Studio Stuff Podcast #52 | Why Musicians Take Forever to Finish Anything: The Collaboration Problem

Ever worked on a song with another musician and found yourself waiting... and waiting... and WAITING for their part to arrive?

In this episode, we're talking about one of the biggest frustrations in music collaboration: getting people to actually finish what they started!

It all begins with a question from MCC member Ken Dobson, whose collaborator has apparently taken an entire YEAR to finish his contribution to a song. That opens up a conversation about deadlines, priorities, perfectionism, and why collaborating with other musicians can sometimes feel like being married... only worse!

We share our own experiences from both sides of the equation, including Steve's confession about being the guy who sometimes holds things up. We also discuss the challenges of collaborating with friends, what happens when the finished work isn't what you expected, and why a little organization goes a long way when working remotely.

You'll Learn:

• Why musicians struggle to finish collaborative projects

• How perfectionism can keep good music from ever being released

• Why setting realistic deadlines makes a huge difference

• How to handle a collaborator who keeps promising "next week"

• How to keep friendships intact when a musical collaboration isn't working

• Why planning and organization are essential for remote collaboration

Listener Q&A:

Shoutout to Ken Dobson from our Mixdown Coaching Community!

Ken wants to know what to do when a fellow musician takes an entire year to contribute to a song. Should he accept the delay if the results are good, or send his collaborator to "Slow Musicians Anonymous"?

We explore what causes these delays and how to deal with them without damaging the relationship.

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We'll answer as many as we can in upcoming episodes!