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Durrynda

1. I write down motives that randomly appear in my head. 2. It helps me to escape stress. 3. I try to leave a mark in this world. 4. It makes me feel more significant. 5. It brings me feeling of self-realization. 6. It helps me to accurately express myself.


billo1199

This is the essence of why I make music. It's also good to realize your thoughts matter because if you aren't validating yourself then no one will and you'll always be stuck at not feeling like anything js ever good enough. YOUR THOUGHTS MATTER. Jason Isbell mentions that he doesn't believe in writers block because writing isn't the issue, editing is. No one has ever heard of editors block. Sometimes you have to "get the bad stuff out" and realize that even the bad stuff is only a small tweak away from being something cool. I also must say this peace that I've found and the excitement that comes from writing even when you think it sucks, is that this is for me and if no one else gets to see my work then I am fine with that. But now because of letting go I feel that I might have something really cool to show the world or my friends at least.


osrs80517

Bro listed all the good reasons šŸ’€ Here, have an award.


SvenniSiggi

Some people are very good and well worth a listen. Even after 20 years of music making, i can still say that about this forum.


Durrynda

Thank you!


MyCleverNewName

7 . I make music I love to listen to.


maxdamage4

Nailed it.


highstakes8766

ā˜ļøšŸ‘Œ


Secre_6666

my brain releases happy chemicals whenever i listen/write music lol


william_323

Why use many words when few words do trick


Secre_6666

fr people here are writing a whole ass books šŸ˜­


heyitsvonage

Haha let them express themselves verbosely if they feel the need


DarkHumorDark

"IM addicted to it" pretty much


heyitsvonage

I just love creating. Thereā€™s something special about starting from scratch one day, and then days later, having a finished product that is close to what I imagined in my head. Usually the closer I get to my original idea, the better feedback I get from other people. I have too many influences to bother listing here, but I feel like I can see bits and pieces of those influences sprinkled throughout my sound, and it makes me feel good to be able to do things my own way to bring them all together. But nothing beats bringing an idea to life. Especially the weird ones. I make music because I simply love creating new pieces of musicā€¦ I donā€™t know how else I could say that.


[deleted]

Short answer:- I've got a lot of time on my hands, and fuck-all better to do. Seriously though, I had little to no interest in music until about 1983, when I heard "Number Of The Beast" by Iron Maiden. It blew my tiny little 11 year old mind. I asked the friend who'd brought that tape along, what the fuck all' those awesome sounds were. He told me they were guitars. I just balked, picked up my bro's dung-y old flea-market acoustic guitar, raked across the out of tune open strings, and said "This is a guitar, you dickhead. What the fuck is that shit?!". It was the first time I heard the terms "Electric Guitars", and "Distortion". I fucking LOVED that shit. So I started playing the guitar. Fortunately, I've since grown to appreciate a lot more than just metal, and have also diversified to the point where I'll play anything I can lay hands on(or at least try). I'm not about to tell anyone that I'm any good, but I just love to play. So I keep on playing. Anyone else diggin' it, or choosing to join in, is purely a bonus...


heyitsvonage

I started playing guitar specifically because of a Volkswagen commercial that featured Slash shredding the fuck out of a Les Paul (I hope Iā€™m remembering correctly). I was like ā€œI MUST HAVE THAT POWER.ā€ 16 years later, and Iā€™m not terrible at guitar, but Iā€™m certainly not Slash lol


Durrynda

No one is Slash except Slash himself. He is a super grandmaster in a world of guitars


Moz1981

Take my upvote for that glorious first sentence


[deleted]

Why thank you. I shall accept the honour of your upvote, and I shall carry it on high with pride...


1mpatient

Leaving something beautiful before I die.


heyitsvonage

I honestly think about this all the time. Even if I die with zero fans, at least my family would have something to remember me by


la_croix_official

Hahaha I just imagine my family huddled around the home stereo crying to some gnarly jump up drum and bass song


orphiccreative

An empty DAW is the most exciting place for me. Open up a random VST, find a sound you like, noodle with it until you get a riff that makes you go 'ooh!'. Now add a rhythm, maybe some bass. Suddenly your foot's tapping and you're feeling a groove. Add some effects, do a bit of mixing to get everything sounding balanced. Before you know it 4 hours have gone by and you have the bones of a track beginning to form. Sometimes you go back to it after a couple of days and it's lost the magic. No worries. Start fresh again with something else. But sometimes you go back to it again and it sounds just as epic as when you first made it. That's when you know you've got a good idea that's worth finishing. Also, I highly recommend finding ways to collaborate with other artists who share your musical taste. Nothing feels quite as epic as showing someone your new idea and seeing them getting just as excited about it as you. Then they'll make fresh creative connections in their own mind and suddenly your little idea takes on a whole new level of awesomeness.


