Working Together Remotely: A Collaborative Approach to Music & Film
Working remotely with a producer, mix engineer, or composer can feel uncomfortable, especially when the work is deeply individual and personal.
In this post, I wanted to share how I collaborate with artists and filmmakers in real time, keeping the process transparent and genuinely collaborative, even when working from different parts of the world.
Before I ever learned how to fully produce and mix music, I spent years playing in bands. I remember very clearly what it felt like to hand songs over to producers and mix engineers and wait to see what came back.
Sometimes it went incredibly well. Other times, through no fault of anyone involved, it was a difficult experience. When you’ve poured yourself into making something, you’re going to feel protective of it. Music and films are built from hundreds, often thousands, of small decisions, each one contributing to a larger vision. So when someone new causes that vision shifts unexpectedly, it can be unsettling.
Those experiences stayed with me.
From very early on in my career, I knew I wanted collaboration to be at the centre of how I work. Respect for the material, for the person who made it, and for the care that goes into creating something meaningful has always been non-negotiable for me.
Collaboration has always mattered to me
For a long time, that meant travelling to work with people in person whenever possible. Being in the same room, listening together, and shaping ideas side by side has always felt like the most natural way to work.
But as technology has improved, I’ve found ways to bring much of that experience into remote collaboration, without losing the human side of the process.
A way of working that feels shared, not distant
Over time, I began using a tool called Source-Connect. It allows me to stream high-quality audio directly from my sessions in real time, while also video chatting and sharing my screen with whoever I’m working with.
In practical terms, this means that artists and filmmakers can:
hear changes as they happen
see what I’m doing inside the session
talk through decisions in real time
shape the work together, rather than reacting after the fact
The feedback I’ve had from artists, brands, and filmmakers has been overwhelmingly positive. Many people have said that being able to see and hear decisions as they’re made removes a lot of anxiety from the process. Nothing feels hidden, rushed, or handed over without context.
There will never be a true replacement for sitting in a room together, but this is the closest I’ve found to recreating that sense of shared presence when working remotely.
Using my skills in service of your vision
This way of working allows you to use my experience as a producer, mix engineer, or composer while staying closely connected to your own creative instincts.
If you want to go deep into detail, we can.
If you prefer to focus on how something feels rather than how it’s built, that works too.
The aim is always the same: to make decisions together until the work feels right.
A hybrid approach can work beautifully too
Not every project needs to be handled entirely in real time.
Often, I’ll explore ideas independently, trying out arrangements, sounds, or mix directions, and then share those with collaborators before coming together in a session to refine and adjust. I’ve found this hybrid approach to be especially fruitful when someone feels stuck or wants a fresh perspective without losing control over the direction of the work.
Sometimes all that’s needed is a new set of ears, a few ideas, and a calm space to respond to them together.
An option, not an obligation
If we work together, remote collaboration is always an option, and for many people, it becomes a very valuable part of the process. But it’s never forced.
Every project is different, and the way we work should serve the music or the film, not the other way around.
The common thread, whether working remotely or in person, is care: for the work, for the process, and for the person behind it.