Looking to kick 2016 off with a musical bang? I’ve got just the thing for you – guaranteed to help you be productive in your home studio, even if time is in short supply.
Today I’m announcing the One Song One Month Challenge – a simple but powerful 30 day plan to help you and I make more music this year than we did last year.
Plus I’ve got tons of free gear to giveaway during the process. Watch the video for all the juicy details. Oh – and Happy New Year!
Make Sure You Join My List
As I mentioned in the video – if you want to be entered to win any of the amazing prizes coming this month you must be on my email list.
Click here to join now and you’ll instantly get a copy of my eBook The #1 Rule Of Home Recording PLUS my popular video series The Smart Start To Mixing. All Free!
See you on Monday with the first video!
Do Not Create Another Song Until You Read This Guide
(Price: $17 Free Today)
Discover the 6 Steps for Creating a Radio-Worthy Song From Scratch
My name is Graham Cochrane and I'm the founder of The Recording Revolution, one of the world's most loved audio recording and mixing blogs with over 200,000 readers each month. 
Oh my!
This is so awesome!!!
Can’t wait for this thing to start!
The fun part is that even if you won’t win any gear this month, you’ll still have a finished song! And the motivation to release tons of new ones!!
Thank you so so much Graham for all you do!
Here’s to making more music this year!
Happy new year 🙂
Great challenge. Already got some ideas, but it has given me the motivation to actually finish a song!
Great idea for everyone to participate. Always interested in seeing you record a full song..I hope it will be an instrumental piece. It is very difficult in the music world, learning new and different ways to excel with composing and recording is needed. Thank you for your continued help and dedication.
I was thinking exactly this!!! It’s amazing!!! The oportunity to grown on some direction and at same time get opportunity to win this amazing prize!
Great challenge, man
This is what I needed! No more excuses for me…
Awesome challenge. I will definitely be participating with you, but very much looking forward to your videos. I always learn a lot.
One question – are covers cool? I haven’t written a song, solo, in 15 years. 🙂 And I had just decided that I am going to work up a cover of Bad Company’s “Seagull” (inspired more by the Joe Bonamassa version, actually) completely solo.
Does that count, or should I put on my big boy britches and try writing a song, too?
Yup. Covers count. Whatever kind of music you want to release.
How about instrumental music? specifically heavy metal in my case. That count too?
This is super sick! Kudos, Graham! Let’s get cracking!
I’m in! I need this motivation!
I am looking forward to this challenge!
What if I am already on the list? 🙂
Right on Graham. Looking forward. Picked up the Studio 192 last month. A killer unit for sure. Whoever wins that will be in for a treat! Blessings bro.
Happy New Year guys!!!!!
P.S.
Is this song comp U.S . only?
Sounds like in interesting thing to do before FAWM in February!
Sounds like a great challenge!
Can’t wait
Happy New Year and many blessings!
Sounds good man. Let’s do this!
I do a 9 song (30min, 15 min each side) album every year and have for the last 8 years. Hopefully each year gets better. I’m already 3 songs into my 2016 release. Can I still qualify for your contest?
Yep. If you submit one you did this month.
Cool challenge…
I’m in…
Happy new year Graham and everyone.
Great idea Graham! Looking forward to it!
What a great start to 2016 with some serendipity. A new Chapter of Nashville Songwriters Association International has been approved for my town and the first meeting is this coming Tues., Jan 5. Your challenge will dovetail very nicely.
But for now it’s the chicken or the egg conundrum. Where will the inspiration come from? The music or the lyric?
In case you’re seriously stuck, try here http://www.heuristicsinc.com/sfgen.shtml
Hi Graham!
Thank you for doing this, it really helps a lot to have a motivation for writing a song.
You have helped me a lot, so I wanted to thank you. Here in my country, Costa Rica, there aren’t any good audio engineering schools, and having you teaching has been a 180 degree change.
My question is: Can i still apply for the giveaway if I live outside USA?
Thank you for your time!
Yes.
Happy New Year Graham! Love your site. It has been really helpful. Let’s get writing! Rand
Happy New Year Graham! Love your site. It has really been helpful, lots of great info. Let’s get writing! Rand
HI
I’m not a singer can I submit a tune
Sounds like fun! I’ve been stuck on a couple of songs for a while, so I’ll try a little “creativity switch” and see if I can’t crank out a new tune by January 31st. Great idea – thanks! Best of luck to everybody on TRR and happy new year!
