Composer Breakthrough

In this episode, I sat down with Greg Dombrowski, the composer and creator behind Secession Studios - a hugely successful music channel on YouTube with 720,000+ subscribers. Starting in 2011, Greg has built a sustainable composer income without chasing trends, grinding daily content, or obsessing over algorithms.We delve into how Greg’s unconventional approach - uploading one track per week and focusing on genuine craft over optimisation - has become the most reliable path to audience growth and creative success.[Read the full article]What We Cover:The Origin Story* How Greg went from ski hill lift operator to full-time composer* Starting Succession Studios in 2011 with simple visualizers* The one-year transition from his mom’s basement to financial independence* Why early YouTube monetisation was crucial to his strategyThe Real Money: Content ID vs. AdSense* Why YouTube ad revenue isn’t the primary income source* How Content ID became his revenue foundation (2/3 of income)* The role of distributors like Tunecore and third-party claimers like AdRev* Licensing placements, BMI royalties, and Spotify streams as secondary incomeThe Strategic Pivot: From Immediate Music to Full-Time YouTube* Why Greg left a prestigious in-house composer role at Immediate Music* The moment when YouTube income exceeded his salary* Balancing trailer work with YouTube releases* How he chose self-employment over securityThe Counter-Intuitive Strategy That Actually Works* Why posting ONE track per week outperforms daily content* How Greg handles algorithm anxiety and flat-performing videos* The belief system that sustains long-term creative work* Why tracks sometimes take 2-3 years to “pop off”The Craft Foundation* Orchestral libraries that form his signature sound (Spitfire Abbey Road 2, Embertone Joshua Bell)* The importance of sketching on the piano before production* Layering techniques: combining multiple libraries, heavy EQ, and detuning drums* Why reverb blending (short, mid, long) creates sonic depth* The three-act structure that gives tracks emotional payoffWhy He Ditched AI Artwork* The temptation of Midjourney and why it backfired* How AI imagery hurt his credibility (people assumed the music was AI too)* His perspective on AI in creative fields and the power of public resistance* Why licensing real artists actually strengthens his brandFor Emerging Composers* The three essentials for starting a YouTube music channel today* Why quality matters more than quantity when you’re building from zero* How to package music thoughtfully (titles, artwork, context)* Building a “wall around your belief” to survive algorithmic fluctuationsThe Bigger Picture* Why modern creator advice often conflicts with genuine artistic growth* The tension between being a composer and a “content creator”* How slow, consistent growth compounds over a decade* Whether starting YouTube in 2025 is still viable (spoiler: yes, but differently)Key Takeaways:* Belief precedes results - Internal conviction that your work will find its audience is as important as the quality of the work itself* Consistency beats optimisation - One thoughtful track per week outperforms daily rushed content* Choose craft over metrics - Focus on making genuinely excellent music rather than chasing algorithm behaviour* Income diversification is built in - YouTube AdSense, Content ID, licensing, and streaming royalties combine to create a stable income* Platform trends come and go, craft endures - Don’t sacrifice your artistic vision to catch every trend waveResources Mentioned:* Succession Studios YouTube Channel: [720K+ subscribers, weekly releases]* Libraries: Spitfire Audio (Abbey Road 2, Albion), Embertone Joshua Bell, Damage 1 & 2, Heaviosity* Distribution: Tunecore, Distrokid, AdRev, Hawk (Content ID services)* DAW: Logic Pro* Hardware: Mac Pro 2019Links:* Read the full breakdown of Greg’s strategies, production techniques, and philosophy: https://richardpryn.com/secession-studios-youtube-composer-strategy* Subscribe to Secession Studios* Connect with GregUseful For:* Composers wanting to build a sustainable YouTube presence* Anyone considering music as a full-time career path* Creators struggling with algorithm anxiety* Producers interested in orchestral layering techniques* Anyone asking whether consistency and belief still matter in modern mediaEpisode Length: 1:04:07 Guest: Greg Dombrowski (Secession Studios) Host: Richard Pryn This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit richardpryn.substack.com

Ever feel like your dream gig is turning into a nightmare? In this episode, I’m tackling the intense reality of custom music projects, particularly in the demanding world of trailer composition.If you’re composing from the UK, Germany, or anywhere outside of LA, you know the struggle: getting home from your day job only to realise your second shift—the one that lasts until 3 AM - has just started. I share how this cycle of working through the night led me to painful burnout.I’ll reveal the essential strategies I learned to survive (and thrive):* The Deadline Myth: Learn how to spot the difference between the client’s real deadline and a middleman’s unfair deadline, and why you must stop overworking to make them look good.* The Partnership Principle: Why your relationship with a music production company must be an equal partnership, and how to set firm boundaries—even if it means risking the gig.* Speed Over Sublimity: Tips for optimising your workflow with templates and knowing when to stop working, submit, and trust the process.* The Financial Weigh-In: Why focusing all your energy on a low-odds custom is often less profitable than writing tracks for an album that provides stable, asynchronous income.Whether you’re struggling with work-life balance or just landed your first custom brief, this episode is your survival guide to valuing your time and making this tough business work for you.➡️ Read the Full Article: https://richardpryn.com/the-custom-music-survival-guide/ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit richardpryn.substack.com

In this episode, I wanted to discuss how composers get paid and how you can take control of your largely unpredictable income.Read the full article here: https://richardpryn.com/the-reality-of-a-composers-income/ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit richardpryn.substack.com

In this episode, I sat down with Taz Mattar, Head of Studio and IT Services at Cavendish Music—one of the UK's largest production music libraries. With nearly 20 years in the industry, from working with legendary producer Trevor Horn to mastering 70+ albums annually, Taz pulls back the curtain on how production music really works.What We Cover:The Business Behind the Music* How production music libraries actually operate and make money* Why Netflix chooses library music over commercial tracks* The difference between sync fees, royalties, and custom workGetting Your Music Placed* What's currently in high demand (spoiler: reality TV music is huge)* The biggest mistakes composers make when submitting demos* Why presentation matters as much as the music itselfIndustry Insider Secrets* The "50-track rule" most composers never learn* Why being "precious" about your art kills your career* How AI is starting to impact the industry (and what's safe for now)Practical Advice* What libraries actually want in demo submissions* How the approval and production process really works* Timeline expectations for seeing real income from production musicKey Takeaway:The production music industry isn't as mysterious as it seems—but it requires treating your music as both art and business. Success comes down to consistent output, professional relationships, and understanding what clients actually need.Want the full breakdown? Read the complete article and actionable insights in my detailed blog post: Inside the Production Music Industry with Taz Mattar: A Library Insider's Guide to Getting Your Music Placed Useful for: Composers wanting to break into production music, understanding the sync licensing world, or building sustainable music income streams. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit richardpryn.substack.com

Earlier this week, I saw Venus Theory’s latest video about the situation with music streaming and AI…So, I thought I would record my thoughts on it as it applies to us composers.Read the full article: why-music-streaming-is-broken-and-what-composers-can-do-about-it This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit richardpryn.substack.com

In this episode, I answer a question from one of my audience:He asked, “How do you work on customs from LA when the time zone difference is so big?” This can be quite an issue for us composers who are not based in the US, but I share with you all the things I have learned from years of Global custom composing.The full article can be found here ⤵️https://richardpryn.com/time-zone-juggling-fitting-custom-composer-work-into-your-life/ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit richardpryn.substack.com

