 | Music Collaboration FAQ |  |
What is online music collaboration?
Online music collaboration is when people from around the world work together to compose and record music over the internet.
How does online music collaboration work?
In general, music collaboration (or musician’s collaboration) requires two things, some type of recording software and a way to share music files with
other people who would like to contribute to the project. In general music collaboration works by an artist recording a track then uploading the track to an online bulletin board where other artists may access it. The other artists then download it and import it into their recording software. They then can their own tracks to the recording. The new mix can be then uploaded back to the bulletin board where it can be discussed and downloaded by others. This process continues until all participants feel the project is complete. The project can then be published.
How does MyOnlineBand.com help musicians collaborate?
MyOnlineBand.com has many tools that let musicians collaborate.
- It allows musicians who are looking to collaborate to create a free online profile that acts as a resume to let other musicians know their talents and what styles of music they are interested in playing. The online profile also provides the ability for the artist to upload completed works so that other musicians and fans can listen, download or purchase their music. It can be used as an alternative to sites such as MySpace that limit the number of uploads for an artist and charge high transaction fees to artists who sell their music.
- The site provides free storage space for music files. Each new member gets 250 MB of free space. Musicians can earn more space by participating in collaboration projects. This process prevents people from abusing the system by uploading unneeded files but provides active collaboration participants with all the disk space they will ever need.
- The main collaboration enabling feature is the MyOnlineBand.com Music Collaboration
Workspace. A Music Collaboration workspace allows musicians to upload and discuss files. It organizes the uploaded files into four categories which are displayed on four tabs:
- Mixes – Media Files that consist of two or more instrument or vocal tracks.
- Tracks – Individual instrument and vocal tracks. Some project coordinators prefer to have control over the final mix. Once a contributing musician uploads a track that the coordinating musician is happy with, the individual track can then be uploaded.
- Documents – In addition to audio tracks, artists may upload supporting documents that can help others working on the projects. These may include sheet music, chord charts, lyric sheets, guitar tablature, photos and even video.
- Acid Loops – Some types of projects may use Acid Loops or groove tracks. Acid Loops and Groove Tracks are specially formatted audio files that can be used in most recording programs to create a repeating musical phrase. Groove tracks in addition to audio data contain information that allows the tempo and pitch of the loop to be modified by the recording software.
In addition to uploading files, the collaboration workspace has a comments area where musicians can discuss the files, lyrics and other topics that may help in the completion of the project. In addition to posting public comments musicians may also communicate by sending private messages with one another.
How do I audition for a music collaboration project?
MyOnlineBand.com has three collaboration models, public, members
only, and private.
For a public collaboration project, no audition is necessary. If you find a project that you want to work on, submit a comment to let others know that you want to contribute. You can then download the latest mix, add your track, and then upload the new mix. The project coordinator may ask you to upload your track by itself so that he or she can refine the mix.
For members’ only project workspaces, you can click the “submit
audition request” button on the project workspace page. This will send an email to the project coordinator with a link to your profile. If he or she likes what they hear, they will add you to the members list. Project coordinators may also invite you to join a collaboration project. In this case, you will be sent an email with a link to the project workspace and a link to the accept invitation page. Once you accept the invitation you will be added to the members list.
Private collaboration projects are by invite only. Private collaboration projects do not appear in search results and may only be viewed by members. This option is usually used by offline bands who use the site to help organize set lists and arrangements for new materials.
What happens when a project is completed?
When a project is completed, the project coordinator may publish the project. When a project is published an email is sent to all participants who’s tracks where accepted by the coordinator. Each participant will have the option to have the track appear on their profile. The track will also be available for others to download or purchase from the MyOnlineBand.com music library. If the project coordinator chooses the song may also be published on the MyOnlineBand.com distribution network. This network of partner sites that specialize in publishing music from independent artists is a great way to get your material to a wider audience.
How do I start a Music Collaboration Project?
Starting a music collaboration project is easy. First, if you are not a member, register. Registration is free and only takes a few moments. Once you are registered you can select Projects -> Start a Project from the navigation bar on the top of each page. This will start a simple wizard that collect the basic information about the project. Once you are done, click finish and your project will now be available for others to browse and join.
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