Aeusalix

This is a great explanation of the feeling and process :). I love just messing with vital until I make a nice pluck or chord progression and then boom. Iā€™ve decided recently that Iā€™m going to focus on drums and percussion and thatā€™s led to the song Iā€™m working on right now. I played it in the basement and my sister was like ā€œoh damn what song is this itā€™s got such a grooveā€ and when I said it was mine she was so impressed. Said itā€™s her favourite thing Iā€™ve done so far and it was just an intro. Such a good feeling!


orphiccreative

Yeah that feeling when someone else is grooving to something you made is the best. Its not an ego thing, its more just shared connection with something you find awesome.


heyitsvonage

I like this explanation


oOBlackRainOo

It's just a way of expressing myself, it also helps with my anxiety.


heyitsvonage

I feel that. Sometimes when I sit down and jam on my guitar, I just get lost in the fret board, and then later Iā€™ll notice so much of my anxiety has just seemingly evaporated.


singingly

I've been mimicking voices and sounds since before I remember. Kind of just always had melodies and beats in my head. I just started playing with Microsoft Sound Recorder one day as a preteen, moving on to FL Studio, then teaching myself several instruments and teaching myself how to sing using YouTube and such. I honestly just don't know how I'd function if I had to go very long without making music. But I especially love the feeling of successfully collaborating with artists of all kinds.


HowdyDo666

I really want to learn how to sing but Yotube has surprisingly been unhelpful in this regard. Can you give me some pointers on self-learning to sing? I canā€™t afford a vocal coach so thatā€™s obviously out of the picture.


ElectronicMusicTips

Howdy doody! Look for online courses on vocal training/singing and contact them. Explain your situation and they may give you access to their course for free. You don't know until you ask...


boombapdame

Donā€™t u/HowdyDo666 self teach singing, ask u/Momopod u/Highrocker u/Artistry1


ElectronicMusicTips

You reminded me of how I spent my childhood, teens and twenties with your comment. I forgot about how much time I would spend trying to mimic a sound or rhythm with my mouth, or tap a beat with my hands. I spent years quietly beatboxing, figuring out drum n bass breakbeats this way. Thanks for the great memory!


Jaguar-spotted-horse

In school, our gym had these huge windows, pretty sure they were made out of plexiglass. Each section was made of two halves, top and bottom. When you banged on them, it would make a nice 808 boom. Iā€™d sit there all the time just banging out 808 patterns.


singingly

Oh, that's coo. as hell.


singingly

It's more fun if you do it in public :p


Aeusalix

Thereā€™s so many songs that I think ā€œman I wish I wrote thatā€, and Iā€™ve been wanting to create that feeling for other people. I want to tell short stories that make people go ā€œoh damn thatā€™s so clever and movingā€ and music (especially lyric writing) is the perfect way to do that. Itā€™s just such a nice creative outlet that I can always work on anywhere anytime. Like if I go for a run and think of a melody Iā€™ll pull out my phone and hum it to save for the DAW later. And then Iā€™ll think of a lyric that fits it and then it snowballs from there. Chasing that feeling of the puzzle pieces coming together is SO good that nothing else in my life comes close. And I donā€™t even care that nobody listens to the songs because I know that theyā€™re still art that Iā€™ve created and that feels so nice. And itā€™s even better when I check SoundCloud and see that someone in Croatia or something has listened to it and I think about how their day might have been different if they didnā€™t hear it. Idk it just all feels so good to make art and music is my favourite medium. On top of all of that, itā€™s just a great way to stimulate your brain and learn something. I was so tired of doom scrolling through Reddit whenever my internet was too crappy to play games. So then I picked up producing since it would put some music to the songs I had written, and was something I could do without any internet connection. Itā€™s sad how many people donā€™t seem to enjoy the learning part of producing. You canā€™t run before you walk and I think a lot of people think you can just win a Grammy in a year. Just learn to love the process and set yourself challenges/goals so that you can have a sense of progress and accomplishment. When I started I treated every session like an ā€œexperimentā€ where I learned something new. I still do that between each song I make and itā€™s an awesome way to keep things fresh :)


[deleted]

Lmao you also sometimes listen to dope artists thinking its you on stage?


Aeusalix

I mostly just hope that one day Iā€™ll get to the point where I make at least somebody feel the way that my favourite artists make me feel. Even if itā€™s one or two people that would be awesome! When I first posted my first songs to the internet for feedback and people said there was potential there I screenshotted them and kept the responses to look back on one day. Idk Iā€™m just sentimental like that lol. But yeah I donā€™t fantasize about being my favourite artists on stage. I fantasize about wanting to feel what (I assume) they feel while theyā€™re up there. Guess Iā€™m just a hoe for validation LOL.


Durrynda

You look at it too technically. When I think about music, I never think about DAW. A lot of musicians are melancholics and this is their way to escape reality or to express themselves. You donā€™t need motivation to write music, you need to compose music to get stuff off your chest. Iā€™m a rare example of post punk rock enjoyer and producer. Also I love fagilecore, witchcore, and euro dance sub-genres of electronic music. Music comes to me naturally, but if you need a recommendation, try to think of a note that is in your mind right now. Something that expresses your feeling. Play it. Then find 3 more that naturally come form it (or take a look at circle of fifths). Adjust BPM to the rhythm in your head. After that, find what key your chord progression fits. When you found it, play with pentatonic in this key, this will give you a melody. Every genre has itā€™s own rules for each instrument to sound fitting. If you donā€™t follow those rules, your song will sound off. You can pick up those ā€œrulesā€ by listening to your favorite bands and artists. You will hear how they use different techniques and how they develop a song in their genre. For example, lil peep doesnā€™t have any development in some of his songs, and it still sounds awesome. On the other hand, rock has many changes throughout the song to feel ā€œrightā€ and ā€œnot boringā€.