In this episode, I share 5 steps to help make time for composing even when you have a full-time job and a family.Read the full article here: https://richardpryn.com/no-time-to-compose-here-are-5-steps-to-change-that This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit richardpryn.substack.com

We've all been sold the dream: land one big placement, and the work will flood in, allowing you to go full-time with ease. But what happens when the crickets start chirping, and those old fears about consistent income creep back? In this episode, I'm revealing the tough truth about what happens after that first 'big break' – and the scary reality of standing still, waiting for work that often never comes.The good news? You can take control. Join me as I share five actionable strategies I've learned from over a decade in the industry: from building your financial runway and mastering consistent outreach, to understanding the golden rule of relationships, cultivating a resilient mindset, and staying relentlessly focused on your goals. Stop waiting for the phone to ring and start actively building a sustainable, thriving composing career. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit richardpryn.substack.com

This transcript is edited for clarity: - My Unfiltered Journey: How I Became a Full-Time ComposerThis is the story of how my life got flipped, turned upside down. I mean, this is how I became a full-time composer. Buckle in, this is going to be quite a long one.The Seed of an Idea: Wanting to Write for a LivingI'm not going to go all the way back, but back to the point where I realised I wanted to write music for a living, or at least, that'd be my thing. This was before I went to university. I was in a band and realised, "I want to write music like Danny Elfman". I wanted to be a film composer.So I found a university degree called Music and Visual Arts, where we studied music and art and the intertwining relationship between the two. It was awesome. I ended up producing video work mostly. My final piece was a collection of video monitors, and on the videos, I had orchestrated a seven-minute-long piece using videos as the video score. It was very conceptual and sounded like a 70s horror movie, but it was a huge amount of fun.Uni was brilliant because it exposed me to so many things.However, my course itself wasn't specifically focused on music for the media. So I took it upon myself to study outside of my university degree to teach myself the things I thought a composer needed. These included the ability to read music, use notation, and understand more advanced harmony beyond major and minor triads. It was a lot of fun. I would just spend my time reading classical music scores, listening to classical music, and training myself to be the composer I thought I needed to be.The Leap of Faith: Saying "I'm a Composer" Before I WasFast forward to the end of my degree. I was telling everybody, "I'm going to be a film composer". I was literally telling everyone I was going to write music for a living. It just so happened that my best friend was in a band, and they wanted some music to walk on stage to in the style of 24. I was a massive fan of that TV show and its score by Sean Callery. So I wrote this piece of music with heartbeats and tension – basically, my first piece of production music.The lead singer's girlfriend happened to work for a music publisher that worked in sync. My name got passed forward, and she asked me to send a reel over. She liked one of the tracks and asked me to come in for a meeting. They told me they put music to ads and asked if I wanted to come on board as one of their composers. I was like, "hell yeah".I remember the train journey home being like, "I've made it. I'm there. I'm a composer". Little did I realise that, as with a lot of work, it's pro bono; you work for free until you land the job. But anyone who's worked in advertising knows that when you land a job, it pays very well, and the royalties can be very, very good. So advertising is pretty ace.The Grind: Teaching and Composing on the SideNone of this was paying the bills and I had to bring in some money. So I started teaching music in schools. I was a classical and electric guitarist, and I did whole-class music lessons. I would teach part-time through the week whilst responding to ad briefs. These ad briefs were amazing because I'd get between one and three of them every day. The deadlines were usually very tight. They'd often send an existing catalogue and ask, "Do you have anything like this?". I'd say, "yep", and spend the next two hours writing a piece of music to fit that brief. It was amazing practice. Sidenote - You can do the same with Taxi now; they send briefs every day, and you can practice your writing skills.I was writing to brief every single day, sending tracks off. Most of the time, my tracks got nowhere, with no feedback. Sometimes, one would get to the next round, but more often than not never wnet anywhere.Small Wins & Big BreakthroughsThis continued for three years. The first job I landed was a Hewlett-Packard online ad, which paid £500. At the time, that felt massive because it was about two weeks of my teaching income. In those three years, nothing happened apart from that ad. Then, in the third year, I landed a Nokia internet thing, which paid about a thousand pounds, which was huge.But little did I know, around the corner was my first big placement: a national TV ad for a cheese company. The ad fee was £10,000 for the year, which, back then, would be matched in royalties, and it did. They re-licensed that for two more years. That was massive. I had my first big national TV ad and suddenly got a bit more respect because I'd landed something. I had something on my showreel that wasn't just an internet ad. All of a sudden, I felt like the real deal; I felt like I was a composer.I started getting other smaller things too, but despite this, nothing enabled me to stop teaching in schools as a part-time job. Then, I got my first gig writing for a production music library. I’d write an album based on their brief, and they'd pitch it. I really enjoyed this work. It never really landed anything massive, but I got a few TV promos from it, which were brilliant for my showreel. At this point, after three to four years of part-time composing whilst teaching, I was feeling a little bit frustrated.Then I started working in trailers. One of the production music companies I worked for said, "Hey, I know these guys in LA, they do trailer stuff. Do you fancy having a go?". I was like, "Trailer music is a thing?" I thought it was just film scores. I got with them, that was Pusher Music - an excellent bunch of people who taught me so much about writing trailer music.I landed my first trailer with them: Men in Black 3, Trailer 3. The Turning Point: Frustration & The Leap of FaithIt got to this point: my wife was pregnant with our firstborn. This was now approaching six years of part-time composing, and I was feeling really frustrated. I had been taking the money I got paid for music and creating a runway, which I strongly advise any composer to do.By this point, I knew other composers who started after I did, and they were full-time already. Some were jetting off to LA to work with big composers, or landing big trailers or ads. I was feeling really frustrated because I wasn't getting anywhere. I decided to just get off the fence.I talked endlessly to my wife about it, saying, "Oh, I'm scared to give up teaching because it's my consistent income". She was like, "Just do it". It felt like that scene in Indiana Jones: "only the penitent man shall pass". So I had to step faithfully onto the invisible bridge.So, I put in my notice for teaching, quitting my job.And lo and behold, I landed two IBM TV ads, and I got approached by a Japanese film company to score their summer blockbuster. That was me off to the races. That was me, after six years, nearing seven, going full-time. And it felt incredible.Key Lessons from My JourneyThis is me sharing my experience of going full-time as a composer. I know loads of composers who went full-time much quicker than I did.* It Might Take Longer Than You Think - but that doesn’t mean it won’t happen.* It's Hard (Despite Social Media's Portrayal) - you have to have a lot of resilience and tenacity.* The Power of Belief & Purpose is paramount - What gets you through that difficulty is having a clear goal and a deep-seated belief that it's what you're meant to do, and that you will achieve that purpose no matter what. * Embrace Every Opportunity (Wisely) - You never know where it will lead.* Remember why you started in the first place: I have achieved what my previous self would have deemed the utmost success – earning a really good living from writing music. It's wonderful, but for me, it wasn't everything. I didn't realise that until I got to that point, and I kind of wanted to give back. This is me doing service for other composers, looking back down the mountain and being like, "Hey guys, this path is simpler". But also taking some time to nourish my own soul by writing music just for me. It's really, really important. It's great to be completely focused on your career, but remember why you started in the first place. It wasn't to earn loads of money. There's a call inside of us to make music. You have to hold on to that. So no matter where you are in your journey, I applaud you. Keep going. Stay positive. Stay focused on that feeling, that joy that music gives you.My "Why" and The Composer AcademyThis is one of the reasons I have decided to launch my program, The Composers Academy. My "why" is so important here. It's all very well that I have like 25 courses where you can learn a huge amount from my experience. But having a place, a community where you can be with other composers who are doing similar things, feeling the same struggles and wins, having a connection with these fellow composers, is incredibly important.So keep those connections. Keep hold of that fire in your belly and that passion. I'm really grateful that you listened and watched (and read). You are awesome, and keep being awesome. If you enjoyed it, sign up for my email list, where I talk about the wins, the struggles, the tips, and tactics of being a composer. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit richardpryn.substack.com

