The Finish More Music Podcast

We all know that taking big leaps towards our goals requires taking radically different actions to the ones that we're taking right now…But we also know that these radically different actions will bring with them discomfort.    Maybe it’s creative anxiety, or the pain from pursuing a fitness goal, or perhaps the hunger of following a particularly difficult diet...there’s no denying it’s uncomfortable.   So the question is... how do you harness that emotion and feeling?   How do you use it to take action where most people try to avoid it?    And how do you be the person who takes life-changing actions to get the life-changing results you want?   Well, in this episode, I'm going to give you a strategy that serves me and the people who I coach extremely well in the pursuit of our goals, and it’ll flip everything you think you know about anxiety and pursuing your goals completely on its head...Buckle up and let’s get started!

If there’s one thing a great many books and online gurus will tell you, it’s that in order for you to succeed, you need to know your purpose in life.A purpose which transcends you, that serves the greater good, and builds your drive, optimism, and resilience to succeed.And so the question beckons, will your career in music be held back until you’ve figured it out? How do you connect with it, and why bother carrying on until you have?Well in this episode I’m diving head first into what it means to find your purpose, and sharing from my own personal experience how it’s not as straightforward, or important, as you might think…But if worked towards in the right way, can have an immeasurably positive impact on your music and your life.Discover how in this week’s episode of The Finish More Music Podcast!

Today we're going all sci-fi...yep, it's time to talk about AI! Now when you hear the term Artificial Intelligence (AI), you're likely to either get super excited, or to feel the fear welling up inside of you... And perhaps if you're like me, it's a mixture of both. Because on the one hand, the advances in technology in this area give humanity and, as we're going to be discovering, music producers some really exciting and innovative tools to work with. But on the other hand, they deliver the very real possibility of replacing us in a great many ways, and that includes writing music. So is this something to be feared? Might we one day be listening to music made by computers that is indistinguishable from that created by human beings? Will our tastes be manipulated by machines? It's a lot to wrap your head around, so let's get started.

Today we’re tackling a VERY divisive topic, one that for music producers worldwide has become the cause of a huge amount of debate in the last few years…   And that’s the impact that music streaming sites like Spotify, Apple Music and others are having on our scene. Now, many people believe that the current streaming model is crippling artists and damages the underground music scene as we know it, whilst others see benefits that they can heavily lean into to further their careers.And one group of people think that the streaming sites should be disempowered and shouldn’t impact the scene as much as they do, whilst others are taking actions that empower them.So in this episode we’re deep diving into the facts: how the streaming model actually works, what alternatives are out there, and the various routes that any artist can take to get ahead in the music industry in 2021.When you finish this episode you’ll have all the information you need to plot the best course for you, for your music, and to have the impact that you want on the scene you love.It’s a full on episode for a full on topic, so let’s dive in!

It doesn’t take an expert to know that when you’re achieving things, like ticking off your to-do list or having a kick-ass 30 minutes in the studio, it feels good. And when you feel good, you’re able to achieve more!But what happens when you’re NOT achieving things?What happens when you feel like you’ve been wasting time, letting life slip through your fingertips, or when you see a real lack of progress with your music?In short, it’s not good.  At best, stagnating will cause you to lose momentum. At worst, it will make you contemplate giving up this journey all together...So in today’s episode, I’m sharing with you 5 proven techniques that will level up your productivity and accomplishments inside the studio, so you can make that feeling of achievement a permanent one...Let’s get stuck in!

Today I'm joined by DJ, producer and multimedia artist Rashid Ajami.    Now Rashid has been releasing music for well over a decade on the likes of Armada, Anjunadeep, Get Physical and Einmusika to name a few, but the road to releasing on these top labels was far from plain sailing…   Like most producers, Rashid has had to deal with his own fair share of rejection, creative blocks and harsh self-criticism. But in this episode, Rashid reveals what it took to come out more prolific and more creative than ever...   In this episode you’ll learn:   The importance of having an artistic concept in order to guide your creative output   Why consistently finishing music has got to be at the core of your success, no matter how far along the journey you are.   How to get signed and get your music heard on those big labels.   How to handle the inevitable rejections that come with being a creative. And I’ve got a challenge for you: try to walk away from this episode without feeling super pumped to get into the studio and make music…I bet you can't do it!Now let's get stuck into this hugely motivating and inspiring session with Rashid Ajami.

