How long did it take you to get to the point in music you're in now?

[Zundara]

Would you say you've improved? When did you start? Are you at the pint you want to be? Do you think you'll improve in time? Do you see yourself as wine getting better and better after years? I've been making creating music for about 2 years I don't call myself a producer yet because I feel I haven't earned that right because I hardly finish tracks cause I get bored with them or I get stuck I just feel like it has to be good or it won't get put out so I just buried them If I don't have fun with them anymore.

My first year of producing was when I was 17 which I hardly call producing was when I would get mdi files from garage band and stick them in and just think I was making music get audio files didn't care about keys or sound and the arrangement look like a huge long dragons tail with no layers lol along with I was learning how to use a new program I got like Logic 9 then moves to logic  X Then my second year was all about knowing how to properly construct a track still not very good then how to design sound still not good but I'd say my arrangement now has gotten better and better looking more organized I now layer also in the span of my second year I got a piano and now  year has passed since I got my piano I'm learning to play it better, I'm now am learning more in detail of how to build chords 2nd, 4th 5 major7 diminished dominant's etc, I'd ay I know where to go with my chords a bit better and how to progress them to a sound I like I haven't made chords that sound beautiful because I'm under the impression that chords have to end on beat tho I know that's completely wrong and this isn't the way it is in real life or how it should be I use pitch bend more now, velocity now I take a lot more into consideration  & experiment more now then actually produce tho I try to build tracks but still can't due to my lack of skills in sound design I'm stuck with maybe 4 VST's that I think are good tho I know all are good if you know how to use them I'd say I've improved in last 2 and half years my piano skills have gotten better and etc.

It's just sound design and how to progress a track and bridge it to a nice build then a main melody thats my problem also my chords want to resolve but I don't know how to resolve them so I'm trying to figure all of this out but I'm happy with the progress tho sometimes a lot of times actually it feels like I just started yesterday and I won't progress with my tracks or music in general so I give up and comeback tomorrow but this happens more than I'd like because when I here people like Mat Zo, Nero, Porter, Above & beyond, Kidswaste and people on Monstercat then go back to mine I feel completely demoralized and feel like crap so then I give up on my tracks anyways

How far have you come? Do you like your progress? what have or are your problems? are you still beginning? do you have some years on you and gotten to the point you want for now? do you believe in yourself to ever make beautiful music in time? What's your story? What do you want your story to be? I'd like to make it on Suicidesheep one day or monstercat and make a dream out of this into reality I dropped college for this what do you want to do with music? This is just a thread to let people know there are others like you such as myself that feel like garbage when they make music sometimes I hope to inspire and get inspires anyways yeah thanks also Don't ever give up on your dreams maybe all you need is time, patience, but you & I definitely need to put in work and read theory and fail learn to enjoy the process be it good or bad learn to fail and feel like shit, Don't give up. =D

[Xan]

It took me about 4-5 years.
I originally came into this knowing NOTHING about making music on my own or even electronic music for that matter.

It took a lot of hard work, time and money to get where I am. It's pretty amazing that I am here considering how easily I give up on hard things haha.

[vinceasot]

things started to change for me when i started to put in more effort, and learn actually how a music piece was made, when i began, i went in the studio and wrote whatever i wanted without any technical knowledge, i know now this isn't the right way to do it

now its about 4 years in and things are changing, i can feel it when i open up my daw

i know that if you want to make good music, you have to become a nerd about music production and be hungry for knowledge,

you start to impress yourself when you get better, and this builds confidence, this means you eventually start to build your own sound

your habits start to change, you look at what the pros are doing, what they are reading, what they are looking at, you become inspired, dont compare too much, they're pretty much setting the bar for you

its all about being very focused, not becoming distracted, and really soaking up knowledge and becoming a sponge

i think its also good to be a DJ too, i started playing at my friend's parties when i began, and you can get a feel of what works and what doesnt work, but honestly i love producing more than djing because you have actual knowledge of the construction of music, and you're just smarter than a guy who plays records

i noticed that once you get into this rabbit hole of producing, you start to notice things in the world, you start to see that there are lazy people out there who dont care about their craft and most of your buddies just wanna take vacations and social media, in time you start to supersede those guys
cause your work ethic increases

[Gabe D]

Started taking music seriously about 3 years ago. Wanted to DJ at first about 6 years ago but found that I liked making remixes more. Which then led to producing.

