67 Tips For Staying Chill In The Studio

Here’s the 67 best ways to minimize stress and maximize your relax.

1. Produce as much as you can. The more you produce the better you get. The better you are the easier producing is. And easy means stress-free.
2. Don’t forget to sleep and eat well.
3. Take breaks.
4. Make sure you’re getting the right amount of natural light.
5. Choose the right chair. Go for comfort and function. Or, if you feel like spreading out, sit on the floor!
6. Be comfortable with not finishing something. Don’t chose between making something good or making something fast. Always make something good.
7. Use f.lux on your computer to avoid eyeball strain.
8. Leave your everyday worries at the door. Thinking about that thing you have to do for work isn’t good song inspiration…
9. Give your ears a break. A good rule of thumb is to give your ears 10 minutes off for every hour of work you do.
10. Don’t trash any of your ideas. Keep them for reference when you need inspiration.

Don’t trash any of your ideas. Keep them for reference when you need inspiration.

1. Experiment with producing during different times of the day. Find the one that works best for you. Sometimes the best beats happen when you’re fresh out of bed.
2. Use lockout programs to avoid distractions.
3. Wear comfortable clothing. I bet that a ton of #1 hits were made while wearing sweats.
4. Start a bunch of projects. But only focus on one at a time.
5. Set realistic goals for each session. If you aim at nothing, you will hit it every time.
6. Ask for feedback if you’re stuck.
7. Stretch before you sit for a long time. Stretch after your session as well!
8. Spend as much time as possible on producing. But don’t forget to see your friends and be social.
9. If you’re stuck on a specific step, just ask Google.
10. Stay hydrated with good old fashioned water. The average person needs about 2 litres per day. No more headaches, and way more energy.
11. Get your posture correct for long sessions. Happy backs means happy brains. And happy leads to better music.
12. Take 10 minutes to teach yourself something.

Take 10 minutes to teach yourself something.

1. Make sure the important parts of your studio are well lit. Feeling around in the shadows isn’t good for staying mellow.
2. If something isn’t working, move on. Come back to it later with clear eyes. You can’t lose.
3. If you have the time, set a project aside before finishing it for good. Work on something else for awhile and then come back to it with a fresh mind.
4. Turn your phone off.
5. Keep the volume to a reasonable level. (crank it up every now and then though. especially when you finished something crazy good).
6. Mix reference your track. It will stop the stress of wondering if your track is as good as everything else.
7. If you’re stuck, look out the window for awhile. Or better yet, go for a quick walk.
8. Take a minute to make sure your headphones are fitting your ear and head.
9. Focus your attention on the thing that matters most: creating. Let LANDR help with mixing and mastering.
10. Don’t stay sitting for too long. Try to work standing up every now and then.

Find a problem that happens all the time. Fix it.

1. Have an overall vision for your project. Let it be your guide for the small stuff and the big stuff.
2. Find a problem that happens all the time. Fix it.
3. Bring a collaborator in and keep an open mind towards new ideas. It will help with stressful creative blocks.
4. If something won’t work don’t fight it. Let it be what it’s gonna be.
5. Let your music be a vacation. Not a job.

Let your music be a vacation. Not a job.

1. Keep a sense of humor. If you mess up, laugh at it and move on.
2. Do some chair exercises if you’re feeling low on energy.
3. Get a backscratcher for your studio desk.
4. Take your shoes off.
5. Let failures be part of your process.

1. Drink a relaxing blend of herbal tea (But don’t spill!).
2. Keep your projects organized to avoid headaches.
3. Let other art forms (painting, sculpture, movies) inform and help your music. Inspiration is the best way to avoid getting stuck.
4. Color code your DAW tracks to keep them in order. Less clutter = less stress.
5. Keep your cords organized.
6. Save your projects early and often. Don’t lose your hard work because of a technical hiccup.
7. Channel your real-life stress into a song.
8. Talk yourself through a roadblock.

Take your shoes off.

1. Celebrate your accomplishments!
2. Shutdown all the other programs on your computer to avoid annoying lag.
3. Immerse yourself in infinite possibilities and limitations. If you see the value in both you’ll never be bummed.
4. Draw a picture of your song. It’s a healthy break from producing and you’ll learn something about your track.
5. Remember the importance of silence for thinking.
6. Listen to three songs you love before you make your own. It’ll set the mood.
7. Meditate. Then produce.
8. Keep your studio clean. Popcorn and keyboards don’t mix.
9. Only set up what you need for one session. Leave everything else on the shelf. The best workspace is clean, clear and under control.
10. Get a “Do Not Disturb” sign for your studio door.
11. Take care of your gear. It’ll last longer and you won’t have to deal with finicky break downs.
12. Keep an assortment of plants in the studio. They set a mellow mood for the studio and they purify the air.
13. Label your tracks properly in your audio mix. Finding a maraca in your session is maddening if you don’t organize from the start.
14. Write your ideas down near your work station. Reference them when you need inspiration.

Write your ideas down near your work station. Reference them when you need inspiration.

1. Make easy access folders for all your files. Digging around every time you want to find a file is no good.
2. Adjust the temperature in your studio for optimal comfort.
3. Always remember that producing is fun.

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Rory Seydel is a musician, writer and father who takes pleasure in touring the world and making records. Creative Director at LANDR.

@Rory Seydel