Do I really have to explain the benefits of collaborations? It has become such a regular part of music business lexicon and a common practice that I have to stop to wonder if it’s just being acknowledged but not actually activated.
Make no mistake, we all certainly see plenty of examples, but my challenge to you today is (here’s that expression I so love to use) to do a self-audit to assess whether you’re taking part and, if not, why you haven’t jumped in with both feet.
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On my weekly “Now Hear This Entertainment” podcast I do get the occasional guest who will say with conviction why they really stick to just solo writes. And heck, that could open up a whole different conversation about, “Haven’t collaborations been around for as long as co-writes have?” However, the dynamic that has become much more en vogue in the 21st century isn’t limited to just songwriting with someone else.
When you have a vocalist who does a feature on a single that you’re going to release, that’s a collaboration. You could join together with another solo act and form a duo – one night only or ongoing – while still maintaining your solo work, and that’s a collab. Heck, last week here on the website I published a review I wrote about a song by Jena Malone and noted that actress Robin Tunney is featured in the music video. Yup, you guessed it. That too is a collab in that Malone is an actress and recording artist but pulled in someone else’s talents to be a part of the creative relative to the visual storytelling of the song.
There are more examples (a guest player on one or more of your songs), but you get the idea. It’s the benefits that are truly valuable. Think of the relationships that can be built (formed) OR grown from a collaboration. There’s also a “who do they know” factor that could open more doors for you. And let’s definitely not forget the audience you’re going to get in front of thanks to your collab partner.
Take, for example, the song “Alpha Dog,” which is a collaboration between WRB and Janelle. The former has close to 27 thousand monthly listeners on Spotify, which has clearly been a factor in the track having a quarter of a million streams on that platform (254 thousand-plus, to be exact).
While it’s true that the song was released eleven months ago, it obviously was a strong release as evidenced by it still getting streams and attention now.
And why shouldn’t it? There’s a really nice balance here. The female vocal has a nice tone that's not too laid back and nicely complements the mid-tempo pacing. Plus, there’s just the right mix too that resists doing more than the song needs. I like the use of isolating the vocal at one point during the song as well as at the end for emphasis. This one has me wanting to hit Repeat as well as chase down the lyrics.
“Alpha Dog” is a contemporary pop collaboration between WRB and Janelle. It is the story of a woman taking charge of her relationship. Based in DC, WRB writes and produces tracks in a wide variety of music genres using top musicians and singers from DC, Baltimore, and Nashville. Janelle is a beat-maker, singer and songwriter based in Baltimore.
You can see that this has been a fruitful pairing and I would have to think that this will set the stage for future collaborations between the two if they’ve not done so already.
Understand that you might have to do several collaborations before you find the one – or pairings plural – that really give the energy, the sound, the connection, and yes, the results that you’re looking for. Don’t be discouraged when you try one and it doesn’t go well. In fact, give yourself a pat on the back for having tried.
Learn what you are looking for and not looking for in a collab partner and what your likes and dislikes are so that everyone is in the best possible position to succeed.
And yes, there are going to be business and legal conversations you’re going to have with regards to rights, ownership, who’s being listed first, whether it’s a “Featuring” approach or something else. But that’s standard operating procedure that everyone goes through. If you take it personally, you might end up never collaborating with anyone. Don’t fall into that trap.
Bravo to WRB and Janelle on “Alpha Dog” and an inspiration for other creators to seek out their next collab partner. Good things no doubt lie ahead.
A Member of the Recording Academy, I have been helping indie music artists, authors, actors, entrepreneurs, podcasters, filmmakers, small business owners, and more for over twenty years. What challenges are you having in your creator career that I can lend some insight to? Connect with me so you can take advantage of all my experience, and I can help and keep you moving forward.