Collaborate to elevate your music.

I don’t need to explain what the verb “collaborate” means, you’re a smart individual, but in the context of music creation the word can take on many guises. So maybe I am going to explain it a bit... At its core, collaboration in music is all about the sharing of ideas, methodology and experience between creators. On top of those core concepts it can also simply be a tool to expand your outreach and appeal to new audiences, as well as revitalizing your output. In this piece I’ll seek to lay out both who you can collaborate with as a musician as well as the reasons why you should be doing it. Just because you’re a singer-songwriter strumming away on your todd or a beat maker tapping away in your bedroom, it doesn’t mean that collaboration isn’t a viable option for you.

Collaboration is very much at the core of what we do at Aux and when our platform launches you'll see just that. We are baking in features to make working together on music as streamlined as possible and that will help you to create partnerships with other creators that you wouldn't have made otherwise.


Find a regular collaborator

Billy Eilish and FINNEAS, Eric B and Rakim, Simon and Garfunkel; there’s too many to name here but long running musical collaborations have been rife in the music industry since it all began. Artists often can’t do it all themselves, unless you’re Daniel Beddingfield, so it’s common to find someone to fill in the gaps in your skillset or simply enhance your creation. Whether it's a producer, lyricist, instrumentalist, engineer or vocalist, there are so many individuals out there that could be your partner in music but they just don’t know it yet. If you know you have a talent for a certain area in music but you aren’t fulfilling your potential on your own there is absolutely no shame in reaching out to someone for help.

The sound of Childish Gambino’s superb 2016 album, ‘Awaken, My Love!’, is largely down to the incredible work of producer and composer Ludwig Göransson.  It’s a partnership that’s lasted since the start of Donald Glover’s career in music and has shaped the sound of all of his releases. Of course Gambino’s lyrics and melodies make up a large part of the equation but it was this collaboration that made the album the success story that it is. If you have part of the puzzle and someone else could hold the rest of the pieces then why not start reaching out. Similarly if you are someone with the practical skills that could help a musician fulfil their creative ambitions then you should consider reaching out to help.

Get feedback on your music

Collaboration isn’t always about someone physically working on the music alongside you. Sometimes an extra ear can either tell you what you’re doing wrong or, on a more positive note, make you feel much better about a project you’re not confident about. Opening up to someone that you respect can massively help you progress or overcome an obstacle in a particular area. While criticism isn’t always easy to take, it’s good to get used to receiving feedback and advice. The subjectivity of music opinion always makes this a potentially awkward or difficult process but you should never stop learning or seeking to improve your skills.

Assistance with a specific issue

If you’re suffering with a creative block or can’t work out how to solve a problem with your arrangement, mix or instrumentation there are always people to help. This doesn’t have to be a long running collaboration, just seek out other musicians, producers or songwriters to share their knowledge on that particular subject. This is less about seeking help on your overall sound and more about fixing part of the mechanism that isn’t functioning as well as it could. There’s no shame in asking for help when you know you have something special.

Experimenting with new sounds

If you’ve become tired with what you’re creating, lost that fiery passion or want to appeal to a whole new audience then it could be time to dip your toes into a new genre or sound. This approach has birthed some of the most iconic moments in music: Run DMC & Aerosmith with ‘Walk This Way’, David Bowie and Nile Rodgers with ‘Let’s Dance’, Nelly and Tim McGraw with ‘Over and Over’, Jay Z and Linkin Park with ‘Numb/Encore.’

Not only does this sort of cross-genre-pollination create a buzz of novelty, it can also end up sounding bloody great. You can take your music in a new direction while making the most of the following that your collaborator has cultivated during their career. This approach doesn’t always have to be engaged when you’re at a loose end though, you might just write a track that you think might serve better with a different vocalist or scream out for a guest appearance.

Inspire others

Collaboration doesn’t have to be a one way street. Sometimes you might not think it (this blog post wasn’t meant to get this deep), but you might just have a lot to offer other creators. By going out there and listening to the work of other musicians you might find that you could aid them in their journey. Even if it's just commenting on someone’s demo with “love the extra bar before the second chorus” or “maybe try changing the chords under the bridge” you might be opening someone’s eyes to an aspect of their process that they may have neglected. Be wary though, while some creators would LOVE this sort of constructive criticism, some may be less open to it. It’s always best to form some sort of connection before you start slating their work.

Do it all through Aux

So why am I of all people banging on about collaboration you ask? Well it’s because Aux.app is going to be THE place to find and collaborate with music creatives around the world. With the tools that we’re providing for project creation and sharing it’s going to be easier than ever to invite others to provide feedback or upload directly to your project. Using our discovery tools you’ll be able to find like minded musicians itching to collaborate as well as finding the necessary services to realise your vision by using The Guide.

Make sure to put your email in the box below and hit "get started" to register your interest for our Beta and help us build the platform