1. Choose Your Sounds Wisely – 1 great snare will sound infinitely better than 10 bad snares layered together.
2. Build A Soundbank – save every sound/patch you design, this will aid workflow tremendously and help you to sculpt your own sound without even realising it.
3. Concentrate On The Vibe – don’t worry too much about the final master when still in the writing stage, leave that part to the professionals.
4. Learn Your Gear – having lots of expensive synths and compressors doesn’t necessarily mean you know how to get the best from them, take the time to learn them inside-out.
5. Get Ideas Down Quickly And Efficiently – not every idea is going to be groundbreaking but getting everything down will help develop that amazing one idea.
6. Listen To A Wide Range Of Music – inspiration may come from anywhere at anytime, if you’re writing a Drum & Bass track perhaps stick a Jazz CD in the car. The best inspiration may come from where you’d least expect!
7. Have A Dedicated Working Area – leave Facebook and Soundcloud alone while producing music, they’ll only distract you and slow your workflow.
8. Take A Break – we’ve all sat there for hours on end trying to create ‘that’ sound, have a rest and go back with fresh ears.
9. Take Your Time – standing out from the crowd is getting increasingly difficult nowadays, make sure the first piece of music people hear is the best it can be, first impressions can mean the difference between a ‘skip’ and a lifelong fan.
10. Enjoy Yourself – Have fun with your music.
