7 Tips for a Successful #Jamuary2026

podcast
Written By Brian Funk

It's time for Jamuary, a challenge to create music and share it each day during the month of January. 

Jamuary is a powerful way to start your year with a creative bang!

In this episode, I share 7 tips that will help you make the most of Jamuary and maximize your productivity and creativity!

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Episode Transcript:

7 Tips for a Successful #Jamuary2026

Imagine that this year was your most productive and creative year ever. You’d probably need to get off to a pretty good start, right? That’s why I like to start every year with Jamuary. Jamuary is a challenge to make music every single day during the month of January. It’s not about perfection. It’s not about making something great. It’s about showing up and creating. It’s about making something and then sharing it.

I didn’t invent Jamuary. I’ve traced it back to a few different folks. But it’s been something I’ve wholeheartedly embraced and have been doing for I think about seven or eight years now. And it’s one of my favorite times of year. It’s also one of the times I fear, because it is a big commitment. It does take a lot of energy. But it’s not impossible. And every year I do it, I wind up with a lot of music that I didn’t have before. A lot of the music I’ve released has started in Jamuary. Full albums even have started in Jamuary.

And I think it’s one of the most valuable things I do all year. And I really want to encourage you to do it. So I’ve got seven tips that I think will help you have a successful Jamuary.

1. Define Success

And the first is to define success. What does success even mean for Jamuary? It means that you showed up. That’s it. It doesn’t mean you made a hit song. It doesn’t mean you made something smart or something that’s going to go viral. It just means that you spent some time creating something. You made something. It wasn’t there before. Now it is.

I’ve always thought of that as a little bit like magic. It’s like you pull a rabbit out of the hat, except there’s no trick. There’s no sleight of hand. You just made something out of nothing. That’s what success is. You showed up. You made something. You focused on the process.

That’s really the only thing you can control anyway. You have no idea how good something is when you’re making it. There are stories of artists that wanted to leave a song off the record and it became a huge hit. You don’t know. So just show up, focus on the process, and know that that’s the best chance you have of making something you’re really proud of.

2. Build the Habit

Big things are just lots of little things. It’s snowing outside right now. And we’ve got a few inches on the ground. But if you look at any individual snowflake, it’s nothing. It melts as soon as you touch it. But over time, they all pile up. And that’s what your efforts in Jamuary do.

That’s what the music you make will do over time. It’s going to add up. And the more you show up and the more it becomes a habit, the easier it becomes. The ideas start to flow, not because you’re sitting around waiting for them, but because you’re already creating. That’s where the ideas come from.

I don’t think you make music because you have ideas. I think you have ideas because you make music. When you’re in the act of making it, the ideas come. So build that habit. Show up. And don’t worry about what the product is like. Just worry about showing up every day.

3. Lower Your Expectations

Number three is to lower your expectations. You don’t have to make something good or great or intelligent. You just have to make something. And if it’s not good, that’s okay. You’ll try again tomorrow.

You’re making music every single day. If you try to make something great every day, I think you’re going to block yourself. I think the pressure is going to be too high. And you’re not going to be able to perform. And a lot of times, when we feel like we’re blocked, it’s because we’re trying to impress. We’re trying to make something good. And it’s hard.

But if you just give yourself the freedom to make something bad, it’s really liberating. Because once you start and you hear it and it’s not great, you go, “Well, okay, how do I fix it?” And that’s how you get better.

I find in the Music Production Club Zoom meetings, we make music for 45 minutes and then share it. That little bit of pressure, that little bit of a deadline, that little built-in excuse, even, it gives us the freedom to just make something. Because we know there’s not that much time. We only have 45 minutes.

So if it’s not great, well, it’s okay. You only had 45 minutes. That’s the built-in excuse. But you’d be surprised how many great things have come out of those Zoom meetings. And I think it’s because of that pressure, that deadline, and that permission to just make something without worrying so much.

4. Get Organized

Number four is to get organized. Make sure your gear is set up. Have a spot where you can just make music. You don’t want to spend time setting up every day. You don’t want to have to rearrange your living room just to record something.

