We made many friends online last year, which was a great use of our lockdown time, and now we can't remember why we weren't taking the opportunity to build our dream connections earlier.

As we get out there, our horizons on the live music scene appear to be expanding slower than expected thanks to Omicron's latest rampage, and you miss out on 100% of the friends you don't reach out to! No need to send out bulk Facebook friend requests, we’re keeping it classy.To keep the collaborative spirit high, here are five ways to help you navigate online networking during an ongoing pandemic.

1. Hook up with a new online gang (hello Facebook community)

Engage with your music community by participating in online forums, online networking events and groups. By signing up to online meetups or training events you’re linking with experts and novices alike. As we navigate the Covid-economy, artists are taking the time to grow their community presence and connect with fans and peers through tutorials, live chat sessions on social platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Reddit Q&As. Or you could start one yourself, your next online networking meetup could be just an Eventbrite virtual attendance away. You probably won’t need to wear pants or comb your hair.

2. Offer some constructive feedback and opinions

Interact with content shared by your favourite influencers, bands, and labels by showing your support through words of encouragement, insightful opinions, or answering questions posed by other fans and engagers. This is a great way to be seen as a valuable contributor and you never know who might reach out to you as a result for more follow-up information. The world needs more constructive conversation, be the fascinating info thread that people want to see in the world.

3. Lift your community by showcasing other artists

The best way to meet new people is to show them that you care about what they’re up to by sharing their projects. Write a review for new music or works you’ve been inspired by, artists and aspiring musos will appreciate the shoutout. Musicians are the tastemakers and trendsetters, so pool your knowledge into ‘best of’ playlists for your favourite labels and use Spotify, Beatport, or Bandcamp playlists to help people find new music to buy.

4. Follow up on old connections and start the new conversations

There’s no time like the present to reach out to old contacts you’ve been feeling guilty for not following up, especially since we all have a lot more free time on our hands. Maybe you didn’t reply to an email and then it just got too awkward, or you’ve been putting off contacting that label rep who said you could ask them some questions.Your chances of getting a meaningful response are pretty high because the industry is using this COVID downtime for idea development and building meaningful connections for when we get back to gigging.

5. You get back what you put out there

There’s no need to start from scratch, just make your socials… a lot more social. Instead of posting pictures and announcing information, start asking your followers questions or putting out requests to collaborate. Your mate might link you up with a new graphic designer for your album cover, or meet a new songwriting genius. Put some tips up and respond to your music fam. Check out other profiles and reach out to people. This is a great way to slide into a deeper DM chat.There are plenty of ways to keep busy meeting different artists online, starting with all the musicians in your area currently vibing on the same Netflix, chill and online stalk schedule as you are. Some of them might even be fellow Surreal Live users, so delve a little deeper into the community you’re already part of, you never know who you’ll come across. Your new Surreal fam for life. Plus if you need any help finding new mates, we’ve been busy too so reach out to us and we’d be happy to inspire you. Sign up to our app today and check out our Instagram to see how our members are reaching out to each other throughout the Covid-years.