How to Collaborate on Music Remotely

Collaborating musically can be an extremely effective creative and promotional tool for an upcoming musician. Not only does it force you to think outside the box and compare tips and tricks with another creative musician, but it's also a great way to get your name out there within the community. There’s nothing better than collaborating with another artist and sharing the reward of a fantastic single with tons of views, audiences will mingle and all of a sudden you got another ally, rooting for your success. 

Of course, a successful collaboration must go both ways, you’re only going to get support with your support right back so communication is the key to it all. 

In the age of the pandemic, communication has gotten all that much more difficult. For many people, taking a trip to another studio is not a possibility anymore, therefore most collaboration must be done online. 

For all those musicians eager to get back into the community and start collaborating again, here are some tips for collaborating and communication virtually. 

How to start the collab

Getting started with collabs isn’t about messaging any artist you can find online with a basic pitch, doing that will get you ignored at best and blacklisted at worst. Collaborations, and most partnerships within the music industry, is all about building relationships. 

As stated, a good collaboration is a two-way street where both artists trust each-other, communicate well and are honest about their goals. We’ll get to establishing goals and timelines later, but it's important to remember this fact. Not only will this bring more successful collaborations, but it also has the potential to get you new fans and supporters, even if the collaboration doesn’t end up working out.

Creating relationships as opposed to cold sales also serves another hidden purpose behind the scenes. Unless you have been following the artist for a long time, it's impossible to know if they even are the sort of artist you would want to associate with! Creating a dialogue beforehand lets you get the chance to know them better, what their strengths and weaknesses are as a creator and what their long term goals are. Speaking of goals...

Establishing goals and timelines

Once you have created an artistic relationship, you could start just by exchanging production tips and long term plans. For example, ask yourself and them,  what are you trying to accomplish with this collaboration? And how does the other artist factor in? Furthermore, are you intending on making a single together, a joint release? A cover? Or perhaps just a feature on the second verse. 

There are countless directions a co-produced song could take so making this clear and coming to an agreement beforehand is essential to ensure a good relationship down the road. 

This concept extends to the schedule as well. The last thing you want is to pour countless golden hours into a project just to wait months for your partner to get his section just right. Make sure everyone knows just what it is you are making, how the project will be released and when it needs to be completed.

Collaboration tools

Now, this is where remoteness gets tricky. Without pandemic woes, just getting in the same room as them to start jamming is often the best way to get the creative juices flowing, unfortunately, that just isn’t possible anymore (for most people). Making this work remotely might be unfamiliar, but there is plenty of file sharing and music collaboration software out there to help you along. Each of these platforms works slightly differently, from a full cloud-based Digital Audio Workstation to simple online file sharing. During the planning phase, this is another key step that needs to be worked out, but we’ll detail them here in order of intricateness.

1. Email

This one might be obvious, but without any other options, you can always just send your samples via email. Obviously this works best for a feature or guest appearance, where one artist puts the majority of the track together (with feedback of course). Furthermore, most email has a pretty low file size limit (for example Gmail limits the entire message and encoded attachment to 25mb) therefore sending extremely high quality or large samples will be an issue. If file sizes are a problem however, it's almost as easy to move to the second option!

2. File sharing services

File sharing services like Dropbox, Google Drive or WeTransfer will allow you to share much bigger files and keep everyone up to date with the latest versions. Without losing so much quality like with emailing, this would allow you to trade audio back and forth for more genuine collaboration however generally you will not be able to send the project file itself. If you’re looking for a better way to compare the music and provide detailed feedback, you might want to try one of these dedicated music sharing services. 

3. Music file-sharing services

Pibox Music, Splice and Sound Cloud will all allow you to share your music files and let collaborators comment directly wherever on the track for even more specific feedback. As stated, communication is key to a successful collaboration, and providing clear feedback is definitely a part of that. 

These services are generally similar to the aforementioned file sharing services but allow you and whomever you share with to see the waveform and listen to it while it is still hosted online. Soundcloud is the simplest of the bunch and may already be familiar to you. All it takes is to upload privately, then share with your partner. 