Discover what your biggest composing block is and unlock your creative flow by taking my free quizIf I were to start my composing career all over again in 2025, these are the genuine, impactful things I would focus on. This isn't about running ads or getting on Spotify playlists. It's about fundamental shifts that make a huge difference to a composer's journey.For those new to the show, my name is Richard Prynne. I've been a professional composer for over 10 years, and have been doing it part-time for almost 20 years. Over that time, I've learned a few things, and these three points truly make a difference.1. Identify and Conquer Your BlocksThe first thing I'd do is figure out what's truly blocking me. I'm not talking about Lego blocks, but those things hindering your creativity, your career, and your progress.There are five common blocks composers face in their careers:* The Blank Page: This is when you're struggling to come up with ideas in the first place.* The Perfectionist Trap (The Unfinished Symphony): You struggle to finish your ideas, leading to countless unfinished pieces.* The Tech Tangle: The technology feels overwhelming, and you don't know how to use plugins, mix, or master effectively.* The Inner Critic: Your internal voice is too loud, stopping you at any point, even when you've achieved "success".* The Industry Imposter: You don't understand the industry or how to get into it, leaving you unsure what to do with a portfolio you're proud of.If you want to discover your biggest block and how to overcome it, I've created a fun quiz and a free masterclass (it's actually a mini-course) that provides advice on clearing all these blocks.2. Set Clear, Specific Goals (and Understand Your "Why")Once you know what's blocking you, the next crucial step is defining what you truly want to do. Being definite and concrete about your goals is incredibly important. Specificity allows you to formulate the beliefs and actions needed to reach that goal.Early in my career, my goal was simply to "make music my full-time gig". While I achieved it, I later realised I wasn't fulfilled. It got boring because I wasn't specific enough. My goal should have included writing different types of music that fulfilled me and having an outlet to help others.This experience taught me the importance of understanding your "why" – what truly gets you excited and drives you. For me, it's adventure, excitement, fun, variety, and helping others. These are your core values that underlie everything you do.So, be specific: What type of films do you want to score? Where do you want to write them? Who do you want to work with? How much do you want to be paid? All these details matter.3. Practice Achievable Daily HabitsWith your blocks identified and your goals clearly set, the final piece is to establish small, achievable daily actions. These tiny habits are what will help you overcome your blocks and steadily move towards your goals.Let's look at some examples:* If your block is the "Blank Page" and your goal is production music: Set aside five to ten minutes per day to generate ideas without judgment. Sing into your iPhone, record into Logic, or simply write them down. Each idea can then go towards your goal, like creating a crime show underscore.* If your block is "Industry Imposter" and your goal is trailer music: Your daily action is outreach. Dedicate 10 minutes a day to researching trailer music libraries – find out who they are, what music they do, and get contact details. Then, send a tailored email with your best tracks. This puts you in control.* If your block is the "Perfectionism Prison" and your goal is to release an album: Your daily habit is to take an idea and aim to finish the track to about 70% completion, then export it. Don't go for perfect, because perfection is unattainable and constantly changing. Done is better than perfect. This consistent "doing" builds your portfolio towards your album goal.Remember, even when you achieve your goals, the blocks don't disappear. They're like weeds in a garden that still need tending. By practising these daily habits, you learn to use your blocks not as obstacles, but as steps to ascend and climb higher.Ready to Begin Your 2025 Composer Journey?Figure out your biggest block, set your clear goals, and start implementing achievable daily habits.To help you get started, take my free quiz to find out what your biggest block is. And as a bonus, everyone who takes the quiz gets access to my free Composer Breakthrough Masterclass, where I share my favourite advice for overcoming these five blocks. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit richardpryn.substack.com

I return to the Nacho Wood as I ponder the future of this podcast…Discover what your biggest composing block is and unlock your creative flow by taking my quick quiz now! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit richardpryn.substack.com

