Producer Mindset Mistake #2: Overstuffing a song because you’re insecure about the core idea

At the start of the year, I asked my newsletter subscribers what they wanted me to discuss more of and the highest ranking answer was "musical artistry (how to stay inspired, mindset, and creative practices)." So let's talk mindset.

As a private Ableton Live coach and faculty member at Point Blank Music School, I have worked with hundreds of producers. These are the four most common producer mindset mistakes I see over and over again:

• Mistake #1: Giving up on a song because you got bored

• Mistake #2: Overstuffing a song because you're insecure about the core idea

• Mistake #3: Believing the mix (and somebody else) will save your song

• Mistake #4: Thinking you’re advanced because you abandoned the basics

Over the next four weeks, I'm going to address each of these mistakes and offer a practical way for you to address them in your own creative practice.

Today, we're going ot talk about overstuffing songs

Overstuffing a song because you’re insecure about the core idea?

Music producers,

Let’s talk about a mistake I see all the time: adding more and more layers to a track in an attempt to make it good enough.

You start with a single idea—maybe a melody, a groove, or a chord progression. But as you continue something feels off. Maybe you recorded a poor performance, or the instrument isn't the right sound. Maybe you just find yourself getting bored with the idea now that you've heard it so many times.

But, instead of addressing the root issue, you double parts, stack layers, and keep throwing elements at the problem. Before you know it, your song is overflowing with unnecessary sounds, making it messy and confusing.

What’s actually happening here? Insecurity. You don’t trust the core idea to stand on its own, so you try to compensate by adding more. But clarity is what makes a song work. Density without purpose is just fog.

Great tracks aren’t great because they have more. They’re great because every element serves a purpose. If you find yourself constantly layering, try stripping your track back instead. Ask yourself: Does this part actually make the song better? If the answer isn’t a clear yes, it probably isn’t needed.

Does this sound like you? Then try this:

Color code the most important part in each section of your song differently than every other element. Then, go through section by section and ask yourself:

• Does each individual part support the main idea?

• Is there anything fighting for attention?

• What can be simplified?

This simple visual trick keeps your focus on what actually matters, helping you avoid cluttering your track with unnecessary layers.

Come back next week and we'll talk about the mindset mistake that occurs when you decide to punt the issue further down the production pipeline.

Til next time,
ZW