Pibox takes it a step further in that it allows for live and/or video chats, screen sharing and a record of mix version history along with time-stamped commenting like SoundCloud. This service is available for 2 collaborators and 1gb of files for free so it should take you through your first few projects, but for larger ones, you’ll have to become a subscriber. 

Finally, Splice is renowned for its extensive library of user-generated sounds, but it can also be used as a DAW-based music collaboration platform! 

If the limitations of single audio files just aren’t enough for you, Splice will allow you to back up entire project files from programs like Logic, Ableton Live, FL Studio and more meaning truly getting each-others input on a track is fully possible! All it takes is an account to get started making this one of the most enticing music collaboration platforms out there currently. 

4. Cloud-based music-making apps

Music-making apps that allow for collaboration will force you out of your preferred daw but allow for even more hands-on collaborative beat making. Trackd, Soundtrap and Soundstorming are three such apps which allow you to record or track directly into their interface and upload in real-time. 

The first, Trackd, is a full-service app (only available for IOS) which makes writing, recording, multi-tracking and even mixing all possible under one roof. 

Soundtrap (by Spotify) on the other hand is the most simple and great for beginners. Under the free version, you get access to 5 projects, 900 loops, and 210 sounds and instruments to play with. The other unique thing about Soundtrap is that its browser-based making it especially easy to invite your collaborator and get to creating! 

Soundstorming is the last, and most unique of the apps featured here. First off, it markets itself as a “social music app” and works much more like Splice’s sample library than either of the previous two. Essentially, record your musical idea into the app and upload it to a global community of musicians for brainstorming, critiques and feedback. This app has capabilities more reminiscent of a music community than a collaboration tool, but it can be still used for the latter purpose. 

Following through

Now that the introductions, goals, timelines and tools have all been established there is nothing stopping you from making that killer song! Making great music and finding inspiration is a whole other challenge, and a topic for another blog, but in my experience, I’ve found that just being able to bounce ideas off of another capable musician has been extremely effective. 

It’s important to remember everything you’ve talked about throughout this process. Most importantly the importance of good communication. Making sure everyone is happy throughout the collaboration will undoubtedly produce something great, even if it's just for the memories. 

Conclusion

Collaborating artistically can be one of the most fulfilling activities an artist can take. I know that some of my best works have been made this way and the same goes for countless amazing artists for all time. 

Music aside, it's also another incredible way to promote yourself and be a part of the musician community online, from some of our previous blogs, you can never discount how important that is. 

Hopefully, these collaboration tips will set you right on your way but if you’re looking to give that collaboration something extra special, check out our website for the mixing and mastering services we can provide to take your song to the next level. 

What are some of your best and worst collab stories? And what have you learned from it? Let us know in the comments below.

- By Erik Steiner

Andrew Scheps Mixing Tips

Grammy-winning mix engineer Andrew Scheps, is one of the biggest recording and audio engineers in the industry today. Andrew has a background playing the trumpet and completed a Recording Engineering Degree at the University of Miami.

His career began interning at two studios in New York and California, before becoming a synclavier specialist working on the road with big acts like Michael Jackson and Stevie Wonder and it only went up from there.

Moving to LA in 2001 he began working closely with another incredible producer Rick Rubin (stay tuned for another Industry Legend Spotlight Blog) where he made news mixing the Red Hot Chili Pepper’s album entirely in analogue.

Since then he has worked with a star-studded list of artists including Adele, Black Sabbath, Metallica, Justin Timberlake, Jay-Z, U2, Iggy Pop and more! 

Since then Andrew Scheps again ruffled industry feathers by going the opposite direction and making the decision to mix entirely “in the box”, that is, without any analogue gear, entirely on a computer. Despite such a drastic change, Andrew still maintains the top quality sound and music philosophy that got him success originally. 

