Do You Listen to Your Own Music?

[Lord Hypnos]

I mean, as the creator of your music, do you ever take the time to listen to your music just for pleasure, or do you find it weird? I've always wondered heh

You can also list some musicians/artists that don't listen to their own music

[303]

during the recording process, I love to listen to my own stuff. But when its finished, and people get hold of the CD's I wont listen. There was a rock night at a club we had previously played at, and the DJ noticed we were there, and played one of our tracks (we had given him a CD the time we played there) and I found it a little weird, but still really cool they played it.

[Dronepool]

I do, but usually not for "oh I'm in the mood for myself" *turns on my own music*.

I usually listen to it because I made it and I want to make sure there's no errors or anything. And other times I listen to it, but to see how it sounds after a few months or years of making it. I want to see if it still sounds alright and what parts of it I like and dislike.

[Not Mechanical]

during the recording process, I love to listen to my own stuff. But when its finished, and people get hold of the CD's I wont listen.

I agree with this. During recording I like to listen to see what works etc., in fact, during recording I end up listening to the tracks a lot, but I soon get sick of hearing it. I always think it so vain to take great pleasure out of listening to your own records, sure, there's no problem being proud with what you have produced, but constantly listening to it seems a little much.

[Lord Hypnos]

I do, but usually not for "oh I'm in the mood for myself" *turns on my own music*.


This is basically what I mean, I've always wondered if people actually listened to their own music because they feel like it. I wouldn't want to do it, it'd feel wierd, but then again i'm not in a music group so heh




I do currently, me and a friend started a music project, you can see it [link2:23xt1s6l]here,http://www.myspace.com/babyfireflymusic[/link2:23xt1s6l]. We've just started writing and making demos and we're trying to get a feel on what we want to do with them. I have no songs up on that profile yet. Feel free to add it. :D

*goes quickly to Myspace to add you :D*

You should make a thread in the musician sections ;)

[spaceSuicide]

*goes quickly to Myspace to add you :D*

You should make a thread in the musician sections ;)

Added and agreed, I shall in due time. Once me and him get some tracks completed fully I'll make a thread.

[Celiny-O]

I've recorded a couple of songs and I've randomly listened to my music, but it often makes me cringe.

[The Empirical Guy]

Of course I do. My music should be, in theory, the ultimate combination of all the influences I love to make an uber-band. At least, in theory :p But yeah, I try to write music that I, as an audience member, would enjoy. I guess I'm successful because I can sit and listen to it for pleasure. But it does get a bit weird, because I sit there and hear other things: i can see the set up in the studio as we were tracking it, or know that a certain part took particularly long to get right, or whatever, which is weird. I do enjoy it though.

[Iulian]

Short answer: Yes

Long answer: Well everyone is a musician these days, so my turn :D

1. My own band - I have a lot of songs written and recorded (demos, most of it) on my MP3 player, so when a song starts, I usually listen to it. Also, on my PC, from time to time Winamp plays ( :D ) a song I made and I usually don't skip it unless if I'm bored or not in the mood for such a song. I have a lot of good songs I haven't played for anyone else, and until then, I want to know that everything is perfect.

2. A band I'm partially involved, electronic music, I love their work. The only track I can't listen is the one I did some voice for. :D

3. In the last 8 months I worked with a Hip Hop singer for her first demo. It's cool when you are involved in a genre you don't usually listen to (I only like Fugees, Lauren Hill, Jurassic 5, The Game) because you don't know any rules, so the music is much powerful. We first wanted to do 3-4 songs and we stopped at 30 :D 15 of those will be finished, and if anyone is interested, I can give you some tracks. Or some previews.

[Mexicanfiend]

I'm moving this to the "musicians" sub-forum.

And, to answer the original question: I have a couple of songs recorded, and in no fucking way I ever listen to them. Far too many emotions and memories attached on both. I just can't listen to them.

[vht]

I do listen to my songs. I quite enjoy them.

[Enigma]

Just to make sure they sound the way I want to, but not for pleasure.

[gabrieltoxic]

Only certain songs, or albums. Sometimes, if I'm in the mood, but not that often. I listen to my own music a lot when I'm working on something new, wether I'm putting a song together or I'm mixing, but I'm usually tired of listening to them after I'm done mixing (probably heard them a thousand times by then).

