“Collaborate with artists” is strong advice you missed if you didn’t study music in college. Not only does it allow you to build a network of other creators, but it also puts you in front of new audiences!

So, here are our top 5 ways of collaborating with other performers like you.

Co-Write a Song Together

Firstly, the obvious one. But, before you write a song, there are two steps to take.

1. Do your homework and understand the artist through their music. What do they do well, and what do they not do so well?
2. Reach out to them in an honest way. Be yourself.

Okay, now you can do the fun stuff. When you write a song with another artist, you will begin to connect and flow together. You will develop a friendship if you’re together in person or even working over the internet.

Next, It’s important to come with at least one idea. This will allow you to get stuck in straight away if the process kicks off with a slow start… but it’s also important to avoid being protective of your ideas. If you are, you will make the artist feel like you’re difficult to work with and may avoid working with you in the future. It’s also essential for the free flow of ideas!

STEMS, if you don’t know

If you’re collaborating over the internet then stems are your best friend. A stem is a stereo recording/audio file of a collection of mixer tracks.
For example, your drums stem would be a kick, snare, a hi-hat, and any other drum instrument you include like a crash hat. You may even want to export your kick and snare separately to your hats, but that’s up to you. Program drums while your collaborator sings and you’re able to send them the drums as a file when finished.

Improvise, be creative, and suggest changes too!

If your partner has an idea that you don’t like, don’t say “no”. Say “Okay, but what if we added this…”. This will make a lot of room for cooperation, and that makes the world go around.

Build on their ideas, and let them build on your ideas. Before the day is over you will have a unique piece playing through your speakers.

Invite an Artist to Feature

This is the most popular way to collaborate.

Come up with an idea, even if it’s just a verse and/or chorus, and reach out to other artists and have them write a bridge.

Get somebody else to bring their own magic to the piece. Having somebody else add a new flavor to what you’ve written will give the music a new level of uniqueness!

Gig Swapping

Here’s how it works:

1. Set up a show in your home town
2. Invite the artist to open it and warm the crowd uP

And, sure enough, they will do the same for you.

Do you see the benefits of it? You’ve put them in front of a new audience that they wouldn’t have played for otherwise.

And you’ll get the exact same benefit!

Gig swaps are most beneficial if you’re in the same or similar places in your career. If you have a similar appeal, why haven’t you done this already?

Remix Each Other’s Music

If you pull off even a small number of remixes, you will develop a reputation for doing just that.

That’s why remixing other people’s music is fantastic for both you and the artist. You’ll develop a reputation, a new relationship, and also put their music in front of your own audience. It’s a win-win, right?

If you want to remix somebody’s track, it may be as simple as reaching out to them. If you already have a reputation for doing remixes, it’s much more likely for them to say yes. Don’t forget that you can collaborate with fans and ask who they want you to remix. Remember, the artist doesn’t need to be famous!

Another bonus here is that you can release your own stems to your fans. This will give them the opportunity to connect with you and put their own energy into your music. This is fantastic for you. You’ll create a strong line of communication with your fans and benefit when they share their remix around.

Perform Together

Are you vibing to a particular artist? Cool. Reach out to them and set up a show! There’s a lot of potential with these.

Firstly, your fans will love it. You’ll bring two groups of people together who are there for one thing: to dance!

How many music videos have you watched where there’s a live performance involved? You can make that happen too! You can both release the video and engage with each other’s fan base!

This means you’ll have to rehearse together, which creates a relationship. If you’re DJs, work together and organize what tracks you want to play. Cohesive sets are always a killer on the dance floor!

Don’t forget to turn your collaborations into a sample pack and upload it to Mixxed.com!

READ MORE: How to Set Yourself Goals, Manage Expectations, and Achieve Your Dream