Looking at 𝟓 𝐁𝐚𝐝 𝐇𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐭𝐬 you can have as a Music Producer and simple strategies to counter them.
1) Comparing Yourself :
It's understandable to want to be like your musical idols but when being a fanboy crosses over to comparison, you can seriously hurt your confidence. It has taken your musical heroes years to reach where they are. There will always be someone who will be better at experience, training or producing music than you. Don’t hold yourself up to unfair standards.
We all have different strengths. Follow your own creative instincts. What can you work on that separates yourself from others ? Build on that skill.
2) Unplanned Studio Sessions :
You won’t get any music finished if you don’t have a planned studio schedule. Spontaneous jams are good but a studio schedule just like a schedule for work/college is needed to be productive.
Start with weekly goals like finishing a track. Assign a task for each day of the week. For eg :
Monday - Audition new sounds & lay down a basic idea.
Wednesday - Complete the arrangement
Friday - Mix & Master the project
Sunday - Final Changes & Review
Stick to the schedule and you will see how quickly your music gets finished..
3) Avoiding Networking :
For most producers, networking is a chore and takes away from precious studio time. I understand the feeling completely. But truth be told, going out and meeting music industry people is the best way to build relationships that help your career.
Fire up your social media pages and tell people what you are working on. Be active in the DJ/Producer community. Visit local gigs, talk to other artists, managers, producers and connect.
4) Bad Diet/No Exercise :
As much as you are dedicated to your music, pay equal emphasis on taking care of your body by maintaing a healthy excercise regime & diet inorder to function at optimum levels of energy required to bring out the best in you as a creative artist.
During studio breaks go for a run, avoid junk food, eat a clean diet, drink lots of water & learn to meditate. This will reflect in your music and overall state of mind.
5) Not Collaborating :
Another bad habit i see a lot of producers making is not collaborating with others. Collaboration is an essential component in modern day scenario. Collaboration gives our work constructive feedback, fresh ideas and perspective that altogether help us to produce better-sounding work compared to what we could achieve by ourselves.
I’ve known Top producers who are still insecured sharing their projects or stems. Don’t be like this. Connect with other artists over a project & work like a team keeping your ego in check.
6) Perfectionism :
Naturally, Being a music creator you want to put your best work forward. But perfectionism can ruin your creativity. Perfectionism creates an inner critic which gives you a bad review anytime you try to do something, Leading to self doubt and discouragement.
It's all about doing it. Do it everyday and one of these days something great will come out, Eventually you will be comfortable creating out of the box and you will finish more projects in no time.