Do You Collaborate With Your Competitors?

Team PMFC

Team PMFC

— 3 min read
Do You Collaborate With Your Competitors?

In a competitive industry like audio, the word "competitor" might conjure images of fierce rivalry. However, a growing number of savvy audio engineers are realizing the potential benefits of strategic collaboration with others in their field. Could this counterintuitive approach actually boost your business?

Busting the Competition Myth

The traditional mindset often sees competitors as threats to be defeated. But reframing the concept of competition can open new possibilities for growth. Consider:

  • Complementary Skill Sets: Could you team up with an engineer who excels in a genre you rarely tackle?
  • Workload Overflow: Refer a project to a fellow engineer when you're fully booked, maintaining a positive relationship rather than losing the lead.
  • Shared Knowledge: Pool resources and learn from each other's techniques and workflow.

The Benefits of Collaborating with Competitors

  • Expanded Services: Offer clients a wider range of expertise and production styles without having to master everything yourself.
  • Bigger Projects: Partner up to bid on larger projects that would be impossible to handle solo.
  • Creative Inspiration: Collaborations can spark new ideas and help you break out of your usual creative patterns.
  • Cross-Promotion: Tap into each other's audiences, expanding your reach beyond your current client base.
  • Community Building: Forge supportive connections within the industry, reducing isolation and sharing expertise.

Making Collaboration Work

  • Choose Collaborators Wisely: Look for engineers whose skills complement yours, who have good reputations, and share a similar work ethic.
  • Clear Agreements: Outline the scope of work, responsibilities, compensation, and credit upfront to avoid misunderstandings.
  • Open Communication: Transparent and regular communication is key to successful collaboration.
  • Embrace Mutual Growth: Focus on how the partnership benefits both studios, not just on one-sided gain.

Collaboration in Practice

Here are some ways to collaborate with other audio engineers:

  • Co-production: Share mixing or mastering duties on a project, blending your unique strengths.
  • Referrals & Trade-offs: Refer clients you're not a good fit for and receive referrals in return.
  • Workshop & Event Co-Hosting: Teach together on your areas of expertise, attracting a wider audience.
  • Gear Sharing & Studio Swaps: Expand your sonic options without investing in every piece of equipment.

The Bottom Line

While healthy competition pushes you to improve, strategic collaboration with other audio engineers can open doors you never expected. It's a mindset shift that can lead to increased revenue, creative growth, and a more fulfilling experience within the audio community.

Let me know if you'd like examples of real-world audio engineer collaborations that have been successful!

Rich Steve Beck is the creator and owner of Produce Mix Fix Conquer/We Are PMFC and PMFC Atlas. As well as being a Mastering Engineer, Blogger, Podcast Interviewer and Community Leader, Rich has 20 years + experience in finance, insurance, account management and online marketing. This will be a regular series supporting new up and coming audio engineers and producers as well as hopefully throwing around some fresh ideas to industry veterans to help assist sustainability. Cherry pick what is helpful, leave behind what you don't need. Good luck on your audio adventures! 

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