51 Surefire Ways to Destroy Your Relationship with a Vocalist-Songwriter (And Ensure They’ll Never Work with You Again)

If you’re looking to lose a great vocalist-songwriter fast, here are 51 foolproof ways to make it happen. Avoid these blunders, or prepare to watch your collaboration crash and burn:

1. Take full credit for the song, ignoring their creative contributions.

2. Sign a track to a label without telling them, making them feel excluded from major decisions.

3. Change the song arrangement without consulting them—it’s their creative project too.

4. Dismiss their feedback as unnecessary or irrelevant.

5. Forget to list them in the credits on official releases or streaming platforms.

6. Send out their raw vocals without permission—privacy and presentation matter!

7. Add heavy effects to their voice without asking if they’re comfortable with it.

8. Offer exposure as payment, undervaluing their talent and hard work.

9. Make decisions about royalties without consulting them, even if it’s a “small track.”

10. Critique their lyrics or style harshly without constructive suggestions.

11. Assume they’ll sing whatever you write without considering their vocal style.

12. Give them conflicting directions, leaving them frustrated and confused.

13. Ignore their songwriting suggestions, treating them as “just a singer.”

14. Skip having a collaboration agreement, creating misunderstandings later.

15. Post teasers of the track without asking, potentially ruining the surprise.

16. Overshare unfinished work on social media, ignoring their vision.

17. Keep them in the dark about release dates or distribution plans.

18. Push for a style change that doesn’t suit their voice or personality.

19. Constantly delay payments, making them chase you for compensation.

20. Leave them out of marketing decisions—they’re part of the brand too.

21. Ask them to sing outside their vocal range, ignoring their strengths.

22. Overuse auto-tune, altering their authentic sound.

23. Show up unprepared to sessions, wasting their time.

24. Assume you can finalize the mix without them hearing it first.

25. Take all the credit in interviews or press, sidelining their role.

26. Make promises you don’t keep, like exposure or label connections.

27. Rush them through their parts, treating it as just another session.

28. Underestimate their vision, dismissing their ideas as “overly ambitious.”

29. Forget to communicate on progress, leaving them guessing about the track’s status.

30. Cut corners on production quality, leaving their vocals sounding subpar.

31. Surprise them with a “new direction” for the song without discussion.

32. Give the song to another artist without their knowledge.

33. Fail to properly credit them on streaming services, leading to lost royalties.

34. Disregard their preferred vocal setup in the studio.

35. Ignore their availability when scheduling sessions, showing disregard for their time.

36. Make them redo takes unnecessarily, just because you can’t decide.

37. Pressure them to change lyrics they’re emotionally invested in.

38. Compare their voice to another artist in a negative way.

39. Forget to acknowledge their creative process, assuming it’s “quick and easy.”

40. Switch producers midway without involving them, affecting the track’s feel.

41. Disregard their emotional connection to the song, making it feel impersonal.

42. Limit their access to the song files, keeping them from practising or reviewing.

43. Push for early release dates when the track isn’t ready, compromising quality.

44. Neglect to consider their career goals, treating the song as just another project.

45. Add another producer to the collaboration without telling them and then expecting them to split it 3 ways.

46. Pressure them to change their image to fit a “new vision” for the song.

47. Ignore their requests for edits, prioritising your own ideas only.

48. Refuse to share track royalties, assuming it’s only for the primary artist.

49. Post about the song as if you created it alone, sidelining their role.

50. Don’t tag or hashtag them on social media when promoting the track, ignoring their visibility.

51. Make them a “feat.” artist instead of using “&,” “x,” or “+”, downplaying their role in the collaboration.

When collaborating with a vocalist-songwriter, remember: they’re not just a voice—they’re a partner in creation. Each of these “don’ts” underscores the importance of respect, communication, and shared vision in any successful collaboration.