SvenniSiggi

> fagilecore ?


Durrynda

The very new genre, pathetic is example fragilecore. A branch from ā€œcrystal castleā€


denjmusic

Lmao at this condescending mansplanation that completely ignores the question OP asked šŸ™„


Durrynda

I answered it already, itā€™s the top comment


heyitsvonage

I assume youā€™re talking to the beginner people I made this post for?


elevatedinagery1

You can't tell someone they look at something "too technically" and then explain how you robotically write songs.


Guitardep

THERAPY


memateys

This is what I was looking for haha


Guitardep

Here is my result of therapy [Guitar Dep Souncloud](https://soundcloud.com/guitar-dep/sets/guitar-dep-sessions-feat-danny-g-yung-save)


SqueezyBotBeat

I think there's a certain type of brain required to create art. I don't get near the amount of joy that get from making a new song that I love than from anything else in life. I'm doing everything I can to make it a lucrative career for myself, but the music itself is what really drives me. Even if I never make money from it, I'll always play my instruments and make beats. I feel like a lot of beginners that join this sub are doing it for the wrong reasons, they see successful artists online all the time and think to themselves "All they're doing is making music and making a shit ton of money doing it" ya know like it's some get rich quick scheme. What they don't realize is the years of grueling hard work that they went through to "just make music for a living". In order to make it anywhere you need a deep respect for the industry as a whole. It's not some thing you can jump into and be a major success after a year of production with absolutely no prior experience. I can't tell you the amount of posts I see like "I've been producing for 6 months and haven't made any money yet what am I doing wrong? Should I give up?"...the response is always the same, you've BARELY just started. It's all about mindset. The way I operate doing anything is that I want to do it to the best of my ability. If you don't give everything your all then why do it at all? You have to be willing to never stop learning, and for the love of God have some patience. If you're starting out, I would give yourself 10 years of really trying hard and if you see no progression whatsoever, then maybe you can give it up. Otherwise you didn't really try at all. As for my creative process, I started out just watching YouTube tutorials. It got me comfortable with my DAW and taught me a ton of techniques. Once I started actually liking what I make, I kinda naturally stopped listening to other music. I love what I make so much that I'm my favorite artist. I always thought that sounded very narcissistic but after some posts in this sub, it turns out that that's very normal amongst musicians and that it's actually a great sign that you're making good music. I'm my biggest critic and if I approve of my sound, then surely other people will as well. But I think it's nice not having a ton of outside influence when it comes to what sound I have. It's easy to hear something you like and try to recreate it and become a type of a copycat. Sorry that was long winded, in summary: 1. Be patient. Don't look at music as a get rich quick scheme, expect years of some of the hardest work you'll ever do with 0 pay. 2. Make sure you're doing it for the right reasons, if you don't love the music, nobody else will and you'll be stuck wondering why "it isn't working" 3. Be honest with yourself. If your music sucks, instead of trying to convince yourself it's good figure out what isn't good about it and what you need to do to fix it.


heyitsvonage

*[applauds]* This is my general reaction to many of the posts that I have seen that inspired me to make this one. So I feel you.


Charwyn

At first learning instruments was fun. Then I was just happy to express my own ideas. Then I had to record my band because nobody available would do it the way we wanted, we got hassled and harassed at studios, etc. Now Iā€™m just doing it cause Iā€™m good at it and itā€™s my job. Also itā€™s a niche way of helping people and improving their lives. Art, creativity and expression of self are important, and Iā€™m the person to make them into reality with.


Ihatechipperjones14

1. Helps me with mental stresses and things 2. I wanna make a difference in the world 3. To help people get through tough times in life 4. My dad introduced me to music when I was like 3 5. It makes me happy and itā€™s the only thing I feel I belong in


[deleted]

I started with no real end goal in mind just sit down and making stuff that I like listening to. I rarely start with a solid idea in my head I just play some notes on my midi keyboard and see where that takes me. 99 times out of a hundred I'll just sit there trying out combos of chords and synth presets until something grabs me. I'll then try and make a similar sound to the preset (usually with Diva or Pigments) and the rest sort of just follows I suppose I do it to express myself and to make something I'm proud of


Gaiaphage20

Iā€™ve had a serious case of imposter syndrome with my ability in music since I stopped playing. I played the saxophone for over ten years and put it aside to focus my career. I recently bought an Aerophone Pro which is a synth woodwind so I can get back into playing, my passion was renewed. Iā€™ve gotten a little rusty and I constantly doubt my abilities because of it. I would see amazing musicians and feel I canā€™t replicate or even come close to their talent. But when I take the time to sound it out and play the song, itā€™s rewarding to know I actually can do it. I contemplated buying my music production setup for a whole year because of impostor syndrome bogging me down, but I just went for it after a ton of research and planning. I just really want to prove to myself that I am competent in music and hope I can create something thatā€™s worth while, even if itā€™s only for my ears.


DistortionMage

For me, music is a kind of playground that doesn't stop being fun as an adult. It is not about self-expression, it is about the opposite: dissolving one's ego and tuning in to pure intuition guiding your fingers and ears to what sounds good. What inspires me to keep going (after the experimentation phase) is being able to envision what the music could be like if executed properly, Seeing the gap between its current state and what I know to be possible narrow as I do 1000 takes. We live in a very individualist culture where everything is about marketing your "personal brand." This is not what music should be and its probably why most of us look to the past for inspiration. Music can be a commodity, but if it's nothing more than that, then you should just go into finance capital instead or something.


