Nowadays, being independent has real advantages.

How many times have you heard or read somewhere that the Web has vary d the face of the music business forever? I would love a dollar for everytime I heard it.

However, it’s true and there are a number of reasons for this. Two that spring into mind are that:

1. A traditional record company/artist relationship is optional and not a necessity. You could do your all music sales and band promotion Web cutting out all of the ‘middle people ‘.

2. websites might turn an artist with a Regional audiences into an artist with an international audiences. As the Web isn’t ‘owned’ by any one entity the playing field is a lot more even.

To me, being an independent performer means that you’re the one driving the bus and being in control over your own affairs.

A lot of talent ed musicians and performing songwriters around the world are at this considerably moment waiting for that knock at the door, the opportunity to ‘get found ‘. What’s prefer ly to happen is that they’ll invest their creative lives being considerably disappointed.

If you’re reading this and feel that this is you, contemplate this…

Where do you think you would be if you managed your career yourself rather than wait for an individual (or some company) to do it for you?

There are many websites out in cyberspace that are there to advocate you take control over your career by spreading practical information about performer promotion and the indie music industry as a whole, take advantage of these websites and go to as many as you can

Embrace independence today and capture control over your own musical affairs.

Starting up a performer is a eminently rousing time in a performers life. There’s a fine balance of nervous anticipation and the fear of the unknown that follows the whole process.

A band has a different dynamic than working as a solo artist. There are other individuals involved, other personal ities, other strengths and weaknesses in character and abilities and because of this it is really important that you have several things worked out before you start looking for band members.

1. Have a good idea of your own strengths and weaknesses

The band members that you want to get will need to be around the same level of competence as you are. The main reason for this is that you might all grow together rather than have one or two performers carrying everybody else. This kind of player imbalance causes doubt in the group and doubt is one of the major killers of bands.

2. Know beforehand how the band is going to be run

Is the performer going to be run by you or the whole group? The individual ity categories of the artists that you choose will need to be agreeable to the way the performer is going to be run.

3. What instrumentation is the band having in its lineup?

This is mainly determined by the type(s) of music that you want to play but having an idea of what artists you’re looking for will be of amazing endorse.

It’s now time to hunt down some band members

4. Ask your network of companions and/or contacts

This is always a wonderful place to start. Ask anybody that you know or come into contact with. If you do not have much of a circle of friends and/or contacts this will be a wonderful occasion to expansive n it. This is one of the reasons why networking in the industry is so important, for occasions such as this.

Having a performer referred to you has a much better chance of working than one that comes from an advertisement. This leads me onto my next point.

5. Post an advertisement

Having said that I have had made some wonderful contacts from performers enquiring from a ‘muso wanted‘ ad. The key to effective ads is that they need to be concise, to the point, not too lengthy and put in places where performers are considerably like ly to see it and read it like in a music shop, a Regional music magazine or a music classifieds web site.

A sample ‘ performer wanted‘ advertisement may read something like this:

BASS PLAYER WANTED

To join folk/rock band

Influences include

Ben Harper, Jack Johnson, Counting Crows

Some experience prefer red

Own gear and transport essential

Interested?? Give me a call

Corey – (put home and/or cell telephone  number here)

As you might see, the ad is undeniable in its intention.

It undeniable ly states the artist wanted, the kind of music the band is playing, what the music may sound prefer and that the band has some experience behind it. Ensure you have a undeniable contact name and phone numbers (if you want to include an email address as well that’s cool).

Don’t put in stuff prefer ‘work waiting‘ or ‘no time was ters please’. You may judge those sort of things yourself when an interested musician contacts you.

Once you have done that the waiting game begins.

The auditions are over, you’ve found your bass player and you all seem to get along really well. The excitement is in the air and you’ve had your first performer bonding celebration.

Now its time to start your musical journey together.

Personally, I think that locating a performer name is THE hardest decision that the performer will ever have to make and as a result one of the the majority important decisions as well.