If you’ve been writing music for a while, chances are you’ve got a back catalogue of unfinished tracks that are laying to waste...Or rather than a back catalogue, perhaps it’s a graveyard of unfinished loops.Either way, when we’ve hit a wall with our music or we’re in need of some inspiration, it can be tempting to return to these tracks to get them finished for good.And while shifting your focus from your current work to your older work can offer a number of opportunities, it also brings with it a bunch of pitfalls that can seriously derail your creativity...So in this episode, I’m discussing how to dust off your hard drive the right way and revisit those ideas that never reached the finish line (or never even got out of the blocks!), so that when you dial back the clock on your music, you don’t simultaneously dial back the clock on your progress.Let’s dive in!

Today I'm joined by Barry Jamieson and Dave Gardner, two incredible producers who over the years have quietly had a hand in some of dance music’s biggest tracks, and have a huge list of accolades to prove it...Barry, aka Mono Electric Orchestra, has worked closely with major artists such as Madonna, New Order, Thom Yorke and Depeche Mode, and was nominated for a Grammy for his work with Seal.  Dave has produced stunning dance tracks under a number of collaborative projects that include Cosmonauts, Quiet Places and Sentre, and has been involved in reworking and producing the likes of The XX, M83, Pete Tong, Calvin Harris, Maribou State and Moby.Together, they form a core part of dance music legend Sasha’s production team, helping him to craft the sound of his live performances, albums and EPs.In this episode, they share with us their behind the scenes experience of working with Sasha for his reFracted live show, how the production team work together to write Sasha’s albums, and what goes into their unique creative processes when working on their solo and collaborative projects.Plus, we also get an exclusive heads up on a brand new project they’re about to release which will see them pass on the very production techniques they use in the studio to the world!This episode is stacked with amazing stories, insights and value bombs, so get yourself focused and let's dive in.

A good workman never blames his tools...or does he?Today we're going to be talking about the age old producer dilemma: should you switch DAWs? In fact, should you be making any major new purchases for your studio at all? As a music producer, it’s easy to get your sights set on a brand new piece of gear that will seemingly flick the switch for the quality of your music.And in some cases a major overhaul is the right thing to do, because sometimes taking a pit stop, changing the tires and refueling can help you to make the fastest progress.But in most cases, any new addition to your studio setup only forces your attention away from your creativity, and onto research, admin and learning instead.So how do you know when the time is right to bring a new acquisition into the studio? How can you minimize the disruption and make this a record breaking pit stop?Well in this episode I've got a number of perspectives to share with you, plus a ton of experience of times when I succeeded - and when I messed it right up - so you’ve got a strategy for moving forward to getting the results you really want for your music.Tune into this week’s episode of The Finish More Music Podcast now!

Today is the final episode of our very special series in which we've been hearing about the journeys and lessons from the producers inside of the FMM community.Just like you, these producers have BIG ambitions - and here we get to learn how they’ve faced and overcome a variety of challenges to see the amazing results they are seeing today.In today’s episode I’m joined by Mark Tamsett and Sean Harvey, two gentlemen whose journeys through music have run a very parallel course, having both experienced crippling struggle with the direction and finishing of their tracks.But after giving it one last roll of the dice and following the same creative process, they’re now PROLIFIC in the studio, regularly releasing their tracks, and getting them played by their idols in their DJ sets.And stories like these are so powerful because so often all it takes is just that one piece of information to flick the switch on your own progress and see these huge changes and results for yourself.So in this episode we uncover the value of surrounding yourself with like-minded people, the importance of structure in your music making process, the impact of crafting your vision…...and what it feels like to go from chasing labels, to having them chasing you. Let’s get stuck in.