I’m in! Haven’t made music for a while now, and I think this is a cool opportunity to start again.
Happy new year everybody!
This challenge is ideal for me. Thank you very much!!!
I wish you and your family a healthy, happy and successful New Year!
Best, Stefan
Game On!!!
Yep, great challenge, thanks Graham, Im in!
Graham,
I have been doing this exact challenge for the past 11 months. I just released my 11th single minutes ago.
I start with nothing and at the end of the month I release whatever I have made up – Sometimes it’s a Punk song about Zombies, other times it’s a fluffy little number about a Rainbow Butterfly Unicorn Kitty. The biggest obstacle is That Sinister little voice in your head that says “That lyric is stupid, that chord progression is cheesy, that snare sound is horrible, you’re not good enough to mix this, you shouldn’t even be allowed to stand in front of a mic, no one is going to like this music, you suck…..” There are all kinds of excuses for not finishing, but that voice will be the hardest to banish, so start there and get to work.
At the end of the day, all I do is write my heart, mix with my ears, and trust my gut. I see no reason stop. Looking forward to hearing how this challenge works for everyone.
Peace,
Josh
Way to go Josh.
Hahahahaha…this is too much fun!!
Cool! Gonna join the challenge though my business schedule is full. Greetings and a happy new year from Austria
Cool..! I’d love to participate just to have the opportunity to have you listen to on of my tunes Graham. It would be really exciting and educational watching your workflow too. Awesome.
Cool..! I’d love to participate just to have the opportunity to have you listen to one of my tunes Graham. It would be really exciting and educational watching your workflow too. Awesome.
I love Presonus products!
Great idea and a good motivator.
Great challenge Brother! Let’s give ‘er a whirl. One song a month….
Lots of ideas in the can; great impetus to start to finish them. Lets go…
OUTSTANDING! Just what i needed!
This is so awesome Graham! I’ve been watching your videos everyday at work when I’m on break for about two years now? Always find your tips and advice very useful and inspiring. Can’t wait to submit my song! Happy new year buddy!
Great idea Graham, bring it on Dude! You’ve inspired me to write a song about …. not having enough time to write a song! Leave it with me. HAPPY NEW YEAR!
graham shoots and scores, yet again!
incentives! let’s see where this journey takes us….
This is such an epic idea. Even if I dont win, I’ll end up releasing a song this month. Graham you are a true visionary.
I am so down. I’ll start writing after midnight to keep it honest.
That’s the idea! Love it.
Thanks Graham — brilliant concept!
I am in – can’t wait to start.
A great start to 2016!
cheers
Phil
I have been pushing finishing up my songs for too long. I’m going to follow the challenge this time around. Sounds like it will be fun 😀
Great concept. I’m going to try it – I move states in the middle of this month, so all my gear has already gone, but I can write the lyrics, I can use garage band on my iPad to work out chords and song structure, and hopefully, in the midst of unpacking and starting a new job, I can record as well. If not, as you say, there’s always next month.
Let’s go for a sweet 16!
I’m all in. Guys you really have two months to get your songs together. January’s mine :). A little friendly competition. Much success to everyone. Thx Graham for always thinking out of the box and including us.
Yes! This lines up perfectly w/ one of my goal 2016, to record and mix a song a month. Count me in!!
The chance to win some gear is just the whip cream on the pie.
Thanks Graham.
Great Idea! In fact, after a six year hiatus from writing any significant music I did this exact thing starting in 2014. I determined I could easily write, record and mix a “song per month” by just sticking to the promise to myself to do so. End result: I put out 27 songs over the last 2 years and am quite pleased with my work. Now, I don’t work in the conventional sense any more so one could say “Sure. You had all the time.” A typical song takes me about 6-10 hours from conception to final mix … and, I am a solo artist. I play the drums, the bass, the piano, all guitars and perform all vocals in this process. As a side note, I remember about 10 years ago I came home from my 9-5 job, on a Friday night, with two great song ideas and penned them, performed them, recorded and mixed them all on that one Friday night. So, yes, it can be done but keeping that target deadline is absolutely essential.
EEk
Looks like you have your work cut out for you!
