Endlessly adding layers and channels will result in a cluttered and congested mix. AND it will take more time to work on those extra channels. Keep your productions lean and focus on what your track really needs. Some of the best mixes I’ve worked on have had less than 30 channels in total. The most difficult have had over 80 channels. With that in mind, consolidate channels when you can. For, example if you have 5 different claps all panned differently, bounce them down into one manageable stem.

Don’t get stung by the same time-consuming mistake more than once. When you run into something that’s held you back, put in a new system to resolve the issue. Invest minutes now to save hours in the long run.

When you have a roadmap in your mind of the steps needed to complete your track, you can keep moving forward towards that goal. Without a plan, you’re aimlessly shooting for an unspecified target. If you want a resource to help you with this, I put together my most valuable information into a 124 page eBook called ‘Never Get Stuck Again’. It will help you turn your musical idea into a quality finished track.

Many producers work ‘chronologically’ and forget the bigger picture of the mix. Picture this scenario… Let’s say you work on the lead vocal. You get it sounding perfect by itself. You move on to the backing vocals and get them sounding perfect when soloed. Now you want to get all the vocals sitti...