A performer name is a eminently vital part of the bands identity. It’s the first point of contact a punter has with the band.

I can’t remember how many times people have raved about a band to me but can’t tell me the name when I ask them. Right there is the was ted opening  for a band. It frustrates me no end.

This is a optimum example of how extremely vital a band name is.

The performer name is the first thing that a punter will remember. They won’t address the performer by the names of the individuals in it when they talk to their friends (unless they’re personal friends of yours) they’ll address the performer by its name.

The perfect way to find a band name is through sheer persistance. Finding a band name that is agreeable by everyone is not an easy task.

Here are some band name get together suggestions:

1. Get every member to write down their personal list of potential performer names

This can be the 1st task that the performer could do collectively. session a date for the 1st performer meeting and betwixt now and then do that task.

2. Make brainstorming performer names the topic of your 1st ever performer meeting

When everybody gets together put all of the lists out on the table and go through each one keeping to one side the names that’strike a chord’ (sorry about the pun) with all of you and getting rid of the rest.

As a group try brainstorming some ideas. This is a great way to start formulating what the performer is all about, what its image is etc, etc.

3. Start a competition among all your companions /family/anyone else via email

This is a wonderful way to start compiling the beginnings of your performers email list. List all of your companions /family/anyone else that you want to include and their email addresses and compile them all into one mailing group. Send out an email outlining the competition and be ready for the suggestions to come flooding in.

It is vital to have a cut off date for the competition (perhaps by your 1st band meeting) and to have a prize on offer. Of course the prize is totally up to you.

Make sure that when you do find a performer name that you announce it through your email group. You have just started email promotion of your band.

Whatever you do have fun with the process and don’t let the quest to find a band name override the other things that you’ve to do such as writing songs and locating rehearsal space.

I guarantee that once you have agreed on a performer name you will all collectively breathe a very large sigh of relief. The hardest part of the journey has been achieved.

Join up and subscribe to every indie music business and DIY performer promotion email list, newsletter and resource that you can get your hands on and read everything that you receive.

I mean it when I say that too much information is much better than not enough, if what you’ve joined up or subscribed to is not giving you the information that you need then you might just opt out and un-subscribe.

Virtually all web sites that provide these things have the integrity to do as you ask.

Read what you receive, make notes, ask yourself if it’s relavent for you and the place you’re living in, integrate the information into your knowledge base.

The only way to secure this knowledge is by research, and the Web is the optimum place to research anything.

Researching on the Internet though will only give you general (but  nonetheless   profoundly important ) indie music business knowledge. The real power comes from knowing your Local/Regional scene and becoming active in it.

Here are some ways that you could do this:

1. Create reading the music magazines in your area. Regional street press is an invaluable tool in letting you know what’s going on in the Regional industry. Generally these magazines have features/interviews with Regional bands, a concert  persuade ( excellent for targeting where to play), industry news and so on.

2. Go and see some Regional bands. Check out your competition (I mean that as a figure of speech the most important thing about a Healthy indie music business is the community that builds from the music and the people who performance it), introduce yourself, get out there amongst it all and immerse yourself in the vibe. Get familiar with the places these bands performance at and know who to talk to when it is your turn to performance there.

3. Assuming that the re are music associations where you live, join them. Anything that guides indie music on an association level seek it out and join up. If it expenses resources to do that then do it (generally its not an expensive exercise). Joining these categories of associations instantly gives you a sense of community and solidarity. also the amount of information you will obtain about your Local/Regional area will be huge.

4. Assuming that the se Regional companies have web sites then bookmark them.

Need I say more on this topic. Many web sites for offline organizations provide more to Internet users of their services. It pays to be an active Internet user. One advantage that comes to mind is the fact that you’re able to participate in forums and messageboards which, in time will become persuasive DIY marketing tools for you.