Lots of people inspired.
Thanks so much for the encouragement!
Looking forward to writing new songs.
Graham,
You’re a saint man.
Thank you for being such a force of encouragement and inspiration in our lives.
You’ve changed mine.
-Ryan
Hello, is this challenge/giveaway, available to Canadian participants?
Thank you.
Sure is!
Boy howdy. This is gonna be fun.
Thank you for doing this. Inspired and inspiring.
Awesome idea!! Can’t wait to get into it. Such a great way of breaking down a huge task into manageable parts. Thanks so much for the amazing advice throughout all the videos & emails 🙂 It’s been such an encouragement and has helped so much. What a great way to start 2016!!!
Sometimes you need that motivation from an outside voice that understands the struggle to complete music when life throws you curveballs. This came at the right time, I’m going to commit to this challenge. -Dom
Hello there!
Awesome news from Graham, we’ll definitely get another cool song by the end of the month.
But I have a question. I’m from Russia and want to participate in this challenge. Will PreSonus giveaway be as always for US residents only or we all from over the world have a chance to win such a nice gear?
Thanks.
Happy New Year!
All over the world.
Happy New Year Graham! I get overwhelmed all the time, this may be just what I need to get on track. I’m in!!!
-Cash
Just what I was looking for to start the year.
Thank you so very much, Graham.
Cheers and Happy New Year!
Juni
thank you bro……
Hi Graham,
First of all, a wonderfull, happy and healthy New Year!
Great challenge, just by participating, it will be a big leap forward in my development.
Thanks!
Let’s kick it, Blessings people. And thank you graham for this chance.
I like to raise my glass to you Graham, You are such an inspiration and always look forward to checking the tons of information you so generously share with us all. I send best wishes to you and your family sir for a healthy, safe and prosperous 2016. Happy New Year,
Steven
Hi Graham,
This is so cool! A geat way to start the NewYear! XD
I already have a plan for an ep. Now I don’t write, so I will be using and arranging existing songs and I’ll try to folllow you along.
Happy New Year to y’all!
Erik.
The Netherlands.
Do non US residents have any chances of winning ?
Oh, and of course, all the best for 2016 to everyone ! May this new year be filled with all kinds of blessings 🙂
Absolutely!
Great idea!! I’m in!! I was thinking about my goals for 2016 when I received your newsletter, it’s like a perfect timing 🙂 12 songs at the end of the year sounds amazing!
12 new songs is too big a challenge. But i’ll try to finish 10 recording projects in 2016. My doughters woonwind ensemble, a few covers and maybe 1 or 2 new songs? I look forward to it. Thanks for keeping us motivated and focused, Graham.
Danny
Belgium.
Right on, man! What a great idea. I look forward to it. Happy New Year!
Great idea dude. I’ve been playing with old stuff for too long now. Time to take what I’ve learned over the last few months and make a new start. Writing my first new song in nearly 3 years. Now where did I put that ReThink Guitar course? 🙂
Graham, you are awesome. Thank you for your kind words, techniques and motivation for free! Can’t say how much you give me confidence! Probably gonna join at least for some selected months 😛 (wrote 5/6 songs in 2015, I want to make more this year). Take care!
I’m looking forward to this!
Never written a song before but I plan to now!
Feliz Año 2016! Graham,
and thanks so much for all your time and love you share with us showing a path to work and enjoy the music.
All the best for you and family in this new year.
I’m in! I have extra motivation this year as well.
I write songs often, but never record them. And when I do, I get so frustrated at mixing them that I usually just give up.
I’m getting married this year and my fiancee heard me playing a little riff I had written and said “that sounds like something I could walk down the aisle to”. Now I want to continue working the idea into something much more finished and get it recorded and mixed so that it can be played at my wedding!
So gear or no gear… if I can finally get this song finished, recorded and ready, it’s a win for me!
This is great!!!!!
Graham, I salute you for being a great motivational speaker! God bless!
Sounds great,but is it U.S only….
Nope. Open to anyone.
Wow! Just wow! Your are awesome Graham! Super motivated! Let’s do this!!!
May God keep on blessing you and happy new years!
Graham, thank you a lot!
I’m new in here, and in a couple of days you unblocked me well!
I’m totally in for this challenge, (gears or not) it.. challenges our limits and willpower!
