5 Tips for a Successful Online Collaboration
We’re all doing it these days. Collaborating long distance. In and out of Zoom rooms, FaceTime .. on phones and pad and computers etc… and it’s probably not going to change any time soon.
So, how do we manage this new adapted way of working and still keep our creative flow?
I’ve got FIVE tips for you which will help you maneuver in this new space and keep you in the zone.
I co-wrote an EP for my Brit Frisco project. My songwriting collaborator is based in Spain. He and his family travel frequently to London and other destinations.
I am based in Southern California (as of recent) and work from my studio which feels really far away from Spain!
What I’m trying to say is that we all will have varying degrees of “stuff” that happens or non-negotiable responsibilities. We all have distractions that take us out of our creative zone.
Needless to say, things like pandemics and house moves will most likely impact output. It doesn’t have to ground us totally. By introducing small snippets of time that we might have in all the chaos, we can still manage to be productive.
It’s about using the time we have… and making that work for us.
In collaboration it’s even more important; you have 2 people or more to consider instead of just you.
Here are FIVE tips for a successful on-line collaboration:
Be Organized
Since we’re all going back and forth and all over the place with docs, emails, files, folders etc… it’s important to keep a good work flow. I have had some REALLY BAD workflows in the past and it has come back to haunt me, so please consider these things before you get in the weeds and can’t get yourself out.
For instance, keep all your lyric drafts in place or app and name the version that is current. For instance, if you have 3 different versions, your docs should be named as such. Here’s an example:
Love Song lyric_v1 (date)
Love Song lyric_v2 (date)
Love Song lyric_v3 (date)
Keep them all in one folder, so you know which one is current or have the others close by in case you need to go back to an earlier draft.
Set-up a Dropbox account and create a folder with your collaborator where you’ll be keeping everything, so everything having to do with that person stays in one place where the both of you can access docs, lyrics, audio files, stems etc….
2. Be on time
No explanation needed here. One of the best ways to show you respect someone else’s time is through demonstration. If by chance, you are running late due to no fault of your own, send a quick text to let your collaborator know. Maybe they can do something productive in the time they spend waiting for you.
3. Come prepared.
If you don’t have the opportunity to speak to one another often; it’s important to keep track of what you need to cover and/or your ideas and thoughts.
If I have a lot of stuff, I put my items in a digital note or on my phone to remind me of what I’m doing and it keeps me on tracks and refreshes my memory.
If you do a lot of writing, it’s really critical that you come prepared.
4. Be ready for technical difficulties.
There are always going to be the odd or usual interruption in service, clogged internet, lousy wi-fi connections etc.. so just be prepared to have a plan B. For instance, if your video connection is wonky, switch to phone audio only. Better to switch to something more basic than try for minutes or even hours to get a good wi-fi connection.
Also, try out the app you will be using before the time you will be meeting. If it’s Zoom, FaceTime or Skype, log-in at least 5 minutes beforehand to make sure everything is working on your end.
5. Be flexible.
Doing a co-write virtually is more labor intensive than if you were in an actual room with your collaborator, but this is where we are.
Try and stay nimble in the technical process and open creatively in the heart and mind.
Despite the energy of being together, which is always the best way to collaborate with someone, we can still make a creative endeavor work beautifully. We will only have to adjust.
I hope this helps with your next co-write!
Let me know what apps or workflows you have to do online collabs!
Diona