To be such an incredible and experienced engineer and still being willing to share his insights is really inspiring to us at Jony Studios, and it is our pleasure to share some of our favourite tips he’s shared over the years. 

*With all mixing tips, there is no one size fits all. These recommendations come from one of the best mixing engineers working with some of the best musicians and recording engineers therefore if your samples don’t work quite as well don’t worry! Using your own ears to find the sound that YOU love is much more important than copying a legend exactly. Even Andrew Scheps won’t have the exact same settings or plugins on any two projects* 

Vocal Mixing

Vocal mixing can be one of the most intimidating aspects of a new song. Regardless of if it is your voice, a friend or a client, the vocals are (almost) always front and centre in the mix, and you just know they have to be perfect. 

Just getting your vocals to cut through and be in front is the first step, and Andrew Scheps, known for using a lot of parallel processing in his work, has just the ticket. This tip features only techniques “in the box” so it’s very easy to recreate at home even if you’re just starting out. 

The first chain is very simple: 

First

Cut low end at around 100hz with a very wide shelf cut of less the 3.0db and boost the high end at around 8khz of around 3.0db

Second

Heavily compress the high end with a threshold around -36.0db above 1khz with a soft knee and ratio around 4.0/1. Your attack and release should be quite high as well, around 10ms and 120ms respectively

Third

Boost the low end with another eq at 100hz at around 2.5db and cut a little top end at 10khz, around 1.5db

With this technique, a vocal can cut through even the more dense mixes with clarity. Using just the first two steps in the chain, you are essentially compressing just the high and mid of the vocal chain. These areas greatly affect the presence and comprehensibility but also add in a lot of air, or harshness. In order to level the vocal out again and remove the harshness while maintaining clarity, the last step of the vocal chain eq’s a slight low pass, low boost filter leaving you with a hyper-compressed but pleasant and stable vocal. 

Bass Mixing

As always, the first step to getting a guitar/bass tone that you like is making a great sample. Recording and playing a great take is essential, there is a lot you can do while mixing, but fixing a poor sample will always turn out worse than polishing a great one. 

Again, Scheps is a big fan of parallel processing to produce the sound he wants. In the case of an aggressive and fast bass, it is a common misconception that heavy distortion is what brings the energy. Scheps argues that the attack, or actual sound of the physical strings (in a recording) provides much more character, rhythm and energy. If you’re looking for the feeling that bands like Green Day get with their punk bass, try this parallel processing technique. 

First

The first chain is a simple eq boosting the mids by 5-7dbs around 1.75khz

Second

The next independent chains are where the distortion really comes in (you didn’t think we forgot about it did you?). Using several different amps, or characters also help to fill out the booming low end of a good bass section, therefore layering these should be the next step. 

Third

Finally, all three should be fed through a final processing chain, first drive some of the low end with a multiband compressor. Follow that with another multiband compressor, this time slightly leveling the whole frequency range, and finally top it off with an eq bringing up some more low end at around 700hz boosting around 3.0db

Guitar Mixing

Guitar’s are also unique in that they are often a focus of a track alongside the vocal. Especially in the case of rock or metal, a heavy distorted power chord or triad can often fight with the vocal for space in a mix, another difficult challenge for any mixing engineer. 

For Andrew Scheps, compressing and eq are also essential, but the final solution in some cases is panning. 

To start, it’s important to remember that certain plugins, or analogue gear for that matter, are meant to be used around a certain frequency. There are a very large amount of vocal processing plugins including enhancers, compressors and eqs. For the exact same reason why your guitars and vocals might clash, those same plugins might work just as well on guitar! Guitars occupy a very similar frequency space to vocals therefore some of the vocal processing tips gone over earlier can also work here!

Another thing to remember is that guitars inherently are an extremely resonant instrument. Here more than ever it is essential to get a great take because trying to take out too much fuzzy distortion during the mixing process can be difficult when so many other clean frequencies and the sound of the pick are up there as well.

Parallel compression can again really help mixing guitars without changing their sound too much and there really isn’t any single chain or tip here. 