Actually I’ve already succeeded on writing the new song yesterday. I obviously must look again the arrangement, but I’m pretty much happy about it!
Thank you again, and happy new year from Italy to everyone!
Double sweet! I need a kick in the….and this will be the cat sass
I do a song a week create ,record,mix but then publishing or getting copyrights for all those songs is expensive .
This is very cool. Great idea, and good on you for motivating people!
One question, though. How will you know that the song wasn’t written and/or recorded sometime in the past?
I am ready to do this.
I’m committing to this, hopefully to get one song completed at least.
As a total novice I keep getting caught up between self doubt and just lacking the courage to start… I’m going to hang in there with all you guys if that’s okay and maybe at last get something finished.
Thanks Graham for the motivation!
Looking forward to recording my new song for this challenge. Hope we get to listen to other peoples’ tunes , too.
Thanks for being there for us, Graham!
I am a writer… Been writing since I was a young teen, so I am pretty pumped about this idea Graham. As always you are the man, and I love how you look out for us out here in home studio land. Happy New Years Graham.
This is awesome, great inspiring and motivation. I going to commit to this one. been waiting on a challenge for 2016, this is it. Being a Worship Leader Im even going to add a worship song as well.
How Great Thou Art. Keep Being the teacher that you are. This is a sweet 16, (2016) accomplishment. Lets have fun.
Thanks Graham.
Very inspirational idea. Definitely got me off the couch and into the music room today. Thanks!
Hi Bro..this would be great news for ppl like me who struggle to make at least one song in lifetime. Hope you will show the exact step from A-Z. In addition, if appreciate if use the basic chords like C,A,F. Thank You
Ok Graham. Sounds good. Thanks Man & Happy New Year
I’m there! That’s me!
Just updated my DAW, Studio One to version 3 and I’m already starting recording. This one song per month sounds very doable! Am looking forward to it!
You challenge sounds like just the thing, wanting to have an album written and recorded by the end of the year. I am an old hand when it comes to playing, performing and writing; I am a total novice at recording, etc., and I have found your book and your common-sense approach most helpful, and I have a quick question regarding your challenge that I think might be on the mind of some others considering participation: on material that I “publish” on a monthly basis, what are the intellectual property considerations. Things that I have copyrighted in the past have taken six month or more.
Sounds great. Hope I can keep my motivation more than 10 days and actually finish some songs this time 🙂
Happy new year to all!
Great challenge Graham …. maybe THIS will help me concentrate more on some of my stuff rather than filling all my time with client projects. Happy New year to you. I have learned SO much from you over the years. I thank you.
Mike Miller
Rock solid!! Thanks!
Hey Graham,
Cool Challenge, but what about those out there like myself who don’t have a musical bone in our bodies but are only into mixing and production? I can’t sing or play / read a single musical note?
Anywho……. best of luck to you all!
Happy new year.
Charles
Really excited to start this 🙂 I really want to stop buying gear and focus on what’s really important: taking action/practicing to get better.
Thank you Graham for all the help and inspiration, here’s to a great 2016 filled with awesome music making!
hi graham,
this is raul from barcelona, already on your mailing list for nearly three years.
I did a One Week One Song A Year and made 53 videocovers. Sure thing I’m in for this One Song challenge 😉
happy new 2016 to y’all!
just the fact you will be sharing your knowhow is prize enough for me
thanks G.
Thanks Tony 🙂
Here we GO!
Sounds like fun!!! I’m in!
How do you enter this challenge?
Very cool. My theme and concept is set. My tempo is selected. My basic drum beat is down via EZ Drummer in Studio One. My hook idea is down. Even some lyrics are coming to mind. I’m on my way.
more fun than waiting for Christmas.. Joining in the fun from UK here….
This is awesome! Thanks Graham. I love writing music but in the past six years have yet to finish an album…
I have learned a lot from you so far and am excited about this new challenge!
Thanks again!
You’re on!
On a different level, give me some stuff, man, I never win anything :p ! I’m kidding, of course. But seriously, though… 🙂 Have a great year!
Great timing – just had decided to pen a simple blues number to try to develop a workflow that can work for me as some some who has to play all the parts – have been procrastinating about how to start or hung up on getting a ‘perfect’ original song together – i just to get one with something whatever it is to get the process moving …….. looking forward to creating something (both a new creative workflow and a song ) along with everyone here!!