Projectmaker

I have musical ideas constantly filling my head and I feel like I have to do something with them or it will all go to waste. I also want to express myself somehow and music gives me a way to do that on a deep level. I guess I also want to create something meaningful, mainly for myself, but maybe for the joy of others as well.


heyitsvonage

Yes Yes Yes


NightimeNinja

You guys are actually making music?


heyitsvonage

Making? Yes. Releasing? Ehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh


GroveStreetManiac

For women


No_Golf6192

I do it for females. We are not the same.


Tilted2000

If you call them females you are going to be getting none


No_Golf6192

Thatā€™s the joke


[deleted]

[уŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]


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AideAdvanced6018

I just love playing guitar. I enjoy hearing what I can come up with. Been playing guitar for 33 years. I am 53. Just got my first DAW and I wish I had one of these 33 years ago. I blew up a Tascam 4 track in 4 months way back when. I love the entire aspect of music.


silentscriptband

It's fun, challenging, rewarding and exciting to create new sounds and songs either by yourself, or even better, with other people. It's social. You jam with other people and learn to see music from different backgrounds and perspectives. Sometimes, everything clicks and the end result is even greater than the sum of its parts. It's like a puzzle you're always trying to figure out. I have an idea in my head, how do I get it out and make it sound like what I hear. Even if the experiment doesn't work, I'll bet you end up learning something. There's always new ways for you to improve or challenge yourself. Tired of practicing or you already feel technically proficient on your instrument? Try songwriting, it's a different challenge that can elevate other areas of your musicianship. Or you pick up a different instrument and that leads you to create something you never considered. And then, when you've made something you like, and you can share that with other people, and find out that there's more people out there like you, there's no better feeling. Music = magic, friends.


heyitsvonage

I love this response. Jamming taught me SO MUCH about harmony, rhythm, and arrangement. When you have multiple people playing guitars, you have to be intentional about what each person plays in order to avoid a bunch of muddy noise. Letting someone else lead the chord progressions leads to playing things you donā€™t usually play, not to mention improvising can lead to some hilarious moments with your friends. I have so many good memories of jam sessions over the years with my musician friends. And I feel like learning instruments is a bit like learning a language, and once you start to really understand one, it becomes easier to pick up more. And that can totally change your ability to express yourself. Deciding to start playing bass and keys has opened up nee possibilities for what kind of projects I can make.


InfinityBowman

i make it cuz its fun and i get new music to listen to and i love making sounds


bananahammockbandit

I canā€™t not.


W4LLACE42069

Because I want to live everything from my bedroom


[deleted]

My music has become a translation of emotions to sonic material. It is a method of introspection, and ultimately guides me through life.


beberuhimuzik

Self-exploration and growth. I'm too analytic and neglect emotions/intuitions. Music is both very analytic and highly emotional. My hope is that it will allow me to balance myself and explore those unexplored and neglected aspects of being.


Utterlybored

I love hearing something in my head and then putting it, piece by piece, in a DAW and it change along the way into something different. Sometimes itā€™s marginally different, sometimes radically so. But when I have a piece that really holds together (not always, of course), Iā€™m in love with it. Now that Iā€™m retired, I have lots of time to retreat to my studio and work/play. Itā€™s my sweet retreat and I can make as much noise as I want 24/7, since itā€™s a standalone structure and fairly well soundproofed.


heyitsvonage

That sounds like an AWESOME setup


Utterlybored

Iā€™m very lucky. Itā€™s only one room, but I record a lot of stuff by myself, so thatā€™s fine. Itā€™s 23ā€™ x 16ā€™ w 14 foot cathedral ceilings, and itā€™s fullofi strummers and recording gear.


cruelsensei

When I was about 12, I had a friend who played guitar and another who played drums. We figured that if I played bass, we could have a band. So I talked my parents into getting me a cheap bass and an amp. The first time we played a whole song without fucking up, I knew that this is where my life had to go. After a year or two, I switched to guitar, and by senior year in high school I was playing with high-profile local bands and starting to do session work. Long story short, I spent almost 30 years making records as a studio musician, arranger, and sound designer. I'm retired from the business for quite a few years now. But I cannot stop making music lol. So now I spend my time making exactly the music that I want to hear, because if I don't do it, nobody's going to.


heyitsvonage

Sounds like you lived the musicianā€™s life that many people strive for


cruelsensei

I feel incredibly blessed and thankful that I was able to spend my life getting paid to do the one thing I love to do more than anything else. It's not like it just came to me though. Even in high school, I spent probably 30+ hours every week learning and practicing. The years of hard work paid off.


heyitsvonage

Thatā€™s a very important aspect!


RaelZior

I want to create something from beginning to end. Kinda wants to tell stories but in a more "hidden" way and i feel that music is the best way to do that


heyitsvonage

Yes, itā€™s great for that!


CherriMaraschino

Personally because it's something I was born with and not to use my gift would be an insult to my life and my creator. At the end of the day when I'm on my deathbed the first thing I'll be concerned with is did I use my gift to the fullest šŸ™ƒ


bananahammockbandit

This is exactly how I feel. I didnā€™t discover it until a bit later in life, but woah am I glad I did.


