Can You Collaborate With GarageBand?

[CaptainHighTop]

Hi,

Can two musicians who both have GarageBand collaborate on the same song by exchanging the files back and forth to each others computers?

As an example, if someone lives in Florida and someone else is in California, can the person in Florida create a drum pattern and a bass track, send the project to the person in CA, they add keyboards and send it back, and the person in FL then adds guitar?

Can this be done at the track level? Can the person in FL create a drum track, bass track, and guitar track, send it to the person in CA, and will the person in CA be able to edit the tone of the guitar or bass, change the volume levels, etc... add their keyboard part and send it back to FL?

Thanks!

 

[intwo]

Yes, I've moved my Garageband projects between computers. Just make sure that you both use plugins/presets that you both have installed on your computers. If you don't, you will still be able to edit the project, but the plugin/preset will not function.

 

[HoldernessMedia]

Just make sure that you both use plugins/presets that you both have installed on your computers. If you don't, you will still be able to edit the project, but the plugin/preset will not function.

+1 on this. Also a good idea to make sure you're both running the same version of Garageband just to make sure things stay compatible.

You should try Dropbox for collaborating. (http://www.dropbox.com)
This works really well and syncs fast if you both have high speed internet connections.

1.) You and your friend in California can each setup your own Dropbox account.

2.) Create a "Shared Folder" and share it with your friend's dropbox.

3.) Store the Garageband project in this Shared Folder.



When you set this up this way, the project will sync across both your computers when new edits/saves are made to the project.

For example:

You make a drum and bass pattern in your project, and save it.
Dropbox automatically syncs your project's changes to your friends computer, so when he/she opens it your new drum and bass pattern is there.

Then, your friend adds a keyboard part, and adjusts the bass tracks amp tone, then saves. This now syncs back to your computer, so once the project file is synced on your end, your friend's new keyboard part and mix adjustments are there.

Collaborating this way is SOOO nice.

 

[CaptainHighTop]

Hey, I really appreciate the responses. Very very helpful!

I can't wait to get started.

 

[polaris20]

+1 on this. Also a good idea to make sure you're both running the same version of Garageband just to make sure things stay compatible.

You should try Dropbox for collaborating. (http://www.dropbox.com)
This works really well and syncs fast if you both have high speed internet connections.

1.) You and your friend in California can each setup your own Dropbox account.

2.) Create a "Shared Folder" and share it with your friend's dropbox.

3.) Store the Garageband project in this Shared Folder.



When you set this up this way, the project will sync across both your computers when new edits/saves are made to the project.

For example:

You make a drum and bass pattern in your project, and save it.
Dropbox automatically syncs your project's changes to your friends computer, so when he/she opens it your new drum and bass pattern is there.

Then, your friend adds a keyboard part, and adjusts the bass tracks amp tone, then saves. This now syncs back to your computer, so once the project file is synced on your end, your friend's new keyboard part and mix adjustments are there.

Collaborating this way is SOOO nice.

+1 on the Dropbox idea. My friends and I use this, and it really works well. I just created a GarageBand-Share folder, and shared it with their email addresses, and it added it to their accounts. Simply amazing way of collaborating these days. The fact that GB keeps everything in a single bundle makes it easy too. I also am able to edit stuff while on break at work on my work MBP. So cool!