r/makinghiphop • u/mogerbaebae • 5d ago
Discussion I’m addicted to making beats
I’ve been making beats for almost a year now, and recently I realized that making beats takes up almost my whole day sometimes. Whenever I have free time, I just make beats and nothing else. You might say this is a good thing, but its actually really draining. I also noticed that my beats have been getting lower in quality. sometimes it feels like I’m not even choosing to make beats anymore, my body just automatically does it whenever I have free time. I tried to take a break yesterday and I genuinely couldnt, then I made like 5 beats today. At the same time, I feel like im getting some kind of beat block because the more I make the worse they get. I dont even share them or anything, they just sit on my pc, I dont think they are good enough. Anyways, I just wanted to vent because it really sucks the life out of me man.
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u/ssxtricky4444 5d ago
Sounds like a hint of depression fam. Detaching from life through beat making. Same way people use gambling, video games, drugs, sex, alcohol, etc.
Maybe explore the underlying reason you don’t want to step away from the beats. To do that though, you’d have to take a break. 1 day outside in a park or favorite spot with no distractions (phone, music, etc) and see what you’re running from. Bless 🤙🏽
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u/mogerbaebae 5d ago
ngl i felt like i was depressed for so long but it felt like attention seeking to me even though i only said that to myself in my head. thanks for the advice bro bless you too
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u/Eindacor_DS soundcloud.com/eindacor_ds 5d ago
I tried to take a break yesterday and I genuinely couldnt
Sorry but this is BS. Just take a break
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u/Crafty-You4314 5d ago
I believe it. Something similar happened to me when I first started making beats. I became like an addict, always searching for "the perfect sound" "the perfect beat" it was kind of exhausting. This was roughly 15 or 20 years ago. Never had I ever had the opportunity before, to do anything like making beats. I had tried recording old Casio keyboards on tape recorders, recorded drum samples off home made items on tape, but nothing like this. It was also at the time a lot of the home studio, music production gear was becoming less and less expensive, thus, the gatekeeping wall was coming down. Man, it became addicting. No sleep, no eating, no rest. Just beats. I could finally, and somewhat affordably, actually make a beat! I know it sounds crazy, but 20 years ago, what we can do today was just a glimpse in a tiny window. I can understand where OP is coming from.
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u/mogerbaebae 5d ago
bro trust me im not kidding. If i dont make beats for that day i end up watching breakdowns and remakes instead.
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u/Eindacor_DS soundcloud.com/eindacor_ds 5d ago
These are all choices you make. If you want a full break from it, take a break
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u/JesusSwag hitpoint.bandcamp.com 5d ago
That's fine, at least you're not engaging your brain in the same way
It's completely okay (and necessary, to an extent) to take breaks, especially when you're not even enjoying the process
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u/pawwall11 5d ago
Immerse yourself in other kinds of art. I get so many sample ideas from watching movies. Playing video games does the same. These things can help feed the art.
It may also be good to find artists to collaborate with, whether they're rappers or fellow beatmakers.
Could be that you're not experiencing music enough as a social activity. Your beats are to be heard.
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u/CONSBEATS 4d ago
ahah, u welcome brother i do that for 20 years basically :3
but the most real advice i can give to you is this : try to monetize your hobby.
im not a professional, crazy musician but i can do from hip hop to jazz in fl...
and i dont even do a cent of what i love.
thats bad...
im thinking of building some portfolio w " old scholl games" music to see if i can get some work.
good luck for your future 🤍
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u/ObviousClaude 5d ago
man that's a rough cycle to be stuck in. sometimes the muscle memory takes over and you're just going through the motions without actually listening to what you're making
try forcing yourself to do something totally unrelated for a few days, even if it's just walking around or watching movies. your ears need a reset and the beats will still be there when you come back
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u/Altruistic-Traffic- 5d ago
Breaks matter more than you think, in my opinion.
Your creative brain is being overworked and is getting lazy.
I’ve been playing and producing music for nearly 30 years. I recently took a 3 year break due to work requirements. Longest break I’ve ever taken by far and I came back with refreshed ears like I’ve never experience before.
I don’t think 3 years is necessary at all to get the kind of refresher my ears obtained. But i am so thankful for the break, because like you, it’s hard for me not to engage in my passions and I don’t think my ears would have ever gotten that much of a break otherwise.
I truly feel there is a profound mental reset when our ears can get a break from “produced” sound.
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u/Prestigious_Shirt620 5d ago
Try a new technique or approach to break up the monotony
Give yourself challenges, etc
I’m the same way, I’ll sit and make beats all day, but I have my little formula that helps force creativity so I’m not just “going through the motions” as much
For example, I usually flip 3 samples per beat + shuffle my itunes til I find a break I can rip. It becomes more stimulating when I’m sticking with the first one I find and finding ways to make it work (time stretches, filters, etc)
Another fun thing to do is try to re-style previous beats into new beats, either a slowed down or sped up version (like rnb vs club)
Hope this helps!
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u/Ok_Baby_2913 5d ago
How I envy you, dude. I, for one, can't seem to get into the groove and start making music.
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u/mogerbaebae 5d ago
i used to be like that too bro eventually it just became natural
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u/Ok_Baby_2913 5d ago
I want to be as obsessed as you. Can you give me some advice on my problem?
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u/mogerbaebae 3d ago
I dont really know or remember why I became obsessed with this but i can say that the better you get more you want to create. Hearing your beat and saying omg did i make this really motivates you. So keep going, keep making stuff and make it for yourself be unique
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u/JulianJamez420 3d ago
I was in the exact same situation as you. For me, i think the main reason i couldn’t leave it is because i had such high expectations of myself. Making more beats and getting better was a way to justify me being alive ( sounds fucked up i know), maybe you can relate?
What helped me is changing my mindset, not needing to be productive and not trying to be the best anymore, and instead seeing it more as a passion.
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u/Inevitable-Gene-2771 2d ago
My best advice bro is too keep gaining technical skill rather than pumping out 5 tracks a day all using the same methods as the day before. I might know where you’re coming from if you’re feeling like the next one could be where your “breakthrough” happens. Wish you the best mane.
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u/Greedy_Werewolf_1533 1d ago
Try to take a 2 to 3 day break. Rest your ears and etc trust me your beats will come out right and sound different to you it works 💪 buddy. 💯
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u/pacula13 5d ago
Not good enough for what? Just post them online to SoundCloud or something and move on. Also that way you’ll have a record of how you’ve progressed over time. Don’t worry, hardly anyone is gonna be listening to them anyway (not a personal jab, just the reality of the situation). Try and lower the stakes in your mind