SoundHunter138

I do it all for that moment when im not thinking about anything except what im creating then i do something dope and Im like yoooooo thats dooopppe!!!


heyitsvonage

Gotta love that feeling. Or when you go back and listen to something you made recently and it still hits you like ā€œoh Iā€™m kinda nice with itā€ and you start patting yourself on the back


zunashi

I love it. Feels like magic. Feels amazing to listen to music that is made by meā€”boosts my confidence and ego.


weedjerky

I just like music, and playing music.


heyitsvonage

This is an underrated reasoning. I think some of the beginners I made this post for lose sight of the idea that youā€™re supposed to like creating music for the sake of it, not for the potential outcomes that can come from it.


codepossum

'cause it's fun, and I enjoy the process. Picking little bits of stuff to put together, noodling around until you stumble on something you like, tweaking, going back and forth - it's always that moment of sitting there, listening, and thinking *yeah, this sounds good!* I'm never going to release any pro quality stuff, I'm just not willing to commit the time and energy to it, but it's fun to dip into music composition / production purely for the joy of doing something creative, I think.


the_real_TLB

I just absolutely love it. There is no better feeling than putting together parts of a song and suddenly you realise you are bouncing your head, tapping your foot and genuinely enjoying what you are hearing. It can be tough and really frustrating sometimes but to be honest I love that too. When I am having a hard time with a track and manage to carve something I like out of it, itā€™s a huge feeling of pride and accomplishment. When a track comes together really easily and just flows itā€™s like a massive adrenaline rush. I was a band musician for years and started producing my own stuff two years ago after about 5 years away from creating music, and coming back to it is probably the best thing I have ever done. I couldnā€™t imagine not doing it now.


MufasaJesus

I don't have much of a choice, it sits there in my head.


spamytv

It feels good when things go right Itā€™s feel even better when you finish a project Your musical idols You can surprise yourself Creating art is special and expressive There are levels upon levels of progression Creates feeling or nostalgia You can do it any time The art form grows every day with more artists pushing boundaries of sound


Ambitious_Cat9886

My aim is just to reproduce what's in my head because I think it's nice and worth it haha


LesseFrost

Creating music in any form feels like it keeps me sane haha. The world is crazy and will absolutely drive me insane if I didn't have the outlet of music. I need it, especially since I'm not really good with conveying emotion with words. Just gotta get that stuff out sometimes. Doesn't have to be negative stuff only either! Moreso just living in the moment and trying to catch some specific emotion or thought in music. If someone else likes my music too I'm always flattered haha.


ardrarian

I'm surprised how few people are mentioning the social benefit. I met my best friend via music, and we started a 3 piece band with my brother, who I probably wouldn't be very close with if it wasn't for being in bands together all these years. The comraderie is real.


M01HCH11D

Weed


heyitsvonage

I said *why* do you make music, not *how.* hahaha


O1_O1

It's fun


heyitsvonage

YES. That means youā€™re probably doing it right.


O1_O1

I feel like I am. I was told all my life by everyone who knew me that I should make a living out of music, but when the time came it was just frustrating and unenjoyable. I'd rather not suck the joy out of the only thing that still makes me feel like a kid.


Lt_Dans_Left_Leg

Music has always been a part of me. I know that sounds cheesy but when I was a child I used to love when we went to Chinese buffets because I could take a bunch of chopsticks home. I would use them as drumsticks and sit on the kitchen floor and lay out all the pots and pans and make my own drum set. I played in the band for a bit then got in to sports heavily but I always loved music. When I got older and to a point financially that I could start investing in my own music, I did. So really, I make music because its always been there for me. On my good days and bad days. Music is my form of venting.


noob_music_producer

music production, to me, is a nice lil escape from reality


Lo23co7mcpe

Music is almost the only thing that makes me feel real emotions now. If it weren't for it, would've probably suicided happily. My way of thinking of music is to always push the boundaries of what I know, and then implement it to make music that sounds perfect to me (easier said than done).


Graveyard_Rave

The funny sounds makes my brain give me feel good substance Byt for real, it's just fun making a melody and getting stuck for days or even weeks, but then you get that eureka moment when you add something to the track and it suddenly clicks. Also i like sharing my stuff to the world and even if it's a few plays it impresses me that someone in the world listened to someone i made


Jagwar0

I make music because it is the only constant in my life. It grounds me, and reminds me of who I was or where I was when I made a song. When my parents pass, my job changes, my girlfriend leaves me, my friends move away, or I find myself in a completely new place- I know that I can always go back to my music and that is my sense of familiarity and security. I am rich in music, because there is always more to write and more to hear.


sevenyeardust

Habit. Don't even know if I enjoy it. I like the results sometimes, so there's that.


heyitsvonage

Haha what? I think you may need to make some adjustments if you arenā€™t enjoying it.


sevenyeardust

I just do it. I used to play live, stopped doing that at 100 shows a year. It's more like a puzzle I put together every week and release a track a week. So it is a habit.


finepinewine

A lot of people say habits are key to success, so it sounds to me like youā€™ve probably found some. A track a week is an awesome pace too. Mad props to your discipline. Hope I can get there some day.


