How to Produce Faster, More Effectively & Creatively

How to Always "Win"

This is the most important time-management principle. If you learn just one concept, learn this one. It applies to both hour-by-hour choosing of tasks, as well as long-term strategy and direction.

Corridor Test

Use this to make sure you're being effective (doing the "right" things), in all aspects of creating music.

Match DAW to Ambient Light

Do this to avoid/reduce eye fatigue, when using your computer for more than a short period of time.

Everything You Can See

See how to optimize the layout of your studio space, when working in your bedroom, or the living room. It's a super powerful strategy to feel more creative, and more productive.

Listening Volume

Every 10/15 minutes, change the listening volume. Learn the reasons why.

Systematize Networking

Because of Dunbar's number (explained in the video), you'll need to create a system to effectively network/market your music.

Closing Other Apps

It's a simple idea, but one of the easiest to implement, and an extremely common mistake I see.

Search

Folders aren't the best way to find files. There's a reason all the big platforms (Netflix, Gmail, Amazon, etc..) use search instead. Let me explain.

Batch Renaming for Search

Use this to make your sample collection keyword searchable.

Keyboard Shortcuts

This is probably the most important technique to work fast. In this video I explain why. Spoiler: it also allows you to work more creatively!

Plug Everything In

It's a simple idea, but super important and I explain why. I also give some ideas for ways to implement this.

Don't Reinvent the Wheel

Spend your time focusing on the creative components of what you're creating. Spend time and energy on what makes your track uniquely exciting and interesting.

Reachability

You're more likely to use gear you can reach. There's more nuance to this though than you might expect. Let me explain.

Social Proof

This is commonly misunderstood. It's also one of the main pillars of influence and marketing.

Write Down Solved Problems

Again, a simple idea, but it's a very common mistake people make.

Do Hard Things When Easy

With lots to do (sound design, songwriting, marketing, admin, etc..) use this concept to decide which to work on. You'll do it better, faster, and more enjoyably.

Night Colors

This completely transforms the night-time producing experience - not to mention, you can use it to get creatively unstuck!

Playback Devices

If you want to produce effectively (doing the "right" things), this is a critical technique.

Archive & Start Fresh

This is a very necessary strategy to avoid getting stuck, and creating the same things over and over again.

Reduce Choice

Choice paralysis is the enemy of working fast, and completing tracks. Reducing choice also forces creativity.

Bounce to Audio

Commit to ideas and move forward in the creation process. I also show how to do all this, WITHOUT losing the ability to go back and redo/change something, if need be.

Measure

Be more effective at mastering, and reduce time wasted dealing with uncertainty.

Stand Up

It's a way to be more creative, and not to mention healthier. I share some insights and ideas as to why, and how to implement this in your own space.

Do a Test Master

Use this technique to be more effective in your mixing. With twenty minutes doing a test master, you can save hours of mixing in the wrong direction.

Liking Social Posts

Done correctly, this is a simple way to improve name recognition and show interest, when pitching to small to medium size labels/platforms.

WIP Organization

Explore some strategies and techniques for staying organized.

Lead Domino

What task would render everything else either easier or obsolete?

Ergonomics

This is one of the most important, but usually ignored, concepts when setting up a space. I share lots of the most important ideas, from monitor height, to chair type!

Time Challenge & 80:20 Analysis

Use a "time challenge" to work faster, but maybe more importantly, to work on the "right" things. Explore 80:20 analysis, to work on the 20% of things, that contribute to 80% of a track's quality/success.

Automate

Automate anything that doesn't add any creative value to what you're doing.

Chase Antelope

A lion could eat mice (easier to catch), instead of antelope - but they don't. Find out why, and how this concept applies to everything you do as a music producer or DJ.

Systematically Personalize

Use this to be more effective in pitching tracks to influencers/labels/platforms.

What Not to Say

Avoid one of the biggest mistakes I see when people send me tracks.

A/B Testing

This is basically how the internet works, yet most music producers never do it. We should.

Defaults

Explore one of the most fundamental techniques of working faster, learn why, and see a few examples.

Light

Use light to control your energy level. See how...

Smell

Almost always overlooked, but it's a quick and simple way to make you feel better, more creative, and more productive.

Random Sample Trick

See this creative hack, a beautiful little concept for finding the next sample to use.

Social Media Numbers

Love them or hate them, learn how to build those initial social numbers. It's necessary to be effective in marketing your music.

Change Colors

It sounds simple, but it works. It's called a "pattern interrupt", and I explain WHY it works.

Stay Focused

Learn how to stop your phone stealing your attention, as well as a favorite productivity hack of mine, the "train journey to nowhere".

Single Plug-In Challenge

There's a trick to this, a way to do it for free, resulting in you being more creative.

Batching

I share a few examples, as well as what types of things you should batch.

Ten Ideas a Day

The magic is in the final three or four ideas... Let me explain.

Keep It Simple

Again, it sounds obvious, but most people don't do it. I share a whole range of examples to enforce the concept.