Creative relationships are crucial aspects of making music, and collaboration doesn’t have to stop when you can’t meet with other musicians in person.

Remote music collaboration can absolutely result in productive work and great music, but you have to make a plan and use the right tools.

Here’s how:

Why is collaboration important?

As a music-maker, you have a world of talents, ideas, and experiences to draw from every time you create. But while you can do a lot on your own, creating with others gives you the ability to discover and construct ideas you wouldn’t have been able to come up with on your own.

Chances are that much of the music you’ve been influenced by was created through collaboration in some way.

Working alone means not having to answer to anyone, but musical collaboration forces you to listen to other musicians and work together.

Chances are that much of the music you’ve been influenced by was created through collaboration in some way.

Remote musical collaboration is a whole different ball game than working together in person, but it’s still a phenomenal way to create. Some hugely influential modern music has been made without musicians being in the same room.

How to collaborate better remotely

When you work with other musicians in person, it’s probably easy to fall into a rhythm and work naturally. Remote music collaboration takes much more planning to pull off, so getting everyone on the same page is crucial.

Start with a plan and create a list of reasonable goals

Doing this gives you and the musicians you’re working with structure and direction.

It’s important that your goals match with your resources and to remember that some tasks work better remotely than others.

It’s important that your goals match with your resources and to remember that some tasks work better remotely than others.

For example, writing and producing can easily be done without being in the same room.

Practicing and recording are trickier, especially when it comes to creating live audio that sounds even and consistent.

Create a schedule and stick to it

When you work with other musicians in person, you have to set regular times to meet.

Remote music collaboration isn’t any different. If you’re stuck at home, this can be tricky to do, but it’s crucial for staying creatively productive.

Use online collaboration tools

Everything from music collaboration apps to free software programs on your laptop can be used to communicate with musicians and further your creative work together.

Mastering these tools on your own and not during sessions will save you time and frustration.

Find out what works and what doesn’t. When you create with other musicians remotely, take time to think about what works and what doesn’t. This will cut the fat from your process and help make your time together more productive.

Challenge yourself any way you can. To get the most out of working remotely with other musicians, you’ll need to stay challenged and engaged. This means embracing curiosity and pushing yourself as much as possible.

To get the most out of working remotely with other musicians, you’ll need to stay challenged and engaged.

The best music collaboration apps

Tech tools are crucial for smooth and productive remote musical collaborations.

From platforms giving you the power to see and hear other musicians apps that offer professional studio-quality production capabilities, online collaboration tools are a powerful creative asset for musicians.

1. LANDR

Bringing a song from idea to release is big challenge, but LANDR has the tools to help you collaborate effectively at every stage in the process.

You can share tracks in your library for anyone you work with to leave notes as time-stamped comments. That’s the kind of detailed feedback you need to collaborate effectively.

2. Free video conferencing software: Zoom, FaceTime, Skype and others

Platforms like Zoom and FaceTime aren’t music-specific, but they’re powerful free assets that will help you create and communicate with musicians in real-time.

The act of performing together in the same digital space is one of the best ways to generate ideas remotely, and video conferencing tech is helpful for making it happen.

3. Pibox Music

This platform is built to help producers, artists, and audio engineers get a bird’s eye view of music projects. With an ability to zero in and comment on specific tracks, you can think of this tools as a Google Docs for remote music collaboration.

4. Soundtrap

Soundtrap brings DAW capabilities online, and gives remote music teams a digital space to create in. They’ve made an effort to make their platform easy to use for non tech-savvy musicians, which is a big plus.

5. Trackd

With a goal of making remote music collaboration as simple as texting, Trackd has some impressive tools for musicians. These include mobile recording tools that make on-the-go idea sharing easy, and a unique social media aspect that connects creators.

Collaboration is key

Collaborating remotely will end up being different than making music in person, but that doesn’t mean your work has to be any less exciting or productive.

Today, you have the ability to create with your bandmates when you’re stuck at home, or with strangers from around the world.

Just like working together in the same room, the work you make remotely ultimately depends on the energy and passion you devote to your process.