Outro
Finishing, Releasing & Staying in the Game
Finishing music is a skill. So is continuing after setbacks.
Most people fail at one of these - often both.
Talent isn’t the bottleneck, competition, fortitude and one’s nervous system is. That’s why you have to give yourself the best chance.
Finished beats perfect
Unreleased music does nothing for you.
Not for your career.
Not for your confidence.
Not for your growth.
A finished track:
Teaches you more than 5 half-finished ones
Builds momentum, inwardly and outwardly.
Creates opportunities you can’t predict
Perfectionism is often fear in disguise:
Fear of judgment
Fear of being “found out”
Fear of committing to an idea
But music only becomes real once it leaves your hard drive.
You learn by releasing, not refining
Every release answers questions you can’t solve in the studio:
How does this sound outside your room?
How do people respond?
What actually works in context?
This feedback loop is essential.
Many respected artists look back at early releases and cringe - and they still release them anyway, because progress beats comfort.
You don’t improve by waiting. You improve by moving forward.
Build platforms, not moments
Careers aren’t built on one big track or viral moment.
They’re built on:
Relationships
Consistency
Identity
Whether you:
Release on labels
Self-release
Build your own platform
The principles don’t change and neither do the rules. Consistency is the most important attribute.
Quality first, always
Consistency doesn’t mean volume at any cost.
It means:
Fewer releases
Better decisions
Clear standards
A small catalogue you stand behind beats a large one you apologise for (I learnt this the hard way). Your taste is your compass. Trust it - but don’t let it paralyse you.
Aesthetic matters more than you think
People eat with their eyes and see before they listen.
Artwork.
Names.
Language.
Context.
This isn’t “selling out”.
It’s communication.
In a time where there’s constantly noise, you’re giving your music a relatable frame. Frames matter. Strong artists don’t just make good music - they make coherent worlds.
Persistence beats talent (non-negotiable)
The industry is full of talented people who stopped too early. They didn’t fail, they exited because their nervous system couldn’t stand up to the stresses of the industry.
The artists who last:
Follow up
Ask questions
Nudge politely
Take rejection without drama
Slowly build relationships
Keep going
Most success comes from staying in the game longer than others. That’s it. No secret handshake.
Rejection is not a verdict
Labels passing doesn’t mean the track is bad. Silence doesn’t mean no one cares.
Delayed responses don’t mean failure. It means you’re participating.
This is an important one - most artist don’t get to the next level because their nervous systems can’t take the rejection. Consider this: how many of those were inches away from breaking through?
Momentum comes from movement and as soon as one domino falls the rest succumb to physics.
Zoom out
If you zoom out far enough:
One track doesn’t define you
One rejection doesn’t matter
One quiet release isn’t the end
What matters is trajectory.
Are you:
Finishing more?
Hearing better?
Making clearer decisions?
If yes, you’re winning.
Final note
MSTR exists to help you finish music that matters.
Not just to you but to listeners, DJs, labels, and the world outside your studio.
This gives you the mental framework. Re-read it when required.
Your MSTR sessions are where we:
Apply it
Pressure-test it
Turn ideas into finished records
Keep going. Finish the track. Release it. Repeat.
This is the way.