I don't find it weird, I enjoy my own music. It's one of the main reasons why I started making music, to record something I would enjoy listening to. It's hard to distance myself enough from certain lyrics, though. That's the only issue I have with some of my own songs.

[Iulian]

In the last couple of days, I put all of my demos in my player (130, I couldn't believe my eyes) and just listen them. I even had forgotten about some of them.. I wonder if I will ever be able to record it professionally and release them sometime..

[gabrieltoxic]

Only certain songs, or albums. Sometimes, if I'm in the mood, but not that often. I listen to my own music a lot when I'm working on something new, wether I'm putting a song together or I'm mixing, but I'm usually tired of listening to them after I'm done mixing (probably heard them a thousand times by then).

I don't find it weird, I enjoy my own music. It's one of the main reasons why I started making music, to record something I would enjoy listening to. It's hard to distance myself enough from certain lyrics, though. That's the only issue I have with some of my own songs.

Can't you release some of them? I mean, as a musician and producer I understand being kinda reluctant about distributing your demos, but sometimes you can tweak them a bit, remix them and at least put them out there to give people a taste of what it is you do. There's a lot of shit out there that's recorded professionally and it still sucks. I'm not suggesting my material's any better, but you know... professional recording is sometimes overrated, and doesn't always mean the songs are any good.

[javi9446]

I listen to my music because I love what I create, and what I play. So sometimes I just jam out to some of my stuff because I like the band I play in. :)

[Iulian]

Can't you release some of them? I mean, as a musician and producer I understand being kinda reluctant about distributing your demos, but sometimes you can tweak them a bit, remix them and at least put them out there to give people a taste of what it is you do. There's a lot of shit out there that's recorded professionally and it still sucks. I'm not suggesting my material's any better, but you know... professional recording is sometimes overrated, and doesn't always mean the songs are any good.

You quoted yourself, so I guess your response was at my post.

I have a few songs up on my site and on MySpace, but until I will have a band in the true sense of the word (if it's ever going to happen), I can't really do anything else.

[mfy]

Naturally, I do usually make the kind of music I would listen to myself so every now and then, I will listen to it. Although I won't be thinking "wow, that dude is sick" but "hmm, the snare should have more power" - but still... ;) I like my own music. And I don't think I would keep making it if I didn't.

[gabrieltoxic]

Can't you release some of them? I mean, as a musician and producer I understand being kinda reluctant about distributing your demos, but sometimes you can tweak them a bit, remix them and at least put them out there to give people a taste of what it is you do. There's a lot of shit out there that's recorded professionally and it still sucks. I'm not suggesting my material's any better, but you know... professional recording is sometimes overrated, and doesn't always mean the songs are any good.

You quoted yourself, so I guess your response was at my post.

I have a few songs up on my site and on MySpace, but until I will have a band in the true sense of the word (if it's ever going to happen), I can't really do anything else.

Yeah, I mis-quoted.. sorry about that. Gald you got the idea, though.

I understand where you're coming from, I just gave up the idea of recording with a band a long time ago. I loved recording in a professional studio with other musicians, don't get me wrong, but I had a lot of ideas and at the time I couldn't find people who could perform those ideas properly. They were either too technical or they couldn't play to save their lives. So I just taught myself how to play (under the excuse of recording demos to sort of guide the band in the direction I wanted to go in) and eventually ended up recording everything myself. I'll admit I became a bit obsessive, and now it's kinda hard to imagine making an album where I don't record everything myself, but I understand that feeling of wanting to get the right musicians to record the songs you have. Maybe even take them a step further, see what they can add.

[Iulian]

^ You said exactly what I wanted to.

Plus, I agree 100% with what you said in the "How do you promote your music" thread, there is so much material out there nowadays, that you risk being just another garage band.

[Thelema]

I can’t imagine making music that I don’t enjoy listening to. Composing to me is a process of finding what I do think sounds good. It’s a note by note trial and error process until I achieve something that sounds “right”. To me it’s quite spiritual, a little like mediumship actually.

