{"id":16365,"date":"2025-03-20T13:04:00","date_gmt":"2025-03-20T17:04:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/?p=16365"},"modified":"2025-10-09T17:43:19","modified_gmt":"2025-10-09T21:43:19","slug":"use-active-listening-inspire-song","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/use-active-listening-inspire-song\/","title":{"rendered":"Active listening: What it is and why it matters for musicians"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p style=\"font-size:15px\" class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong>Illustration:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jordanemoss.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\"><strong>Jordan Moss<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">When was the last time you listened to music?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Chances are, it was earlier today\u2014while you were driving home, going for a walk, or cooking a meal. You might even have something on in the background at this very moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But when was the last time you <em>really<\/em> listened to music?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The truth is, most people listen to music passively. We think of it as entertainment, a soundtrack to our lives that we have in the background while we focus on something else. For musicians, however, listening to music can be an incredible source of knowledge and inspiration. Listening to other people\u2019s songs is how we learn, develop our skills, and find our own sound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But, all of this happens only if we engage in <strong>active listening.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color wp-elements-c3706cc98d779b0d6fb864120a14adaa\" style=\"background-color:#62daff\"><strong>Voice to verse\u2014anywhere. With the addition of Splice Mic, you can instantly test and record ideas, explore genres, and unlock new creative possibilities, all from <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/splice.onelink.me\/vNNn\/sozstw8b\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>the Splice mobile app.<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What is active listening?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The definition of active listening is simple\u2014it\u2019s what happens when all you\u2019re doing is listening. You\u2019re not doing or thinking about anything else, and there are no other stimuli or distractions around you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This kind of listening is deliberate. It requires a dedicated time and space. Think of it as attending a college lecture; you show up to the lecture hall at a certain time, bring your laptop to take notes, and expect to spend the next hour or so learning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why is active listening important for musicians?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Actively listening to music allows musicians to learn from the artists they admire and look up to. It trains us to not only enjoy music, but to listen to it with a critical ear, identify elements we like, and use them to inspire our own sound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For maximum benefit, active listening should be a regular practice in every musician\u2019s life. Read on to learn how to get the most out of your active listening sessions and what exactly to listen for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Tips for active listening<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Everyone has a different learning style and preferences, but the following tips may be helpful to keep in mind as you try out active listening for the first time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. Eliminate distractions<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Find a time when your house or apartment is relatively quiet. The key is to eliminate as much outside noise as possible so you can focus on the music. Give a heads up to other people so no one comes barging into your room in the middle of your listening session. If you need to, turn off your computer, dim the lights, and close your eyes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. Use high-quality audio<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Most streaming services tend to compress audio, making it harder to make out the individual elements. If you can, try to use hi-fi streaming options, or find .wav or FLAC files instead of mp3s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. Use headphones or studio monitors<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Use studio monitors if you have them. If not, a good pair of <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"noise-cancelling headphones (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/how-does-noise-cancelling-work\/\" target=\"_blank\">noise-cancelling headphones<\/a> will help you focus all your attention on the music.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">4. Listen to songs you like<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The best way to <a href=\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/tips-finding-signature-sound\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">create your own signature sound<\/a> is to start out by imitating your idols, so listen to the songs you already know and love. Not to mention, studying a song will require you to listen to it over and over, so it\u2019s always a good idea to choose something you won\u2019t get tired of easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">5. Listen to different genres<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Creativity and innovation are often achieved by combining existing ideas in new and unexpected ways. The only way you\u2019ll be able to come up with your own unique sound is if you expose yourself to lots of different genres of music and learn their key features. When you intentionally identify elements from different genres and combine them in interesting ways, fans of those genres will undoubtedly take note.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">6. Listen for one element at a time<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Active listening requires you to break down each song into its parts. Choose an element or an instrument that you want to analyze (more on this in the next section) and listen to the entire song, focusing only on that element.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, if you want to learn about the bass, play the whole song and pay attention to only the bass. Then, rinse and repeat (you may start to see why it\u2019s important to choose a song you like).