How Musicians Find Collaborators

Struggling to find the right collabs for your music? With “How Musicians Find Collaborators,” we share 5 strategies that will help you connect with talented artists and expand your creative network.

How Musicians Find Collaborators

by Sammy Hakim via Bandzoogle

As musicians, collaborating with others is a big part of our job description. That being said, finding new collaborators you admire and enjoy working with can sometimes feel difficult. If you’ve been hesitant about starting the search to expand your roster of collaborators because you don’t know where to look, don’t worry! We’ve got some great tips on how to get started:

In the age of social media, we now have the ability to find great artists and musicians around the world right at our fingertips. These days, finding new creators to work with can be as simple as opening up your social platform of choice and starting to scroll.

After you find a few fellow musicians with whom you’d like to collaborate, determine the best way to reach out to them. Contacting potential collaborators through the proper channels is important. If they have management, go ahead and send their team an email! If not, it may be appropriate to send them a cold email or DM saying hello.

It’s best to include an example of the work you’re known for when you reach out, so they can listen and decide if they’re interested in working with you. You can also include a link to your digital press kit, or your music website, where they can learn more about you.

2. Networking events

Whether it’s an event hosted by your PRO (Performing Rights Organization), a label, or a collective for musicians, networking events are a great place to create new connections. Going to events like these—where people are actively looking to meet others and form new connections—is one of the best ways to meet new collaborators.

These events are more common than you might think—even if you aren’t in one of the big music cities (Los Angeles, New York, or Nashville), chances are pretty high there’s some sort of musician’s meetup happening near you.

If you’ve done your due diligence looking for an event and come up empty, you might still find virtual networking sessions on platforms like Meetup or Facebook, or through PROs. Make sure you don’t offer your personal information until you’ve met any of these collaborators in a neutral public space, and feel comfortable doing so—cyber safety is an important practice, no matter age or context.

3. Shows

Local shows and open mic sessions can be great places to meet your new favorite collaborators! Whether the musician performing is your cup of tea or not, chances are their friends or other musicians in the audience might be.

Or you might hear an artist on stage that moves you in a way you weren’t expecting, or whose songwriting inspires you. Discovering new acts you appreciate can lead you toward collaborations that could be more than you thought was possible.

4. Industry professionals

Reach out to PROs, managers, booking agents, talent scouts, local radio curators, and other music industry professionals you know, to see if they have any ideas of other artists with whom you might collaborate. This approach could potentially lead you to find great new connections, as these professionals are often the lifeblood of the industry side of music. By definition their roles include keeping a thumb on the pulse of creators coming in and out of the music industry. They may even be able to introduce you to a handful of new people that might just form your favorite collaborations yet.

If you do reach out to industry representatives (especially managers and booking agents), be sure to take the time to look at the full list of artists on their roster—you may end up finding more than one potential collaborator through that connection.

5. Word of mouth

Ask your friends and current collaborators if they know of any musicians you should consider approaching about collaborating. Chances are they’ll come up with a few suggestions, or already have a great idea in mind. . This method works especially well, since you’re getting the suggestion from somebody you already trust, giving your new connection potential to work especially well. This can help to avoid some of those ‘new session blues’ (when you meet with musicians only to find out your vibe doesn’t jive together), because the person suggesting the introduction already knows your musical style.