First

Boosting some low end around 600hz slightly can really bring the tone of a guitar to life, but again be sure not to get too heavy with this as it can significantly change the energy of a take.

Second

Using very minimal parallel compression next is necessary in some cases to level the sound again but again, too much will be very detrimental. As stated regarding bass, the attack of an instrument is very responsible for the energy groove or aggression (depending on what you’re going for) so a flat guitar part can just feel lifeless. 

Once you have all this down with a solid take and the energy you want it’s time to position it in the mix. Especially with a busy or heavily distorted guitar part you might again notice the guitar and vocals fighting with each-other. While more eqing can help, Andrew Scheps has also come up with a unique solution. 

You guessed it, panning. An unbalanced mix is far from pleasant but by panning the guitar part, or other mid range heavy element, you leave more room for the star of the show, the vocals to shine through. Using this technique is very tricky and should only be used when absolutely necessary however using some reverb panned to the opposite side will greatly help keep imbalances to a minimum. Try panning other elements including backing vocals opposite the main guitar part as well to make sure the mix has a perfect balance at the end of the day. 

How to prepare for a session

Preparation is another one of those things that most professionals would just say takes practice. Getting ready for your first, fifth or even 100th recording session can always be stressful. 

Take it from the words of Andrew Scheps himself from an interview with Your Audio Solutions 

“Preparation.

You can never do enough preparation.

You need to have everything in your head and written down. For example, which microphones to use, placements, which preamps to use and where to put them all so you can get to the vocals really easily.

Where to put the musicians and one of the most important things, their headphones. How are they going to hear and see each other because that is the biggest thing to get a good recording - making the band feel comfortable. If they can’t hear what’s going on they can’t play. Every single aspect of that has to be right. 

Show up early, be completely ready to go, so if someone walks in and sits down by the drum kit you are ready to hit record.

You can’t decide everything in advance because the session goes how the session goes. But it’s good to have planned out as much as possible beforehand so you can react to the chaos and still be able to record. No matter what changes. For example, if they decide to record the drums in the control room, you can do that and make it work because you have everything under control. “

Conclusion

By taking just a few minutes to hear Andrew Scheps speak about his craft it is so clear just how passionate he is. It is that kind of energy that greatly inspires us at Jony Studios, and I hope it inspires you too. All these tips and many more are available on the internet through countless interviews, videos and online courses, mostly for free! We would like to thank Andrew Scheps for his great contribution to the industry, not least of which through the sharing of his expertise but also through his work on some of the most famous, and well-loved albums in the past 20 years. 

If you are interested in hearing more music, mixing, and marketing tips be sure to keep up to date with us on social media and keep checking our website for more blogs like this. In addition, check out our services page for more information on what we can do for your music career. 

- By Erik Steiner

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If you need further help creating your own music, we offer music production services that will help you elevate your sound and bring your song to life!

We look forward to being a part of your success.

Contact us here to get started.

Music Blogs That Will Feature Your Song

Remember when we talked about the best ways to promote your music online and get your music on playlists? Sharing your music with small indie and large blogs are a great way to start getting an organic following, and if they really like it you may even be asked to do an interview! 

Not everyone gets their start cold calling/emailing a blog though and there are certain important conventions to follow so your beat doesn’t get lost in the wind. To start you off, our past blog about getting your music on playlists talks about some of the most important things to remember when reaching out, and if you’re looking for some blogs interested in indie music then you’ve come to the right place! 

These blogs have all been chosen because of their generality and internationalism however, sending your music to a genre-specific or local blog will always be more effective when you’re just starting out. It is always important to ensure your song has the right fit, otherwise there is no way you will be featured. 

A&R Factory

A&R Factory is one of the biggest music blogs designed to bring independent and unsigned artists to the ears of labels and industry veterans. Their easy online submission form promises to be viewed by those who use this site as a resource for new music. Since its inception in 2012 it has grown immensely and now accepts music of all genres anywhere in the world. If you get on here then you know you got something good. 