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">7. Listen like a critic<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The songs you choose for this exercise are likely some of your favorite songs, but in order to really practice your active listening skills, you need to think like a critic. Pick every song apart and think about what you like and don\u2019t like, what you would do differently, and what you would add or remove. Thinking like a critic will help keep you from getting off track and simply enjoying the music without learning anything from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">8. Take notes<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>This is perhaps the most important point. Think back to our lecture analogy\u2014would you attend a lecture and not take any notes? Hopefully not! <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Each song you actively listen to is a treasure trove of valuable information, but you\u2019re bound to forget a lot of it if you don\u2019t write it down. You can choose to write down your analysis of each element, ideas for what you\u2019d like to include in your own music, or both. Some musicians even go as far as keeping a dedicated listening journal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What to listen for when practicing active listening<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>So you\u2019re ready to try active listening. But what should you actually listen for?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This depends largely on what you\u2019re hoping to gain from your active listening session, what you feel you\u2019re already good at, and what you\u2019re looking to improve. For example, if you\u2019re a skilled drummer, you may not need to listen as closely to the drums, apart from picking up a few interesting fills. But maybe you\u2019re not as good at <a href=\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/build-chord-progressions-free-midi\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"coming up with chord progressions (opens in a new tab)\">coming up with chord progressions<\/a>\u2014you would probably pay a bit more attention to the song\u2019s chords to see what you can borrow. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re really not sure where to start, here are a few general ideas:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. Overall mood<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Think about the song\u2019s mood or atmosphere. How does it make you feel? What emotions does it invoke? How do you think this is achieved? Try to identify whether the mood is created by a certain instrument, chord progression or rhythm, and think about what you could do to achieve a similar effect with your own song.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. Tempo and time signature<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Is the song fast or slow? Is it in 4\/4 or 6\/8? Try to count out the beat and think about what effect <a href=\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/an-introduction-to-rhythm\/#TimeSignature\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">the time signature<\/a> has on the mood of the song. How would the song be different if it changed?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. Rhythm<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>What\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/an-introduction-to-rhythm\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">the rhythm<\/a> of the song like? Does it make you want to tap your foot or have a dance party? Identify the instruments that contribute most to the rhythm\u2014are they familiar or unique? Do you hear any interesting percussion instruments? If the rhythm changes throughout the song, think about where that happens, how it\u2019s achieved, and what effect it has on the song.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">4. Key and chords<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Listen to the chords used in the song\u2014are there any interesting choices or borrowed chords? Note any changes in the chord progression or the key of the song. What effect do these changes create?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019d like, identify the chords and the key by name (though you may need to use your instrument for this step\u2014feel free to come back to it later so that you don\u2019t interrupt your active listening session).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">5. Instrumentation<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Try to identify every single instrument used and listen to their individual lines. How do they compliment each other? Do you hear any interesting instruments that you could use in your own production?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">6. Mix<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Listen to how the instruments and vocals are <a href=\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/an-introduction-to-mixing\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"mixed. (opens in a new tab)\">mixed.<\/a> What effects do you hear? How are the channels panned? How does the mix contribute to the song\u2019s mood and energy? If you can\u2019t identify anything noteworthy right away, try briefly listening to another song for comparison and you\u2019ll likely notice how differently they\u2019re mixed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">7. Song structure<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Think about <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"the song\u2019s structure. (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/an-introduction-to-song-structure\/\" target=\"_blank\">the song\u2019s structure.<\/a> Does it change over time or remain the same? How does it contribute to the song\u2019s storytelling? If there\u2019s nothing unique about the song\u2019s structure, think about what you would add to make it more interesting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">8. Melody<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>If the song has a vocalist, pay attention to <a href=\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/an-introduction-to-melody\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">the melody<\/a> they sing. If not, listen for the lead instruments. How does the melody fit with the chords? Do you hear any notes that surprise you? Can you identify the different intervals? If the melody tends to get stuck in your head, think about why that is\u2014what makes the melody catchy or memorable?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">9. Technique<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>If the song has live instruments, listen closely to how they\u2019re played. Can you use this as inspiration the next time you practice your own instrument? What about the vocalist\u2019s performance? If you don\u2019t play an instrument or sing, listen to the song\u2019s production and see if anything stands out that you\u2019d like to try for yourself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">10. Harmonies<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Think about how <a href=\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/an-introduction-to-harmony\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">the harmonies,<\/a> whether instrumental or vocal, embellish the song. How many can you hear? Can you identify the individual melodies they\u2019re composed of? Do any harmonies surprise you?