So 3 years ago it was all about this sample pack and that sample pack to make music. Mainly because I had no musical background and I had to teach myself. That was an easy way to work on song arrangements. When I look back at the "tracks" I completed, they weren't very good. Drums were weak. Sound was muddy and overall it was just crap. 3 years later its all about making my own MIDI, sounds, and chord progressions. As well as drums too. Now I focus on making everything from scratch and just focusing on better sound overall. Which has led to two signed tracks last year. That ultimately let me know that I was progressing at my craft.

But just like Xan said, lots of hard work, time and money. Learn as much as you can and practice. With time you will or should get better.

As for your road blocks, maybe try out a site like blend.io. On blend you can collab with people. So you can open up your project to others and let them add to it. In return it may open up some future ideas for you. Maybe finish those tracks you never did.

Another tip I read once was to finish your project even if its crap. That way you get used to the process of finishing tracks. So finish them up just for the sake of finishing them and then learn from that on future projects.

[Lunatic Expert]

I have been making music for 6 months, and I think I am slowly improving.
I force myself everyday to open my DAW, and it became a habit.
I came far from where I started. I can at least make a 16-bar-loop everyday.
I still find it hard to extend the loop into a full song, but I am still happy about my producing habit. 

[FarleyCZ]

I have to shamefully admit it has been moreless 8 years. I really struggle with fear of putting out something I wouldn't like later. ...so after all that time my HDD is FUULLLLL of ideas in different stages I'm just not sure about. Some just loops, some structured tracks. I can find myself working on a single track for months without getting satisfied with it. By some measures that probably makes me a bad producer, but hey, it's about the fun, right? Also true, when I look back, there certainly is some improvement, so who knows. May be future in this might get somehow bright actually.

[Syrne]

Total? Probably about 10 years, but that's counting guitar since I've been playing from age 11 or 12.

For just music production it's probably been about 2-3 years of varying degrees of seriousness. I like where I am now, I know I have a shit ton of work to do still to become "professional", but I can see my progress and it is a great motivator. Looking back at my tracks from two years ago really gives some perspective, I am pleasently surprised with myself.

[Gabe D]

I have to shamefully admit it has been moreless 8 years. I really struggle with fear of putting out something I wouldn't like later. ...so after all that time my HDD is FUULLLLL of ideas in different stages I'm just not sure about. Some just loops, some structured tracks. I can find myself working on a single track for months without getting satisfied with it. By some measures that probably makes me a bad producer, but hey, it's about the fun, right? Also true, when I look back, there certainly is some improvement, so who knows. May be future in this might get somehow bright actually.

Dude it takes me at least a month to finish a track. It doesn't mean you are bad. We just aren't as fast as others. Plus for me I work a full time job, so there is only so much time for music.

[Wontolla]

I say this a lot, but getting where you want to be isn't just about skill, it's about vision. There are thousands and thousands of producers that can put together a beat that sounds good, but how many of them are making something original, and how many are just following bigger producers on, like you mentioned, Suicidesheep or Monstercat?
Making good music is as much about listening as it is about actual production.

E: that came out kind of pessimistic. Anyway, what I mean is just that it'll be a while, even after your technique is in a good place, but if you keep listening to a lot of different music, and don't just try to copy one style, you'll be fine.

[Mat_Zo]

13 years

[Lunatic Expert]

13 years

Wow.  This is.. just.. amazing. Hahaha

[vinceasot]

13 years

Wow.  This is.. just.. amazing. Hahaha

yes of course, i think he has reached genius level now, my favourites are his remix of tiesto driving to heaven, thing called love and superman, frequency flyer, sometimes i dont want to listen to it because it brings back too much memories

[Mat_Zo]

Technically I was writing music since I was 8 so 18 years, and I'm still sub-par to where I want to be. There's no such thing as pure talent, only fucking hard work

[Wontolla]

Technically I was writing music since I was 8 so 18 years, and I'm still sub-par to where I want to be.

Right, no one's ever "good enough". Skrillex has already more or less rewritten how EDM works, and he's still changing his sound every week.

[FarleyCZ]

Technically I was writing music since I was 8 so 18 years, and I'm still sub-par to where I want to be. There's no such thing as pure talent, only fucking hard work

Excuse me sir, but writing songs at 8 years of age IS pure talent. I was playing power rangers back then.