Anyone else their own #1 listener?

[Kidd Cabbage]

I know this topic doesn't really have much room to go anywhere, but this has been an enigma that has plagued me for a while.

I know that there are a few people who listen to my music on their own accord, and I'm actually really grateful that I can produce something that other people appreciate as well, but man, I think I like the sound of my own music too much or something. Maybe I'm just proud that I actually did something somewhat worthwhile other than play a buttload of videogames, but whatever it is, I find myself listening to my own music on loop at a growing rate. It really doesn't help that my own music is the only music on my laptop, either.

It's not that I'm a pompous jerk or anything, and maybe it's only due to the fact that I'm naturally going to try to make musically that stylistically suits me, but this is an observation of mine, and I'm not sure if I should be worried or not.

And really, it's way hard to mix and master music when the only music you've listened to recently is your own. Nothing professional or commercial to reference your ears off.

Anyone else suffer this issue?

[Antipode]

I've seen the topic come up before and I think doing this is fine. You made it and you'll always hear a special quality about it that other people won't catch. You'll also catch all the subtle nuances about it that no one else does. Maybe it's so appealing because it's music you can listen to and completely understand through and through in every small detail and that makes it more satisfying in some ways. That said, don't do it too much. Not only will it make your music get old and worn to you, but listening to other artists frequently is the best way to improve yourself.

[Hale-Bopp]

Sometimes I think it's my goal to make the music that I've always wanted to hear. Like, I never really cared too much if it was me that was actually making the music, just as long as it got made so that I could listen to it whenever I want.

It's natural if you like your own music enough to listen to it a lot. Chances are that you created it because that's what you wanted to hear anyways. It's what you feel most connected to.

However, if your goal is to also improve yourself as a production artist, then yeah, you want to take a break from that habit and listen to more commercial releases (or other people's remixes) in order to regain some perspective. Otherwise, sometime down the road (and I've been there) you'll finally listen to other people's stuff, then go back to your stuff and realize that something's missing. Well, maybe that'll happen. Maybe not. It could happen though.

Reading your post though, it sounds like you kind of already know all this.

[Katsurugi]

Yeah. I totally agree. When I'm in the shower singing to myself, it's probably the best feeling in the world. Being naked and singing, it's just you and the music. Nothing more... wait... hold on... for some reason, I don't think this is what you meant...

>_>;;

[Skrypnyk]

I know Xerol will always be his #1 listener, and overcoat at one point was like that (untill he cleaned his stats).

I'm the same, although a little less extreme...

[Israfel]

I'm my biggest fan. All of my music was specially handcrafted to meet my individual tastes.

Although, I don't actually listen to my music very much after it's written--after all, by the time a piece is finished I've already heard it 100s of times.

[about:blank]

I can get like that sometimes, usually when I'm working on a song I listen to it all the time to see if there's anything I'd want to change. Also, I have a lot of fun listening to songs that I've made over a year ago. Either way, it's definitely a very rewarding experience to listen to your own music IMO.

[starla]

I'm my biggest fan. All of my music was specially handcrafted to meet my individual tastes.

This is exactly how I feel. I made it for me.

[Harmony]

Yeah, I'm definitely my biggest fan. In fact I just got finished listening to a song of mine (twice) on my lunch break. Unfortunately, I can't say that my music exactly fits my personal tastes. My music does a good job fitting my personal talent, in that finished songs are usually a good representation of what I'm capable of at the moment, given my current skill and equipment. Sadly, what I'm capable of never quite matches up to what I'd like to be producing

[yangfeili]

I have no musical skill to speak of, but I do often find myself looking over visual works I've done. Particularly after I've just finished them, I'll sit there for an hour or more just kind of staring at it, thinking "Sweet, I did that."

Edit: Actually, wait, I did make a kind of neat song in Electroplankton/Audacity once, if that counts for anything.

[LynnyM]

Although I base most of my thoughts and inspiration off of music, I do not actually have any knowledge or skill for creating it...at least, not yet.

However, as a very serious fanfiction writer (isn't that an oxymoron? oh well) I find myself reading over my stories far more than I do others'. It's not that I don't appreciate others' work (I do very much!) or that I think I'm so damn great; more of it appears to be a kind of subtle self-editing. I can read my work and see where I need to improve. Because I'm very self-concious, I try to imagine what my readers will think when they read a peice. This is enjoyable.

Plus, there is a little self-pride to be had. Listening to - or reading - something you did well makes you proud and justifies all the hard work you put into improving.

[Sir_NutS]

I make music for myself and my tastes most of the time. I'm just lucky and glad some people enjoy it as well, sometimes.

[Global-Trance]

I believe we tend to listen/read/appreciate our own things quite a bit is because we know it's something we like to delve into and also we're our worst critic.

[Hy Bound]

I used to do this when I first started. It really does tend to make your music get old to you though. But I really listen to the guys I worship more than anything (Hybrid and BT mostly ).

The problem is now, though, that I listen to most of my newer stuff so much that it becomes somewhat dead to me after working on it for so long and I can point out copious examples of something I would have liked to do better. For Instance, I really seriously can't sit through my 'Mark of the Beatsmith' ReMix without cringing uncontrollably. There are a few songs I can still listen to and be happy listening to; like my Coactive remix, that took such little time for me to do that it is still relatively fresh to me. But mostly, I am not as infatuated with my newer stuff as with my older stuff, which took much less time to do (and is technically less proficient).

[Antipode]

and also we're our worst critic.

Interesting how we're our worst critics while being our biggest fans. Weird combo.

[Kidd Cabbage]

listening to other artists frequently is the best way to improve yourself.

Is that not implying that what you're listening to can have some positive influence on your music? I find it hard nowadays to find much music with much applicable positive influence.

Not like it's ever been much better for me, though.

And even though I may hear every subtle nuance, it also means that I hear every problem a lot more clearly, too. Honestly, I hate my music just as much as I like it. I listen to it, and I'm like "Man, if only I did this and this and this...", but hey, that's a big way that I improve myself. Really, I'm probably my music's hardest judge.