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">11. Lyrics<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>If the song has lyrics, what\u2019s the story they\u2019re telling? What rhyming scheme, if any, is the songwriter using? Are there any <a aria-label=\"great lyrics (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/tips-writing-better-lyrics\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">great lyrics<\/a> that stand out to you? Any that are particularly memorable? If you can\u2019t identify anything noteworthy about the lyrics, take any line and think about how you would make it better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Active listening: Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Analyzing a song through active listening is only half the battle. Once you\u2019ve listened to a song with a critical ear and made notes, put down the headphones, pick up your instrument or <a href=\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/what-is-a-daw\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">DAW,<\/a> and <a aria-label=\"get writing. (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/how-to-write-a-song\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">get writing.<\/a> The real learning happens when you apply what you learned and found inspiring to your own projects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Have you tried active listening? Is there a particular song that you\u2019ve learned a lot from? Start a conversation with us and an ever-growing community of other music creators via <a href=\"https:\/\/splice.com\/features\/community\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">the Splice Discord.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">Use Splice Mobile to instantly test and record ideas, explore genres, and unlock new creative possibilities\u2014all from your phone:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button aligncenter\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/splice.onelink.me\/vNNn\/l2edvqvz\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Download Splice Mobile<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Let&#8217;s explore how you can use active listening to strategically learn from the songs you love and the artists you look up to.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":93,"featured_media":16367,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1859,1696],"tags":[524],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v22.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Active Listening: Definition, Tips, &amp; How to Use it for Your Music - Blog | Splice<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Learn about the definition of active listening, tips for how to do it effectively, and why it matters for musicians in particular.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/use-active-listening-inspire-song\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Active Listening: Definition, Tips, &amp; How to Use it for Your Music - Blog | Splice\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Learn about the definition of active listening, tips for how to do it effectively, and why it matters for musicians in particular.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/use-active-listening-inspire-song\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Blog | Splice\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Splice\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-03-20T17:04:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-10-09T21:43:19+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Active_Listening_BlogPost-1024x640.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1024\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"640\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"SAYANA\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@splice\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@splice\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"SAYANA\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"8 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/use-active-listening-inspire-song\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/use-active-listening-inspire-song\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"SAYANA\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/29027f412ad03a3d7f62ab04b7e9fa7d\"},\"headline\":\"Active listening: What it is and why it matters for musicians\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-03-20T17:04:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-10-09T21:43:19+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/use-active-listening-inspire-song\/\"},\"wordCount\":1720,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/use-active-listening-inspire-song\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Active_Listening_BlogPost.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"songwriting\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Inspiration\",\"Tips &amp; Tutorials\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/use-active-listening-inspire-song\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/use-active-listening-inspire-song\/\",\"name\":\"Active Listening: Definition, Tips, & How to Use it for Your Music - Blog | Splice\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/use-active-listening-inspire-song\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/use-active-listening-inspire-song\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Active_Listening_BlogPost.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-03-20T17:04:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-10-09T21:43:19+00:00\",\"description\":\"Learn about the definition of active listening, tips for how to do it effectively, and why it matters for musicians in particular.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/use-active-listening-inspire-song\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/use-active-listening-inspire-song\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/use-active-listening-inspire-song\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Active_Listening_BlogPost.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Active_Listening_BlogPost.jpg\",\"width\":1920,\"height\":1200,\"caption\":\"active-listening-featured-image\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/use-active-listening-inspire-song\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Active listening: What it is and why it matters for musicians\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"Splice Blog\",\"description\":\"An inside look at making music\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Splice\",\"alternateName\":\"Splice Sounds\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Splice-logo-black-background.