How diverse music listening habits can boost creativity in music production 1
It’s easy to fall into the habit of listening to the same types of music over and over again. Whether you’re an avid listener or a music producer, we tend to stick to the genres we know and love. It’s comfortable, familiar, and even inspiring, especially if you’re producing music within that genre. But what if I told you that one of the most powerful tools for improving your creativity lies beyond your usual playlists? Stepping outside your musical comfort zone and exposing yourself to unfamiliar genres can significantly impact the way you approach music-making.
Listening to different genres – even the ones you don’t necessarily enjoy – offers an invaluable learning opportunity. It can help you discover new musical techniques, fresh production ideas, and even a deeper understanding of why certain music resonates with different audiences. In this post, we’ll explore why diversifying your listening habits is essential for growth as a producer and how it can bring new life to your creative process.
Breaking the habit of genre exclusivity
Let’s face it: most of us stick to music we know we’ll enjoy. We tend to follow a path of least resistance, listening to songs and genres that fit within our comfort zone, whether that’s based on recommendations or past favorites. It’s human nature to lean into the familiar, but if you’re a producer, this can limit your growth.
When you’re constantly listening to the same genres, it’s easy to fall into the trap of repeating the same musical patterns in your own work. The result? Tracks that start to feel redundant, like you’re recycling ideas without even realising it. By broadening your musical horizons and actively seeking out genres you wouldn’t normally choose, you open the door to new ideas and techniques that can refresh your creative process.
It’s important to understand that this isn’t just about branching out into related genres. If you’re a techno producer, simply listening to house music doesn’t count as stepping out of your comfort zone. You need to challenge yourself by exploring genres you’d never think to listen to for pleasure – whether that’s classical, jazz, or even country.
Learning musical techniques from unfamiliar genres
The beauty of diving into unfamiliar genres is that it exposes you to different musical techniques that you might never have encountered in your go-to styles. For instance, let’s say you’re exploring opera – certainly not a genre most electronic music producers would gravitate towards. In opera, a single performance can last hours, which is similar to the length of a DJ set. This forces the composer to handle tension, release, and form on a scale that’s vastly different from a 5-minute track.
What can you learn from that? By analysing how tension builds and resolves in an opera, you could find new ways to create drama or flow in your music, especially if you work in longer formats. The same goes for harmony and melody – genres like jazz or classical might offer chord progressions or melodic structures that are completely foreign to electronic producers, but highly effective once adapted.
Listening with intention is key. As you explore a new genre, break it down into its core components: how are rhythm, melody, harmony, and structure used differently? What new techniques can you absorb and apply to your own production? This active listening could be the key to unlocking a new layer of depth in your music. If you want to read more about the concept of active listening check out this blog post here.
Borrowing production techniques from other genres
Just as you can learn musical techniques from other genres, there’s a wealth of production knowledge to be gained as well. Even if you have no desire to produce country or hip-hop tracks, listening to how these genres are mixed and produced can introduce you to new ways of shaping sound.
Take country music, for example. Regardless of your personal taste, it’s hard to deny that contemporary country is impeccably produced. Compared to pop or electronic music, the production often emphasises clarity in the mid-range instruments, like guitars, rather than a focus on heavy bass. Vocals are also typically much more prominent than they would be in electronic music, offering a unique way of balancing the mix that might challenge your usual methods.
Similarly, listen to how different genres treat space. In ambient or minimalist classical music, silence and space between notes can be just as important as the notes themselves. This approach can be eye-opening for an electronic producer accustomed to filling every moment with sound. Maybe your next track doesn’t need as many layers, or maybe allowing more room for silence could create a stronger emotional impact.
The point here is to approach other genres with an ear for detail. What are they doing differently from the genres you work in? Which production choices stand out, and how can you adapt those techniques to fit your own style?
Understanding why people like what they like
One of the most valuable exercises you can do as a musician is trying to figure out why people are drawn to certain genres – even if it’s music you personally don’t enjoy. Every genre has a devoted fanbase, and while trends, subcultures, and social factors play a role in musical preference, there are often deeper musical elements at play as well.
Ask yourself: Why do people love this music? What emotions does it evoke? Even if you don’t plan to write a rock ballad or a jazz standard, understanding the appeal of these genres can help you write more emotionally resonant music, no matter the style. Perhaps it’s the way a certain genre handles tension and release, or the way it emphasises certain instruments. By paying attention to these details, you can tap into a broader emotional palette and expand your creative toolbox.
Moreover, even if you’re producing for a niche audience, understanding other musical tastes can help you create tracks that stand out in a crowded scene. If everyone in your genre is using the same formula, injecting fresh ideas from unrelated genres can make your music more distinctive and memorable.
Expanding your own musical palette
At the end of the day, stepping outside your comfort zone is about growth. By challenging yourself to listen to – and learn from – different genres, you not only avoid falling into a creative rut, but you also expand your own musical palette.
The more diverse your listening habits, the more versatile your productions will become. You might not adopt every technique you encounter, but each new genre you explore will add another tool to your production toolkit. Maybe you pick up a new way of handling percussion from Afrobeat or discover a novel approach to chord progressions from jazz. Over time, these little insights compound, making you a more well-rounded, innovative producer.
And remember: You don’t have to like every genre you listen to. The goal isn’t to become a fan of every type of music – it’s to expose yourself to a wide range of techniques, ideas, and emotions that can elevate your own work. The broader your influences, the more original your music will become.
So next time you’re looking for inspiration, resist the urge to hit play on the same old playlist. Dive into something different – you never know what you might discover. And in the process, you’ll become a more versatile, innovative, and thoughtful music producer.
