The COVID-19 pandemic brought the music industry to a grinding halt, forcing musicians–and specifically, songwriters–to come up with new, efficient ways to collaborate for writing and recording.
Fortunately, with the amazing technology at our fingertips, songwriters are adapting to the challenge of social distancing, including:
Utilization of file-sharing sites like Disco or DropBox to send large files back and forth with ease, and using FaceTime, Zoom, FaceBook Messenger, or Skype for real-time video collaboration. Google Docs is also a great tool for allowing multiple users to contribute and edit content.
Other tips include:
Getting to know your co-writers better for a smoother writing experience;
Hammering out business details (publishing, budget, etc) before writing;
Discussing your intentions for pitching the song;
Be prepared, just as you would for an in-person meeting;
Test your technology prior to the writing session to make sure it all works smoothly;
Avoid unnecessary distractions during your writing session.
Hopefully 2021 will once again allow songwriters to begin collaborating in person–but until then, socially-distanced songwriting will continue to be the norm, rather than the exception. Elton John and Bernie Taupin have famously never even written a song in the same room–and we all know how that relationship succeeded!