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Splice-logo-black-background.png\",\"width\":2928,\"height\":1540,\"caption\":\"Splice\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Splice\",\"https:\/\/x.com\/splice\",\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/splice\/\",\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@splice\",\"https:\/\/discord.com\/invite\/splice\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/29027f412ad03a3d7f62ab04b7e9fa7d\",\"name\":\"SAYANA\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8515c2812571ab67e70e7661b194c5ef?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8515c2812571ab67e70e7661b194c5ef?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"SAYANA\"},\"description\":\"SAYANA is a contemporary Pop\/R&amp;B singer-songwriter based in Toronto, Canada. Check out her LP \\\"Them, You and Me\\\" anywhere you listen to music.\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.sayanamusic.com\/\",\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/sayanamusic\/\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/author\/sayana\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Active Listening: Definition, Tips, & How to Use it for Your Music - Blog | Splice","description":"Learn about the definition of active listening, tips for how to do it effectively, and why it matters for musicians in particular.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/use-active-listening-inspire-song\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Active Listening: Definition, Tips, & How to Use it for Your Music - Blog | Splice","og_description":"Learn about the definition of active listening, tips for how to do it effectively, and why it matters for musicians in particular.","og_url":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/use-active-listening-inspire-song\/","og_site_name":"Blog | Splice","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Splice","article_published_time":"2025-03-20T17:04:00+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-10-09T21:43:19+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1024,"height":640,"url":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Active_Listening_BlogPost-1024x640.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"SAYANA","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@splice","twitter_site":"@splice","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"SAYANA","Est. reading time":"8 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/use-active-listening-inspire-song\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/use-active-listening-inspire-song\/"},"author":{"name":"SAYANA","@id":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/29027f412ad03a3d7f62ab04b7e9fa7d"},"headline":"Active listening: What it is and why it matters for musicians","datePublished":"2025-03-20T17:04:00+00:00","dateModified":"2025-10-09T21:43:19+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/use-active-listening-inspire-song\/"},"wordCount":1720,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/use-active-listening-inspire-song\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Active_Listening_BlogPost.jpg","keywords":["songwriting"],"articleSection":["Inspiration","Tips &amp; Tutorials"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/use-active-listening-inspire-song\/","url":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/use-active-listening-inspire-song\/","name":"Active Listening: Definition, Tips, & How to Use it for Your Music - Blog | Splice","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/use-active-listening-inspire-song\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/use-active-listening-inspire-song\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Active_Listening_BlogPost.jpg","datePublished":"2025-03-20T17:04:00+00:00","dateModified":"2025-10-09T21:43:19+00:00","description":"Learn about the definition of active listening, tips for how to do it effectively, and why it matters for musicians in particular.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/use-active-listening-inspire-song\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/use-active-listening-inspire-song\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/use-active-listening-inspire-song\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Active_Listening_BlogPost.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Active_Listening_BlogPost.jpg","width":1920,"height":1200,"caption":"active-listening-featured-image"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/use-active-listening-inspire-song\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Active listening: What it is and why it matters for musicians"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/","name":"Splice Blog","description":"An inside look at making music","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/#organization","name":"Splice","alternateName":"Splice Sounds","url":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Splice-logo-black-background.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Splice-logo-black-background.png","width":2928,"height":1540,"caption":"Splice"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Splice","https:\/\/x.com\/splice","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/splice\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@splice","https:\/\/discord.com\/invite\/splice"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/29027f412ad03a3d7f62ab04b7e9fa7d","name":"SAYANA","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8515c2812571ab67e70e7661b194c5ef?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8515c2812571ab67e70e7661b194c5ef?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"SAYANA"},"description":"SAYANA is a contemporary Pop\/R&amp;B singer-songwriter based in Toronto, Canada. Check out her LP \"Them, You and Me\" anywhere you listen to music.","sameAs":["https:\/\/www.sayanamusic.com\/","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/sayanamusic\/"],"url":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/author\/sayana\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16365"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/93"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16365"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16365\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":35020,"href":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16365\/revisions\/35020"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16367"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16365"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16365"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16365"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}