Hey all,

I'm not really sure what the point of this post is but maybe it will fall on someone who has been in a similar spot for a while who may be able to offer insight.

I won't go into too much detail about the time leading up to present other than I've owned and operated a recording studio for over 26 years, I've built it into a fairly ideal setup with all the gear I've ever dreamed of owning. I've produced and mastered thousands of projects in that time. It's also a side hustle as I own several other businesses, real estate, etc. So I don't need it to survive. But I always had a passion for being in the middle of the creative soup, as it were.

The last five years has been mostly pay-it-forward work; helping out a handful of artists I believe in and that quite frankly, wouldn't have a leg up in the industry any other way. So I've been working with creme of the crop creators and performers.

Last year I only completed three albums. And now I'm kind of stuck with low motivation to get involved in any future work, even though I've scouted out several great prospects.

Here's the main thing for me. I've become so pessimistic about the state of the music industry that I feel like it's become pointless. It's easy to do and I've always tried to remind myself that you have to do it because you love it. It's not about the money for me.. but after two and a half decades, I've watched so many talented artists rise and fall, spit out of the industry by frustration and brokeness, moving on to that normal life, that I feel like the last man standing often. I pour my soul into the work and several years later, the artists just quit and move on and I've now seen this story arc dozens of times. It's spiritually exhausting.

So here I am, at the peak of my ability, knowledge and talent, with a studio filled with all the tools anyone here would ever want, and I just can't even bear the thought of starting another session. I've experienced burnout before, but now I'm feeling something deeper. Like sell it all and quit forever kind of feeling.

Anyone else here who's gotten to this point and found a way back to that place of zen and desire for the art?

Many on planet Earth questioning the future, you are not alone.

I think I understand you. Right now I feel the same way and I don't know how to deal with these emotions

did you do it i f'n hate music rn

Sad to hear you’ve lost something you loved. What is am wondering is if you have some expectations that are just not realistic.

> I've watched so many talented artists rise and fall, spit out of the industry by frustration and brokeness, moving on to that normal life, that I feel like the last man standing often.

Do you expect that one day there will be an artist who finds their art just as important as you do? To end up in a world where their art is appreciated by a majority?

Why do you want to support these artist? To help them make that great album? Why is it a problem for you to feel like the last man standing?

If it is to change the musical landscape, or music industry… good luck. If you still can find a spark for the creative process or technical side involved… maybe then try to find what you like in those moments and focus on this.

I really do hope you find you will find your mojo again. Take care.

the reason people quit is because they don't set realistic goals, they also have no goals to make money and think of the entire thing as a 'side hustle' or 'hobby' which ironically means they never get paid, they never focus on improving the skills you need to reach an elite level, if there is no strategy behind it you will fail, you need to learn how to be grateful for what you've got and stop being such a cry baby, most people would dream to be in your position who work in audio, we have to be grateful every day for everything we currently own, get some balls and take responsibility for your life, cheers.

What a judgemental reaction. Feeling lost and out of place after been working for something is quite normal. People change, the outside world changes. This mandates revision now and then.

Just telling someone they need to be thankful is not helping people find a motivation. Maybe it is needed for Wacebruner32 to be a “cry baby” (not my words) for a while to re-discover what he really wants….

imagine having a successful commercial studio and being privileged, then moaning about your life, do you have any idea how hard that is to achieve? I think it was fair, I am so sick of people like this in the world who are not grateful for anything they have.

yingyang the good news for the OP who may not even be hanging around the site anymore is that he can cash out while the gitt'in is good ... if he hasn't already. Producing tons of acts that called it a day and moved on to reality is not a bad thing if that is the way of the world in this day and age Why torture yourself over something that doesn't give a crap and has always been considered risky business.

try to exercise in silence or in nature. Light sessions of 20-30 minutes max. End it with a nice walk.
Don´t exhaust yourself while doing it. Build it up slowly.

During silent training the music starts playing in your head. Great inspiration awaits my friend.
Get rid of your phone and only work via email.

Peace brother!

