# How to Decide Which Song to Finish Next > With several unfinished songs competing for attention, here's a practical way to pick which one to actually prioritize finishing. [All guides](/blog) # How to Decide Which Song to Finish Next Published 14 September 2026, 20:00 UTC · updated 31 August 2026, 13:05 UTC · by Loopin With several unfinished songs sitting around, picking which one to actually prioritize finishing is its own small decision that's easy to avoid entirely by not deciding at all. A practical framework beats waiting for one to feel obviously right. ## Prioritize proximity to done, not excitement The song closest to actually finished, even if it's not your most exciting current idea, often deserves priority — finishing it converts near-complete effort into an actual result, which is more valuable than starting fresh work on something newer and shinier. Excitement about a new idea is real, but it's also often just novelty. A song 80% done is closer to a finished product than a song that's 20% done but currently feels more inspiring. ## Consider what's actually blocking each one A song stuck on a specific, solvable problem — a bridge that isn't working, a mix issue — is often faster to finish than one that's vaguer and less defined, even if the vague one has more total work remaining. Identifying the specific blocker for each unfinished song helps you estimate real effort, not just perceived closeness to done. Sometimes a song that feels "almost there" is actually stuck on a hard, unsolved problem, while a song that feels further along has a clear, straightforward remaining path. Effort to finish and perceived completion aren't always the same thing. ## Factor in any external deadline or opportunity If one song is being considered for a specific release, submission, or opportunity with a real deadline, that's a legitimate reason to prioritize it over one with no external pressure, regardless of which one you'd otherwise pick by feel. External deadlines create a forcing function that pure internal motivation often doesn't — use that structure deliberately when it's available rather than ignoring it. ## Don't let the choice itself become a stalling tactic If you're spending real time deliberating over which song to work on rather than actually working on any of them, the decision itself has become a form of procrastination. Set a short time limit for choosing — a couple of minutes — and then commit to the choice rather than continuing to weigh options. A reasonably good choice made quickly beats an optimal choice that took so long to reach that it ate into actual working time. ## Revisit the choice periodically, not constantly Once you've committed to a song, give it a real, sustained effort before reconsidering whether it was the right pick — switching too frequently between songs prevents any of them from actually reaching completion. Check in on your choice weekly, not every session. This balances the benefit of occasionally correcting a poor choice against the cost of constant re-evaluation undermining the momentum any single song needs to actually get finished. ## Frequently asked questions ### Should I finish the song I'm most excited about first? Not necessarily. The song closest to actually finished often deserves priority over the most exciting new idea, since converting near-complete work into a result is more valuable than starting fresh on something that just feels more inspiring right now. ### How do I know which unfinished song will actually be fastest to finish? Identify what's specifically blocking each one. A song stuck on a clear, solvable problem is often faster to finish than one that feels closer to done but is stuck on something vague or unresolved. ### What if I can't decide which song to work on? Set a short time limit -- a couple of minutes -- and commit to a choice rather than continuing to deliberate. Spending real time deciding which song to work on is itself a form of procrastination. ## Related reads - [How many songs should you work on at once?](/blog/how-many-songs-should-you-work-on-at-once) - [Loopin on the App Store](/) - [How to actually finish more songs](/blog/how-to-finish-more-songs) --- Source: https://onloopin.com/blog/how-to-decide-which-song-to-finish-next