10 Reasons Why Making Music SUCKS

[@Ulvens]

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.

[@ietsdichterbijfer]

This!!

[@altgraymedia3655]

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.

[@guilletiger]

Why is it Artists always end up in this type of paradigms?

[@ietsdichterbijfer]

@@guilletiger Maybe the real magic is found there?

[@ericjohnson1811]

Exactly. Thanks for your comment!

[@coloaten6682]

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!!

[@jamesdean5095]

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

[@TheCrocwise]

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 :)

[@coloaten6682]

@@jamesdean5095 Music is the best isn't it? Without music there's nothing. 👍

[@coloaten6682]

@@TheCrocwise Thanks man, appreciate it!

[@jamesdean5095]

@@coloaten6682 “Without music, life would be a mistake.” ― Friedrich Nietzsche

[@zazoomatt]

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.

[@mredrollo]

Thanks!

[@Aridonis]

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.

[@mredrollo]

Really appreciate this mate.

[@AcidTechnoMan5000]

Compressor comment Had me and fucking tears mate. LMFAO

[@guilletiger]

Ahhahha... altought... it leaves me thinking...should I go and watch another compressor tutorial 😨.... Lol

[@nalaeel219]

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!!!

[@mredrollo]

Thanks so much!

[@DanChippendaleMusic]

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.

[@mtennantmusic]

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?

[@DonLuca27]

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.

[@a2bs333]

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.

[@chameleon-dream-band-official]

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.

[@skanda.skanda]

We have to form teams and support each other on social media.

[@Astroboytoy]

Arrangement is the hardest part

[@mredrollo]

It is for most. If you need help, you can check out my online training centre. Link in description.

[@JoeJohnston-taskboy]

Preach. If music weren't so awesome when it works, no one would do it.

[@DaveChips]

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 😅

[@mredrollo]

There’s no other way we know how!

[@chameleon-dream-band-official]

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!

[@diegooliveirabenjamin]

I don’t even know what to say, just wanted to comment for that engagement. You’ve said it all

[@mredrollo]

Hahaha appreciate it, it helps spread the word 👍🏼

[@earthskyresonance8534]

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 :-)

[@tnbee]

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!

[@lukemakayabu4369]

2 years in, no tracks released . . . but this is good motivation, thank you

[@jimharris6389]

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 😆

[@ridylan]

Burial does it

[@jimharris6389]

@@ridylan ha! Does he? Brilliant. Love Burial

[@renek.6434]

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.

[@ridgerich79]

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.

[@mredrollo]

It's a shame people feel the need to "tare down" others like this. A true sign of their own insecurities.

[@nonokobell]

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!

[@Revoltyx]

I fucking hate loving music production. Best way I can describe my relationship with music production and you nailed everything right on the dot

[@louispantke139]

Can't get more truthful facts and advice than given here. The truth shall set you free.

[@AdrianBond]

"...the music you make in your bedroom may never leave there." SO TRUE!

[@Watts660]

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.

[@edien444]

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!

[@mredrollo]

Welcome mate. Appreciate it.

[@ANGELTHEORYmusic]

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.

[@boogybass]

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.

[@jones786]

This man is a genius. I'm so serious. Favorite thing I've seen from a musician on KZbin! 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!

[@MikeyMiked9]

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

[@davide2.07]

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.

[@tjwinters7284]

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

[@AtommHD]

I resonating with your down to earth take on something that should be a joy in pursuing

[@mredrollo]

We do it because we absolutely love it. Doesn’t mean it isn’t hard. In fact that’s a good thing.

[@Minnik_ofc]

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 !!

[@Robert-Wip]

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 😉

[@Deerson]

Of course, again, you hit the spot! Thanks mredrollo!!! 🙏

[@jeremiah9773]

" If you conquer your mind your music will be better" That's truth and I believe applies to all aspects of our life.

[@thesonicalchemist8600]

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.

[@mredrollo]

Awesome!

[@LordSiah]

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

[@mredrollo]

Great to hear mate. Thanks for the sub!

[@emanueldevos]

These are truths that need to be said, thank you for your brutal honesty sir!

[@vincentizghra6144]

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.

[@Plaw01]

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.

[@renakmans3521]

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!

[@not_mars]

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

[@Sonikbytes]

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.

[@naturalflow157]

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 :)

[@imanuel5313]

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.

