The musicians met on the user or used classified ad sites such as Craigslist. Collaboration is a matter of the user. Now, a new generation of mobile and internet apps is transforming the art of music collaboration and discovery.
Music collaboration apps for mobile and internet devices began popping up a decade or more ago, first created by developers who were solving the growing challenge of bringing like-minded musicians together. These apps are adaptations of pre-existing enterprise collaboration equipment and technologies, but they’ve evolved to revolutionize the way musicians share song concepts and co-write music.
The Covid-19 outbreak has led to increased adoption of those new collaboration tools. Musical collaboration has also expanded beyond the exclusive environment between musicians and now includes collaboration with enthusiasts, blurring the line between enthusiasts and creators. These apps and platforms offer artists new tactics to invite their enthusiasts into their artistic process. The result is that artists and enthusiasts are finding new tactics and creating together. Producers from big-name musicians like Dave Stewart [Eurythmics] even get involved in the dance.
Music has a permanent industry. The isolation caused by the pandemic has made collaboration apps an increasingly valuable tool for musicians. The social and networking features of those apps are proving to be a lifeline for many artists who are unable to advance their careers due to pandemic-related restrictions. Here are 3 programs that illustrate this developing trend, how varied the other approaches are, and how the style is evolving. While not exhaustive, those three elements provide insight into the contribution of online collaboration apps to music.
Artists create their connection with their enthusiasts by inviting them to participate in the artistic process. Independent artists such as Lynz Crichton and Mira Goto have showcased this concept on Twitter. Will it allow artists to create better products for their enthusiasts?In a corporate network, it’s so important that the answer is most likely yes. In fact, this can give artists a greater understanding of what enthusiasts want. The most productive component is that this type of collaboration can help artists remain artistically productive.
SoundStorming allows musicians to record and percentage-based concepts directly from their iPhone. It allows for collaboration between artists and enthusiasts, making it a wonderful tool for fan engagement. It is also useful for mutual discovery between artists and enthusiasts. SoundStorming believes artists are in favor of new tactics. collaborate and express yourself. The company also subscribes to the idea that listeners are no longer passive and need to post more than just comments and likes. They need to collaborate! TikTok reinforces this confidence by showing us that enthusiasts will create short dance videos to their favorite songs with the possibility of having their artistic contribution noticed. The purpose of SoundStorming is to choose the kind of artists who embrace this new way of connecting with enthusiasts. Its business style includes upcoming in-app purchases, subscription plans, advertising partners, and data monetization. The company has an agile team of less than 10 employees and is a privately held company.
Kompoz, also a small, personally funded company, offers a web-based option aimed at musicians, singers, and studio engineers who want to create new music. It is primarily aimed at collaboration and project-based networking, giving musicians the freedom to use the virtual audio workstation (DAW) of their choice. Founder Raf Fiol says networking has become a vital facet of Kompoz. He also points out that Kompoz is not for everyone and that some do not want others involved in the process of creating their songs. Others like to be able to locate other people who play the oboe, triangle, or other unusual instruments. Users of the platform also want to be tech-savvy and have access to their own recording equipment, but there is someone within the network who can combine and master them. Kompoz is increasingly striving to make collaboration projects personal by default, while keeping track of (collaboration) requests in the public domain of its platform. According to Fiol, this is a step towards more serious musicians. Kompoz has over 100,000 registrations and generates profits from member subscriptions.
Trackd supports the full spectrum of music creators, from beginners to professionals, with a global audience of classical composers. It also has several users who are producers, perhaps due to its multi-track nature. This is exciting for music creators who don’t have a beloved home. recording facilities. Apps like Trackd make it easy for artists to test their recording ideas. This is a useful option for artists who are no longer on a hike and have been prompted to think about songwriting and other activities that can be done during the hike. downtime imposed by the spread of Covid-19.
Songwriter and producer Dave Stewart, best known for his work with Eurythmics, is an example of big professional names embracing online collaboration apps. Stewart recently hosted a contest on Trackd where he submitted seven clues and invited others to complete them. it resulted in an offer of a recording contract to Stewart’s collaborator, an artist known as Otto.
The content has more than just a song. This can range from sharing a rhythm to revealing the artistic process. Is this the next iteration of the music industry?
SoundStorming, Kompoz, and Trackd reported that they increased usage with the onset of Covid-19, with an exponential increase in new registrations and usage in the month of March. They also said they were grateful for the opportunity to help. Musicians capture concepts and figure out the way forward.
The content has more than just a song and can range from sharing a beat to revealing the artistic process. Music creation and collaboration are more available thanks to equipment that allows everyone to test their music-making ability. There’s a dynamic that encourages enthusiasts to get involved in the music-making process as collaborators. This important trend is arguably best exemplified through TikTok with collaborations like that of producer Yung Cxreal and rapper Bathrough Frankie [Dumb Bitchitis], which exploded on the 15-second video platform. . A recent episode of the Pitchfork Review podcast noted that TikTok is very smart when it comes to putting music on the charts, highlighting the strength of collaboration between artists and their enthusiasts. Going back to the Pitchfork point, Australian artist Sam Fischer’s “The City” has reached over a hundred million streams on Spotify and spent 17 weeks in the UK Top 40 thanks to TikTok users.
Other corporations and startups are looking to diversify this new collaboration strategy, many with an apparent preference for knowing how they can provide equipment that makes a difference for songwriters, consulting musicians, bands, and performing artists at all levels. Running to create teams for artists to make money from their music. Grant Tilbury, Trackd’s head of artist relations, says the industry wants more discussion to make things fair for creators with higher royalties.
Is this the next iteration of the music industry?Are we witnessing a new era of collaboration and music-making?It seems that this is the case. Perhaps we will even see new genres emerge in this new era. While musicians were more reserved about making music in the past, artists have lost access to the classical resources they had before the pandemic and want new tactics to collaborate. and engage with their audiences. Showcases in salons are becoming commonplace. Making new music on the screen is also becoming more common.
Traditional social marketing is a vital component in a music artist’s journey, but it comes with borrowing time that an artist would otherwise use to make music. The excitement of many of these new platforms is that their combination of community, engagement, and collaboration can help artists spend more time on the artistic facets of their careers.