Apply to book a call (slots are very limited as I personally work with you):Are you a composer who's feeling stuck? Feeling like you can't finish your tracks? You're constantly feeling overwhelmed or unsure of which direction to take your music? And even once you actually finish your music, you don't know what to do with it. You don't know how to make the most of this piece of music you have, and you're wondering, "Where are the opportunities?"If you're ready to start feeling unstuck and really start levelling up your music career, then this is the roadmap for you.In this post, I'm going to show you my system. The very system I've used throughout my career, which has enabled me to:* Produce 30 albums in six months* Write an album in a day* Land hundreds of placements* Get regular royalty statements for my music being used on TV* And most of all, to turn my music into an incomeThere are four essential steps to this. Let's dive in.Step 1: Identify Your Block & Dig DeepThis first step is really important and often completely overlooked. You need to look at where you're feeling stuck. What is actually blocking you?It could be a messy workflow, intrusive negative thoughts, or just a general feeling of not knowing where to go. But looking at that block is crucial.I often suggest doing something like journaling, or just going for a walk and really thinking about what's going on. What is happening in your process? What is stopping you from achieving the things you want? What is stopping you from taking your music from A to B?This is your chance for a little bit of reflection. To sit back, look at your process, look at what you're doing, and really think about it. Because, as much as I can show you the ropes and give you all the steps you need, if you're not going to put the time in here, you're not going to see the results. This is your first chance to prove yourself and dedicate the time.Maybe it's a lack of confidence. Maybe it's a lot of self-doubt, those intrusive negative thoughts like, "Oh, this isn't good enough," or "That's wrong," constantly criticising your work. This mindset stuff is probably the biggest block for most composers, but addressing what it is is the critical first step.You might know straight away what your block is – in which case, step one, tick! Or you might realise, "You know what? I just can't get my tracks over the line." You can produce music to a certain level, but finishing it feels impossible. Again, very common.So, once you've addressed this block, the thing that is stopping your flow, it's time to move on.Step 2: Establish Your Goal & Your Music's PurposeThis is all about establishing your focus and your goal – where you want to go. Because if you create a piece of music and it doesn't have a clear intention behind its creation, it's much harder to understand if that piece has achieved its purpose.Let's say you just write. I do this sometimes, just for fun. And that's fine! I establish that it's "just for fun." If I enjoy it, job done. But if I produce a piece of music with the intention of it hopefully making me money, and I finish it and go, "Well, now what am I supposed to do with it?" All of a sudden, we're still lost, even with a finished product. Why? Because we haven't established the focus or the goal.This is really, really important. I talk to all of my mentoring clients about focusing on where they want to be.* Want music in trailers? Great, but what type of trailers? Psychological horror? Jump scares?* Production music? What's your bag? Minimalism? Electronica?* Streams? Fantastic, but how will this track contribute to that?I can't tell you where your music needs to be. That's for you to decide.You might be thinking, "Shouldn't I do step two first?" Honestly, steps one and two can happen at the same time, or you can swap them around. Establish where you want to go, and then identify what's stopping you from getting there.Think of it like making a trip. "I'm going to London today." That's your destination. "What's stopping me from going?" "I don't have enough money for a train ticket." "Okay, how do I get the money?" "Take it out of the bank." Boom! Journey planned.Step 3: Implement Your Flow & Finish Your MusicThis is where you actually do the work. This is about getting into the flow to produce your best work, writing music quickly, easily, and enjoyably.Let's say our composer wants to do psychological horror trailer music. They've established that their workflow is an issue. The next step is to focus on addressing that.I often encourage people to shrink their expectations of themselves. Not in a negative way, but in terms of celebrating small wins.* Workflow improvement: Lay out your templates so you can just get on with writing. When you've done that? Celebrate! That's a big win!* Intrusive thoughts: Practice something like The Composer Hat. Sounds silly, but whether physical or pretend, when you put that hat on, only the composer is allowed to be there when you're writing.* When you're writing, it's not just the composer. It's the producer, the mixing engineer, the marketing agencies. All their voices are in your head: "Oh, this isn't good enough yet."* Tell them: "Oi, producer, step out! I've got my composer hat on. I'm only writing."* Let the composer write. Let that idea out and sketch the whole track from start to finish.* Establish the structure, main chord progressions, and main melodies. That's your sketch. Add hits or transitions if you want, but for now, it's stripped back to essentials.* For me, this often means a baseline, a melody, and an ostinato/pattern/riff. Those three elements allow me to shape the whole track incredibly quickly.Many people suggest writing your third act completely first, especially in trailers. I disagree. The best way to relieve pressure is to sketch the whole track. Then add orchestration and layers. Then the details. Then the polish.If you try to polish one section completely, everything after it will sound weak and unfinished by comparison. By growing the whole track at the same time, you'll find yourself finishing music much more easily and enjoyably. This is crucial!Step 4: Outreach & Building Your PortfolioSo, you've established your blocks (Step 1), set your career and music goals (Step 2), and finished a piece of music (Step 3). Now, if we return to our goal from Step 2, you can get even more focused.You might say, "Right, I want to approach this specific library with my psychological horror music." You listen to their catalogue, and you ask: Does my finished track hold up to their catalogue? Or, even better, does it fill a gap in their catalogue?This leads us to Step 4: Outreach. You've got your goal. You've improved your flow. You've written a piece of music for that goal. Now, you're going to take it to the next step.This is where you start:* Pitching to clients* Pitching to production companies* Pitching to production music companies or trailer music companies* PlaylistingWhatever your goal is, this is where you start getting your music out there and getting it heard.But remember that goal from Step 2! Does this music fit your goal? Will it fit on that playlist? Will it fit with that Trailer Music Company's catalogue? Will it fit on that TV show?Once you can confidently say, "Yeah! I'm happy with this. In fact, I'm really happy with this," that's when you take it to this next stage: outreach.But you need a portfolio first. It sounds pretentious, but it just means a collection of your work. I often recommend a portfolio of only three tracks. We want three bangers. Whether that displays a range of genres or three similar tracks for a niche, it's up to you and your goal.We go for three because we want to go back to that idea of celebrating small wins. Don't set yourself up to create 10 tracks and get burnt out. Produce three tracks. Once you have them, start reaching out to the appropriate people.A note on outreach: You're dealing with people. They're not gatekeepers, they're just busy people.* Send a personalised email. "Hey, I absolutely love the work you've done, and I think my music would be a great fit."* Include a link to your portfolio or tracks.* "I'd love to hear your thoughts and really love to work with you guys in the future." Keep it simple.* Follow up! You might get a "Thanks, but no thanks," or a "We love it!" Or nothing.* If nothing, leave it a week and email again. "Hey, just following up on my email from last week." I suggest following up twice, so three emails in total. It's not annoying when someone follows up if it's relevant.* Keep it personal and focused. Give an example like, "I love that you've chosen this track in your playlist," or "I love that you landed this trailer," or "I love this album you produced."The Loop of Success: Write, Finish, Submit, Repeat!When you get to this point, you're now in this fantastic loop: Writing → Finishing Tracks → Submitting Tracks for Work with Clients.You just keep doing it.This is what's happened with my students who've gone through my mentorship. We worked together to build their confidence and refine their portfolio to a level where they felt confident in submitting. They started submitting, and lo and behold, they got responses! Now they're working with libraries linked to their goals. It's really exciting!The reason we keep reaching out is twofold:* It stops you thinking about the emails that haven't been responded to.* It keeps you in a proactive state.I'm not suggesting you spam every contact. Remember, this needs to be related to your goals. These need to be the companies you want to work with, the playlists you want to land, the people you want to collaborate with. It has to be focused.And eventually, maybe immediately, someone will respond. And then it will be writing, finishing music, and working with a client!(A little tip for playlisting: quite a few of my students have used Real Crafter. You can create nifty landing pages and see who has clicked your link and listened. This helps with that feedback loop. You know if a library actually clicked and listened. If they haven't clicked, send it again!)Ready to Get Unstuck and Level Up?This is how you get unstuck and take your career to the next level using those four steps:* Establish what is stopping you from getting where you want to go.* Establish where you want to go with your music and career.* Work on your workflow, creativity, inspiration, and producing/finishing the music.* Get it out there, sharing it with the world in a focused, targeted way.If you're interested in working with me and having direct mentorship to apply this system, I'd love to chat. I'll pop a link in the description below where you can book a call. We can talk about your specific goals and how we can work together to get you unstuck and to the next point in the career that you want.I'm really grateful that you read this, and I truly hope it's helped you. Feel free to drop some comments below with any thoughts or feedback. Love to hear from you guys – you're awesome This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit richardpryn.substack.com

In this episode, I discuss the 5 questions I ask myself that help me to compose horror music.You will discover that there is a beautiful simplicity to horror music that is often overlooked.Get my free Horror sample packLearn more about Horror Music MasteryFollow me on Substack / Instagram / YouTube***TIMESTAMPS:00:00 Horror music is not what you think it is00:31 The juxtaposition01:08 How do you create tension?01:38 More than just a juxtaposition02:26 The allure of tension in music03:20 The questions I ask myself when writing horror music***WATCH:▶️ Watch this episode on YouTube***WHEN YOU'RE READY📬 Rich’s Newsletter🧪 Join The Collective (coming soon)🧞‍♂️ Get 1-2-1 Mentoring***SAY THANKS💜 Leave a review on Apple Podcasts🟢 Leave a rating on Spotify This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit richardpryn.substack.com

