Why Learning to Finish Tracks Faster Will Make You a Better Producer
Ever feel like you’re stuck in an endless loop of unfinished tracks? You’re not alone. One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned in music production is that finishing a track is a race against boredom.
The more I’ve progressed as an artist, the more I’ve realized how true this is.
I’ve just finished a tune that I started back in 2020 during lockdown. Five years on one tune! I’m happy it’s done, but honestly, no one should be working on a single track for that long.
These days, I can lay down the core of a track in a couple of sessions, with mix tweaks and final touches taking a few weeks afterward. But it took a serious mindset shift to get to this point.
Producer Insight: The Writing Process
Catching a vibe in the studio is when the magic happens. That moment when ideas flow effortlessly, and everything just clicks – that’s the state we all want to be in.
Taking breaks from a track and coming back with fresh ears can be useful, but more often than not, unfinished tracks are the hardest ones to complete.
Why? Because the longer we spend on something, the more we get attached to it, and the harder it is to let go of bad decisions. We’ll spend hours EQing a kick drum when, in reality, we just need to bin it and find a better one.
We convince ourselves that the time we’ve put in gives a track value.
It doesn’t.
The value comes from the skills and experience gained along the way, not the hours sunk into a single idea.
One of the biggest breakthroughs for me was adopting a less precious attitude towards production -especially in sound selection and the early writing phase. When I stopped overthinking and started focusing on finishing, my music improved.
Producer Hack: Sound Design Sessions
One of the best things I’ve done to speed up my workflow is dedicating separate sessions to sound design.
Instead of sitting down with the pressure of writing a full tune, focus on crafting just one element – drums, bass, or a melodic intro.
The result? You end up with a personal sample pack of sounds that are already in the same key, tempo, or mood. When you finally sit down to write, you’re not starting from scratch – you’re assembling a track with pre-prepared elements that already work together.
This approach doesn’t just make finishing music easier; it makes your production sound tighter and more cohesive.
Have a few focused sound design sessions, build up a bank of go-to sounds, and watch how much faster your writing process becomes.
Final Thoughts
Finishing music is a skill in itself. The sooner you stop being precious about your ideas, the more you’ll complete – and the faster you’ll improve.
I could go on about this for ages, but I’ll leave it here for now. If this resonated with you, give it a try, and let me know how it works for you.
Happy producing.
Conrad
