Before talking about unfinished projects: let’s be clear: You’re not lazy producer or undisciplined. Maybe you work a day job, only have 1-2 hours at night and you’re tired or just don’t have energy, etc.
In my opinion, when time, energy, and focus are limited and ”finishing” a track becomes more of an emotional challange than a technical one. Based on my experiences, the methods I’ve tried usually involve technically simple mental frameworks and supportive production tips/tools that help lighten the overload.
Are you Refining -Or Just Delaying?
Actually, most unfinished work sounds like this:
- ”It’s almost done, but…”
- ”The vocal just needs to sit better”
- ”I’ll get a better mix later”
But please, ask yourself:
”Am I really trying to make it better or have no time or am I just not ready to release it?”
Trust me, perfectionism often becomes a cover for:
- Avoiding criticism and being heard
- Telling yourself ”I’m not ready”
Technical Block or Mental Block?
We know that your track or line is %90 done. Okay. So why isn’t it finished?
Maybe:
- Hardware is limited
- Plugin crashes
- You lack technical know-how
- No time
Or maybe:
- ”If I release it, they’ll say something…”
- ”What if it’s just not good enough?”
If the problem is technical, you can solve it some managing but it’s mental acknowledge it, simplify it.
Why Half-Projects Feel Safer?
You know that unfinished work still holds ”potential” but finished work becomes judgeable. Unfortunaletly, leaving things at 90% becomes a psychological comfort zone but every project in that folder eventually becomes a burden.
But evet if that’s what’s happening, no need to blame yourself, it’s something we can fix it ease.
Low Time, High Expectations: How to Break That Loop?
I want to you know this realities, most creatives right now:
- Don’t earn from music
- Work a second job
- Cut back on social life just to make music
- Feel guilty when not creating and not good when they can’t share
But here’s the truth:
Trust me, if your time is limited, your goal should be sustainability not perfection, please create, you Braveheart, we want to hear that!
Finish-Trash-Shelf System (F-T-S)
Please do it after leave from here: open that project folder. Then:
1. Finish:
- If it’s 60-80% done
- If you still feel excited about it and the rest is minor edits
2. Trash:
- If it’s technically broken, drains/bores you and feels like dead weight
- If you already have 5 similar versions
3. Shelf:
- If it doesn’t fit your current gear or workflow and it’s a solid idea but needs better tools or time
Realistic Exit Strategies (For the Time-Crunched)
1. Micro-Deadline Rule
”Listen once- One revision- Export”
Decide in a week and no perfection, just finish.
2. Releasing is not Exposure
Posting it online doesn’t mean the world has to hear it. Do for it yourself, for closure and lightness.
3. Get Early Feedback
Quickly, send to trusted friends. Trust me, low-pressure feedback=low-stress fixes.
4. Simplify the Toolchain
For the lower your creative friction, set all of your technical steps.
Technical Tips to Lighten the Process
(This made as a quick note for AI-skeptical friends.)
You might be unsure about using AI in music, that’s valid. Music is emotional, instinctual, hands-on. I’m not here to say ”AI replaces your process.”
But I’ve seen this over and over again:
Mastering drains people.
If your time and mental energy are already low and streamlining it can help you stay creative. And this one is the ”good AI.”
We are also musicians/engineers and all of our tools use the ethically sourced method.
What SoundBoost.ai’s Mastering Tools Actually Does:
- Loudness Penalty(Free): Optimize your track’s volume for Spotify, Apple Music and friends. Shows how your music will sound on every streaming platforms and giving you a clear view of any volume adjustments.
- Car Check Feature(Free): You can preview how it’ll sound on car speakers, phones, laptops, and anywhere else your fans might listens.
- LUFS Meter Online(Free): Select your audio file to measure its LUFS. No data is being sent to servers.Everything happens in your browser.
- Metadata Editor(Free): Edit metadata -title, artist, album art, genre and more- directly embedded in your MP3’s ID3 tad fields.
- Mastering Grade Audio Converter(Free): Professional-grade audio converter for distribution in all major formats: MP3, WAV, FLAC, OGG, AAC and more, with any bit depth (16/24/32) and sample rate (44.1 kHz/48 kHz).
- Text to Audio Sample Generation: Transform text into audio samples. This experimental tool instantly spins your words into creative audio samples. Perfect for music production, games, films, mixes, or any creative project.
- Music Mastering: First AI mastering engineer you can chat with. Proffessional-grade mastering with AI assistance.
Yeap, that’s all from me, hope it helps. Believe me, there’s also no need to blame yourself, world or DAW. :3
There’s no problem that can’t be solved with small adjustments. Just trust your buddy and keep creating. We’re looking forward to hearing your thoughts.
Sync and slay, bye!