Hey a,

Yesterday I shared a simple but powerful truth with you:

The ONLY way to finish music consistently is to create a reliable, repeatable process around it.

Now you might be thinking, "That sounds great, Philip, but how do I actually get started with this?"

That's exactly what today's email is about.

I'm going to share the one workflow hack that will completely transform how you start and finish music from now on.

This will work especially well for you if:

You struggle with perfectionism,
Have limited time to work on your music,
And feel like you've watched every tutorial on earth and it still hasn't helped you finish tracks consistently.

Ready? Let's jump in.

Think about how you typically create a new song.

You probably start with a loop, add more and more layers to it, and at some point try to turn it into an arrangement.

But here's the uncomfortable truth: Most of your attempts at finishing a release-ready song with this strategy will fail (I'll explain why in a minute).

And in those rare moments when you actually do finish something good, it almost feels like an accident.

You have no clue how to replicate it.

This random, linear workflow is the exact reason why you're stuck.

Since your creative process isn't based on a reliable system (yet), you have zero control over the outcome.

Think about it...

The linear approach puts immense pressure on you to turn every idea into a full song.

But what if that idea doesn't even have the potential to become great in the first place?

What if you're wasting weeks trying to arrange and mix something that is designed to fail (without you realizing it)?

This exact trap is what I saw with one of my coaching students, Paul Conrad.

When Paul first reached out to me, he had been working on the same two songs for months.

And with every new revision, they were getting worse instead of better.

The composition lacked emotion, the mix sounded weak, and the arrangement felt boring.

Instead of exploring ideas and pushing his creative boundaries, he had stumbled into the most common trap producers fall into: trying to bruteforce mediocre ideas into completion.

So we started installing what I call "The Creative Funnel" workflow.

Paul immediately felt a sense of relief. His next ideas came together effortlessly as he was able to let go of the self-imposed pressure to make everything perfect.

After creating about 15 "Strong Core Ideas" (more on that in tomorrow's email), we selected only the best 3 tracks for his first EP.

The result? That EP became an underground success.

Paul Conrad is now among the top talents in Melodic Techno, with well-known labels reaching out to him every week. He gets to choose who to sign with (if he even wants to).

All because he replaced his random workflow with a systematic approach.

So what exactly is this Creative Funnel?

It's super simple but powerful:

Instead of working linearly (creating an idea → trying to force it into a song), think of your creative process as a funnel with different phases.

Here's exactly how it works:

Phase 1: Ideation & Experimentation The goal here is to create as many strong core ideas as possible without worrying about arranging or mixing any of them. Aim for at least 10 ideas. In tomorrow's email, I'll show you step-by-step how to create an SCI.

Phase 2: Rough Arrangements Instead of trying to perfectly arrange all of your ideas, you select the top 20% that actually reflect your full potential as a producer. I do have a unique method for that which I can't wait to share with you (it's called the Jigsaw Method and it makes arranging feel like a breeze).

Phase 3: Finalization This is where you take your best arrangements from good to great. Professional producers spend most of their time in this phase. It's where you ruthlessly delete fluff and purposefully add ear candy.

Phase 4: Mixing and Mastering Amateur producers put so much emphasis on this phase, hoping that fancy processing chains will save their crappy productions. Don't be that person. Mixing and mastering is there to enhance what's already there. It's an amplification of all the good things in your production, not a way to rescue bad sound design and messy arrangements.

Here's how the Creative Funnel will transform your workflow:

Your best ideas will feel easy to arrange (and sound great from the get-go)
Your best arrangements will feel easy to mix (and fall into place almost automatically)
You'll feel confident about releasing because the result represents the best of your abilities

Now, you might be thinking: "What if I don't have the skills to create strong core ideas or great arrangements in the first place?"

That's exactly what tomorrow's email will cover.

I'll show you how to build the necessary skills to craft strong core ideas that are designed to become impressive finished tracks.

Your music matters. Let's make it count.

Philip

PS: Want to see the Creative Funnel transform your music as well? In our Prolific Producer Coaching Program, my team and I guide a small group of committed producers through implementing this system for their specific styles and goals. Spots are limited – book your free 60-minute discovery call to see if we're a good fit.