# How many hours per day do you compose?



## mac (Dec 30, 2017)

In between my day job, procrastinating on vic, and general life duties, my actual time spent in front of the daw composing has been shockingly low in 2017. I’d estimate less than an hour a day, easy. Maybe even half that. My New Years resolution is to spend far more time composing.

What’s your daily total been this year?


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## fiestared (Dec 30, 2017)

mac said:


> In between my day job, procrastinating on vic, and general life duties, my actual time spent in front of the daw composing has been shockingly low in 2017. I’d estimate less than an hour a day, easy. Maybe even half that. My New Years resolution is to spend far more time composing.
> 
> What’s your daily total been this year?


Between 4 and 9 hours almost everyday(in summer sometimes from 5 in the morning till...) But I don't have the feeling to work, I LOVE that, for me the "perfect holidays" are with at least a MacBook, a SSD of libs a small keyboard etc...


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## mc_deli (Dec 30, 2017)

mac said:


> In between my day job, procrastinating on vic, and general life duties, my actual time spent in front of the daw composing has been shockingly low in 2017. I’d estimate less than an hour a day, easy. Maybe even half that. My New Years resolution is to spend far more time composing.
> 
> What’s your daily total been this year?


Same problem but day job comes in spurts so composing might go (from Monday-Tues-etc): 0-7-3-3-0-1-0-9-0-1-3-0-0-1. You get the idea. Terrible non routine that is not good, especially as workflow things get forgotten. But this is the difference between being a "composer" and just being.

How does that quote go: "am I a writer?" "Well, if you spend 50 hours a week writing, and it's your main income, then you are probably a writer..."


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## Paul Grymaud (Dec 30, 2017)

*The whole night (till I fall asleep...)
*


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## mikeh-375 (Dec 31, 2017)

When I was working professionally, it'd be up to 12hrs and on some occasions even more, including a few 24 hour shifts - my work spanned 3 time zones. Now it's about 4hrs a day and I am fully acquainted with my wife again..


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## Jimmy Hellfire (Dec 31, 2017)

I'm not writing at all any more unfortunately. With 13+ hours working days, it's not an option.

I feel I should stop leading a responsible life for a while. It's been a year now. It kills the art.


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## careyford (Dec 31, 2017)

3-4 hours unless there's a deadline, then it's however much it takes. I spend several hours per day on composer related activities like writing, teaching, marketing, emailing, updating stuff, file management, etc. I spend a lot of time thinking about music, listening, and working ideas out in my head that's outside the basic hours composing.


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## Kent (Dec 31, 2017)

Never enough for my tastes, but I have to remind myself that this is a "smarter, not harder" game. Raw numbers don't mean anything, they just suggest possibilities of reality


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## NameOfBand (Dec 31, 2017)

Less than hundred hours this year I would guess. I procastinate, waste time on YT and here, watch streams and such, very stupid really, for sure I could compose more. Part of the story is that I'm in med school which takes up a lot of time but I'm sure of that I could do more with this hobby if I had more discipline. Let's make 2018 a better composer year!


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## tav.one (Dec 31, 2017)

1-8 hours per day, 2017 has been a roller coaster. It has been getting much productive & consistent by the end of year so I'm hoping 3-10 hours per day for 2018.


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## wst3 (Dec 31, 2017)

lately it's been zero, I don't even visit my usual forums all that often, but this too will pass.

When I was musically active I made it a point to spend 2-3 hours in the studio after the kids went to bed, sometimes after the wife went to bed, that was negotiated. If she had stuff to do we'd meet around 11pm to talk or watch something on TV, or whatever. If she was tired we'd spend our together time first and then when she went off to bed I'd head down to the studio.

This is/was music time - I could spend it composing, arranging, orchestrating, tracking, mixing, learning about a new plugin or library, or even just listening. But it was a pretty strict practice, 2-3 hours a night in the studio, with the first or last (depending on my mood) 30 minutes or so spent practicing guitar.