In this episode, I create a horror sample pack using my cello, violin, and voice.You can download it here.***TIMESTAMPS:00:00 Intro00:24 Why am I making this free sample pack00:52 What I will be recording01:05 How I will be recording them01:27 What’s included (and how to use them)02:00 The samples in action02:29 The boring tech bit about the samples02:58 What the pack contains***WATCH:▶️ Watch this episode on YouTube***WHEN YOU'RE READY📬 Rich’s Newsletter🧪 Join The Collective (coming soon)🧞‍♂️ Get 1-2-1 Mentoring***SAY THANKS💜 Leave a review on Apple Podcasts🟢 Leave a rating on Spotify This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit richardpryn.substack.com

In this episode, I make a psychological horror track from scratch.In this episode, you’ll learn how I set up my templates, how I create tension and atmosphere, and my secret trick for creating ghostly echoes of distant music.Download Full transcriptGet my free Horror sample packLearn more about Horror Music MasteryFollow me on Substack / Instagram / YouTubeTIMESTAMPS0:00 Intro0:09 Working on my record label0:24 Horror music with ‘The Daemon Symphony’0:48 The action plan for the music I will write (using SEO)1:19 Horror Music Mastery Course1:45 Starting with a template2:32 Taking a break2:45 Sitting down to write3:08 Laying down a soundscape3:18 Adding a string drone3:32 More string layers to emphasise tonality3:58 The ghostly piano in another room5:03 Creepy music box5:34 Adding pads to add more timbre6:01 Putting the music pre-fader6:20 I'm doing my round-up on the track6:36 Listening to the track***WATCH:▶️ Watch this episode on YouTube***WHEN YOU'RE READY📬 Rich’s Newsletter🧪 Join The Collective (coming soon)🧞‍♂️ Get 1-2-1 Mentoring***SAY THANKS💜 Leave a review on Apple Podcasts🟢 Leave a rating on Spotify This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit richardpryn.substack.com

Subscribe to my newsletter and get all the extra goodies!Thanks for listening. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit richardpryn.substack.com

Sign up for my newsletter https://richardpryn.substack.com/-------Rich's WebsiteThanks for listening - you are AWESOME 🤘🏼 This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit richardpryn.substack.com

In this episode, I get honest about what it means to focus on work that matters to you.Subscribe 👉🏻 https://richardpryn.substack.com/ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit richardpryn.substack.com

Diary of a Music Maker: Episode 27 I finish the second album for my #dungeonsynth project ⁨@KnightsofAlbionOfficial⁩ , and I wrote the last track in public. ------------- 🎓 Rich's courses: https://courses.richardpryn.com/ ⚡️ The Ultimate Trailer Music Course Bundle - https://courses.richardpryn.com/trailer-music-master 🎬 Rich's placements: https://richardpryn.com/tag/placements 🎧 Rich's independent record label: https://prynmusic.com 🖥 Rich's website: https://richardpryn.com ------------- FREE stuff: 🔥 Trailer Music Toolkit: https://richardpryn.com/toolkit📼 Lofi Music Starter Pack: https://courses.richardpryn.com/lofi-starter-pack?ref=richardpryn.com This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit richardpryn.substack.com

Diary of a Music Maker: Episode 26 I write another #fantasysynth track for my #dungeonsynth project @KnightsofAlbionOfficial ------------- 🎓 Rich's courses: https://courses.richardpryn.com/ ⚡️ The Ultimate Trailer Music Course Bundle - https://courses.richardpryn.com/trailer-music-master 🎬 Rich's placements: https://richardpryn.com/tag/placements 🎧 Rich's independent record label: https://prynmusic.com 🖥 Rich's website: https://richardpryn.com ------------- FREE stuff: 🔥 Trailer Music Toolkit: https://richardpryn.com/toolkit 📼 Lofi Music Starter Pack: https://courses.richardpryn.com/lofi-starter-pack?ref=richardpryn.com This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit richardpryn.substack.com

In this episode, I wanted to discuss why sharing your work with the world is important for you (and us).------------- 🎓 Rich's courses: https://courses.richardpryn.com/ ⚡️ The Ultimate Trailer Music Course Bundle - https://courses.richardpryn.com/trailer-music-master 🎬 Rich's placements: https://richardpryn.com/tag/placements 🎧 Rich's independent record label: https://prynmusic.com 🖥 Rich's website: https://richardpryn.com ------------- FREE stuff: 🔥 Trailer Music Toolkit: https://richardpryn.com/toolkit 📼 Lofi Music Starter Pack: https://courses.richardpryn.com/lofi-starter-pack?ref=richardpryn.com This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit richardpryn.substack.com

In this episode, I create a quirky acoustic folk punk track…that’s a genre already right? Maybe anti-folk would be a better description.------------- 🎓 Rich's courses: https://courses.richardpryn.com/ ⚡️ The Ultimate Trailer Music Course Bundle - https://courses.richardpryn.com/trailer-music-master 🎬 Rich's placements: https://richardpryn.com/tag/placements 🎧 Rich's independent record label: https://prynmusic.com 🖥 Rich's website: https://richardpryn.com ------------- FREE stuff: 🔥 Trailer Music Toolkit: https://richardpryn.com/toolkit 📼 Lofi Music Starter Pack: https://courses.richardpryn.com/lofi-starter-pack?ref=richardpryn.com This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit richardpryn.substack.com

In this episode, I take some time away from my desk to chat about how doing day-to-day things can help you to be more creative.-------------🎓 Rich's courses: https://courses.richardpryn.com/ ⚡️ The Ultimate Trailer Music Course Bundle - https://courses.richardpryn.com/trailer-music-master 🎬 Rich's placements: https://richardpryn.com/tag/placements 🎧 Rich's independent record label: https://prynmusic.com 🖥 Rich's website: https://richardpryn.com ------------- FREE stuff: 🔥 Trailer Music Toolkit: https://richardpryn.com/toolkit 📼 Lofi Music Starter Pack: https://courses.richardpryn.com/lofi-starter-pack?ref=richardpryn.com This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit richardpryn.substack.com

Welcome to The Quiet Whisper: Episode 2, where I ponder how you are supposed to know what content to make and where to share it. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit richardpryn.substack.com

In this episode, I use Midjourney to create artwork inspired by old Atari video game cover art for my #dungeonsynth project @VoidseerOfficial 🎓 Rich's courses: https://courses.richardpryn.com/ ⚡️ The Ultimate Trailer Music Course Bundle - https://courses.richardpryn.com/trailer-music-master 🎬 Rich's placements: https://richardpryn.com/tag/placements 🎧 Rich's independent record label: https://prynmusic.com 🖥 Rich's website: https://richardpryn.com FREE stuff: 🔥 Trailer Music Toolkit: https://richardpryn.com/toolkit 📼 Lofi Music Starter Pack: https://courses.richardpryn.com/lofi-starter-pack?ref=richardpryn.com This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit richardpryn.substack.com

I am very excited to share this with you as this was essentially my old newsletter, thoughts and ponderings on being creative. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit richardpryn.substack.com

Finishing the debut album by @VoidseerOfficial (and yes I am aware that I switched my Logic output to the wrong thing but if there was ever a good time to practice "done is better than perfect" then I feel that is now...plus it's pretty funny 😂🎓 Rich's courses: https://courses.richardpryn.com/ ⚡️ The Ultimate Trailer Music Course Bundle - https://courses.richardpryn.com/trailer-music-master 🎬 Rich's placements: https://richardpryn.com/tag/placements 🎧 Rich's independent record label: https://prynmusic.com 🖥 Rich's website: https://richardpryn.com FREE stuff: 🔥 Trailer Music Toolkit: https://richardpryn.com/toolkit 📼 Lofi Music Starter Pack: https://courses.richardpryn.com/lofi-starter-pack?ref=richardpryn.com This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit richardpryn.substack.com

