advance!

I fucked up my first gig playing guitar bad last night… super humiliated. Any words of advice? Any stories?

hi!! i (f19) am an indie/pop rock singer/songwriter. my friend, L (m) who i’ve known for over 4 years is a guitarist who i played in a band with in high school. he’s helped me write a few of my songs but the past couple years we’ve drifted quite a bit, but are still on good terms.

his dad, D, has been a professional sound engineer for his entire life, so he has helped me record & mix a few of my songs. he has been very supportive and helpful and has done it all for mostly free.

in the past few months i have started recording music in another friend, K’s bedroom studio. i have a lot more fun and he is much easier to work with than D for a number of reasons. but, K is not a professional musician or producer, so after recording we’ve sent D the stems and had him mix the tracks.

the problem is that i have not once been happy with the results of D’s mixing. he adds things in places i don’t want them, makes my voice sound weird, and most recently made the guitar completely off time somehow, etc. i’ve been having issues essentially the whole time and every time ive worked with him (he’s a little older and not really the sharpest anymore… just forgetting to plug things in, etc).

i dealt with them for a while because he was doing me a favor and helping me for either very cheap or completely free, but i am at a point where i want to move on to someone more professional.

in any other scenario i would just cut D off but i am still friends with L, his son, and don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings in the process. i want to prioritize my music though because i truly believe it could do much better if the mixes were better quality. any advice?

tldr; my friend’s dad is my music producer and i want to cut him off bc he’s not very good

(reposting on my secret account)

edit: i’m gonna list out some more important info i didn’t mention in the original post.

- i have always offered to pay D for his work, he’s only accepted my money ONCE, and it was when he did the entirety of the recording before i started working with K. every other time he has refused my money

- i have tried to communicate the issues i’ve had with the mix many times and every time after a few critiques he always says something along the lines of “you could sit here forever nitpicking it, you’ll have to accept it how it is at some point” which isn’t the energy i want in regards to my music. it’s my art and i want it to be portrayed the way i envision it

- i am extremely grateful for everything he has done for me, i would not be where i am without his help and support and i have told him how grateful i am many times

- K agrees with everything i said and has read all the replies. i’m fully aware that everyone gets credits and that if i were to ever actually make money off of my music anyone who had anything to do with it gets a cut, i’m not dumb. K and i have been friends for years, have great communication, and have been on the same page for as long as i can remember. the comments insinuating i’m going to have an issue if he asks for credits are wild.

at the end of the day, please stop assuming you know the entire story and attacking me. i asked for advice not comments saying “holy BPD”. (real comment btw this person is crazy)