This was six days a week, I expected to take at least one day off on the weekends, and if I managed to get some studio time in on the weekend I was ahead of the game. And this was "regular" time. If I had a project in the works that could change in all manner. And if a deadline was looming all bets were off.

My wife was very supportive, in fact if I procrastinated, or looked for a reason to skip studio time she would urge me to stick to the schedule. Most of the time<G>, we were a couple, and there were times when one or both of us recognized that the marriage was more important than some arbitrary rule.

At first this enforced schedule was more of a nuisance than anything else. But it became a habit, and during that time I grew a lot as a musician. Funny what regular effort can do eh?

There remains nothing quite like a deadline to motivate, and I think we need to learn to take advantage of those deadlines, no matter how frightening they can become. A few years back Judi wanted to act in a play. For reasons escaping reason I ended up in the cast as well (long, amusing, tale for another day). Unfortunately, I had previously agreed to write the music for the production. That was a couple of months of not a lot of sleep! But it was fun.

These days I have zero enthusiasm for anything musical, it was weeks before I even picked up a guitar, and I've done that pitifully few times. That's probably the gateway back, and I've been making an effort to at least get some practice time in the last couple of weeks.

I'm not taking on any projects, I didn't really "participate" in the sale season. I did make a couple purchases over the last week, stuff that's been on the "wait for Black Friday" list that was still on sale, so that might be a sign too?

Mostly my studio time is spent sitting on the couch watching TV. Yes, I know, it's pretty pathetic. But that's where I'm at right now. I don't even pay attention to the music or the sound tracks, and I used to drive poor Judi nuts making observations while watching something - a habit I modified slightly, reserving my comments until after we watched. A reasonable compromise!

For now I am reinventing everything it seems. Overwhelming is an understatement some days. The kitchen sink backed up last night and even something as simple as that just threw me for a loop (the plumber will be here sometime this morning, I was not successful!)

I know that New Year's Eve is something of an artificial marker, but I'm going to try to use it to make changes this year (I was never one for resolutions before, and I still think it is somewhat arbitrary, but perhaps it will work to my advantage?) Not a lot of changes, eating better, exercising, drinking less, and spending some quality time with music. Simple stuff!!

Wow did I derail my own thread!

TL;DR:
The amount of time is not as important as the using the time you have productively, and for me (and others with whom I've discussed this) that means a schedule, and sticking to that schedule. It turns out that setting the schedule is relatively easy, and even sticking to it is not nearly as challenging as coming up with an original musical idea.

I have a day job designing audio and AV systems. It's a solid 8 hour day, sometimes longer, and there's the lovely hour commute each way. I have three kids, and I enjoy spending time with them. I have a home that needs attention from time to time. And I had a wife with whom I wanted to spend time every single day. (OK, some days it was "discussing" something we didn't see eye to eye on, but mostly it was just spending time.)

I was still able to carve out time for music. It can, I believe, be done.

There are probably some here that can't carve out 2-3 hours a day on top of family and work, and that's fine. I think it is more important to spend some regular time working on your craft/art than to meet some artificial number of hours. Even that 2-3 hours I spent was, to some degree, artificial.

That's what worked for me. And that's what will work for me in 2018 (or 2019, whenever it happens.)


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## Pietro (Dec 31, 2017)

Very uneven. Sometimes only 2-3 hours a day, sometimes up to 14. Very often the 2-3 hour shots are far more productive than those 14. The rest of the time is handling composer related duties like emails, messaging, planning, research, software updates, social media, website, procrastinatic playing games and living a normal family life.

I know I have been spending too much on the non-composing part this year, but I had projects, that required it. Hope it will pay off.

- Piotr


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## gregh (Dec 31, 2017)

I don’t equate being in the studio with composing. I tend to have everything worked out in my head, which I can be doing anywhere or anytime, and use the studio for “realising” as much as anything else. That could be seen as a problem as I often don’t bother realising ideas as I am quite happy just to have worked through the idea in my head. On the other hand there is no market for most of what I think of so not making an output for others to listen to is no big deal


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## ChristopherDoucet (Dec 31, 2017)

14-16 hours a day for the last 5 years. Worked through every holiday until this year. Only take time off to go to the movies (with heavy ear protection)! 