I came across your videos scanning youtube late at night. I feel that your positive motivational coaching approach will work well for me. I spent most of 2015 working and accumulating the studio equipment I felt I needed to be inspired. I am Looking forward to hearing about new ideas and learning new ways to achieve great recording results.
Thanks
This is ideal to me as far as mixing I could find songs online then Mix 1 a month to not only get better, to get back on my grind b/c it’s been a hot minute since I did any Studio stuff. At least I got internship 🙂
Hmmm. I have just started writing a Rush style song based on the the attack of the Golden Horde upon the Kievan Rus. It’s got three distinct parts at the moment. Maybe a touch ambitious for a one month? I’m also away for the next week leaving me just two weeks when I get back. Let’s do this!!!!
Awesome idea Graham! This was just the motivation that I needed.
Hi Graham…
I’m definitely interested in the challenge, and joined the email list recently (got the e-book and videos you offered, too). One question, can I use songs I’ve already written but just haven’t had time to sit down and record? Let me know. Thanks!
Hi Graham! You are very obviously taking this to the next level now! Your level of commitment and passion is going to transform us all into greater producers and engineers. You are cool man, I appreciate what you are doing!!!!
Great challenge Graham! I already have an idea for my song for this month! I can’t wait to share the finished song with you.
I have been writing music here in Hattiesburg,MS for years and I decided this year to step up and become an engineer. I also decided to step out as an artist. So I’m going to do the challenge. I’m excited. Reading the eBook and going thru the Video series now. Not to mention I bought the Presonus $300 home studio and I love studio artist one 3.
Question: How do we submit the music? Send it to your email?
This is awesome Graham!! You are a GREAT motivator!!
Sounds awesome! Count me in!
My friend Graham Cochrane is holding what I think is a great thing that all musicians, producers, and engineers should do to start the year.
This is a great productivity boosting challenge to create one song per month. This breaks the process down into bite-sized chunks so you can make progress. PLUS, you can get a chance to win some free gear.
Get on his email list to start receiving the info. The year is already one week old. Take action.
Grammy Winning Engineer/Author/Producer
Khaliq Glover aka Khaliq-O-Vision
MusicMixingSuccess.com
One of my goals for 2016 is to learn how to record myself, so count me in! I have a lot to learn, but I already have a song, so that’s a start. Thanks Graham! Here’s to all of us making some awesome music 🙂
Hi Graham,
Wish you and your family a happy, healthy and successful New Year 2016!
Looking forward to this series. 🙂
Am All in ! Thanks for the motivation ,and all that you do.
A third of the way through the month and my song has run into a brick wall. I’ve realized that my great little zydeco tune is trickier to play than I’d thought it would be. Not as much crossover with Celtic folk techniques as I’d hoped. OK, more practice required for progress on that one.
But the clock is ticking, so to the sound of pedals going backwards, for inspiration I dug out my abandoned lyrics folder and found a 5 year old lyric idea that had 1 & 1/2 verses written and was probably the most complete thing in there.
It was a set of lyrics I wrote when I was in a much darker place than I am now so I wasn’t sure at first. So as an experiment I worked on the vocal melody first then went to the piano rather than guitar for accompaniment. Completely different way to the way I normally write and it seems to be working. So out of the ashes a phoenix rises. (Hopefully)
I does mean however I’m back at stage 2…………..
How do we submit our songs?
Join the mailing list and you’ll find out soon!
Hey, Graham,
thanks for all the great videos over the years. I’ve been working away at this challenge, but got a bit behind on the videos. Still working on building my arrangement. I wasn’t clear on how to apply for the prizes. Are we supposed to be submitting our work on a regular basis? If so, how?
Chris Willson
Where exactly do we submit our tracks for judging?
I think he will only tell us at the end of the last YouTube video (#8).
I wonder when that will be released it would be really nice if there were better indications on when it was be judged and how we upload it.. like. It’s a big deal to a lot of us.
Hey Buddy,
Maybe I missed the info…How do I submit? And I’m assuming submissions end on Jan 31st?
Thanks!!
Hey everyone – just make sure you are on my mailing list to find out how to submit your song.
Graham,
I am on the mailing list but did not receive any info on submissions. Please explain.
Thanks!