Indiepulse Music Magazine

Indiepulse Music Magazine is an independent music publication devoted to (you guessed it) indie music artists. They are always looking for new music and artists to feature in their stories and interviews, therefore this site can be even more than a ticket onto a playlist. 

Xune Mag

This magazine is another publication featuring mostly independent and emerging artists worldwide. Their submission form is only gated by a little social media love therefore it should be accessible to pretty much anyone! Again, interviewing, reviewing and being placed on playlists are all on the table and Xune doesn’t discriminate by any genre. 

Indie Shuffle

This blog is an assembly of international writers united in one belief, that humans are better than robots at picking music. Their commitment is compelling, and dedication even more so. There are no bad reviews on the site, therefore if you are featured again, good things will come. Once again don’t worry about genre or vibe, all it takes is high quality music. Furthermore, submitting is extremely easy from their website and, if the writer in you takes an interest, you can even get involved that way!

The Alternative Feed

The Alternative Feed says they started to just be about good music, and they have done just that. Friends Lindsey Lanham and Garnette Ransom have made a unique music blog that is accessible and entertaining in the best way. Submitting your music online will nominate you for a review and/or feature on one of the most no nonsense music sites around, what could be better? 

The Line of Best Fit

This music newspaper/magazine features mostly established artists but maintains a strong discovery playlist on spotify that has almost 4000 followers! This website requires a very strong pitch to be featured as a completely indie artist and does not have a dedicated music submission button therefore you’ll have to put your best foot forward with some great emailing skills. 

Cut the Pause

Cut the Pause is a smaller specifically underground music blog with a playlist of only 21 songs followed by over 1200 people. Again, submit any genre from anywhere in the world for a chance to be featured on their site or on their playlist. 

BIRP.FM

This blog was started all the way back in 2009 as an indie/rock playlist but has now grown to many genres and styles. Based in Paris Texas, they are also always looking for remote writers and new music to feature on one of their many monthly playlists. BIRP is just as much a community as it is a blog, and it never hurts to get involved if you want to get your tracks reviewed. 

Emerging Indie Bands

Emerging Indie Bands has a uniquely international focus, unlike other blogs which plit songs by genre, this one does by region. For this reason, this is a great resource to find new bands that are not only really cool but close by! Getting in contact with the writers here is not quite as straightforward as other blogs however, there is no dedicated submission form therefore appealing to them through social media DMs might be the best shot.

Hearya

Hearya, based in Chicago is another music blog/publication with an interesting twist. They feature regular live streamed music sessions featuring some of the artists they love! Again, this blog does not have a submission form but most get in touch through comments on their website or through social media. 

Indie Music Filter

Finally, Indie Music Filter based in Toronto gives yet another incredible look into the best indie music around with articles, playlists and a podcast. On this blog, guest writers are regularly featured for even more unique perspectives and their article categories are even more unique with examples like East vs West and Mellow Mondays. Getting your music to the ears over at Indie Music Filter is as clear as it can be with a page dedicated to how best to send them music. 

Conclusion

There are countless music blogs out there on the internet from a fans local scene breakdown to a massive newspaper with countless writers and a multi-thousand plus playlist. Depending on your career stage, each one can be beneficial and getting your music on one blog will undoubtedly help get it on another. Although these blogs may be the biggest and most general indie blogs out there, they might not be the right fit for your music. Finding one that best fits you is always more effective than email blasting everyone you can find so make sure to do some research into each site before putting yourself out there. 

Also, getting rejected or not getting a response is always going to be part of the process, every has to start somewhere, and it is much better to leave the conversation peacefully than to vent your frustration and close those doors, they may not be featuring you right now but maybe your next release will be more their speed. 

If you are interested in the music promotional journey and other music related content, be sure to keep up with our blogs on our website here. Also feel free to reach out to us about your music.

We offer audio production, mixing and mastering services that can take your song to the next level, just fill out this quick contact form. Have a great day!

- By Erik Steiner