In this episode, I chat about the question, “what would this look like if it were easy?” and how it applies to creating.------------- 🎓 Rich's courses: https://courses.richardpryn.com/ ⚡️ The Ultimate Trailer Music Course Bundle - https://courses.richardpryn.com/trailer-music-master 🎬 Rich's placements: https://richardpryn.com/tag/placements 🎧 Rich's independent record label: https://prynmusic.com 🖥 Rich's website: https://richardpryn.com ------------- FREE stuff: 🔥 Trailer Music Toolkit: https://richardpryn.com/toolkit 📼 Lofi Music Starter Pack: https://courses.richardpryn.com/lofi-starter-pack?ref=richardpryn.com This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit richardpryn.substack.com

In this video, I ponder the power of taking time off work so that you make room in your life to let the fruits of your labours come in. ------------- 🎓 Rich's courses: https://courses.richardpryn.com/ ⚡️ The Ultimate Trailer Music Course Bundle - https://courses.richardpryn.com/trailer-music-master 🎬 Rich's placements: https://richardpryn.com/tag/placements 🎧 Rich's independent record label: https://prynmusic.com 🖥 Rich's website: https://richardpryn.com ------------- FREE stuff: 🔥 Trailer Music Toolkit: https://richardpryn.com/toolkit 📼 Lofi Music Starter Pack: https://courses.richardpryn.com/lofi-starter-pack?ref=richardpryn.com This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit richardpryn.substack.com

In this video I make a lofi indie track using my piano to create another slowcore track for my project ‘Faded Moments’.✅ Sign up for my newsletter: https://richardpryn.com/newsletter ------------- 🎓 Rich's courses: https://courses.richardpryn.com/ ⚡️ The Ultimate Trailer Music Course Bundle - https://courses.richardpryn.com/trailer-music-master 🎬 Rich's placements: https://richardpryn.com/tag/placements 🎧 Rich's independent record label: https://prynmusic.com 🖥 Rich's website: https://richardpryn.com ------------- FREE stuff: 🔥 Trailer Music Toolkit: https://richardpryn.com/toolkit 📼 Lofi Music Starter Pack: https://courses.richardpryn.com/lofi-starter-pack?ref=richardpryn.com ------------- Follow Rich: 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/richardpryn_/ 📲 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@richardpryn This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit richardpryn.substack.com

Plus I wrote a new track for the project using, you guessed it, Surge XT 🤘🏼➡️ Listen to the new artist here: https://artists.landr.com/055905983491 ✅ Sign up for my newsletter: https://richardpryn.com/newsletter------------- 🎓 Rich's courses: https://courses.richardpryn.com/ ⚡️ The Ultimate Trailer Music Course Bundle - https://courses.richardpryn.com/trailer-music-master 🎬 Rich's placements: https://richardpryn.com/tag/placements 🎧 Rich's independent record label: https://prynmusic.com 🖥 Rich's website: https://richardpryn.com ------------- FREE stuff: 🔥 Trailer Music Toolkit: https://richardpryn.com/toolkit 📼 Lofi Music Starter Pack: https://courses.richardpryn.com/lofi-starter-pack?ref=richardpryn.com------------- Follow Rich:📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/richardpryn_/📲 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@richardprynRead the original post: https://richardpryn.com/ive-got-the-name-of-the-new-project-doamm17/ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit richardpryn.substack.com

In this episode, I share my thoughts on whether Distrokid is any good and whether it is worth your attention.📖 Read the post: https://richardpryn.com/distrokid-review-an-honest-take-from-an-indie-musician/➡️ Sign up to Distrokid here: https://distrokid.com/vip/seven/1028977------------- 🎓 Rich's courses: https://courses.richardpryn.com/ ⚡️ The Ultimate Trailer Music Course Bundle - https://courses.richardpryn.com/trailer-music-master 🎬 Rich's placements: https://richardpryn.com/tag/placements 🎧 Rich's independent record label: https://prynmusic.com 🖥 Rich's website: https://richardpryn.com ------------- FREE stuff: 🔥 Trailer Music Toolkit: https://richardpryn.com/toolkit 📼 Lofi Music Starter Pack: https://courses.richardpryn.com/lofi-starter-pack?ref=richardpryn.com This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit richardpryn.substack.com

In this video, I create a piece of Cosmic Synth (an offshoot of Dungeon Synth) using only the FREE Surge XT synth.➡️ Get Surge XT - https://surge-synthesizer.github.io/✉️ Join my Weekly Newsletter: https://richardpryn.com/newsletter/-------------🎓 Rich's courses: https://courses.richardpryn.com/⚡️ The Ultimate Trailer Music Course Bundle - https://courses.richardpryn.com/trailer-music-master🎬 Rich's placements: https://richardpryn.com/tag/placements🎧 Rich's independent record label: https://prynmusic.com🖥 Rich's website: https://richardpryn.com-------------FREE stuff:🔥 Trailer Music Toolkit: https://richardpryn.com/toolkit📼 Lofi Music Starter Pack: https://courses.richardpryn.com/lofi-starter-pack?ref=richardpryn.com This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit richardpryn.substack.com

I talk about chasing views and streams and ask if this chasing aligns with the art you want to create.Thanks for watching/listening ❤️Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/richardpryn_Website - https://richardpryn.comCourses - https://courses.richardpryn.com This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit richardpryn.substack.com

