Collaboration. It seems to be THE thing to be doing at the moment in the music industry. Music collaborations appear often from big artists like Liam Payne and Jonas Blue, Jax Jones and Years and Years, and Ella Eyre with Meghan Trainor and Sigala. With that in mind, it seems to be one of the best ways to get people to listen to your music.
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What Is Music Collaboration?
A music collaboration is when two creatives come together to make something. This usually results in something better than they ever could have made individually. It’s basically a combination of both creatives’ skills, styles, and knowledge, in one song. This could be multiple songwriters coming together to make a great, catchy song. It could also be an artist working with a producer or two artists coming together.
Why Collaborate? There are many different opportunities when it comes to music collaboration that you can really use to your advantage. Here are a few reasons why collaboration is such a great way to further your career in the music industry.
Different Skills And Ideas
A lot of people in the music world all have a slightly different way of doing things. Songwriters will all have a different style of writing, producers an alternative way of mixing, and everyone has a different story to tell. By collaborating with other artists, you’re given the ability to create something completely new and original.
It may be that one of you is great at laying down a beat, however, not so confident when it comes to writing lyrics. Whereas, whoever you collaborate with may love writing lyrics but they’re not sure where to start with a beat. A perfect team to create the next biggest hit!
Also, two minds are always better than one. With two or more artists working on a music collaboration together, you’ll give each other inspiration and ideas to create something really great. Having other artists there will motivate you to finish that song you haven’t been able to complete! (whether that’s because you’re procrastinating or because you’re a perfectionist.)
Where Can You Go With These Ideas?
By having two different sets of ideas you will have a lot to play with when it comes to composing your song. This allows you to have a really good chance of creating something great. This also makes the process a lot more fun and enjoyable as you are sharing the experience with someone who is just as enthusiastic about the idea as you are.
You will push each other to achieve more than what you maybe thought you could on your own. It really helps with motivation and is incredibly reassuring when you have another artist alongside you building your ideas and turning them into something that you are both proud of.
You will also give each other feedback – they will be able to give you constructive criticism which will help you filter your ideas to make the best song possible. It’s always a good idea to get someone else’s opinion. For example, to see how the song could be interpreted from another perspective.
Therefore, make sure you’re prepared to share ideas and take criticism. Working with someone else requires some compromise at times and can be difficult if you have conflicting ideas. However, the end result will be something you can be proud of and celebrate together.
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Exposure And Connections
The most beneficial aspect to collaborative music projects is the exposure to the other artists’ audience that you gain. That’s a whole new fanbase learning who you are, especially if you collaborate with an artist who is different to you in style, genre. This gives you the opportunity to market and promote yourself to new people who could be potential fans and a potential audience at gigs and concerts if you wish to do live shows.
This also means an insight to the other artists’ industry connections, giving you many more connections and contacts, which you could potentially use for further music collaborations or get you one step closer to getting signed. Don’t be afraid to ask your partner if they know of anyone who you could approach or someone who may fit a role you need for a particular project.
The More The Merrier
If there is more than one artist/team promoting a song, it will reach a much wider audience. You’ll both be shouting about it to your individual audiences and convincing people to listen to the track! More people also equals more connections, maybe more links in radio, and potentially a higher budget for promotion as well. Whoever you collaborate with may have a large team behind them that helps with their promotion, social media and marketing.
This could, in turn, be extremely beneficial and crucial to how well your collaborative track goes once released. If you want people to hear your music you’ll need to be able to promote it. Besides all that, it can also just be more fun to write together with someone rather than sitting by yourself. By collaborating, you’re creating a bond or friendship that might be beneficial to you in the future.
How To Collaborate And Where Do You Find Someone To Collaborate With?
You may already know a few people within your network looking for another artist or producer to collaborate with. If that’s the case then talk to them, or send them an email about your proposition. If you already have a song that you want to become a collaborative project, give them information about it. Share your project and give them a way of listening to the track you already have.
If you don’t know of anyone first hand to collaborate with, get networking! Talk to new people, you never know who you may come across and who may be interested! We have written an article all about networking tips and one about networking events which you may find useful.
The Academy – Мusic Gateway
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The Academy is a video-led platform that compliments all of Мusic Gateway’s other services – by supporting the professional growth of artists. All our courses are created by industry professionals, with a wealth of knowledge and expertise.
Our courses are designed to give you skills that are valuable to you as an artist. Whether you’re looking to learn a new instrument or more about the industry we’ve got a course for you! Check it out today!
So, What Next?
Music collaboration is a great way to make your mark on the industry and to get your music out there. Although it can feel awkward or scary approaching somebody you may not know just go for it! You don’t know what could happen if you don’t ask! So bite the bullet, get your ideas out there and share them with other artists, who knows what could happen? You could end up with the next big hit! Enjoy sharing your ideas with other artists and producers and furthering your career!
If you’re looking for a quicker way to find connections there are some great online music collaboration sites. Using Мusic Gateway gives you the ability to connect with all kinds of people internationally without having to leave the house to attend 100s of networking events. Join the community to get access to our marketplace which is a global music collaboration platform that makes long-distance music collaboration possible. There are many opportunities for high-level businesses and industry professionals to look through. You’ll also have access to help for unsigned artists through our blog, feedback and possibly even our new artist promotion service.