Infinite Song Idea Glitch (The Reference Formula Method)

A proven method for starting new song ideas.

Picture this…

You're starting a new song, you open your DAW, cursor blinking and infinite possibilities stretched before you. Gigabytes of sounds, samples and plugins to yet somehow, you can't seem to take the first step.

The blank canvas is both your greatest opportunity as an artist but also your biggest enemy.

Because when we have the options and opportunity to make anything, you often make nothing at all.

But what if I told you there's a systematic way to turn your influences into an endless stream of fresh ideas?

What if creativity wasn't about waiting for lightning to strike, but about having the right framework to channel your creative energy?

This is exactly what today's newsletter is about, let's get right into it.

The Creative Anxiety Every Music Creator Faces

Let's be honest about what typically happens during a creative block. You sit down to make music and your mind races through every creative possibility.

What sounds should I use?

What samples should I use?

Should I try something experimental?

The options multiply until they paralyze you. This isn't because you lack of talent, it's because you lack a reliable workflow.

Something I’ve learned over the years is that the human brain needs constraints to spark creativity, not unlimited freedom (as so many of us assume).

This is because when everything is possible there’s no focus of clear intention.

Most producers think inspiration is something that just randomly happens to them. They wait for the mood, the moment or the magical combination of circumstances that births their next idea (which happens sometimes, but it’s never quite in our control).

But here's the truth:

Waiting for inspiration is killing your creative momentum.

Every day you don't create is a day your skills aren't developing. Every session that starts with "I don't know what to make" is a session that could have been building your discography instead.

The cost isn't just the music you're not making today, it's also the artist you're not becoming.

This was my creative dilemma for years, until I stumbled across an effective creative challenge which quickly snapped me out of these creative uncertainties.

How Your Favorite Songs Can Create Unlimited Musical Possibilities

One day I discovered something that changed everything about how I approach creativity.

It's a creative challenge which I call Reference Formulas.

This method is exactly what it sounds like, a systematic way to create formulas from the music you love.

Here's how it came about and what happened when I first tried it:

It was just another day in which I felt stuck and paralyzed by infinite possibilities. My creative well was completely dry.

At the time I was reading Austin Kleon's bestseller Steal Like An Artist, and there's was one particular idea that kept running in my head and was still fresh in my mind.

It was a quote he shared which states:

If you steal from one author, it's plagiarism; if you steal from many, it's research.

— William Mizner

That was enough to spark something profound inside of me. I decided to take this quote to heart and do some much needed 'research’ on my favorite music.

So I hit shuffle on a Spotify playlist and chose two random songs.

These 2 songs we're going to be my constraints but also the seeds to help me start a new idea.

After the 2 songs we're selected I decide to pull 1 element from both. Here's how I did it:

• Chose the drum section from song 1.

• Chose the chord progression from song 2.

That's it.

Two elements, one formula.

Within minutes, I had a foundation that was both familiar yet completely fresh.

As I built melodies, harmonies and modified the original drum section around this foundation, something magical happened:

The song started developing its own identity.

The original influences became invisible, masked by my own musical choices and interpretations.

It didn't feel like copying, but most importantly I wasn't copying. I was creating by consciously creating my influences.

The most exciting part?

I was working with my favorite artists, hand picking exactly which elements spoke to me. This formula became a unique creative fingerprint that paid homage to my musical influences yet revealed my own sonic identity as the project matured.

So let's do a quick recap on the step-by-step instructions on how you can try this yourself.

How To Use Reference Formulas

Step 1: Song Selection

Choose two or more songs.

Any songs.

Different genres work best because contrast breeds novelty. Jazz and trap. Classical and hip-hop. Folk and EDM.

Don't overthink this.

Grab what you're listening to, what's stuck in your head, or what you heard in a coffee shop yesterday.

Personally, I like to go to my liked songs playlist on Spotify and hit shuffle. There's something special about leaving it up to chance and randomness.

Step 2: Element Selection

Pick one specific musical element from each song.

Here are some ideas:

• Rhythmic elements: Drum patterns, groove feel, rhythmic motifs

• Harmonic elements: Chord progressions, bass lines, harmonic rhythm

• Melodic elements: Vocal melodies, instrumental hooks, countermelodies

• Textural elements: Sound design, arrangement techniques, spatial choices

• Structural elements: Song sections, transitions, dynamic builds

Be specific, avoid being vague.

Don't try "the vibe of this song" but instead a precise "the snare pattern in the chorus" or "the bass movement in the bridge."

Step 3: Formula Creation and Execution

Now you should have a formula:

[Element from Song A] + [Element from Song B] = Your Starting Point

Start building around this foundation and let your own musical ideas fill in the gaps.

As you develop the idea, it will naturally evolve beyond its influences and in no time you’ll find yourself creating something completely original.

What I like most about this exercise is that it doesn't only have to happen when you sit down in front of your DAW. You can create these formulas when you're away from the studio.

• Waiting in airports

• Hanging out at the park

• As a live life and a new combination crosses my mind

By taking advantage of moments outside of making music next time you sit down to create, you don't have to wonder where to start or what sounds to use. Simply pick a pre-made formula and you'll be in flow in no time.

The Deeper Truth About Influence

This method works because it mirrors how all creativity actually functions, rooted in the fact that nothing emerges from nothing.

Every artist is a mosaic of their influences, consciously and unconsciously combining elements they've absorbed over years of listening.

Reference Formulas just make this process more intentional.

You're not stealing, you're participating in the eternal conversation between artists across time and genre. You're taking the best of what speaks to you and adding your twist into the mix.

The goal isn't to hide your influences, it's to guide you to begin something authentically yours.

When Radiohead combined rock band instrumentation with electronic textures, they weren't copying anyone, they were creating from their interests.

When Fred Again turned iPhone voice notes and field recordings into emotional dance anthems, he was just combining what he loved about music.

When early Kanye West sampled soul records over hip hop beats, he wasn't limiting his creativity, he was expanding it through strategic combination.

Your Reference Formulas are an homage to the music that shaped you, reinterpreted in a way only you can.

Hope this helps you quickly get started on your next idea. That's all from me today, thank you for reading.

— Hermes

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P.S. I’ve been quietly running the beta round of the Signature Sound Workshop behind the scenes and the breakthroughs have been wild. Here are what some artists have to say about it:

“You’re blowing my mind!! Cracked me open wow. It’s like every sentence triggers so much realization.”
— Manny

“Even just reading it made me rethink my whole process. I’ve opened my mind a lot since then… now it’s time to put in the work.”
— Teychee

“It’s so useful for me. I feel like it’s exactly what I need.”
— Yeadon

If you’re serious about crafting your sound and building a body of work that actually feels like you this is where we start.

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