Bandsband

Bandsband is a term used to describe a collaborative model in which multiple musical bands form a loose network to coordinate activities, share audiences, and produce joint projects. The concept emphasizes mutual aid, cross-pollination of genres and ideas, and resource pooling while allowing each member to retain independent operation.

In practice, a bandsband may be organized as a rotating governance body or a collective with a participatory decision process, using joint booking, shared rehearsal spaces, and collaborative releases such as compilation albums or split singles. Revenue from joint projects is typically allocated according to an agreed framework, which can range from equal splits to more complex proportionate arrangements based on contribution.

Origins and usage: The term appears primarily in informal online discussions and in some indie music collectives experimenting with networked collaboration. It is not a standardized label with a single, universally recognized organizational form, and many groups use different terms for similar ideas, such as musical collective or artist cooperative.

Related concepts include musical collectives, artist cooperatives, split releases, and cooperative labels. While bandsband is not a formal international classification, it serves as a descriptive shorthand for a mode of cooperative activity among independent bands.