ON AVERAGE: How many hours do you put into one track?

I/O_Madness · 01-22-2013, 10:47 PM

If I haven't finished my track in 5-10 hours it's either a really huge, long track, or I'm just changing things over and over.

There's a point when you have to say it's done. There's nothing wrong with that. I personally thrive on going in different directions. If I do one thing I feel limited.

DaveCNewton · 01-26-2013, 01:29 AM

Around 10 on average, I imagine i'd spend longer if i was mixing after arranging but I normally do EQ's and compression as i go.

Noir Fiction · 01-27-2013, 06:33 AM

Idk. 5 - 15 on production and another 5 -15 on mixing. depending on the genre and if i'm having fun or just bored. I think it's a lot more fun to mix and master something than it is actually producing it.

JarrodL · 01-28-2013, 06:01 AM

Some of the best stuff happens in an instant and sometimes by error. For me when that happens the whole track seems to fall together flawlessly but I never allow it to become a complete polished track in such a short time. I still prefer to let it sit for a day or so and come back and re listen after it has settled in my mind and finalize the mix. I always find the mixing stage takes a considerable amount of time, trial and error on other systems to get it to my critical liking.

superaaron204 · 01-28-2013, 06:09 PM

For a hip-hop beat, it would take me about an hour at the very most unless I'm using hardware. If it's a EDM track, it would take me at the very least 6 hours including mastering.

Wide Eye · 01-29-2013, 12:32 PM

I think a lot depends on it, I can have all the sounds/instruments ready to record in anything from 2 - 6 hours, arrangement would be relatively quick to start with until it comes to build ups and breaks which take quite a while usually as I like to create something new on every track. But after this it could be anything from a few hours to days on end, making sure the mix is perfect and all pieces flow and sound correct. I've used ozone a little but tbh I'm never gonna master a track that I wish to market, just maybe a quick tinker to bring some sounds out when I make a copy to listen to. I think mastering should be left to a pro, which is also something I need to do...as I've not sent any out to be mastered yet

softgreens · 01-29-2013, 06:31 PM

6,568 hours. no more, no less.

claudedefaren · 01-29-2013, 10:16 PM

I envy you guys! I've spent 10+ hours just working on these 16 bars in my latest piece. idk how you guys can bust tracks out so quick

I/O_Madness · 01-29-2013, 11:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by claudedefaren

I envy you guys! I've spent 10+ hours just working on these 16 bars in my latest piece. idk how you guys can bust tracks out so quick

After you do it more and more it becomes more natural... I'll still get stuck sometimes.

Mottyze · 01-30-2013, 12:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by claudedefaren

I envy you guys! I've spent 10+ hours just working on these 16 bars in my latest piece. idk how you guys can bust tracks out so quick

I dont think you need to worry to much about that, sometimes I just get stuck too, other times I can do it really quickly, but as long as I can finish my track the way I want and make it sound good I am fine with that

Just for you to know that you're not alone

With time and practice we'll get better and better i hope!

claudedefaren · 01-30-2013, 02:58 AM

true! it is just maddening sometimes because i can write music quickly but design and engineering takes forever

Bucky TNP · 01-30-2013, 05:45 AM

Im a beginner, so Im sure my tracks will start taking longer and longer. I dont know why they would get shorter, I already know how to do everything, so the speed of which I make things wont really change, but the more I learn, the more I keep adding extra bits, extra subtleties, and spend longer mixing everything right. Also the better I get, the more okay I am with trashing parts of a song that dont turn out to be super quality, so redoing bars differently takes more time as well. However, RIGHT when I started, they took about 3-4 hours, with one 1 and a half minute song made in 1 hour and like 16 minutes or something (I was trying to make it as quickly as possible). Since then, most of my songs have taken longer and longer, with my last multi-genre track thingy taking like 10 hours total (I cant really tell how long my tacks take anymore since I work on them randomly at different days and stuff), and the few songs before that took like 8 hours each. One song I made took like 12 hours, but it sucked miserably. Most of my songs are around 4 minutes long and I usually try to keep the track from repeating too much.
Anyways, it really doesnt matter how long you spend on a track, if its good, it was worth the time.
A lot of artists only release like 10-20 tracks a year, thats could be 1 track a month, they could be working on it every day for hours at a time, or just hastily throwing it together on the last day each month in 5 hours. It really doesnt matter, if its good, it was worth the month
You can time how long you spend in the DAW or the studio, but thats really just putting stuff together, actually thinking of the music takes the most time, but its EXTREMELY erratic, and frankly, it doesnt exactly stay in the studio. All that the time spent in the DAW/studio really says is how long it took to record, arrange, mix, and click things in

