When deciding on a partner for musical collaboration, the most important consideration is simply whether or not the partnership will result in better and/or more music. It’s tempting to imagine that your best friend will also be your ideal musical partner, but personal compatibility and professional compatibility aren’t necessarily related. Sure, the process will likely be more fun if you’re working with someone with whom you have a good social connection. But many personal relationships have been destroyed by attempting to extend them into professional relationships; if the professional one fails, the personal one might as well. If your best friend happens to also have a strong work ethic and great musical and technical skills, then the partnership might make sense. But if not, consider partnering with someone else. Of course, even the most talented musician isn’t going to work out in the long run if they’re a horrible person. But when in doubt, aim for professional compatibility first and social compatibility second.
Whenever possible, try to work with people who can counterbalance your strengths and weaknesses. The most obvious example is the classic “producer plus vocalist” partnership. The producer deals with all of the musical and technical aspects of the song, while the vocalist brings a particular talent that the producer simply doesn’t have. Beyond this obvious example, try to find partners who are good at a particular aspect of the production process that you’re bad at or that you dislike. For example, if you have trouble with arrangements, try to find a partner who excels at them. If you’re good at sound design and synth programming, don’t worry too much about finding a partner who also has these skills (although two completely well-rounded collaborators might be the ideal package).
Although the traditional model of collaboration involves multiple musicians in the same studio, recent technological advancements also make it possible to collaborate with people remotely, and possibly even anonymously. For example, the classic model of the studio musician has changed in recent years, and many session musicians who used to show up for recording studio dates are now tracking parts for a variety of projects from their home studios, sometimes without ever meeting the artists for whom they’re recording. This type of workflow is even easier for electronic musicians, because there’s no need for acoustic treatment, microphone setups, etc. For example, perhaps you have an idea for a synth part that’s beyond your ability to play. Using remote collaboration tools, you might find someone to record the part you need and deliver it back to you, entirely online.
Once you’ve found a good collaborative situation, it’s important that everyone involved understands exactly how things like workload, money, ownership, and creative rights are to be divided. Misunderstandings can result in a lot of misery for all parties, so it’s best to have clear conversations and real, mutual understanding as early as possible.
