Poll

Number of hours(average) to complete a track?

4 or less
4 (2.5%)
5-6
4 (2.5%)
7-8
2 (1.2%)
9-10
4 (2.5%)
11-12
6 (3.7%)
13-14
4 (2.5%)
15-16
7 (4.3%)
17-18
4 (2.5%)
19-20
8 (4.9%)
21-30
13 (8%)
Unsure
14 (8.6%)
Varies widely (why do you think this is?)
39 (24.1%)
Never really bother caring
10 (6.2%)
31-40
7 (4.3%)
41-50
10 (6.2%)
51-60
4 (2.5%)
61-70
4 (2.5%)
71-80
4 (2.5%)
81-90
3 (1.9%)
90+
11 (6.8%)

Total Members Voted: 110

Voting closed: January 17, 2016, 02:26:37 pm

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Author Topic: Number of hours(average) to complete a track?  (Read 27558 times)

TeeBee

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Re: Number of hours(average) to complete a track?
« Reply #30 on: January 09, 2016, 08:09:42 am »
Quote from: Knappster on January 07, 2016, 03:10:35 pm
Laidback Luke says he spends 4 hours tops on a track...although he hands it over to his ghost producer to finalize things...Ill Gates says 20 hours tops to complete a track...if you go over 20 hours scrap it, gut it for parts and move on. I find that when I am in serious music writing mode I can have a track fully arranged and most of the main parts done in one sitting. It's usually around 6 hours for one sitting and I am def not a pro. Then I start to concentrate on the finer details, EQ, synthesis, effects, fine tuning. All in all it usually takes me 2-3 sessions before I am "done." Then it is time for the mixing stage to begin. To me they are separate, I split up my work flow like this because things seem to come together quicker and easier. Then I usually send off to an engineer for mastering. If I am going to master a track myself, I hold off, start a new track or take a decent break (1-2 weeks*). I was told you need to be separated acoustically from a track before mastering or you become deaf to the track from listening to it so much.

*approx

This couldn't be further away from how I work .In modern production,arranging/mixing/mastering goes hand in hand in order to be able to compete in any genre of modern electronic music.(unless you have a ghost writer/mixer/masterer who do everything for you )Choice of sounds /beats etc. are about as vital as the content in order to get the mix up to todays loudness standards too . I don't think I have spent LESS than 150hrs + on a track for well over a decade .Some tracks probably stupendious amounts more than that .A good idea is still that ,even if it takes ages to complete it .Some of Calyx & mine best and biggest tracks has taken us over a year to get right in various stages.A lot of the time ,each tune ends up being 3 different tunes before it reaches the endgame too .
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UsernamesGiveMeAnxiety

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Re: Number of hours(average) to complete a track?
« Reply #31 on: January 09, 2016, 08:19:28 am »
Quote from: TeeBee on January 09, 2016, 08:09:42 am
Quote from: Knappster on January 07, 2016, 03:10:35 pm
Laidback Luke says he spends 4 hours tops on a track...although he hands it over to his ghost producer to finalize things...Ill Gates says 20 hours tops to complete a track...if you go over 20 hours scrap it, gut it for parts and move on. I find that when I am in serious music writing mode I can have a track fully arranged and most of the main parts done in one sitting. It's usually around 6 hours for one sitting and I am def not a pro. Then I start to concentrate on the finer details, EQ, synthesis, effects, fine tuning. All in all it usually takes me 2-3 sessions before I am "done." Then it is time for the mixing stage to begin. To me they are separate, I split up my work flow like this because things seem to come together quicker and easier. Then I usually send off to an engineer for mastering. If I am going to master a track myself, I hold off, start a new track or take a decent break (1-2 weeks*). I was told you need to be separated acoustically from a track before mastering or you become deaf to the track from listening to it so much.

*approx

This couldn't be further away from how I work .In modern production,arranging/mixing/mastering goes hand in hand in order to be able to compete in any genre of modern electronic music.(unless you have a ghost writer/mixer/masterer who do everything for you )Choice of sounds /beats etc. are about as vital as the content in order to get the mix up to todays loudness standards too . I don't think I have spent LESS than 150hrs + on a track for well over a decade .Some tracks probably stupendious amounts more than that .A good idea is still that ,even if it takes ages to complete it .Some of Calyx & mine best and biggest tracks has taken us over a year to get right in various stages.A lot of the time ,each tune ends up being 3 different tunes before it reaches the endgame too .

This is something I've always wanted to ask someone who spends a lot of time on each track: Is it really fun working like that? Do you not go completely insane working on the same thing for so long? I've done 30 hours comfortably, 40 sometimes. Then again I don't produce DNB, which is extremely detailed.
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UsernamesGiveMeAnxiety

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Re: Number of hours(average) to complete a track?
« Reply #32 on: January 09, 2016, 08:27:52 am »
Quote from: Krazner on January 08, 2016, 11:58:38 pm
It's strange how the tracks that take the least time to make can often be your favourite ones. I find if I'm getting past the 15 hour stage everything becomes forced. Don't know how people can stay motivated on a track for much longer but whatever works for you I guess.