[@throwingshapes6490]

Loving your tough love, reality check approach. It's quit refreshing.

[@mredrollo]

Appreciate that mate!

[@markorendas1423]

Gear is a thing in itself. If not watched and managed properly it can take on a life of its own.

[@chasingstrings3778]

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

[@Jalapyno]

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 ✌️

[@mredrollo]

You’re welcome 😇

[@Kuk_24]

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 :)

[@djshmul1]

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

[@Ansh-vc3rl]

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!!

[@mredrollo]

Excellent! Feel free to share the video wherever you see fit 🙂

[@vincerooney2445]

Perfect truth. The struggle is real. 🙏🏻

[@baoboumusic]

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!

[@andoniecheveste8645]

One of the best videos I've seen about music making. Or about anything at all. Thank you.

[@mredrollo]

Really appreciate that!

[@MrBrownAlliance]

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...

[@aerialgrey2566]

Hit the nail on the head with this one mate. I'm 11 years into producing and I agree with all of your points!

[@husssamo]

So articulate and incredibly insightful

[@cesarcarreno_]

I comeback to this video. Thank you!

[@HOLLASOUNDS]

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.

[@adamstepanovski2539]

Beautifully said man I feel everything you said.

[@otuon2441]

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.

[@mredrollo]

Welcome aboard!

[@JoshuaWhitePersonal]

It’s always a breath of fresh air when you post these pep talks.

[@sqguitar]

Man, cutting through the YT shite yet again with real wisdom. Keeping me grounded and focused on what actually matters. Cheers dude :)

[@Alckemy]

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.

[@mredrollo]

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.

[@tunas5666]

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.

[@don_aapo]

Thanks for mentioning the beauty on the other side. Great talk 😄👍

[@DjAndyz]

All the truths told in a single video! Thank you and congratulations 🎶🔝✌🏻

[@martinsouthall]

Thoroughly enjoyed your recent interview with Brian Funk. Your message about putting in the work and staying focused is priceless. Thank you.

[@mredrollo]

So good to hear!

[@medstone3409]

Your videos are so much on point. Love them all. Thank you for your work and inspiration.

[@bobbyrinehart1299]

"Conquer your mind." This really resonates with me.

[@mredrollo]

Hell yeah!

[@RaverOperatorGeeza]

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!

[@TheCrocwise]

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 :)

[@mredrollo]

Really appreciate that mate.

[@psyzmech9044]

Totally agree! But it's one hell of an addiction.

[@ThisMichaelBrown]

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 🖖

[@HumanBeingWithFeelings]

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!

[@mredrollo]

Appreciate it. I will be back 😉

[@EmilioPortal]

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."

[@mredrollo]

Well said!

[@danielweirdone]

