A new app called Treble.fm that aims to connect musicians, songwriters, and producers launched to the public today. Artists can build a profile, mark what musical categories they are experts in (such as piano, drums, engineer, or singer), and then search for other musicians to collaborate with based upon their needs for a project and the collaborator’s physical location.
Using the app is a very straightforward process. After signing up, I was prompted to create my profile, where I could select up to three artist roles (I chose producer, DJ, and engineer); link my relevant social accounts; connect my SoundCloud, so other artists on the app could hear my work; list my influences; and then add a description for myself and what I was looking for.
Once my profile was completed, I was able to search for other artists based upon their talents and location relative to me. I was also able to browse the bulletin section, where users can directly create notices for paid and unpaid opportunities. If there is an artist you’re interested in speaking with, a request to connect must be sent and approved before you can communicate with them.
Treble.fm is built for “the type of people who use their Instagram as a business card”
Trying to find musicians to collaborate with on a project, especially if their expertise is something outside of my normal sphere, can be an arduous process. (I know a lot of other producers, for example, but exactly zero sax players.) Other apps I’ve tried are cluttered and don’t prioritize attaching things like a user’s YouTube and SoundCloud accounts — the easiest ways to check out someone’s abilities — resulting in bland, text-based profiles that leave out the most important part: music.
In Treble.fm, a user’s bio, socials, SoundCloud songs, and connect button are all on one clean-looking page that can be visually personalized, and everything is integrated so you never have to leave the app. I found Treble.fm to not only be easy to use, but I appreciated that requested connections had to be approved before any conversation could begin. This means both parties have vetted each other and are interested in what the other person is doing creatively before they start talking.
Treble.fm’s founder, Matt Bond, acknowledges other apps exist to create connections between musicians, like BandFriend and Jam Compass. “We’re not the first company to make a networking app for artists,” says Bond. “But most are built by tech people. We’re artists with tech backgrounds and we understand what other artists are looking for. So, we created a simple and stripped-down experience that just takes those things into account.” Bond is betting on Treble.fm’s more streamlined interface that he says attracts a younger audience, built for “the type of people who use their Instagram as a business card.”
The platform currently boasts around 2,000 users who were invited to use the app during its beta phase, and artists like OSHUN, Melo Makes Music, and Taylor Bennett have been already used Treble.fm to connect with other musicians. Bennett, in particular, is an active user, and utilized it to find musicians for a performance in New York. He then used the same musicians as a backing band for a second event, and even flew them out to Chicago for a third event. The lead single on Bennett’s latest album, Restoration of an American Idol, was also facilitated through collaborations on Treble.fm.
Treble.fm is available now for free in the App Store.