Internet Music Collaborating by Casia - Lyricist, 06/18/09 02:07:17

Internet Music Collaborating

By Casia

Internet music collaborating IS the wave of the future…every singer, lyricist, composer, musician or music engineer who has ever wanted to put a song or album together but just couldn’t connect with the right talent in their own city or region are now producing quality material at an astounding rate.

The music industry is in a constant state of change and with the advent of  Music Collaboration Sites, anybody with an idea can connect with like-minded individuals, from just about anywhere in the world and produce a song. You no longer need to be in the same room, in the same country or the same time zone.

People have busy lives and with music playing a big part in the lives of so many people, either as a hobby or to sell a few tunes, or even with the high hopes of making it big, music collaboration sites have become "The" social network for musicians. What better way to produce a song than to have access to a worldwide network of talented artists to choose from who share the same interests and goals.  You’ll feel like a kid in a candy shop – you’ll be excited, overwhelmed and may not even know where to begin because the options seem endless.

The best way to begin is to determine exactly what your specific goals are when it comes to collaborating.  Do you just want to have a bit of fun and jam with like-minded individuals?  Are you looking to connect with a group to put an album together?  Do you need help with a special song for a special somebody or an event?  Do you want to get involved long-term and possibly make some money?  It’s a good idea to know what you want before you jump on board.   Everyone has different goals and it’s good to know up front that once you start a project, somebody isn’t going to just disappear and leave you stranded because they have other priorities.

There are a number of collaboration sites floating around the internet so check out a few, see what they offer, talk to people on the site and find a place where you feel comfortable.   Each site is unique in its offerings as well. Some sites are completely dedicated to making music and connecting in a warm, friendly environment where people are open to discuss the many issues of song production, mixing, and all the technical details needed to transfer files to the master engineer.  It’s the virtual studio.  The groups are closely knit, get to know each other very well and there is no advertising and spam allowed to distract you from your goal.

Some collaboration sites are larger and give you access to a  larger pool of talent but they can sometimes be a little more intimidating and a bit more challenging to get involved with but well worth the effort in the long run.  They offer:  contests with prize giveaways, some produce a yearly album of the best selected songs for the year and put them on music sites for sale, some sites have a site radio and live radio-chat shows including interviews with artists; some have music charts so you know how well your songs are accepted; some accept blogs, have regular artist features, forums or groups to discuss specific details of musical interest such as vocals and singing; engineering and production; instrumental groups; challenges; critiques and, social topics of interest.  Each site is different in their licensing as well so make sure you read the material and know what you are willing to accept before you get started.  Some sites have no licensing, some have cc licenses, some allow you access to private groups sites for a minimal cost, some are pay-to-hire.

Many sites have chat rooms where you can discuss  your projects or brainstorm with others artists that you have never worked with before. Some of these chat room sessions have even ended up in the creation of a "one-nighter" where lyrics and a musical concept are put together.  Other groups will meet off site and jam via their webcams.

What better way to get to know someone than to work on a project with them.  A lot of friendships are formed this way as you spend a fair amount of time chatting as the song progresses from concept to adding on lyrics, finding a suitable singer, adding on ideas with different instruments and experimenting with sounds, inviting people to join projects and the final stage of mixing and mastering.  These friendships can turn into long-term music partnerships which can turn into the formation of internet bands which produce albums for sale on the many music sites that are available. Many internet musicians are putting together collections of songs with the intent of re-selling them to up-and-coming, promising artists.

IndieMusicWorks’ “Melting Pot Collaboration” Forum is a good example of a site that offers international music collaboration capability in an easy-to-use friendly atmosphere.  They go one step further though, they have a critique board, music charts and internet radio chat shows.  Once your collaboration is complete, you will have the ability to get your music heard on internet radio and actually chat with people while your song is being played to see what your audience thinks of your music.

Whatever your goals are, internet music collaborating is changing the face of the industry and how business is being done.  It’s making the world a smaller place and connecting people worldwide through their common passion for song.  Music is surely the universal language.

Casia is a lyricist, internet music collaborator and Client Services Representative for The International Network of Independent Recording Artists (INIRA).