It really doesn't matter if you are a songwriter, producer, or engineer when it comes to organization. The lack of organizing will compromise the time you have to do what's needed. As we all know time is something you can never get back so it's absolutely the most precious thing in the world.
Instead of sharing all the details of the ways of my error I’ll spin it another way.
When you make the decision to work on music at some point you see the future. Sometimes you see it right away and other times it’s a process of grinding it out. No matter the scenario you will eventually begin to know which direction your creativity is taking you.
These are the moments we get sloppy. You really start putting more concern in finishing the project rather than focusing on technique. You should never lose sight of the main priority which is working the correct way.
First things first...
Set yourself up for success by creating a process to create. Never begin on a whim. Sure, playing around can inspire great work and I have no argument with that but what happens when you really zone out and you aren’t able to capture what you did at the moment.
Don't waste time....save it!!!
My suggestion is to always treat your work like it's work. Do it right the first time so you don't have to spend time fixing a problem. In the modern era, saving something you worked on is way more convenient than it was years ago so honestly that's where I'd say start. Saving what you work on is more important than working on it. If you didn't save it, it doesn't exist. No more no less.
If you haven't experienced a good old fashioned power outage while your working you will one day. Save yourself the headache. Before you even begin to work create a folder name it and save it. Learning to use folders to your advantage is something I'd strongly suggest. I've learned to create a master folder for all things related. Inside that master folder I save individual projects to their own folder.
So when I open my software before I begin any work I create a new folder inside the master folder and give it it's proper identification. Whatever works for you works for you but I've developed a numerical system by date. Today is 11-13-18. So if I made a track today for the sake of inventory and being able to find it in the future I'd name the beat folder 111318. This number now becomes an inventory number. I'll discuss that in another post.
The last step is to save the opened session of your DAW, which at this point is still a blank canvas, into this new folder 111318. By doing so you've already given the path that all files are to follow when you save the project. This will keep everything nice an tidy. Trust me, in the long run you'll pat yourself on the back for taking the time to set yourself up for success. You'll also be able to just press save and save your work since there is already a destination.
Take your time and develop a system that works for identifying your individual projects. A producer that I work with saves his work by dates. You may find another alternative but develop a system and stick to it.
This is a topic that will be discussed over a series of post. Feel free to share or comment and be sure to subscribe so you receive updates.
https://southeastwilson.wixsite.com/mysite/blog/organization-is-key-for-music-production-pt-1
South East Wilson is a producer , songwriter, and recording artist. Feel free to contact at southeastwilson@gmail.com. Let the world know what you think and leave a comment below.