At a recent electronic producers meetup, the discussion topic was electronic music collectives.? These groups seem to be gaining popularity in the EDM community.? I decided to do some research share my findings with you here!
When did collectives get started?
Artistic collectives are actually not very new at all.? Collectives for electronic music producers have been around pretty much as long as there has been electronic music, starting with the earliest composers of Musique concr?te in the 1940?s. ?The early electronic music collectives were mostly about collectively exploring potential new technologies.? With the democratization created by today?s music production software, the ubiquity of high-power computers, and the connectivity provided by high speed internet, the focus is now more on refinement of the craft and business of music production.
What are collectives?
A music production collective is generally a group of musicians who work together to refine their craft, pool their financial risk and rewards, and help each other to succeed.? There are no set rules for how a collective operates.? Collective members help promote all the music created in the collective, and also help connect members up with opportunities.
What do collectives offer a music producer?
There are many reasons why electronic music collectives make sense for an aspiring musician today.? At the beginning of a musical career, a collective is a great way to learn from more experienced peers.? One of the key factors to success in the music business is out-marketing your competition.? Collectives can function as social media marketing powerhouses, with each member able to quickly share a piece of new music from the collective to a wide audience.? Finally, as with any business, having a large network of contacts can help connect members of collectives with opportunities, even after leaving the collective.
How to join a collective.
The good news is that collectives are recruiting in just about every major city.? Thanks to social media, finding a collective is not much more difficult that a Google or Facebook search.? Be aware of what each collective is looking for in a new member.? ?Just like any other job, make sure to tailor your pitch to the particulars of the collective you are looking to join.
With the growing popularity of musical collectives, electronic music producers have another way to get their music out to the public effectively.? I am excited to see how this trend develops in the next few years and what new frontiers of music are opened up by it.