johanneslehmann · 01-30-2013, 06:10 AM

Love this thread! Really interesting perspective on the whole music making process and how people approach it differently!

I often get the problem that once I like a track sufficiently I want it to be 'the best thing I've ever done' at which point it stops being fun. It's really a pretty deep psychological problem, but it's getting better!

My usual range would be 10-50h...

T-REn · 01-30-2013, 07:43 AM

For me if you are normal bedroom producer with no commitment in music industry then you should take your time as much as possible to design your track, you are not competing with other people how much track you able to produce in a month or year are you?

Definitely most of us will publish the music free to attract fan so it is better to emphasis on quality instead of quantity. I believe in that way you could find ur own design of music, something that represent you.

If you attached with music industry where they require you to finish certain in certain time period then you should worrying about it. Other than that juz take your time and enjoy creating it.

Juz my 2 cent.

Mottyze · 01-30-2013, 06:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by T-REn

For me if you are normal bedroom producer with no commitment in music industry then you should take your time as much as possible to design your track, you are not competing with other people how much track you able to produce in a month or year are you?

Definitely most of us will publish the music free to attract fan so it is better to emphasis on quality instead of quantity. I believe in that way you could find ur own design of music, something that represent you.

If you attached with music industry where they require you to finish certain in certain time period then you should worrying about it. Other than that juz take your time and enjoy creating it.

Juz my 2 cent.

That's exactly how I think, nice perspective... btw , professional producers are "other level" and to reach that level there are somethings that you must be able to do. Making songs with great quality, to compete with the best, is one of them ( in my point of view).

gradgt · 03-22-2013, 04:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by claudedefaren

true! it is just maddening sometimes because i can write music quickly but design and engineering takes forever

true this post!! i hate having a good song written but having to spend hours trying to come up with the right sounds.

it does get better the more you do it, though.

DJMitchCraven1 · 03-22-2013, 06:57 AM

Usually 10-50/60 depends just what Im aiming for

jds1 · 03-26-2013, 04:30 AM

100's

I end up with 5+ versions though, and it's working towards building my sound and skills.

I've been recycling about a dozen core ideas/arrangements for a few years now.

It's reducing fairly significiantly over time though as my aethetics/processes are being worked out to achieve a style im aiming for.

This approach doesnt suit most of course, but i'm trying to implement classical music arrangement/orchestration via digital means, each of which takes an enormous amount of time to get anywhere with.

Hedley King · 03-26-2013, 11:59 AM

A couple of weeks of a couple of hours a night plus some full weekend days per tune, so I'm guessing about 30+ hours. Pretty sure my work flow could be speeded up a lot though as I pretty much start fresh with every tune rather than using saved sounds or settings and a tune that starts as dnb can often end up as something completely different like house.

HGHRLLR · 03-26-2013, 07:08 PM

I would say I’m a middleman. On average it takes me about half an hour to an hour to make an idea. The number of Ideas I make at a time depends upon my ability to concentrate on one track. I get bored easily. If I’m determined to finish a track it can take a weekend or a week to finish the arrangement working about an hour to 3 hours a day. Wish I had more time, but this stupid job takes up most of my time. I like to wait at least 3 days to a week without listening to the track before starting the mix down. It takes me 1 to 2 days to finalize the mix and master. So on average it takes me about a month to finish a track while working all week and some weekends.