Ever feel like your dream gig is turning into a nightmare? In this episode, I’m tackling the intense reality of custom music projects, particularly in the demanding world of trailer composition.

If you’re composing from the UK, Germany, or anywhere outside of LA, you know the struggle: getting home from your day job only to realise your second shift—the one that lasts until 3 AM - has just started. I share how this cycle of working through the night led me to painful burnout.

I’ll reveal the essential strategies I learned to survive (and thrive):

* The Deadline Myth: Learn how to spot the difference between the client’s real deadline and a middleman’s unfair deadline, and why you must stop overworking to make them look good.

* The Partnership Principle: Why your relationship with a music production company must be an equal partnership, and how to set firm boundaries—even if it means risking the gig.

* Speed Over Sublimity: Tips for optimising your workflow with templates and knowing when to stop working, submit, and trust the process.

* The Financial Weigh-In: Why focusing all your energy on a low-odds custom is often less profitable than writing tracks for an album that provides stable, asynchronous income.

Whether you’re struggling with work-life balance or just landed your first custom brief, this episode is your survival guide to valuing your time and making this tough business work for you.

➡️ Read the Full Article: https://richardpryn.com/the-custom-music-survival-guide/

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