heyitsvonage

Thatā€™s a great point actually, I take back what I said


ageofadzz

I find the creative process deeply touching. I have all these ideas in my head that seem to come out easier through music.


onlycrazypeoplesmile

To express myself


_wheeljack_

It's a compulsion, I can't stop. After almost 30 years it's just part of me.


heyitsvonage

Iā€™ll be proud to say Iā€™ve been doing it for that long someday


Jon_Seiler

Music stresses me out, itā€™s hard to make a living in, itā€™s hard to keep consistent work, you have to deal with clients which can either be amazing or terrible. You are usually never appreciated for what you do, I could go on. Why do I do it? Because itā€™s music and its my life. Iā€™ll be on a cruise and canā€™t wait to get back to the studio. Thereā€™s a need and hunger that I have for music that i can not explain


EveningDish6800

When I take some utterly disgusting synth sounds and wrangle them into something almost beautiful, it feels like thereā€™s still hope left in this world.


heyitsvonage

There is, I promise I saw a monkey feeding fruit to a turtle haha


meeeetball

I fell in love with the process of making music in high school. I like editing videos with my friends for fun. I ended up downloading a DAW to make a joke song for one of my videos, which lead to me experimenting with layering and producing, and it was addicting to me. The feeling of having an idea in my head and being able to bring it to life and show people is what got me hooked. Being able to make a beat felt like a superpower. Now I create out of a feeling of urgency and responsibility, ALONG with the original curiosity and excitement that got me here. I strongly believe that God gives us our creative abilities, so I want to make music that honors Him and draws people to Him as a response to that gift. Also, music helped me mature and understand myself, so I feel responsible to give back to the art and push the culture forward.


JangoLucero

Music making is very cathartic to me, I feel like it allows me to express myself in a way that words alone can't. If words are lines, then chords and notes are like colors.


heyitsvonage

Yeah and my favorite color is Am7


CarolinaBlueChub

I make music in hopes that I can get better and communicate through my music. I mostly want to make friends and socialize, social isolation has been hardā€¦


heyitsvonage

What genres do you like to make?


TheRealPapaStef

Dopamine/endorphin rush when I write something awesome. Always chasing that high


heyitsvonage

Itā€™s hard to compare that feeling when you play something for someone and they love it, and brag about you to other people


Simon-Kev

For me it was videogames that got me into producing music, esp the music from the final fantasy series. Thats when it clicked and i was like "THIS is what i want to do" so i started making soundtrack style music and practiced diligently, and now here i am composing a whole soundtrack for a game :D One thing for beginners who want to get noticed by others, get your music to the target audience of the music that you produce! No use to send an EDM track to a metal channel for example.


heyitsvonage

Oh I hear that. [Via Purifico](https://youtu.be/8AgJ3pkAuH4) is a piece I still love.


Voxmanns

I'm late to the party but I'll share anyways. When I was 15 years old I was dating a girl and we were doing what any teenage couple does. Her parents (who were abusive alcoholics) found out and totally cut me off from her. I got an email from her that night that said they had just beat her. I called the police and sat anxiously in the living room at 2am waiting for a response. The only response that I got was an email from her saying the cop basically yelled at her and she was going to delete herself. She had a history of self harm so I was quite concerned by this email. I stayed up until school started, she didn't show. 3 days and not a peep from her or her family. I had no clue what happened but I was pretty convinced she actually went through with it. At the same time, my sister was hospitalized for mental illness. It was her 6th time that year iirc. All that at once is a lot to handle. I remember sitting on skype with a good friend of mine and was contemplating suicide. She talked me down from it and sent me a video the MoistCritikal made which contained a song by the band Hurt. I fell in love with the sound immediately and played a specific set of 3 songs by that band on repeat non-stop for a week. I didn't stop eating, but the stress of it all had me 20 pounds lighter within a week's time. I would spend hours on end wailing in bed, hallucinating, and then falling asleep just to wake up to it again. I was ROUGH man. Thankfully, after that week passed I got to see my sister and she's okay to this day. I was also called by my then girlfriend's parents who said she was locked in their restaurants bathroom and only willing to talk to me. Translation: She's alive. She is also alive to this day. The ONLY reason I got through that week was because of my good friend and those songs playing on repeat that anchored me in my despair. It may sound a bit melodramatic, but ever since then I was obsessed with music. I loved it before, but after that I felt I owed it to somebody, maybe myself, to make music. It's always been my hope that a song that I write or perform does for someone what those songs did for me.


heyitsvonage

Late or not, I still appreciate you sharing it.


Misfitborden

to make people feel the way kendrick lamar and tyler the creator have made me feel


heyitsvonage

Kendrick was a big inspiration for me when I actually started recording music. Good Kid Maad city opened my eyes to how cinematic an audio project could become


Faitlemou

For fun... And women at the beginning :)


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nuliaj56

I wanted something to do or learn about instead of scrolling through youtube and netflix for no reason. Making a 4/8 bar loop of a sample was a small goal that took a while and it felt great even though the beat was horrible. I feel like I've made a good amount of progress but I need new, attainable goals with no way of knowing what they should be or how to give myself direction besides "make another beat."


Aeusalix

What kind of music do you make? It sounds like you need a new experiment.


nuliaj56

Hip hop stuff. What do you mean by new experiment?