Damn... Thank you for bringing these topics, especially how to stay sane and healthy after years of being in this "business". For somebody who is only at the start of their journey of music making (or anybody who isn't at the start but still finds themself to struggle), PLEASE don't underestimate the basic things (health, sanity, social structures, etc.). I'll put here some tips that work for me but you'll have to find your own "style"; some things stay universal though. 1) Sleep is one of those things. I recommend everybody to check Dr. Huberman's Toolkit for Sleep (or his podcast Huberman Lab for that matter if you're interested in more of this sort of stuff and some applicable science-based tips to improve your life in general). 'What I've learned' YT channel has great vids on the topic as well, especially the newest one (at the time of writing this comment ofc). 2) Mindfulness practice - This really keeps me sane I think and it helped with a lot of things a struggled with in my life such as substance abuse, and depression. I fell in love with meditation and one of the best resources for this (in my opinion anyway) is Sam Harris' app Waking Up (and his book on the topic with the same title if you're a reader). I love his approach to mindfulness meditation because it is science-based but it isn't distilled to just "meditate because it reduces stress and changes your brain" as is trendy to promote meditation these days. It doesn't lack a sort of "spirituality" but it's without unnecessary woo-woo which I appreciate the most. There is a lot of different practices, theory, and conversations on the topics of mindfulness, and the mind in general. And you can get it for free or underpay if you can't afford it. 3) Inspiration, motivation, and work ethic - This one's tricky... IMHO inspiration and motivation are great but heavily overrated and that's where work ethic will support you the most. Sometimes you'll just have to work even if you feel uninspired and unmotivated and this is really hard, especially if you like me are heavily disorganized and didn't have anybody to learn this trait from in family and so on. You'll just have to learn it yourself but there are a lot of great zero-cost resources on the internet (i.e. Huberman Lab Podcast #53) or books on the topic (Atomic Habits). But inspiration and motivation are important as well so if you find yourself to lack of those for longer this works for me to get inspired and/or motivated: nature, traveling, books/movies, culture (galleries, museums, music events, etc.), resources on the internet such as Ed's channel that are more holistic and less technical 4) Restriction - Work with less - focus on a restricted set of tools (Robert Henke/Monolake - one of the developers of Ableton has great talks about this - you'll find it if you look for it, do your homework :). This idea isn't new in art and music if you'll look for it, I'm sure you'll find something. And stop buying every new plugin that is hot at the moment just because it's discounted. In my experience 95% of the time, I bought something I already had and even didn't learn properly. That brings me to the point Ed already made countless times in his vids and that is: LEARN WHAT YOU HAVE! Manuals are your friends. A lot of plugins have great tutorials/walk troughs inside the plugins themselves, use them. I could write more here but it's already much longer than I anticipated. I'm not a professional producer and I don't feel like some kind of authority to tell you what you should do. This is more reminder to myself and organizing my thoughts around this topic because and can't count how many times I just wanted to quit making music but I didn't as I felt that I didn't try everything to "make it". I hope this will help somebody, I wish all of you the best of luck on your journey. Ed, thank you very much again for what you do here. Your channel is a really special one IMO and I'm immensely grateful that I found you in a sea of uninspiring, boring music production channels on YT. Much love. One last thing... I'm not affiliated with anybody and anything I mentioned here. Nobody paid me to write this, it's just things that worked for me so far and I believe that it has the potential to help other people as well.

[@Hairmilked]

I've been making music for only 3 years (properly) and have managed to do 2 soundtracks for live plays and am currently working on the 3rd. I used to go out all the time, almost every day to meet with friends and drink or party or chill; nowadays I barely leave the house. You need to sacrifice, I know I'm lucky with what I've managed to do so far but 3 years and making only 500 from music is not sustainable, but the love I have for it drives me. Your videos make me want to keep going and I would rather live with lesser means and love what I do, but it's hard. Thanks for being real ☺️

[@Foxx07]

I've noticed this quite quickly .. being good , I mean really good it's takes looooooooots of dedication, money and time.

[@adlantian6334]

Really, really, really, really, really needed to hear reason 6. Music is just a hobby for me but I still way too often have wildly unrealistically standards for myself.

[@ninjafrogfilms]

Love, LOVE your work. Thanks man❤️

[@jason_tood4386]

I really loved your intro and I miss it so much please bring it back 😢

[@mredrollo]

Appreciate that mate, I love it too. But the analytics don’t lie, the majority of people skip over it 😔

[@johnr9896]

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.

[@mikkosalonen7146]

Great topic! I have had to make those same conclusions mentally so that I wouldn't be so bitter working nine-to-five in factory.

[@TachyBunker]

The points hit right at home. However, just for the isolation, I've never really struggled being alone, since it's so much harder for me to make friends in the first place. So it's not really a curse, just like a habit. I know some people prefer to do anything for not being isolated though.

[@mredrollo]

It's true, some people really struggle to be by them selves. Often I think this comes from a lack of purpose. They need other people to "fill the void". Alone time should be praised!

[@burnrange]

So well addressed! Thank you!

[@mredrollo]

You're so welcome! Just released a new one today

[@a2bs333]

I just recently found your channel and think your message is refreshingly honest. I can totally relate to everything you say. I think artists should be aware of the sheer amount of effort it takes to be noticed. My advise would be to make yourself obvious and to learn to enjoy every aspect of the process. Learn how to manage all you can and be responsible fir the outcomes. We should be realistic about about our strengths and weaknesses and never neglect our mental and physical health. Releasing music alone can be so stressful it can put a massive strain on our personal relationships. That's where the ego becomes more important than our loved ones. Many of our friends and family will never understand the lengths we go to but we cannot blame them. I expect to take a financial loss with promotion now as I learn my demographic and attempt to grow my fanbase. My mindset is different now after releasing 8 self produced songs in two years. It's not what I imagined. I expected to easily be putting out a song per month. After factoring all the aspects of promo and marketing I've realised that helping others comprehend the industry who are just as serious as I am is where I find true happiness and purpose. This industry is not for the feint of heart. Stay strong in your endeavours! Any musicians that would like to network in any way please hit me up.

