Forming a Band
Learn how to play an instrument or take vocal lessons. There are many instruments to choose from, but the most common are the guitar and the drums. Learning bass can prove fruitful as well. If you are planning to start an alternative rock band, you can even consider piano or the turntables. Take lessons in person, find videos online, or learn from a friend to fine tune your skills. It’s never too late to learn a new skill. Even if you’ve never picked up an instrument before, you can start now!
Put together a band. Unless you’re planning on being a solo artist, you’ll need other members to get your rockstar career going. Get people who can actually sing or play an instrument well too. These can be your friends, members of your family, or people you met through the music industry.Tip: You can also try joining an existing band by looking for auditions for musicians in your area. If you don’t know anyone who wants to be in a band, try putting an ad out online or on your social media advertising the need for musicians.
Talk to your band members about what genre of music you like. There are many types of music out there to choose from, and depending on what you like, you could get popular playing almost anything. The typical rockstar plays rock music, but you don’t have to box yourself in with one genre. You could play the blues, heavy metal, folk, pop punk, indie rock, alternative rock, and many more! You can also mix genres to create a new, innovative sound.
Practice often with your band. The only way to get better is if you keep playing music with your band as often as you can. Try to set a schedule for band practices at least once a week, if not more often. Work on fine-tuning your sound and your image to keep getting better. Try to make the band a priority in your life. If it’s not your first priority, you probably won’t practice as often, which can hurt your progress. Try to find a practice space in someone’s garage or basement so you aren't bothering the neighbors.
Writing and Selling Music
Write songs with lyrics that are meaningful to you. Although technically any member of the band can be a rockstar, the person who writes the music is usually the front person. Try writing a few songs with lyrics that you like and present them to the band. Let the other members of the band have some input, too. If they don’t like the music they’re playing, they probably won’t perform as well on stage.
Record your music in a studio. Now it’s time to get your music out there online. Find a recording studio near you and pick your favorite songs to record. Meet with a producer to put together your songs in an extended playlist (EP) or an album.Tip: Most recording studios charge by the hour. Check with your local studio to see how much you’ll need to budget for a studio session. Usually studios charge $50-200 per hour depending on the quality of the studio and on the engineer’s services being included or not in the price. Make sure to have an engineer! If you don’t have one, the studio may provide one for an additional cost ($15-30 per hour). Be mindful that recording can be taxing on your voice, so don’t plan to sing 10 songs in 1 day! 2 songs a day would be a good starting point. If your budget is tight, consider recording some parts on your own. Background vocals, guitar, and bass can all be done with a simple home set up, and a good mix can get them sound like they were done at the studio. Lead vocals and drums need to be recorded with professional studio equipment, however. Once you’ve recorded your music, you can put it on Spotify, YouTube, or make it into a CD to share with your friends.
Upload your music to an online platform for listeners to stream or buy. Spotify, Bandcamp, AppleMusic, Pandora, and Soundcloud all have online platforms for artists to upload and stream music. Through these sites, you can collect royalties, or payments, every time someone listens to your music. Check out these sites to get started on uploading your music. Each site is different, but usually you’ll need to submit your songs along with a licensing agreement so that the website can play them.
Create CDs or vinyls to sell. Once you’ve recorded a few songs, you can compile them onto an album. Talk to the producer in the studio to see what their rates are and how you can get physical copies. Then, you can promote your music online or sell it to your friends and family. CDs are cheaper to make, but you can sell vinyls for more money and profit. The rates for recording an entire album and putting it on a CD vary wildly between studios.
Building a Fanbase
Play as many shows as you can. Your goal is to make money while being a rockstar, but when you’re first starting out, you might have to play for free. Reach out to local clubs, bars, theaters, and competitions near you to see if your band can play a show there. You never know who might be in the audience to see your performance! Invite your friends and family to come watch you and show their support.
Be the spokesperson for your band. Although every band member is important, if you want to be a typical rockstar, you’ll have to be the most outspoken. Talk to people after your shows, take charge of the studio sessions, and run the social media accounts for your bands so you can be the person that everyone thinks about when they think of your band. Often, the front person of the band is the lead vocalist, but it doesn't have to be. Beyoncé Knowles Beyoncé Knowles, Singer & Businesswoman Be confident in your abilities. "Your self-worth is determined by you. You don't have to depend on someone telling you who you are. Do what you were born to do. You just have to trust yourself."
Share your music on social media. Make your band an Instagram page, a Facebook page, a Twitter, and a YouTube account. Upload your music, pictures of the band, gigs that you’re playing, and merch that you’re trying to sell to spread the word about your music. Spreading your music online can get you a huge following which will help broadcast your band and your image.
Make a music video and put it online. Listening to music is nice, but some people like a visual component as well. Try filming a music video to go along with at least one of your songs. It doesn’t have to be super high quality—it can even be just you and the band jamming out—but try to forge a connection with your audience. If you don’t have a fancy camera, try shooting the video on your smartphone. Most of them have really good cameras nowadays that look almost professional.
Sell physical merchandise. Create a logo for your band and put it on T-shirts, mugs, or a poster. You can create a website to sell your merch online or advertise it on social media to make some extra money and have people wearing and promoting your band.Tip: If you’re having trouble creating a logo, talk to a graphic designer to get one professionally made.
Becoming a Professional
Find a manager through a talent agency. Once you become established in your community of friends, you can start looking for a manager to find you gigs and record deals. Reach out to a talent agency near you to find a manager willing to take on your group and popularize you.Tip: If you don’t have a large following yet, a manager might not want to take you on. If that happens, try again in a few months when more people know about your music. The manager will often take a cut of whatever the band makes as a payment.
Talk to a record company about a record deal. A record deal is when a record label works with you to create your next album. When you have a record deal, the record company will use their connections to promote and sell your music so you don’t have to. If your band gets enough attention, you may be approached by a record company; otherwise, ask your manager to get in touch with a few. Some record companies won’t give you a record deal until your band is popular.
Book large gigs, like festivals. Once you get established within your community, you can start looking for shows that get more of an audience. Reach out to any festivals that come to your city or large bands that you could open for to get more attention. Some festivals are televised, which would give you even more of a reach.
Do interviews online and on TV. There are a lot of interviewers out there who focus mainly on the music industry. Reach out to people who have music blogs or your local news station to see if your band or your music could be featured next. You may also be approached by an interviewer if your band starts getting a lot of attention. Don’t forget to be the main person talking in an interview so that you are seen as the front person of the band!
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