Unfortunately, 60% of my work hours are spent monitoring, printing Q/A and delivering (32 quad stems) vs. composing. So with that printing time, and deadlines looming, I really don't have a procrastination problem. The moment I'm done printing, I shoot right back into scoring. 

A BIG part of my 2018 goal is to build a mirrored rig (5 slaves) and hire a full time assistant just for printing. 

If I accomplish that, I would like to focus on working 10-12 hours a day with frequent rest breaks for my ears. 

HEALTH is my big goal this year. Haven't minded killing myself, but I've been doing it for years now and I cant sustain that till I'm 70! haha

I'm happy and grateful to be doing this.....even on the miserable days.


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## ChristopherDoucet (Dec 31, 2017)

gregh said:


> I don’t equate being in the studio with composing. I tend to have everything worked out in my head, which I can be doing anywhere or anytime, and use the studio for “realising” as much as anything else. That could be seen as a problem as I often don’t bother realising ideas as I am quite happy just to have worked through the idea in my head. On the other hand there is no market for most of what I think of so not making an output for others to listen to is no big deal


I like that way of thinking about it. Sometimes for me, "scoring a film" is driving around, humming tunes into my phone.


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## gregh (Dec 31, 2017)

ChristopherDoucet said:


> HEALTH is my big goal this year. Haven't minded killing myself, but I've been doing it for years now and I cant sustain that till I'm 70! haha
> 
> I'm happy and grateful to be doing this.....even on the miserable days.


Actively and deliberately looking after one’s health becomes more important as you get older. The sooner you start the better. Sadly we all wear out over time but happily that process can be improved upon without a huge effort


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## GtrString (Jan 1, 2018)

Maybe about 1000hrs this year, but only about a quarter of that time “composing”. Im a part time warrior, and I dont really quantify every minute, allthough I do think about how time is spent. I like to plan my projects ahead, and spend time to develop ideas, templates, consider market opportunities, and work in batches of tracks. I think more about the whole project, than the specific composing part, in terms of being “effective”.


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## Rodney Money (Jan 1, 2018)

Silly question first, what do you consider to be "composing?"


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## Nmargiotta (Jan 1, 2018)

20-25 Hours a week usually split into (3)7-8hr days. I hit it much harder of course with major deadlines or time sensitive revisions. 

As others pointed out much of that time is not actual composing but instead arranging and mixing and refining (mostly refining) but i put a high priority on my balance between work and family time. I could very well work twice as many hours a week, but where is the joy in that?


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## jmauz (Jan 1, 2018)

It really depends. I try to maintain a diverse career that includes session/live drumming, producing and composing. Therefore it's week to week as different projects come up. When I AM working on compositional projects I usually put in 8-10 hours a day. As others have said, lots of time is spent on technical stuff like printing stems, applying notes, etc.


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## R. Soul (Jan 1, 2018)

Rodney Money said:


> Silly question first, what do you consider to be "composing?"


Good point.
I have perhaps 5 hours a day available for music on week days, but during those hours I have to do research for new projects, including listening to lots of music, admin stuff, bounce stems. Then at the moment I'm trying to brush up on synthesis and learn guitar as well as familiarize myself with an ever increasing amount plugins. So actual 'composing' is probably only half that time.


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## Jerry Growl (Jan 27, 2018)

I wish I had as much time for composing as many of you guys!

I get up at 6 am and play/produce/compose till 9am , then I have to really start rushing towards work.


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## dpasdernick (Jan 27, 2018)

I spend about 8-10 hours a week composing. I spend more time researching and buying new hardware and software and hanging out on VI. My day job sucks the creative life out of me and when I get home it's harder and harder to find the energy to sit down and write.


