In September 1983, a few months after the release of R.E.M.'s debut album, Stipe participated in a low-budget, forty-five-minute Super-8 film called Just Like a Movie, shot in Athens by New York Rocker magazine photographer Laura Levine, who was a friend of the band.
Those with acting roles in the film included Levine, Stipe, his sister Lynda, Matthew Sweet (who formed a short-lived duo, Community Trolls, with Michael Stipe), and R.E.M.'s Bill Berry.
The film remains unreleased.

Stipe had planned a collaboration with friend Kurt Cobain, lead singer of Nirvana, in 1994, partly in an attempt to lure Cobain away from his home and his drug addiction.
However, they did not manage to compose or record anything before Cobain's death.
Stipe was chosen as the godfather of Cobain and Courtney Love's daughter, Frances Bean Cobain.
R.E.M. recorded the song "Let Me In" from the 1994 album Monster in tribute to Cobain.

Stipe was once very close to fellow alternative rock singer Natalie Merchant and has recorded a few songs with her, including one titled "Photograph" which appeared on a pro-choice benefit album titled Born to Choose, and they appeared live with Peter Gabriel singing Gabriel's single "Red Rain" at the 1996 VH1 Honors and a few other times.

Stipe and Tori Amos became friends in the mid-1990s and recorded a duet in 1994 called "It Might Hurt a Bit" for the Don Juan DeMarco motion picture soundtrack.
Both Stipe and Amos decided not to release it.

In 1998, Stipe published a collection called Two Times Intro: On the Road with Patti Smith.
In 2006, Stipe released an EP that comprised six different cover versions of Joseph Arthur's "In The Sun" for the Hurricane Katrina disaster relief fund.
One version, recorded in a collaboration with Coldplay's Chris Martin, reached number one on the Canadian Singles Chart.
Also in 2006, Stipe appeared on the song "Broken Promise" on the Placebo release Meds.
Continuing his non-R.E.M. work in 2006, Stipe sang the song "L'Hôtel" on the tribute album to Serge Gainsbourg titled Monsieur Gainsbourg Revisited and appeared on the song "Dancing on the Lip of a Volcano" on the New York Dolls album One Day It Will Please Us to Remember Even This.
He recorded a song with Miguel Bose on the album Papito "Lo que ves es lo que hay".

Stipe collaborated with Lacoste in 2008 to release his own "holiday collector edition" brand of polo shirt.
The design depicts a concert audience from the view of the performer on stage.
He appeared with Chris Martin of Coldplay live at Madison Square Garden and online to perform "Losing My Religion", in the 12-12-12 concert raising money for relief from Hurricane Sandy.
A new recording from Stipe was revealed in 2013, featuring Courtney Love.
The song, "Rio Grande", is taken from Johnny Depp's pirate-themed album Son of Rogue's Gallery.
Stipe also created the soundtrack for The Cold Lands (2013), a film by Stipe's friend, director Tom Gilroy.

Stipe inducted the American grunge band Nirvana into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on April 10, 2014.
He debuted his first solo composition at Moogfest in 2017.
Later that year, he performed with Fischerspooner on the new song "Have Fun Tonight" from their 2017 album Sir.
Stipe released the solo song "Future, If Future" on March 24, 2018, followed by “Your Capricious Soul” on October 5, 2019. "
Drive to the Ocean" was released for his 60th birthday on January 4, 2020.

Photography has long been a passion for Stipe and he has been carrying a camera with him since his teenage years when he photographed shows featuring Ramones, The Runaways and Queen.

In 2018, Stipe released a book of his photography entitled Volume 1 which featured 35 photographs of such celebrities as River Phoenix and Kurt Cobain.
A second volume with Douglas Coupland, Our Interference Times: A Visual Record, was released in 2019.

