No one likes writer’s block, but in the music industry, it can be deadly. If you’re a working musician, you need to keep a steady flow of tracks coming!

So, we’ve got three tips to help you find musical inspiration and keep putting out new tracks, even if your creative has run dry.

1 – New (Old) Music

Sometimes, there’s no better way of kick-starting your musical inspiration than to expose yourself to something a little different. Pick a music genre you don’t know much about, or a past era in music, then spend some time on YouTube or Spotify.

After all, would we know who Daft Punk was if they weren’t into disco and Bach? Would Avicii have had one of the big hits of 2013 with “Wake Me Up,” had he not decided to mix some country into his dance beats? Probably not.

Blending in elements of “outside” genres or older music styles is a great way to give yourself a creative boost.

2 – Real Life

If you don’t have a strong opinion about something that’s wrong in the world today, you probably aren’t paying close enough attention. Topical/protest/political music has always been big – basically for as long as we’ve had music – and nowadays, it’s becoming big business again.

Dabbling in politics is always risky, since it brings the chance of backlash. However, at the risk of sounding cynical, a political kerfluffle is also usually a great promotional aid. Just try not to make too many enemies.

3 – Other Live Shows

Don’t just be an online musician – be a part of your local music scene. Go check out the other bands in town. Seeing what other folks are doing is often just the thing to give you new ideas as well. After all, anything they’re not doing is fair game for you.

You’ll also boost your reputation around town, and help make more contacts on the local scene, if you spend more time participating. That sort of networking is vital for growing your own music business, as well as giving you new inspiration for your own projects.