In this video, I talk about sharing being a part of the creative process Thanks for watching / listening ❤️Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/richardpryn_/Website - https://richardpryn.com Courses - https://courses.richardpryn.comMy Music Projects ⤵️Indie Music Projects:* Faded Moments [Acoustic Slowcore] - https://open.spotify.com/artist/3fslEybVAcTbC9r8torrOq* The end of our story [Slowcore] - https://open.spotify.com/artist/2kvvbtj2crOk2qOHorWhpE* i don’t know myself [Instrumental slowcore] - https://open.spotify.com/artist/5Qmx0287nxAYgcGGZMPtI0* To Be Invisible [Piano slowcore] - https://open.spotify.com/artist/5mtGgeIZbg4exySm3brsCH* Hands Over Eyes [Bedroom Indie] - https://open.spotify.com/artist/4v1K6xtU2f33r6wvM6bLDD* Those Distant Lights [Liminal Ambient] - https://open.spotify.com/artist/6NbvU0CwdhWQowRjnyS0vrFantasy Music Projects:* Dryad’s Grove [Dungeon Ambient] - https://open.spotify.com/artist/14QyRucXIDc23ZiduqvXBf* Duskforge [Dungeon Synth] - https://open.spotify.com/artist/3RESVpQe2HTvW18dXQzfti* The Knights of Albion [Dungeon Synth] - https://open.spotify.com/artist/4kGAl2VpZbI8p2Cf6HR2Pc* Tales from Another Realm [Fantasy] - https://open.spotify.com/artist/0bQwbXbsAOQuoZU0K6MPeg* Tenebrae Sonus [Horror Scores] - https://open.spotify.com/artist/5sxVGwfUDUFXwRUYbkr6jd* The Daemon Symphony [Dark Eerie Music] - https://open.spotify.com/artist/3Ht58aABoWmwih2R96ULYi* The Phoenix Ascending [Epic Fantasy Music] - https://open.spotify.com/artist/4Z5eVrK3x78he9h3MxRt7iClassical Music Projects:* Eduardo Firenze [Dark Academia] - https://open.spotify.com/artist/7a8odNNtCtIix1P3kuXNI9* Echos of the Ages [Dark Academia] - https://open.spotify.com/artist/0MkGMJqppOC9v1s31P4cJ4* Nembis [Cinematic Piano] - https://open.spotify.com/artist/3IgQsq2F8K2GuU2kVCQXw4* Orchestral Lights [Upbeat Cinematic] - https://open.spotify.com/artist/73hEmalXkXV6XqFaRkIZeX* Cinemalism [Cinematic Orchestral] - https://open.spotify.com/artist/6JWTa9LGX6VLZoTEyL5uQbAcoustic Projects:* Willow & Faun [Upbeat Acoustic] - https://open.spotify.com/artist/1WQFhUMogE2YeFGd3u8CaQ* Mr. Monocle [Quirky Acoustic] - https://open.spotify.com/artist/48isxLUjkgO3Gv3EIsExrkOther Projects:* Zac Rivers [Synth Pop] - https://open.spotify.com/artist/26qU87S1duzyd3WoRkQdbb* King Somborne [Lofi Piano] - https://open.spotify.com/artist/2rX5NLI6lj7sM8O9KaRTKn* Imonophea [Acoustic Lofi] - https://open.spotify.com/artist/5YC5m2GGSvDfEB2PeyWATX This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit richardpryn.substack.com

In today’s episode, I create some fantasy music inspired by the classic video game Diablo.The idea is that I combine some classical guitar-style writing with Dungeon ambient music (an offshoot of Dungeon synth).👉🏻 Just as a side note - I was lucky enough to have my music used on a trailer for Diablo 2 🥳📚 Read more about Dungeon Synth 🎧 Listen to my Dungeon ambient project, Dryad’s Grove🎧 Listen to my Dungeon synth project, The Knights of Albion🎧 Listen to my video game-inspired Dungeon Synth project, Duskforge💌 Sign up for my newsletter richardpryn.com This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit richardpryn.substack.com

I have been obsessed with Dungeon Synth over the last couple of months. I stumbled upon Witch Bolt on YouTube which opened up a huge YouTube rabbit hole for me.As a kid of the 80s and 90s playing RPG games, Warhammer and other fantasy-based TV/Games/movies were a huge part of my childhood.As a teenager, the world of Rock and Metal became my musical identity.Little did I know that something called “Dungeon Synth” was what was forming when those two worlds collided.I’ll be honest, I did not even realise that Dungeon Synth was a thing, much like Slowcore music. I love all these sub-genres that are popping up because of the niche internet communities it is AWESOME!I have already released an ambient Dungeon Synth album through my project, Dryad’s Grove which was a huge amount of fun. In this episode, I am embracing old-school fantasy RPG score-style Dungeon Synth and I am having a huge amount of fun doing it!The wonderful combination of story-telling and fantasy realms conveyed sonically with a cinematic vocabulary is so much fun to produce and very much suited to my skillset as a composer.Thanks for reading The Diary of a Music Maker! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit richardpryn.substack.com

I have been creating music professionally for over 10 years and one of the most important things for us as music makers to understand is to know how to create the right mood.Mood, vibes, feeling, atmosphere; all these things are central to what we do.Sometimes, however, we get lost in the details; the progressions, the structure, the melody, the samples etc. And we forget what matters most…Are we communicating the right mood in our music?This is something I have noticed a huge amount in the rise of streaming and playlists - people, myself included, want to curate a vibe with the music they consume.So not only am I seeing the importance of mood in production music but also in commercial music.This week I suggest that you practice creating a vibe with your music. If that means you break a rule of structure or form then so be it. If your music communicates the right vibe then it is going to win on so many fronts.Don’t get lost in the detail, create a vibe, create a mood and let yourself enjoy that.Thanks for reading Richard Pryn! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit richardpryn.substack.com

I have been producing music professionally for over 10 years. Even now, when I hear an incredibly polished piece of music, my imposter syndrome, insecurity and anxiety kick in and I think, “How on earth did they do that?I then worry about my own abilities and look back at my work as if it were the accomplishments of a small child with a xylophone. That is the effect of only sharing professionally polished pieces of music. It makes you think that the polish, the final mix, the master, are all that matter.That is not the case.The writing is all that matters. The constant chasing of great mixes/masters can often blind us to what really matters to us as music makers - writing great music.A great song is a great song whether the recording is clipping or not. A little bit of phasing is not going to put me off a great hook. And conversely, a great mix is not going to convince me that poor writing is any better.Don’t get me wrong, there is a time and a place for these finished products but for most of us, myself included, it always comes back down to the quality of the writing.So, to practice what I preach I have been releasing music 2-3 times per week as a way to improve my flow and to untrain years of chasing better mixes. I want to capture a vibe, a feeling, something raw and special - the demo. That’s what this week’s episode is all about.Thanks for reading The Diary of a Music Maker! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit richardpryn.substack.com

I was introduced to the idea of ‘non-negotiables’ on the podcast ‘Entrepreneur On Fire’. The idea is simple, make a list of things that you feel are super important to you and your goals and happiness. It could be exercise or meditation for example. For me, it’s writing music. Once you have chosen your non-negotiables, agree with yourself to do those things first, before everything else. You don’t just do this from time to time, you do it every single (working) day.So for me, that looks like writing a piece of music as the first thing I do when I sit down at my desk in the morning.Why do this?Sometimes life or busy work get in the way.Just think how many times you have thought, “Oh yes, I am going to do X today, oh but first I’ve got to reply to some emails”Before you know it, your X has been completely forgotten.So today as my non-negotiable I am writing some Dungeon Synth for my project ‘Dryad’s Grove’You can listen to the finished album here ⤵️As per usual, I have recorded the whole process of creating the track so you can see me at work, no secrets kept here 👍🏻If you have any questions about making Dungeon Synth please do let me knowThanks for reading The Diary of a Music Maker! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit richardpryn.substack.com

Today’s episode is a homage to a quote I stumbled upon when reading Robin Hobb’s Fool’s Errand. It goes like this:“And so I passed that day in pleasure. Which is to say, in the sort of work I wanted to do, rather than the work I thought I ought to be doing.”Doing the work I wanted to do rather than what I thought I ought to be doing.This is a wonderful sentence and it struck me when I read it. As creatives, we are often stuck in a cycle of doing work to pay the bills and doing work that lights us up. Sometimes those two things align and sometimes they don’t.Ultimately the goal for all of us is to pay the bills doing work we want to do rather than what we think we should be doing.I, for one, find it hard to distinguish sometimes.Let’s take the start of my career for one. Writing music has been a hobby of mine since my early teens. However, when I started to get paid for writing music, the lines blurred. When I wrote music I no longer knew if I was doing it for fun or to get money. This stressed me out. Yes, I appreciate it is a nice problem to have but it does beg the question, how do you create the time and space to create for yourself when you are creating for others most of the time?So today, I wanted to create some music just because I wanted to…although I then turned it into a podcast sooooo still turning it into work 😂 D’oh!Thanks for reading The Diary of a Music Maker! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit richardpryn.substack.com

