With tech innovations making it possible to cook up from anywhere, producers and beatmakers usually spend time in the home studios making beats alone and that doesn’t leave too much room for collaboration with… well, anybody. And while it’s easy to think that collabs are overrated, you really shouldn’t sleep on them. In fact, they’ll accelerate your growth as a producer and here are a few reasons why.
1. Collabs Help to Learn New Skills
When you work with other musicians/beatmakers etc. you get exposed to new ways of working; Maybe they use a DAW that you’re curious about, or the way they create melodies is slightly different from how you create yours. And at the very least, you get to learn a new way of working with someone else; a priceless skill as you level up and begin working with artists in the studio.
2. You Sharpen Your Skillset
Collaborations help you strengthen your skillset by forcing you to be your best self; While music is collaborative, you still want to have the necessary competitive edge to bring the best version of yourself (and your production style) to the table. It’s hard to do solo, but when others are around they help bring the best out of you and in turn you become a more skilled producer; That’s what it’s all about, right?
3. Allows you to maximize your impact
Lastly, collaborations allow you to maximize your impact. If you think about your favorite producer whether it’s Kanye West, Alchemist, or your underground beatsmith they all work with others. Why? because the greats know that their legacy goes farther when they add others to it. No man is an island, and through collaboration, your sound can travel to audiences you wouldn’t imagine. So get out there and collaborate. You never know where it’ll take you…
-Drum Machine Addicts