[CellarOwl]

About 1000 times after the final mixdown to make sure it's something I didn't fuck up. Listening for things that nobody would ever hear, including myself most of the time. It's very OCD. The only exception to this is putting a track on to remember ideas or to feel relieved that I didn't fuck it all in the ass. Being relieved that I did an ok mixjob is more important than the final product sometimes when I listen back to something, which is probably the wrong approach.

[Necrophilip]

Heh. I seem to differ from many in that can't be assed to listen to the track too much when I'm making it, because it's very time-consuming. Instead I often hurry the track done so I can render it as .wav/.mp3 and listen to it "properly" and send it to all my mates. Thus most (read: all) of my tracks contain a whole bunch of stupid quirks which a more pedantic music maker would've sought for and erased. They also could use some better mixing and mastering. But yeah, I like to listen to them, when they're done.

[Dv5]

Yes, I am one one of those assholes that actually rocks out to my own songs. ;)

[Hexon.Arq]

I listen to it almost obsessively. I spot the imperfections and think, "Okay, I need to push this in the back, EQ this, pump up the bass, etc." And then I never do. I've been very lazy lately. There's not even any real point; it's just MIDI thus far!

[spaceSuicide]

I do at the moment, but mainly to pinpoint problems and instigate more ideas and arrangements.

[Cringeon]

When I'm constructing a song, I'll listen to it mainly in the car just to rack my brain on ideas. However, after the song is written and being recorded/mixed - I try to only listen to it after long breaks as to have fresh ears. If I mix for 30min-1hr, I'll break for about the same time before going back to work some more. Trying to make a lot of judgement calls on mixing is difficult once ear fatique kicks in (which does happen pretty quickly).

[Freeston3r]

I liked to because normally if I keep listening a new idea for a certain of the song will pop in my head.

[InnerSkeptic]

Well I usually make the kinds of music that I like to listen to, so yeah naturally I would. But sometimes though like when I'm going through it to make sure i didnt screw anything up or mixing it or whatever i listen to it a shit load so when it's all done I can't listen to it cause I'm just sick of hearing it haha.

[Teena Byrd]

I'm not a musician, but an actress - and I take the same stance as actors who refuse to watch themselves. I find a self-conscious, as opposed to uninhibited, aura is restrictive...and even if it's something as vain/vein as 'nobody told me to powder my face,' what's in the 'mirror' is often harder to take than the reaction on the face(s) of those you're playing with...

[Kollaps]

I think you would almost have to be mad to listen to your own music, that or incredibly narcissistic. The only time I do it is when I'm forced to when I'm mixing work that I've done. I don't understand how anyone, particularly in a band, could listen to their own music after all the writing, rehearsing, recording, mixing and mastering (if you get it that far).

I've always said that you know you've got a good song if you still like it after it has been tracked and mixed.

I also think it defeats the very purpose of listening to music. I listen to music to hear someone express their ideas through lyrics and other creative mediums like intricate chord changes or production techniques. Unless I was in the process of editing my own work, there is most likely nothing I could learn or get out of listening to my own music simply because I know the ideas, emotions, chord changes, arrangements and studio techniques involved.

[Kollaps]

Yes, I am one one of those assholes that actually rocks out to my own songs. ;)

I'd love to hear some of those rockin' tunes, Shangs...

[Atom]

I listen to mine sometimes. Especially if I've made something that I'm really excited about I'll listen to it over and over and over again in different settings (car, headphones while taking a walk, stereo, laptop, etc.) just to see if it's mixed well enough to sound decent on different speakers and environments.

If I'm listening to it out of pure enjoyment it's not in a arrogant or self absorbed way. It's just fucking cool sometimes to be able to blast something that you created and have it sound good. So, why the fuck not?

[Terrapin]

Sometimes I'll listen to my old band's demo tapes and albums to reminisce how it was when we were writing that material and how the whole recording process went. Most of what we recorded was 8-10 years ago so it really takes me back to those times. It's great because the quality ranges from really shitty stuff we rigged up in garages and our bedrooms and other stuff that we recorded in studio. I actually prefer listening to our garage tapes because of how bad they sound and how much effort we put into figuring out our style at the time. These moments come back so vividly and never fails to bring a smile to my face. It's a complete mess and I love it.