Do you find yourself wondering why so many of the songs in the charts are collaborations? Clean Bandit & Jess Glynne, Ariana Grande & Iggy Azalea, Robin Thicke, T.I. & Pharrell⊠and donât get me started on David Guetta! The reason for this is simple⊠Collaboration = Exposure!
There are so many reasons why collaboration can add value to your artist career.
Here are 7 of them to get you motivated:
1. Different Perspective
We all know that feeling of hitting a wall in the studio. Not knowing which way to go or what to do. Thatâs the moment where your partner in the studio comes in handy! When youâre in the studio with two persons, you have four ears to listen and you have two brains to be creative instead of one.
When you find yourself in the studio with someone else you will instantly notice that this is a completely different way of working in comparison with working on your own. You will have to work with the other personâs opinion and taste which could be really refreshing and annoying at the same time. You will get insights that you would have never got by yourself and you wonât be experiencing as many roadblocks as youâve had before because the other person will take over once you hit a wall.
2. Expand Your Network
When you’re in a collaboration you obviously already expanded your network since you know an extra person in the music industry now. Besides working on a track, you will also start to create a relationship with each other when youâre in the studio. This might help you in the future when you need people to get you to the next step. The person sitting next to you might be a local DJ who has a residency in a local bar and who is able to invite you there on a monthly base. Or he might be really connected with a lot of label managers which could help you make it easier to reach out to them in the future.
You probably have heard of the sentence: âYou are who you knowâ. Well, that is correct, when it comes down to the music industry.
3. Gain Experience and Knowledge
You canât do everything on your own in life. We learn from each other. We spread knowledge by talking to each other. This also happens in the studio! When you are working with someone else you will notice that everyone has his own habits and routines. Some things might work better and quicker than you used to, some may not.
Everyone knows something that the other person probably doesnât know, so besides having a new track at the end of the day, youâve also learned something.
4. Using Each Others Following
As an artist you probably have a following, even if itâs 10 people, itâs a following. Well, guess what⊠The guy sitting next to you in the studio also has a following. Maybe even a bigger one? When you spent time in the studio together you will make a guest appearance on his social media. He will notify his followers about you and they will be interested in you. (read; more followers).
So by collaborating, you donât only have a new release coming up (if the track is good enough), you also build your following online by promoting each other.
5. New Revenue Streams
When you are going to collaborate with someone this doesnât necessarily have to mean that you will be on the title as well. You can also decide to go in a different direction. Maybe you would like to co-produce, ghost producer or write the lyrics for someone without being featured. By doing this you can still collaborate, build your network, create a bigger following and gain experience and knowledge. When you co-, ghost produce or co-write other tracks you create a different stream of income which is always great.
6. Experience Other Genres
Most artists spend a lot of time producing the same kind of music. Simply because theyâve built a fanbase that has expectations and to manage those expectations, they donât really dare to try out new genres. The best way to experience new genres is by collaborating because you can simply explain why your song sounds different than normal. Itâs the influence of the other party.
I donât recommend that you are only producing music for your audience but it could be a smart idea to think outside of the box every now and then. Especially to keep your own creative juices flowing.
These are just a few tips to. get you going. Collaborating is the perfect way to grow your following and awareness.
What are you waiting for? Go look for a partner to collaborate with!