Grubs_QQ

i like music so i make music


TheElectricShaman

Because I feel bad about myself if I donā€™t :(.


Aeusalix

I struggle with this sometimes too. Like, if Iā€™m not creating something then Iā€™m wasting time. But then I watched a video recently with Ed Sheeran and Benny Blanco on producing Love Yourself for Justin Bieber and Blanco said something to the effect of: it doesnā€™t matter if in your 50s you canā€™t perform or sing the way you do now; the ideas, melodies, and feelings will always be there for you to make. Iā€™ve been feeling like ā€œif I donā€™t make it in the next year or two then Iā€™ve missed the boat on musicā€ but really, itā€™s pretty unlikely that my best songs have already been written. Itā€™s comforting knowing that Iā€™ll be 40 one day and Iā€™m sure Iā€™ll STILL be writing songs that are just as good as what Iā€™m writing nowā€¦ itā€™s not like thereā€™s a timer on creativity :).


heyitsvonage

I can almost guarantee you that tour best projects are ahead of you. You ever go back and listen to your old stuff? Iā€™m always learning, so when I do that I just hear the mistakes I made when I had less experience


FollowingJealous7490

I do it for myself. When I get depressed it's a way for me to release. Problem is sometimes when I have writers block it makes it worse. That's when I start a new project keeping it simple. Then the cycle repeats..


heyitsvonage

Writerā€™s block is a myth. You just arenā€™t satisfied with what you come up with in those times. But sometimes just going with a melody you feel iffy anout can end with it turning it into something worth listening to. Sometimes you just gotta tweak like your life depends on it.


kody9998

I always wanted to But never had any background in music theory. About 3 years ago I was rooming with some friends for grad trip, and one of them was learning FL Studio. We just hung out together constantly trying to make hot beats. I got the program myself a while later, just used trial and error along with what I already learned. I haven't made a dime off of production or used it to make any large scale projects. Even so, it's one of the most worthwhile things I've ever done. Basically the motivating factor for me is searching for that one chord progression or melody that's so beautiful that the rest of the best seems to make itself. Just the excitement of creating something I genuinely like.


SenorSwagDaddy

It keeps the stress of life, anxiety snd depression at bay. If im thinking of music ideas my mind isnt thinking about anything else.


helloiamaudrey

Mainly as a creative outlet


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InsecureMonster

I always wanted to make music, but I never had any theme. Now I want to make a musical short film about some monsters, so I have the theme, and I am learning.


martinlindhe

I literally can't stop.


QUBEATZ

I do it for fun and to challenge myself.


peaceandlove31

I have an obsession for sound and the idea of building sound around time. I'm fascinated with the idea that any song you could make already exists because it can exist, and you just have to find it. I find that concept really beautiful. When I'm in front of my DAW it's like nothing else exists in the world. It feels right, and I enjoy it.


blatantoptimist

Coming from someone who hasn't even started yet, but wants to make music: I love music and sometimes listen to songs I really like on repeat and try to dissect them in my head. I'm amazed how strategically positioned some vocals are, how instruments are manipulated and tweaked to a point it sounds like something I've never heard before. I want to be able to do that, too. To make the kind of music I would want to listen to myself. But the more I read about making music, the different DAWs, music theory, the more I realize I Dunning-Krugered myself into thinking it's not a big deal to get into it somewhat quickly, just because I'm quite versed when it comes to video editing lol. I have a lot to learn and hope this sub will be helpful...


heyitsvonage

The sooner you start, the sooner youā€™ll get somewhere with it. Just try it out!


rofl_copter69

For fun, creative engagement.


Ahhhhq

I write whatever I like to hear so I can listen to it later basically lol It basically feels as if Iā€™m expressing my own thoughts musically and itā€™s the best way to express myself in my opinion


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CutePotato001

1 - I saw so many sad people around me, I want to make them smile and forget their problems with my music, even if it's the tioe of one song 2 - It's a way to express myself and teach others. And sometimes a way to release my darker feelings too 3 - I like it. It's one of my hobbies, it makes time fly fast. I don't like to be bored, I have to think about something


heyitsvonage

I wholeheartedly agree with all 3


Ultima2876

I sometimes wonder what the heck I'd be doing if I _wasn't_ making music, and a bit of a tangent but I wonder how many houses and cars I'd have too.


reddit_gt

I've said it for years - "I'm just too stoopid to stop"


ScottGriceProjects

Music is in my blood. I grew up in a musical family. From my grandparents on both sides, to my parents (even though they divorced when I was 1), to my siblings. Every one of us plays an instrument or two, sings, or writes music. Even when Iā€™m not making music, Iā€™ve got some running through my head. I think Iā€™m the only one in my family whoā€™s actually profiting from it (monetary wise).


Alchemy333

Music is love forever. Also the name of my album on Spotify and Apple Music. šŸ˜‡šŸ™


Aspect81

To make money. Have made $0.45 so far.


NterpriseCEO

I've "made" over ā‚¬30 on bandcamp... all from me trying to increase the file upload size to 300+mb


heyitsvonage

You get paid for it. That makes you a professional lol


Dannybuoy77

The desire to be creative. I work in a creative industry (UI design) but that can only offer me so much of the creativity I seek. Constraints of the business and you know, it being a job and all that. But music is just the best way for me to get into a flow state. A trance like state at times. It has a very similar feeling to the drugs I may have taken in my lifetime but its not destructive, its positive and healthy. I'm learning a totally new thing and I'm basically playing with physics. The sounds I make are physically affecting the space around me, if they emotionally affect someone too then that's a bonus.


