three years and I still don't know what genre to produce, how the heck do you guys choose?

[Volterock]

Make what you are most inspired to make at the moment. Inspiration can often be most difficult to find so just go with the flow.

[Nicodps]

I agree, for my part I don't have specific genre, I just ride the flow, sometimes when the track is finished I'm able to tell his genre, but more than often I'm not... ^^

[no_id]

I don't have a specific genre too. I was dj before trying composition, this help not focusing on genre but music

[Aloysius]

Great idea.

[no_id]

Going somewhat into detail : at first, my plan was to compose music. Since compo wasn't affordable and not that much "trendy" (everyone was trying to DJ at the time, more potentiallity to get good time with that, friends interrested), and Ive had poor XP with fruity loops, Ive gone for the DJ route. I DJed for smth like 10y (4 years serious, in party, bar, more conceptual mix, and stuff).

Now, I think it was the best choice I could have done, as it teached myself million things about music, obscure genre, music world, sonority, etc.

8 or 10 month ago, smth happened. I was jacked on speed for 2 weeks straight, and I introduced myself in the world of sound design (kick generation : microtonic, drumaxx...)... I began to understand that it could be, finally, possible to get closer to the sound I want. I didn't sleep for smth like 9 day in these 2 week, spend all the time on FL.

It happened some time more, then without speed, then now I'm into composition, Ive some idea about what are the different way I can progress in that. (it's only 6 or 8 month and Ive not that much worked, you can see some result on my sc : s.oundcloud.com/no_idsc and what I repost from "zattwaks" -my second account-. Warning : there is a bunch of mixs too on no_idsc, sort all that)

In term of genre, I would like to say : perhaps you should find a "sound signature" more than a genre. Genre are limiting, you will get more valuable XP by finding the kind of sound you want to play with (this is perhaps not fix, but you probably have preferences.)

And listen to a vast array of music of course

[no_id]

...

[Jace-BeOS]

I've never even considered choosing a genre to make music in. I just make music.

[Jace-BeOS]

I also have zero expectations of ever making money from my music somehow. Culture has changed so much and so has industry. Very few people pay for music, let alone entire albums, (albums being my preference for listening experience).

[no_id]

While it's okay to not look for being paid at the beginning, I think it's an error (that Ive made) to force ourself into the "my music doesn't have anything maistream/commercial" forever.

If I looked more for paid dates when I was DJ (I had and have some opportunities, but price didn't came first in priority), I would have gone a bit more far than I'm, and would have probably secured more contact/found more regular place to play.
After this, it's not a bad stuff as what I play in public is often vastly different than what I play in private. Making money would have made myself too much concentrated on public, wich is cool experience, but lack "personnal" aspect.

In term of composition, I'm only at the beginning, so there is no things like money atm. I don't look much after that in the future, as everyone is already getting some royalty from his beatport music it seems, everyone is a musician...

[vitocorleone123]

I've never even considered choosing a genre to make music in. I just make music.

I have a job in tech - it pays me. I have a hobby in music - it makes me happy. I only finish a couple songs per year, and none of them sound like one another, beyond falling under the "electronic" category. I just follow the muse(ic) and see where it takes me on the journey.

Good luck

[highkoo]

I've never even considered choosing a genre to make music in. I just make music.

I have a job in tech - it pays me. I have a hobby in music - it makes me happy. I only finish a couple songs per year, and none of them sound like one another, beyond falling under the "electronic" category. I just follow the muse(ic) and see where it takes me on the journey.

Good luck

No market research...?

[el-bo (formerly ebow)]

I didn't sleep for smth like 9 day in these 2 week, spend all the time on FL.

Perhaps you might start taking better care of yourself, or it will be really irrelevant how good your sound design skills are

[el-bo (formerly ebow)]

I've never even considered choosing a genre to make music in. I just make music.

This!

And that's all she wrote...

[Aloysius]

I've never even considered making music.

This!

And that's all she wrote...

[vitocorleone123]

I've never even considered choosing a genre to make music in. I just make music.

I have a job in tech - it pays me. I have a hobby in music - it makes me happy. I only finish a couple songs per year, and none of them sound like one another, beyond falling under the "electronic" category. I just follow the muse(ic) and see where it takes me on the journey.

Good luck

No market research...?

Correct. I'm not trying to be in a market, nor do I want to (intentionally) sound like anyone else. Clearly if I was attempting to make some cash, I'd have to change that. But if someone is struggling to "pick a genre", I'd say, don't. Just spend some time making music and see what happens before you decide what comes easier. In the meantime, listen to different genres and see if one calls to you more than the others.