5 Tips To Stop Abandoning Projects and Finally Finish Songs ✅

Do you have hundreds of unfinished song ideas sitting on your hard drive? Get frustrated trying to complete and export tracks? You're not alone - even pros struggle to finish tunes.

The first time I was hired to write for a TV show, I was super excited to have my first TV deal - but also super nervous because I was now responsible for producing 20 (yes, TWENTY) 2-minute "cues" or songs in just one month... The first one or two songs were easy because of my excitement, but after around 5 days I only had those 2 songs and was beginning to get overwhelmed...

Refining a solid workflow in Ableton and adopting some new beliefs I will share below transformed me from an “idea starter” to a “song finisher.” After realizing I HAD to change my approach to hit my deadline without compromising music quality, these 5 tips completely changed my ability to complete tracks:

Ditch Perfectionism

Trying to make every sound, loop, and note absolutely perfect is a recipe for never finishing. Commit to completing and moving forward, knowing you can always refine later.

2. Speed Up Your Sound Design

Spending hours finding the perfect synth patch leads to wasting time rather than producing. Limit sound design to 10-20 mins per instrument - embrace creative boundaries.

3. Finish Arrangements First

Don’t get stuck mixing before completing arrangement. Sketch it out fast and return for polish. Getting all sections in place maintains focus on the full vision. Don't be the person that spends 3 hours EQing and compressing your snare while the arrangement isn't finished yet - trust me, I've done this too many times 😂

4. Collaborate with a Deadline

Working with someone or for a gig forces you to stop nitpicking. External deadlines and accountability lead to completed songs. Even just telling other people you're going to be done with something can put the external pressure on you to get it done.

5. Reward Yourself

Celebrate finishing tracks before jumping into revisions. Even small rewards for completing key milestones keeps you motivated to the end.

Stop letting perfectionism and procrastination keep your music unheard. Try these unusual but game-changing tips for finishing more tracks. Just commit to completing songs first - refinement comes after.

Now take action on these strategies above and finally export those musical ideas! The world is waiting to hear your completed tunes. 🎶

Let me know below - what has worked best for you?

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Mix Masters: From Studio to Stage: Ableton Music Production and DJ Mastery