As I mentioned in this blog post, so much about making slowcore music is about embracing simplicity.In today’s episode of Diary of a Music Maker, I show you how I produce instrumental slowcore music.You see me write the track ‘Do you think that?’ from the album, The past is blurry by my instrumental slowcore project, I don’t know myself.My approach falls into these steps:* Lay down the drums (usually the same drum pattern)* Record the main guitar line which is usually a bassline* Record a second guitar part that works in conjunction with the main guitar line* Record a melody line* If I am recording vocals I’d do that here* Record an ambient topline* Refine structure - I usually stick to an A-B-A-B-B structureFor the ‘master’ I keep it simple. On the stereo out bus, I keep it very simple with cassette emulation software by Wavesfactory and a limiter, PSP Xenon.Thanks for reading The Diary of a Music Maker! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit richardpryn.substack.com

This week my focus has been to write music that I want to produce because there is a quiet whisper in my heart that is telling me to.You know that little voice that is so quiet it’s barely noticeable but tends to gently guide you towards the things that matter to you and bring you in line with your authentic dreams and goals.But, what does doing that look like as a music maker?Honestly, I am still finding that out but it does seem to follow these points:* Do something you are curious about* Do something that excites you* Do not let what other people are doing stop thatThat last point is tricky; learning to not let what other people are doing or saying influence you.This tends to be quite easy if you are creating in line with trends or what is currently popular but the moment you move off into places where your creations are “different” then it becomes very hard to move confidently in that direction.That is what I have been practising this week - moving confidently in directions where I see very few other people. It’s scary but also very exciting. To boldly go…(cue Star Trek TNG them music)…where no music maker has gone before!p.s. The artists I was discussing in today’s episode were To Be Invisible (Piano Slowcore) and Tenebrae Sonus (Horror music for imagined movies).Thanks for reading The Diary of a Music Maker! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit richardpryn.substack.com

This is officially my first “Walk ‘n’ Talk” episode. This is a nod to my previous podcast as I take my iPhone, walk in the nearby woods, and talk about what’s been on my mind.This walk ‘n’ talk with my iPhone is also a nod to today’s focus, my love of demos and the art of capturing magic.When you hear a demo, knowing it is a demo, do you assess the quality of the production? No, you listen to the music. That’s the magic.I want to chase this demo feeling of capturing the magic of the song rather than the polish of a master.Pat Flynn calls this “being happy with scrappy” and Michael Gilbride over at Mad Records Monologue calls it “Demo-itis”.Yes, I still love a well-mastered piece of music but in my line of work (incredibly polished and well-produced trailer music) I have been hungering for more imperfection and humanity in music.That’s exactly what these projects have been bringing me - refocusing on the joys of songwriting over and above music production.A good example of this is when I first heard Jimmy Eat World’s demo for Authority Song. I fell in love with the song. When the album was released I immediately bought it, I skipped straight to Authority Song and was bitterly disappointed to hear a new, polished mix of the same song. It had lost a lot of its magic.p.s. The artists I discuss in this episode are Melody Tapes (Lofi Acoustic) and To Be Invisible (slowcore piano).Thanks for reading The Diary of a Music Maker! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit richardpryn.substack.com

Over the summer I was fitting our en-suite bathroom with all new stuff. This meant ripping out all the old stuff and completely refitting it with new stuff. This meant I had a lot of time listening to new music which made me very happy. I was going down a DIY musician rabbit hole and then I discovered all these slowcore playlists…Slowcore, what is slowcore?I didn’t realise slowcore is what it is because I would have just labelled it “sad indie” or “alternative”.All these years have passed and I have loved a genre without knowing it had its own sub-genre. How exciting.I immediately went to my studio (aka the messy front room) and started creating my take on slowcore.The first album to come out was Memories on Loop by Faded Moments. Since then at least 4 more albums from other artists have followed. I’ll keep you posted.Those Distant Lights is the name of an ambient artist I have held onto for years and I have finally found the project that fits the name.I was inspired by the work of Other Nothing (which was actually on one of those slowcore playlists) and was taken about by the beauty of their work.I used to study sound art and sound collages so listening to ambient music that feels like a sound collage or like someone’s audio diary is very exciting.I want this with Those Distant Lights; to create these short ambient works that feel like sound collages.This week’s podcast episode is basically focused on the idea of music being an audio sketchbook. This appeals to me very much.When I started Art, other people’s sketchbooks were far more exciting than their finished pieces. The sketchbooks were like a window into their mind.I guess I want this show to be like that too - a window into my creativity and thoughts about the music I am excited about.Thanks for reading The Diary of a Music Maker! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit richardpryn.substack.com

In 2020, very shortly after our third child Phoebe was born I launched my first podcast.It was called, The Trailer Music Composer’s podcast; it was all about writing trailer music. At first, I started out releasing blog-style “tips” like ‘The 5 Biggest Mistakes Every Aspiring Trailer Music Composer Makes’ type of stuff.I quickly realised however that I did not like sitting at my desk speaking in a microphone.To top that off I had a newborn baby that I would take out for walks to have a nap during the day. Given that I am not a fan of perfection or the act of chasing it I grabbed my iPhone and started recording these tips whilst walking with baby Phoebe.This was awesome, I got to get out of the house and also talk about something I felt very passionate about.I then branched out into interviews and the odd show with more than one guest.This was great and I slowly fell in love with the format.However, I quickly realised that I wanted to talk about more broad topics, not just music for movie trailers. On the odd episode, I did but the audience didn’t resonate with those episodes so much.Slowly I began to lose momentum as I ran out of Trailer music-related topics.On the side of this, I launched another show called “Composed: mindset for musicians” which was a 3x per week show of short mindset-related topics. Composed was actually an attempt to launch a vlogging side of my YouTube channel but again it didn’t quite click. Maybe vlogging about just mindset wasn’t the way, maybe I should do more interviews.To solve this I launched another show called The Richard Schrieber Show - it was my writing pseudonym at the time.This show was all interviews and I even go a VA to do all the episode artwork and everything…it was SO MUCH WORK. I loved chatting with other music makers but weekly interviews are a lot of work to arrange. Interviews were fun but I didn’t want to just do interviews. So after several episodes, this show was left by the wayside.3 podcasts in and it wasn’t feeling like it gelled with my work of making music.Over the next 12 months, I trialled (in private) different formats for the new show and slowly came to the realisation that my thing was MAKING MUSIC so why don’t I just do that?I could still do interviews and talk about other stuff but the main focus was making music. After all, I do it every single day so it wouldn't be more work to just record myself doing it and talking through it.I was inspired by Sam Sulek and The VlogBrothers because their content isn’t overly edited at all - it just feels like you are hanging out with a friend.That’s what this show is really about - hanging out with a friend who writes music.This was the most common thing people said about my previous shows that they felt like they were just hanging out with a friend ❤️So without further ado - here’s the intro episode to The Diary of a Music Maker.Thanks for reading The Diary of a Music Maker! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit richardpryn.substack.com