Connecting across borders: communication tools and group practices of remote music collaborators

Remote music collaboration software (RMCS) offers a democratic working environment where amateurs and professionals can connect, collaborate, communicate and learn from each other. Understanding the dynamic of group work and creative processes in RMCS leads to creating groups with a stronger potential to complete their projects. Reflecting on my collaborative experiences, I discuss the availability of communication tools that optimise achievable creative results and enhance the collaborative process. I outline phases and types of communication used in RMCS projects as well as behaviours and characteristics of successful music-production groups operating in the context of RMCS. I assert that to fully benefit from the innovative technologies that facilitate various music production approaches in online collaborative creativity, musicians need to recognise the value of and fully engage with the available communication tools, which are critical to creative crowdsourcing and enhancing outcomes of collaborative music creation.