Yeah, I feel like there is a weird paradigm in the production community that you need to lock yourself in your bedroom for a month to produce anything decent. I just don't think that is a great attitude for new producers (or anyone really).
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deño

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Re: Number of hours(average) to complete a track?
« Reply #33 on: January 09, 2016, 07:58:44 pm »
My strongest tracks I've spent months on, but only hours at time. I have large portfolio and like to skip around a lot, and also a college student so I don't have all the time in the world. . I'm finally to the point were I have some finished songs and I also have about 50 other projects that are at various levels of completion. I have release plan set to put out a track every month. I think it will be a lot easier for me to put finishing touches on at least one of my wip per month, than if I had to deal with coming up with ideas from scratch. Just my way of working, thought I'd share.
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Kinetiik

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Re: Number of hours(average) to complete a track?
« Reply #34 on: January 09, 2016, 08:16:00 pm »
Something I would definitely recommend trying is to force yourself to make a new song every week. I have been doing this for about 3 months now and am VERY happy with the results. It forces you to stay creative and avoid stagnation. I find if I spend too long on any song, I eventually try to rewrite it and end up ruining it.

Consistency is key here. Just keep making more and more and eventually you will find a good work flow.
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Awkward Dance Moves

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Re: Number of hours(average) to complete a track?
« Reply #35 on: January 11, 2016, 01:17:38 pm »
lol i don't even have 50 hours total in producing experience. how do you guys make a living while also putting this much time into music?
« Last Edit: January 11, 2016, 03:07:01 pm by Awkward Dance Moves »
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Mussar

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Re: Number of hours(average) to complete a track?
« Reply #36 on: January 11, 2016, 03:55:32 pm »
Quote from: Awkward Dance Moves on January 11, 2016, 01:17:38 pm
how do you guys make a living while also putting this much time into music?

You find time. You sacrifice parts of your social life. You give up a few hours of sleep a night/week. You make plans and routines that concentrate your focus so that the time you're spending is worth twice the time spent just goofing off without a solid direction.

Eventually, it comes naturally.
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Voia

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Re: Number of hours(average) to complete a track?
« Reply #37 on: January 11, 2016, 05:44:04 pm »
24
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Kinetiik

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Re: Number of hours(average) to complete a track?
« Reply #38 on: January 11, 2016, 08:59:55 pm »
Quote from: Mussar on January 11, 2016, 03:55:32 pm
Quote from: Awkward Dance Moves on January 11, 2016, 01:17:38 pm
how do you guys make a living while also putting this much time into music?

You find time. You sacrifice parts of your social life. You give up a few hours of sleep a night/week. You make plans and routines that concentrate your focus so that the time you're spending is worth twice the time spent just goofing off without a solid direction.

Eventually, it comes naturally.

Couldn't agree more with these words.
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Final Kindgom

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Re: Number of hours(average) to complete a track?
« Reply #39 on: January 12, 2016, 08:11:25 pm »
It takes me anywhere between a few days to a week to finish a track, though it's definitely taken me longer with some. I don't know if that's because I'm still new at this (about 7 months in) or if I just spend a lot of time at my DAW.
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Nadav

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Re: Number of hours(average) to complete a track?
« Reply #40 on: January 12, 2016, 09:35:49 pm »
The top result in the poll is interesting. I only voted for one answer and it was that one.

For me personally, I put in a lot more time on the first several songs I recorded, and then gradually put in less and less. There were 2 main reasons for this:

1. I got better and faster and more efficient as I went along.

2. I stopped trying to polish my songs, and just got them to where I was ready to share them. (That's why they all say "Demo" after them.)

I'll leave the professional production for later, maybe when my mortgage is paid and I have supplemental income from my book and speaking fees. Then I'll be able to afford session musicians, professional engineers and producers, and the time to really sit there going over my recorded music with a fine-toothed comb.
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Bertie South

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Re: Number of hours(average) to complete a track?
« Reply #41 on: January 13, 2016, 08:14:32 pm »
Very interesting thread. I got back into production last year after a long time off and have been working on the same tune since maybe July/August. In that time I must have spent at least 100 hours on it, but that would probably be less if I knew what I was doing. Determined to finish it though..
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fxbip

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Re: Number of hours(average) to complete a track?
« Reply #42 on: February 27, 2016, 07:26:50 pm »
I takes me between 6 and 14 hours for composing then maybe a few hours for small changes like eq and mixing.But you know the same amount of time 4 years ago i would not have written half the track.

With time you write faster,ideas come faster,you know how to build track faster and better.

Like the 10 hours i spend on a track now are A LOT  better put to use than 4 years ago.Im a lot more concentrated.

I do like 5 times more stuff in 1 hour than before.

I always feel i have to finish project in one shot(composing not mixing),if i dont i forget about them or lose interest in them.

I actually learn more by doing a lot of tracks than spending an eternity on one project.They might not always be good or perfect but you get a lot more new ideas and tricks that way than still work on that melody you compose like 1 year ago.For me its about improving with every new track more than spending a lot of time on one track.Its just more dynamic this way.And you get like a lot of finished products.Not 50 unfinished projects you started 2 years ago.
Usually when im not satisfy with a track i dont fix it as very often you have to change almost everything to make it work, i just write a new one without what i did nt like in the one before.

Working on the same project for 40 hours is boring as fuck for me,you dont get the juice flowings.Well thats what works for me anyway.What i like the most in music making is getting new ideas flowing and getting lost in the flow so i guess thats why.

I feel sometime when you work to long on a project you lose the urgency,frenesy and freshness of inspiration and it becomes boring.Looping the same track for 100 hours!!???i would go insane!!!i would fucking hate the fricking thing!!
« Last Edit: February 27, 2016, 07:43:13 pm by fxbip »
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