Mind Your Music Business: How to Collaborate with Other Artists and Musicians

Many of your favorite musicians and super star artists at some point joined forces with other musicians, brands and organizations to grow their fanbase and extend their network. Doing this ensures a successful and long lasting career for themselves by crossing audiences and using their personalities to engage more audiences.

Why?

Collaborating can come easier to some then to others but its benefits can be enormous and long lasting. It can get you out of a creative funk and expand your audience by introducing you to new potential fans. Think of how Run- D.M.C. and Aerosmith’s 1986 single ‘Walk This Way’ merged two genres with one hit song growing the fanbase of both musical acts. Sir Paul McCartney from The Beatles and Michael Jackson collaborated and released ‘Say Say Say’ and ‘The Girl Is Mine’ in the 80’s and introduced each other to different generations of music fans. Smart collaborations can get your band’s name in different geographic locations you’ve never visited before as well as in helping to share the immense load of self-releasing music.

Who?

The obvious collaborations would be with other musicians, producers, or artists. Searching for  artists from other states, cities or countries as well as locally expands your reach. You could find a producer or engineer with a distinct sound, style, or reputation to give the song an extra push of hype.  

You can also collaborate with brands and organizations that align with your values and morals. World famous basketball player Michael Jordan and shoe company Nike were both up and coming in the 80’s and looking for something to push them to the next level of household names. Once they decided to work together they became unstoppable and created a legacy that will outlast them both. Beer companies sponsor celebrities all the time to get their brand in the faces of more consumers by using their likeness in commercials and billboards. Using local breweries, clothing, and jewelry designers could be a step in the right direction until you have the popularity for some of these larger companies.

How?

There are numerous ways to collaborate artistically and as your network expands it’ll seem like endless other parties to collaborate with. First steps, and in no particular order, will be to find a partner and agree on an idea/project. Will you and your collaborator be working on a song, a tour, merchandise, or playlist? 

Both parties should communicate what they hope to accomplish with the project. If there is the potential for money to be made from the project, discuss how the money will be split before the project is underway to avoid any bad business or misunderstandings in the future. Setting goals like end dates, press goals, and landmarks can help move the project forward and to completion. 

Follow up!

Don't forget this! Follow up after the project with your collaborator to see how both parties feel about the end result. Reflect on questions like if the results were what you expected or hoped for? If the collaboration was a song or music video, spend time reviewing if you had a bump in streams, followers, or if you sold any merch from your online store or saw more attendance at live shows?

Alone you can ask yourself questions like if the amount of time and effort in the project was worth the end result. What is something that could have made the project more financially beneficial or fun? Take your experience with you into your next project. Try different things for best results and be patient. The music industry is a marathon not a sprint so being steady and purposeful is a sure way to hone in on your craft and let your passion lead you in this life.