In 2019, Stipe collaborated with Aaron Dessner and Justin Vernon of Big Red Machine on the single "No Time For Love Like Now."
The song was finished and released in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In September 1983, a few months after the release of R.E.M.'s debut album, Stipe participated in a low-budget, forty-five-minute Super-8 film called Just Like a Movie, shot in Athens by New York Rocker magazine photographer Laura Levine, who was a friend of the band. Those with acting roles in the film included Levine, Stipe, his sister Lynda, Matthew Sweet (who formed a short-lived duo, Community Trolls, with Michael Stipe), and R.E.M.'s Bill Berry. The film remains unreleased.
Stipe had planned a collaboration with friend Kurt Cobain, lead singer of Nirvana, in 1994, partly in an attempt to lure Cobain away from his home and his drug addiction. However, they did not manage to compose or record anything before Cobain's death. Stipe was chosen as the godfather of Cobain and Courtney Love's daughter, Frances Bean Cobain. R.E.M. recorded the song "Let Me In" from the 1994 album Monster in tribute to Cobain.
Stipe was once very close to fellow alternative rock singer Natalie Merchant and has recorded a few songs with her, including one titled "Photograph" which appeared on a pro-choice benefit album titled Born to Choose, and they appeared live with Peter Gabriel singing Gabriel's single "Red Rain" at the 1996 VH1 Honors and a few other times.
Stipe and Tori Amos became friends in the mid-1990s and recorded a duet in 1994 called "It Might Hurt a Bit" for the Don Juan DeMarco motion picture soundtrack. Both Stipe and Amos decided not to release it.
In 1998, Stipe published a collection called Two Times Intro: On the Road with Patti Smith. In 2006, Stipe released an EP that comprised six different cover versions of Joseph Arthur's "In The Sun" for the Hurricane Katrina disaster relief fund. One version, recorded in a collaboration with Coldplay's Chris Martin, reached number one on the Canadian Singles Chart. Also in 2006, Stipe appeared on the song "Broken Promise" on the Placebo release Meds. Continuing his non-R.E.M. work in 2006, Stipe sang the song "L'Hôtel" on the tribute album to Serge Gainsbourg titled Monsieur Gainsbourg Revisited and appeared on the song "Dancing on the Lip of a Volcano" on the New York Dolls album One Day It Will Please Us to Remember Even This. He recorded a song with Miguel Bose on the album Papito "Lo que ves es lo que hay".
Stipe collaborated with Lacoste in 2008 to release his own "holiday collector edition" brand of polo shirt. The design depicts a concert audience from the view of the performer on stage. He appeared with Chris Martin of Coldplay live at Madison Square Garden and online to perform "Losing My Religion", in the 12-12-12 concert raising money for relief from Hurricane Sandy. A new recording from Stipe was revealed in 2013, featuring Courtney Love. The song, "Rio Grande", is taken from Johnny Depp's pirate-themed album Son of Rogue's Gallery. Stipe also created the soundtrack for The Cold Lands (2013), a film by Stipe's friend, director Tom Gilroy.
Stipe inducted the American grunge band Nirvana into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on April 10, 2014. He debuted his first solo composition at Moogfest in 2017. Later that year, he performed with Fischerspooner on the new song "Have Fun Tonight" from their 2017 album Sir. Stipe released the solo song "Future, If Future" on March 24, 2018, followed by “Your Capricious Soul” on October 5, 2019. "Drive to the Ocean" was released for his 60th birthday on January 4, 2020.
Photography has long been a passion for Stipe and he has been carrying a camera with him since his teenage years when he photographed shows featuring Ramones, The Runaways and Queen.
In 2018, Stipe released a book of his photography entitled Volume 1 which featured 35 photographs of such celebrities as River Phoenix and Kurt Cobain. A second volume with Douglas Coupland, Our Interference Times: A Visual Record, was released in 2019.
In 2019, Stipe collaborated with Aaron Dessner and Justin Vernon of Big Red Machine on the single "No Time For Love Like Now." The song was finished and released in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Michael Stipe