[@mredrollo]

Thanks for sharing, really good points!

[@a2bs333]

@@mredrollo My pleasure man I'm glad I found you!

[@ezoray]

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.

[@mredrollo]

It's really true, there is much overlap with what I speak about with just general "how to life" stuff.

[@distrct.]

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.

[@jacksp8de]

You’re quite the bowl of sunshine 🌞 🤣 seriously tho I love the process but I def have to be in the mood. It’s definitely hard work but I love the shit out of it. I’m 20 years into it and I have been obsessed with it for about 15 of those years. I love that it’s hard and challenging. I love that everyone can’t cut it. I’ve always been a loner so being a lab rat fit my personality. I workout hard and meditate though, that is absolutely necessary

[@mredrollo]

Thanks for sharing!

[@Roses_R_redeR]

How your explaining this out is awesome The voice of reason 🔥🥀🥀❗🥀🥀🔥 I'm all in

[@jonathanoates1972]

yes agree with all this and mirror exactly what you have said. The high light of my day is not so glam as yours, mine is usually my daughter asking for a lift back from work! And my burnt apple struddle gets far more likes and engagement than my music!! Anything personal gets through the algorithims and i've been experimenting and study this. So i'm trying to combine personal and music together. But yes, it takes fucking years! haha

[@tomaszjankowski9522]

It's a funny coincidence that you posted a video on this topic today. I am studying Sound Production that's my 3rd year and today I had my first class on "Personal Development". It's all about marketing, business and planning 😭. I will be honest I hate it, it's not for me. I feel like that kind of activity gonna kill all my love for music and creativity. If I need to spend more time promoting myself than producing music I quit my study going to find a job in a warehouse and make music 3 hours a day just for fun .. :) Thx for sharing your experience..👍

[@FrumSkratch]

I like how you keep it real man, Straight up I just get stuck in my head when it comes to mixing & it holds me back & I know it's not letting me get to my full potential ,it's basic little how to's that I can't find answers for. I'm self taught so I ain't got the answers like sway🤣

[@johntwice2]

right on! thanks man!

[@genmce]

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!

[@MilesKvndra]

Damn bro that is some serious motivation here haha. Just kidding every point is so f*ckng true and I can so relate to all these struggles, especially mental health. Looking forward to catching up soon dude! 💚

[@mredrollo]

It’s like tuning into the news and only hearing about the good things happening on the planet… no one wants to hear that 😂 I feel like I brought it home with Reason 10 though. See you soon mate!

[@ixradivide]

Just found your channel & feeling a lot of the perspectives you're sharing.. good shit. I'd like to pick a semantical bone with you however: The use of the word "serious" being used in relation to artists has become a huge pet peeve of mine, when what is actually meant is "serious about turning your art into a business" The implication being that a serious artist is synonymous with an artist that gets paid and is subtly dismissive of any art that is not for profit. It goes without saying that many of us take art seriously on myriad levels, and it would seem to me from what i've heard that creativity has deeper value for you as well. Apologies if this seemed unnecessary or overly critical, I've been noticing this a lot lately and had to get it off my chest. Hope you keep giving articulate voice to the things many of us are feeling but not seeing reflected back enough.

[@mredrollo]

Hey mate, thanks for sharing. Glad my vids are resonating. Perhaps there are some assumptions as to what my version of serious is. It has nothing to do with business. For me it's about progress and fulfilling that desire that we know is calling us. Like climbing a mountain. We can go for walks and hikes but if we want to climb that mountain we'll need to focus, commit, practice, train, be consistent, push through the pain etc to accomplish that goal. Nothing to do with money/business though. Hope that helps.

[@ixradivide]

@@mredrollo thanks for clarifying your intention behind that word lol.. i think i’m just primed to read it as being related to market success. Idk about you but ime, discerning precisely what that thing we feel calling is, and why, could probably be the focus of some deep psycho-analysis. Again, really impressed with and enjoying what I’ve watched on your channel so far. Peace.

[@davidleckenby]

This is brilliant - thank you!