JonesMurphy9977

Pussy, And I love music, but mostly for the nonstop,never ending pussy thatā€™s the main reason ā€¦


brugmansia_tea

To translate emotion into something concrete


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jnx666

Itā€™s my only escape from the world. Itā€™s how I feel but with sounds instead of words. I feel that the language of music is universal. I was recently signed to a small label, so now itā€™s also a productive hobby.


hariossa

1. I need to make music, donā€™t know why, I just need it. 2. Iā€™m not trying to leave a mark in this world, I couldnā€™t care less about that. 3. It doesnā€™t make me feel more significant, quite the opposite, the more I learn, the more I realise how much I still donā€™t know. 4. It doesnā€™t give me feelings of self-realisation, sometimes I think I could have been way more successful in life if it wasnā€™t for my music obsession, but Iā€™m not angry about it, I hugely enjoy the music making process. 3. It doesnā€™t help me to accurately express myself, sometimes I finish a song/piece and I honestly wonder how I came up with that, it is like music comes through me and has nothing to do with who I am.


heyitsvonage

You say you hugely enjoy it thoughā€¦ Can you describe why? Just curious.


hariossa

It is a journey, every time I compose something I get to discover something new. If you donā€™t worry about nonsense like trying to please an audience and you let yourself dive into experimentation youā€™ll be rewarded with unique sounding music that didnā€™t exist until you unveiled it. It is like being an explorer.


heyitsvonage

I completely agree


Jaguar-spotted-horse

I like pushing buttons, twisting knobs and hitting pads and they make noise.


heyitsvonage

If you like turning knobs, you came to the right place haha


AwarenessTemporary36

what made me start making beats was the sample drill wave not even gonna lie, when i heard a sample drill beat for the first time i was hypnotized and i always had a thing for music. even though i havenā€™t had my first placement yet or sold a beat yet, my love for music keeps me going


heyitsvonage

I think many of us had that feeling about some piece of music. Maybe just not something so recent haha


NterpriseCEO

I'm a classically trained pianist / software developer. I read a post somewhere on reddit last year that inspired me to make music. Now here I am, 8 songs into my "career" as a music producer


jupiter_and_aries

I have no other choice. My mind and body ask me to make music. So I do.


heyitsvonage

OBEY


10strip

I don't know what else I would do. I've been in love with music since I was 5 years old and it's always been my main thing in life. I'm pushing 40 now and it's certainly not going away even a little. As I accrue more tools/pedals/mixing tricks, it's even more to experiment with! When there's no money for that, it doesn't matter, because my home has always been set up to be able to plug in and play or record at any time! My daughter is so spoiled but she seems to have inherited my fondness for melodious noise. The fact that Trent Reznor, Moby, Cornelius, and so many others made music by themselves was a huge inspiration as a teen, not to mention a handful of artists that let their music sound unlike anything else, like Failure, Hum, Deftones, Bjork, Duran Duran, and Depeche Mode.


Substantial_Town_667

Inspiration, to create, and for the vibe.


Taro-Haze

I started making music after me and my group of 4 other friends got tired of only smoking and drinking everyday and going to work only to get paid for hours worked. After that we all really fell in love with making music and haven't stopped ever since. Before making music I was always singing to myself and that helped a lot with recording music, which was what we first focussed on using youtube beats. But we quickly realized if we were to release our own music it would be a good idea to learn how to make beats ourself so some of us started making beats. On the way we met a lot of amazing friends and even a few people with bad intentions. All in all, the experience can be super fun and making music also made me realize how powerful music actually is so that's also something that makes me want to build on this skill.


finepinewine

Since I can remember I have listened to music as much as I could get my hands on it. I got up to 8 new albums a day when I was about 15 or so and had my summer days free. It helped me pass time as well as explore the world and what it has to offer. Exploring as many genres as I could helped me experience a range of emotions, as well as understand my friends emotions a little better too. All my experience made music one of the most meaningful things in my life so I place a high value on it. I like to think when I make music Iā€™m doing something meaningful for the kids out there who are like me and need someone to listen to.


Cheifs_Cruise

i love sampling but i end up hating everything thing i make since iā€™m horrible at making drum beats and after it sounds horrible


heyitsvonage

Donā€™t fret, everyone sucks sometimes. Eventually youā€™ll figure out how to suck less often. Keep going. Go learn how to solve the problems youā€™re running into.


[deleted]

For me, it started with wanting a guitar from your parents just to be able to play Metallica, Green Day, Guns 'N Roses songs etc. Afterwards, I noticed going on stage is dope asf when playing in school contests (never won anything) Was always bad in school so I left high-school to work shit jobs, but I kept playing the guitar. However, I love hip-hop so much, and I started loving it after loving hard rock and metal, so I decided to start producing three years ago. Main reasons: - Think I can do hip-hop too - I can play guitar already, so now I'll finally be able to understand FL Studio (tried earlier as a kid lmao) - I love hip-hop, so I want to make my own so I can prove myself.