5 common mistakes new artists make –
and how to avoid them

Starting your journey as a music creator is exciting. You’re bursting with ideas, eager to create, and ready to share your unique sound with the world. But along the way, it’s easy to stumble into common pitfalls that can slow your progress or even derail your creative flow.

At Native Instruments, we believe everyone should have the tools and confidence to bring their musical visions to life. That’s why we’re sharing five common mistakes new artists make, along with practical tips to help you avoid them. We’ll also show you how the NI 360 subscription can be your secret weapon, helping you overcome these hurdles and unlock your full creative potential.

Let’s dive in!

1. Waiting until everything is “perfect”

Many new artists get stuck in a loop of holding back their music because they feel it’s not “good enough” yet. You might endlessly tweak a synth sound, refine a drum pattern, or re-record a vocal take, always chasing an elusive idea of perfection. While attention to detail is important, true growth in music comes through releasing, learning from your experiences, and constantly evolving – not from waiting until you feel absolutely “ready.”

Getting your music out there, even if it’s just to a small group of friends, helps you understand what resonates and where you can improve for next time.

With NI 360, you can get started with pro-grade production, mixing, and mastering tools right away. This means your demos and early songs can sound polished and inspiring, even when you’re just starting out.

2. Ignoring the power of a good recording

It’s a common misconception that amazing performances can overcome poor recording quality. In reality, a rough performance with decent sound quality often sounds better than a brilliant performance ruined by bad audio. “Good recording” doesn’t have to mean an expensive studio setup. It’s about clear vocals, solid levels, and capturing the heart of your song without distracting noise or distortion. Even in a home studio, understanding basic recording principles can make a massive difference.

A tool like iZotope RX Elements included in the NI 360 subscription can help you easily clean up vocals, background noise from a recording, and more, without needing an expensive studio or years of audio engineering experience. You can bring clarity and depth to your sound, ensuring your ideas are heard exactly as you intend.

3. Overcomplicating the process

For new artists, it’s incredibly easy to get overwhelmed by the sheer volume of gear, plugins, tutorials, and advice available today. You might feel pressured to buy every new piece of hardware, download dozens of plugins, or watch endless hours of videos before you even start making music. But often, simpler setups and focused tools lead to faster, better creativity. Trying to master everything at once can lead to decision fatigue and a lack of real progress.

Instead of juggling dozens of individual plugins and applications, NI 360 bundles everything you need – from instruments to mastering tools – in one powerful subscription. This integrated approach helps you stay focused on making music, not troubleshooting compatibility issues or searching for the next essential tool. It streamlines your workflow and lets you get straight to creating.

Learn how to create a song from start to finish in our guide, and check out songwriting tips from professionals on how to start your next song.

4. Comparing yourself to others

In the age of social media, it’s easy to scroll through endless feeds of polished tracks from established artists and feel a pang of doubt about your own progress. You might see someone else’s success and think your own work isn’t good enough. But remember: every single artist, no matter how famous or skilled, started somewhere. Comparison truly kills creativity. Your journey is unique, and focusing on your own growth is far more productive than chasing someone else’s path.

Instead of comparing yourself to others, study their craft to inform your own creative decisions. In our interview with DJ Khalil, he said he was prompted to create his own original samples due to licensing issues with existing records. This led him to focus on giving people “new sounds but with that same real emotional feeling” and “something that they never heard before.” He suggests studying how other great artists achieved their sounds, but then creating your own version.

With NI 360’s assistive tools, like AI-driven mixing and mastering, you can create tracks that sound polished and unique. This gives you the confidence to stay focused on developing your own unique voice and style, rather than getting sidetracked by what others are doing. You’ll spend less time worrying about technical details and more time expressing yourself.

5. Not finishing songs

You have a folder full of great ideas, catchy melodies, and awesome drum loops, but how many of them are actually finished songs? Half-written ideas are a great start, but consistently finishing songs is what builds real momentum and turns you from a “dreamer” into an “artist.” Learning how to push through that final stretch, from “good enough” to truly complete, is a crucial skill for any musician. It teaches you arrangement, storytelling, and the discipline of seeing a project through.

NI 360 helps you move quickly from the initial spark of an idea to a completed track. It offers ready-to-use sounds, songwriting aids like chord generators, and mastering tools that remove the friction that often stalls creative momentum.

Avoid these mistakes and start creating

Avoiding these common mistakes means embracing progress over perfection, prioritizing good foundational recordings, simplifying your workflow, focusing on your unique path, and most importantly – finishing your music.

With the right approach and the right tools, you can turn your musical dreams into reality. NI 360 provides a complete suite of instruments, effects, and production tools designed to help you streamline your creative process, achieve professional sound, and stay motivated on your journey.

Start creating for free