If you are burned out - why even care about the future of the industry. This is what I am trying to wrap my head around. When things get overwhelming then it is time to underwhelm it! Cut the ball and chain! (You seem like you can hustle up most any needed monies for living) Keep the studio for a bit - slam on the brakes and take a hiatus.

Go and get in touch with what is MOST important to you. Get rid of self ambition for a day - get rid of trying to be 'productive' for a day. Make sure you totally separate from your life as you know it COMPLETELY. This is what many great writers, professors etc. have done. It allows you to come back into your life with a better and NEW perspective. Then change your doings accordingly. Best of luck.

22 months later...what's up?

Would love to hear an update from the OP!

Yes, update please!

I went through this.

Climbed to the top of the tree and there were "no more Worlds left to conquer".

I left the music world and did something so far out of my comfort zone friends thought I was mad. Two years of that was enough. Learnt a lot about people and myself.

Then rebuilt from the ground up.

Appreciate it all now.

Be thankful for what you've got, and don't be afraid to leave for a while and return refreshed.

This is fortuitous timing.

I see this is an old post from 2022, but relate.

At 53 and with 25 years of music production experience , I have noticed a diminished interest in sitting in a room, 12 hours a day trying to make quality music.

This has been building for a while. I have had bursts of enthusiasm but these experiences are becoming less frequent and for shorter periods.

I have a conflict using my energy this way, when perhaps I would be happier using that energy to help my son train as a goalkeeper, or my daughter develop as an artist. What I dislike, is how mentally drained I am from music, it used to feel justified, these days its getting harder.

I don’t blame the music industry, I am just not making an impact in the way I would like. I’m not making music at the level I find satisfactory and its becoming obvious that I’m at the limit of my ability, its not going to be improved significantly with better gear or whatever, really its a result of many factors.

Advice? Not sure I have any, but for some of us, our time would be spent better investing in other projects, we shouldn’t waste our lives chasing a dream, especially if we have given our best but know its beyond us.

I can imagine this observation being scorned because in the modern era, we have been told never to give up, that with enough faith you can achieve your dreams. I think we need to be honest, in my experience great talent makes great art pretty much from day one, mediocre talent is extremely hard / impossible to take further.

It has taken me a long time to accept my own limitations and its actually a painful process. I love music technology, learning about it, trying new things, reading reviews, researching products, saving for etc - and without a reason to do all that…if I did retire, honestly I think I might vegetate, everything I have done, saved for, practiced at - has been in service to music. Music, for many of us becomes an identity-its who we are, who we hang out with, what we watch on YouTube, the conversations we have and, how non-music people see us. To not do music, would be to end a lifetime.

Perhaps though this is nothing that unusual, 50 something is about the time we reevaluate our life choices, knowing if, we don’t change now, this is how we will be best remembered, there is great incentive to ensure we are remembered how we want to be, or perhaps more accurately we don’t want to regret missing important time with family, or being better partners, husbands, father’s etc.

Compare and contrast with me, who wants to do all that you are doing, but my friggen ears seem like they don't want that to be a long term thing for me anyway. I might be able to do this for a couple more years before my ears give out on me. Still waiting for a certain MODO VI to come out from IK, and once that does my collection will be more or less complete.

But by the time it does arrive, my hearing will potentially be shot, and even if it is still OKish, it might not once I really learn how to use it.

Maybe it's time to do remixes.
We really ought to be remixing each others GearSpace stuff.
All of us, that is.

I'm in a pickle because my concentration and musical talent took a hit due to brain damage and now aren't as good as they used to be.

Add to that, I've been noticing all of a sudden how lame and trite a lot of music is... in a way that I never noticed before. So it takes a lot more for music to get me "high" on life.
This isn't really a bad thing, but it does make me even more of a musical snob.

I can just barely do harmonies and I need harmonies now more than ever. Most days I don't have the energy to just make some rhythms. So I can somewhat relate to be blocked.

But every couple of weeks I kick out a tune all of a sudden. And then I feel good for a while again.