If you can, carve out a little space and just leave it set up. Make it easy. The fewer things in your way, the more likely you are to actually do it.

I also like to schedule it. What time of day are you going to work? If you decide now that you’re going to work at 7 PM every night, then it’s already decided. You’re not negotiating with yourself every day.

When 7 PM comes, you just do it. It’s not a question. “Am I going to make music today?” Of course you are. It’s 7 PM. That’s when you make music.

I also like to prepare some ideas ahead of time. Pick some genres you want to try. Pick some instruments you want to use. Find some samples. Find some loops. Get yourself started.

And to help with that, I made a prompt for every day of the month. It’s inspired by my book, The 5-Minute Music Producer. Every day has a quick activity and a creative mindset to explore. So you can just look at that prompt, get started, and maybe try something new.

5. Work Fast – Don’t Think Too Hard

Number five is to work fast and don’t think too hard. Music-making is just decision-making. That’s all it is. You’re just making decisions.

What sound should this be? What note should it be? What rhythm? What instrument? All of those are just decisions. So decide. And then decide again. And decide again.

I don’t even like to use the word “decide” because it sounds like you’re thinking. And you’re evaluating and analyzing. But that’s not how it should work. You should just know. And you do know. You just got to go with your instincts.

So don’t think too hard. Go fast. Be impulsive. That’s the practice of Jamuary. Make a move and then make another. And then make another.

You can always fix it later. But most of the time, you’re just reacting to what you just did. And that’s how music comes together.

6. Have a Backup Plan

Number six is to have a backup plan. You’re not going to feel like it every day. Some days you’re going to be tired. You’re going to be stressed. You’re going to be busy. That’s okay.

Just do something. Have something you can fall back on. For me, it’s picking up a guitar. Or maybe I’ll just play with the OP-1 or a plugin I like.

I’m just going to do something. And that counts. That’s all I have to do.

And if you miss a day, it’s okay. Just try not to miss two. I like to use a calendar and make Xs for each day I show up. And once I start building a streak, I don’t want to break it. It helps me stay motivated.

So plan ahead. Something is going to happen. You’re going to be short on time or have a gear problem. Be ready. Have a backup plan.

7. Use the Power of Community

And number seven is to use the power of community. Music-making is often a solo activity. But when you share your work and see what other people are doing, it’s really inspiring.

You see what’s possible. You see that it’s not impossible. And it motivates you to do it too.

When you post your music, you might inspire someone else. That’s powerful. And if you’re worried about negative comments, just know that most people are very supportive.

In the Music Production Club Discord, we have a whole thread just for Jamuary 2026. And it’s amazing to see what people are making. On days I don’t feel like making music, I just scroll through there. And suddenly, I want to make something too.

So whether you join the MPC or just use the hashtag #Jamuary2026 on Instagram, SoundCloud, or YouTube, try to make community part of the experience.

Closing Thoughts

And if you do join the Music Production Club, I’ve got a printable calendar, daily prompt cards, and some cool downloads and surprises waiting for you. One of those surprises is a new bonus pack from Perform Module called Bussification. It’s a collection of Ableton Live effect racks that simplify your mixing and make your tracks sound better, fast.

Normally it’s a $35 pack, but it’s free for MPC members this month. It’s an awesome tool for Jamuary because it helps your music sound more polished quickly.

I’d love for 2026 to be your best year of music-making yet. And I think Jamuary is the best way to start. In the MPC, we follow Jamuary with Finish February, where we take one of those sketches and finish it. Some of my favorite songs have come out of that process.

So please join us. Go to brianfunk.com/mpc and be part of it. Or just start making music and sharing it. That’s enough. That’s how it begins.

Thanks for listening to the Music Production Podcast.

Music producers produce music.

Let January be your month to make something human.

We need that now more than ever.

Would you like me to save this as a downloadable PDF, Word doc, or turn it into a blog post or newsletter?

Brian Funk
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