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## Mr Mindcrime (Jan 27, 2018)

This thread is therapeutic 

I suspect many of us don't "compose" nearly as much as we'd like to. Family, marriages, jobs, other interests, etc. all have a place and priority in our lives. To be as good as I'd like to be, there would have to be compromises and sacrifices.....things I've just not been willing to do. It helps that I've been blessed with a tremendous day job and career, so to have taken the full-time musician/composer plunge at any point along the way, just wasn't in my cards. I tried the full-time guitar playing gig for a couple of years, many years ago, but the lifestyle just wasn't for me. 

......but I still dream (_fantasize?_) about composing a major film score one day.

I play guitar in a couple of church bands so I spend 8-10 hours a week or so with that commitment (playing and practicing). As far as the original question.... I spend about 10 hours a week "composing". Composing for me for the past couple of years included a lot of learning curve stuff after I switched to Cubase (thanks Sonar), learning libraries, learning to record and mix, basically learning the tools of the trade. I think in 2018, composing will mean more "composing", and not as much "learning." 

Given my life, 20 hours a week devoted to music is as good as I could hope for. I'm in a good place mentally about it all, so I'm happy. I just have to constantly remind myself that I'm not Hans....... (_self in mirror....."you are Roger...you are not Hans...... you are Roger..... you are not Hans..."_)

Cheers!


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## TimCox (Jan 31, 2018)

I don't get as much time as I want, generally from 7am to 10:30am daily. The longer the better of course. I almost never miss a day of composing. I'd prefer to work 9 hours a day but since I'm not making a living doing this yet...well you know the drill!

On the flip side, I kind of think having such a narrow window has helped me to work efficiently. I for sure have taught myself to pull out what's in my head quicker out of necessity.


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## Alex Fraser (Jan 31, 2018)

I started at 9 this morning, and will be going until about 2am. (I write for a living.)
It's not good and my work/life balance is completely wrong at this point. I aim to get on top of things, but for now...coffee..


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## Guy Bacos (Feb 11, 2018)

I hate to say it, but I seem to compose between watching Youtube videos, often CNN, or anything interesting. But composing is the easy part, the programming and production is much more time consuming.


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## storyteller (Feb 11, 2018)

Guy Bacos said:


> I hate to say it, but I seem to compose between watching Youtube videos, often CNN, or anything interesting. But composing is the easy part, the programming and production is much more time consuming.


Haha. +1. I was going to say something similar. I think the composing part seems like it should be 90% of the work, but it turns out that mixing, fixing, and production take the bear's share of my time. For example, I've spent the better part of yesterday and today mixing one song (albeit it is an 80+ track pop/rock tune). It will most certainly spill into this week too.


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## WindcryMusic (Feb 14, 2018)

Since I have to fit my composing time around a full-time job, lately it has been averaging out to around 2-3 hours per day (less on weekdays, more on weekends and during vacations). Not enough. :(


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## Iskra (Feb 14, 2018)

Guy Bacos said:


> But composing is the easy part, the programming and production is much more time consuming.


Absolutely true. Had I had a mind-reading machine could program and refine for me, I would have composed more symphonies than Haydn by now...
I'm not composing for a living, so I usually devote around 3-4 hrs per day during the week. Weekend is for kids and I want it like that. That's probably the minimum, if I'm concentrated into something, I could spend probably 6 or 7 hours, go to bed at 3 a.m. and get up to day job at 7. I not only spend time composing, but also playing piano, learning stuff, etc. But for me that's also part of the process, my ideas flow better in front of the instrument, and there are just so many things you can apply directly into composition/arranging while/after learning new techniques or a new plugin. 
As stated by many above, nothing like a deadline to boost inspiration with less transpiration.


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## JPQ (Feb 14, 2018)

Less than i should. i try made some music this month. i have so many ideas and finally i have some level sounds most my ideas.


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## dariusofwest (Apr 18, 2018)

3 to 6 hours (no more than 7)


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## Replicant (Apr 18, 2018)

Guy Bacos said:


> I hate to say it, but I seem to compose between watching Youtube videos, often CNN, or anything interesting. But composing is the easy part, the programming and production is much more time consuming.



I hope this is where AI will be of help.

