If you are a producer, you have more than likely asked fellow producers, artists, friends or family for some feedback of your beats. You would like all of the feedback you receive to be positive, of course, but this is not always the case. Your friends and family will most likely compliment your work to spare your feelings, but a fellow producer or artist is bound to be critical of your work, offering either a derogatory comment, a simple “I don’t like it,” or some kind of valuable criticism.

I remember when I first started posting my beats for review on the internet, I would sometimes get hundreds of positive remarks (on forums, instant messenger, email, etc.) about a beat, but if I got just ONE negative comment about it, I would be hard on myself and lose confidence. Through the years though, I’ve learned to accept the fact that you can’t please all the people all the time! Once I grew as a producer and understood this concept, I no longer stressed over pleasing every single person with one piece of music.

To put this into a simple perspective, just consider this: Take 10 different people you know personally, and think about what kinds of music they prefer. Odds are, everyone doesn’t listen to the same artists. One may prefer classic rock, one may prefer hip-hop, another may prefer country….and so on.

Well, this same exact concept holds true for your beats….

Some people may love your piece of music, while others simply do not like it because it is not their taste in music. To make this example even more targeted, let’s look at just the Hip-Hop genre. Let’s say you make a Club-style hip-hop beat. Artists and producers who enjoy club hip-hop may love your beat, but those that listen to raw, gritty hip hop may hate it. It’s just one of those things you’ve got to accept, and move forward.

So remember this: If you are getting a lot of positive feedback from valuable sources (fellow producers, artists, sound enginners, etc.), do NOT lose confidence in your music if you receive a few occasional criticisms or negative comments!

In the next motivational article, I will talk about Utilizing Feedback about your beats.

Until Then, Thanks for reading!

Tim Adamek
Open Minds Entertainment LLP