Since 2011, I’ve been releasing my own music, digitally under various name… 2019 was a productive year musically. I released 34 tracks for the year across 8 releases, almost 3 tracks a month.
For 2020, I’m streamlining my process and am only releasing singles. I’ve gamified the process, because I really get a kick out of seeing my catalog grow as much as I enjoy making the music. That is, I like counting how many new tracks I’ve made.
To this end, I’ve synced the catalog release number to the actual number of the track, in terms of production history. So, that release #140 is also the 140th track I’ve ever published (as opposed to the catalog number usually being tied to a release with multiple tracks).
i have a huge mess. the only thing that helps me keep track of things is to cut the tunes that are good enough on dubplate. that’s basically my way to archive my stuff. otherwise it will stay a file and it will just drown in my file-ghetto on my hd that might die one day anyway. + i might just forget about a tune if i don’t play it out. as soon as i play out a tune it will stay in my head forever.
At the same time!? I do know someone that started a PhD before they had even finished their master’s though, and another who just used their credit from one course to do another at a different uni to get another degree just with one more dissertation lol
No, it was a second Associate of Science degree and then a Bachelor of Science degree right after one another. Still took me four years. I might do a Masters degree at some point but it doesn’t make sense at the moment.
My understanding of gamification is applying the reward systems that video games use in order to boost motivation. Like, in work situations, you might get prizes or recognition for doing certain projects.
So, for me, gamification is like leveling up. Like, I’m keeping track of my stats as a producer, which is like leveling up in a video game. Stats are motivating for me. Like, think of a basketball player who cares about their points per game.
As an unknown indie producer, I don’t get a lot of rewards for making music, beside intrinsic satisfaction and enjoyment. If you’re a pro, you get likes and listens and money.
gam·i·fi·ca·tion
the application of typical elements of game playing (e.g. point scoring, competition with others, rules of play) to other areas of activity, typically as an online marketing technique to encourage engagement with a product or service.
“gamification is exciting because it promises to make the hard stuff in life fun”
So it’s just a way to keep me positive and productive. It’s like getting credit and valuing your music.
yeah, you might just have a different approach. my only thing though, is, wouldn’t it be cool if you had a discography you could look at, cataloging your music production history?
like if you just started a list numbering your dubplates, with date, title etc. then maybe a list of releases.
There’s the music and then there’s the process. Both aspects are ripe for creativity and optimization.
They’re all on Bandcamp (since 2011), but in the past 3 years I’ve been using Distrokid (which gets me on Spotify, etc) and I have a separate account to publish on Juno Download.
Yeah, so you know how demotivating publishing bullshit can be. But realistically, I’m just making music and just don’t have time to be much of a careerist about it. Like, I don’t want to stop making music either, so that’s why I set up this system.
It’s streamlined. Like, I don’t have to think too much about it, I can just make music and put it out. I don’t have to decide if this a single, an ep and lp, etc… And I like keeping track of my stats.
I went back to school recently too and completed my Associates in Business Administration in 2019 (Took me almost four years though, because I was working… and making music lol). I actually already had a Bachelors of Fine Arts in Communication Arts and Design as well as a Masters in Illustration too.
Yeah, I’d like to get that Bachelors in Business, but can’t really afford it…