Like, I hope that in the not-too-distant future, I can just take the piano sketch, and tell the computer to orchestrate it for the samples I have and set specific parameters, and it will then do exactly that.


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## mikeh-375 (Apr 19, 2018)

Replicant...that is too scary. Missing out on the personal artistic journey of learning and growing and finding yourself....or am I an old fucker who doesn't..no wait, I am right....it'd be a terrible shame, not for any art or artifice, but for the person themselves....


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## TIM_STEVE_97 (Apr 19, 2018)

From 12pm, 1 hour a day for music college studies. Straight to 6-8 hours writing music, from 1pm to 9pm. Next 8 hrs is spent writing screenplays and story scripts, ending by 5 or 6 am. Then only to wake up the 'next day', feeling tired and unsatisfied. You know the feeling.. I wish there were twice as more hours but wouldn't you all.. Or AI, it doesn't seem that shameful for me:


mikeh-375 said:


> Replicant...that is too scary.


I wouldn't mind an AI or a 'copy of my brain' that writes music and stories based on the algorithm of my 'brain'. It wouldn't be imo, fake or not authentic. It would work exactly like how our individual brains would. No more no less.
But like time, technology will never be enough. And won't be long for some robot guy to write a few hundred songs a minute and puts me out of work, or end humanity while its at it, like the many movies have educated us . I'm just going to be in my cave enjoying writing on stone and paper until that happens.


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## Parsifal666 (Apr 19, 2018)

Six minimum; starting at 4 am. Usually by the time 10 rolls around I have the most important things done. After that, if I do work, I just neaten up things I did earlier.


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## ptram (Apr 19, 2018)

I try to devote at least half an hour to music composition, right before going to bed. Sometimes I'm lucky enough to be able to devote a whole weekend to composing. But it is a rare event, since this spare time is also contended by creative writing and ongoing university studies. Oh, yes, and there are all those hours lost in either a full-time job, or the full-time job of finding a full-time job.

Sketching music in my mind: everytime, while awake or sleeping. While at a meeting or when out for a walk. I compose continually. Nobody will hear that music, that I will not have time to transcribe, but I warrant you it is great music!

Paolo


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## MattCurious (Apr 19, 2018)

I think context is important on threads like this. I have two/three days a week to write, but that's only because I've been able to tune my first career over four years so I can now work less for about the same money. A long time ago, I knew a musician who became very successful because he could afford to write and tour full time (his parents paid for him) whereas I had to quit the band to pay rent.

The Buddhists have a saying, which is that you can't devote all your time to mindfulness - sometimes you just have to "bake bread" and take care of the fundamentals of living.

There's no percentage in beating yourself up for not writing for a while. I haven't done anything for a month or so because my studio PC blew up and my wife just gave birth to our daughter. Fortunately, the library I'm working for has been very understanding. But if they weren't? Well. Sometimes you have to bake bread (or change a nappy).


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## J-M (Apr 19, 2018)

My hours are very uneven, but I know that I don't compose enough.


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## reddognoyz (Apr 19, 2018)

I have done 40-60 hours a week when I am on a production schedule. I think the model has changed a bit for the work I do, The business model used to be "accordion" production companies that staffed up for a series and smashed the production schedule as much as possible as each additional week cost them $50+. The last couple of years have found a tiny bit more wiggle room, so maybe instead of doing 88 minutes of scoring in a month its closer to 66 minutes a month. A bit more manageable and doable on a 5 day a week schedule. The worst I had was 6 months straight with 4 days off.That broke me a little. I can't/won't go back to that....(well, maybe if it was a project I was REALLY passionate about, few are far between these days sadly) I am the living of example of the adage "how do you know you've made it? when you hate your job" : )


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## Atarion Music (Apr 19, 2018)

If you can believe it, 13+ hours a day......literally almost everyday


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## KEM (Apr 19, 2018)

Usually around 6-8 hours. My way of working is usually to work on something for about 2 or 3 hours, and then I’ll take a 30 minute to an hour long break, and then repeat. This way I can refresh my brain every few hours and not have work about ear fatigue that much.


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