You got to start somewhere and the best place to start is with your own Local/Regional area. As you expand your knowledge base you will work out ways to further your career and hopefully a snowball effect will start.

Once it stars, HANG ON!

Just the other day I got a call from an individual who wanted to find out if I has been available to play bass with their band. I declined due to not having the room to take on another project but I gave them the number of an individual else I knew that would fit the bill perfectly.

That day, that performer found a new bass player and so the story goes.

That experience got me thinking that pretty much everything that I do in my dealings with the music industry is based on who I know.

individuals prefer working with others whom they trust will do the job they want them to do or prefer recommending others for jobs that they can’t tackle themselves for one reason or another. I recognize that when this particular performer that was looking for a bassist finally found one through my network I was proud of myself. I was glad to stimulate an individual out.

That’s what networkings really all about though isn’t it? Helping people?

For any person who is just starting out my recommenndation is to find as a lot of individuals and go to as a lot of functions and concert as you can.

Immerse yourself in your Regional scene.

The more that people know who you are, the more opportunities that will open up for the taking. Become the squeaky wheel that gets all of the oil. Have that belief in yourself that you are worth knowing and don’t be afraid of knowledge.

One thing that you don’t do however is to get to know individuals for what they might do for you. Get to know them for who they are as a individual. Others might spot your insincerity a mile away (especially us cynical musos) and that is a real turn-off.

Personally I’m chuffed when a person asks me for recommenndation or just wants to have a chat about how things are going for them, but only If they are genuine about it.

A great place to start networking would be at open mic evenings.

Get yourself involved in an open mic and just walk up to a person and say “hi”. Everybody is there for the same reason so there is some common ground. You can perhaps ask them Assuming that they’re going to be performing on that night and go from there.

Do not forget, the more you network the more you’ll be known and the more you’re known the more work you’ll get.

In time your ‘little black book‘ of names will become your greatest asset.

I do not know how I started really, I just sort of fell into it and before I knew it I has been in a band

Sound familiar? It does to me. That is how I got started.

I did not have a plan, did not have a clue and did not have any idea of what I has been getting myself in for let alone what I wanted to get out of it.

I wanted to be a “rock star” so I may “meet girls“.

I was only fifteen when I made that decision and thinking back on it I cringe and laugh at the same time but it does show me the importance of getting prepared ahead.

It’s uncommonly easy to get swept up in the hype of it all and before you know you’re in the same place that you started but ten years have gone by and you’re left wondering ‘where did it go’.

Before going any further you need to ask yourself some questions. The questions may be (in no particular order of importance):

1. Am I going to write tunes or not?

2. Am I going to be a solo artist or play in a band?

3. Am I going to sing, play an instrument or both?

4. Am I prepared to practise, drill and rehearse my craft?

5. Am I going to find my own work or do I leave that up to a person else?

I think you are getting the idea of where I’m going with this.

You could be thinking that these questions could seem truly simple and straightforward and in essence you’re right however, I’m never ending ly surprised how a simple question such as “am I going to be a solo performer or play in a band” could distract an individual from actually moving forward.

I have seen it happen to many performers and have experienced it myself.

Before you start have a apparent knowledge of what you want to do and what you want to get out of it. Ask yourself these categories of really easy questions and from those answers a series of paths will be presented to you.

All you need to do then is to pick which path you take.

Working to a plan will make your journey a lot easier to undertake.

1) Start music extemporaneously. Whether you try to compose a song on the piano, guitar, or drums etc. playing extemporaneously could really unleash your creativity, and endorse you compose music that you could not have even believed you were capable of creating. When you produce your indie music, unleash your creativity in the absence of thinking about it. Don’t contemplate every note or scale you are playing, JUST performance to produce music that’s truly unique, and performance your music and skills apart from others.

2) Do not over think when you are creating your music. The great thing is your music creations will come together must faster if you do not think too hard about what you are playing and how it’s sounding. Create your music, and there will be time later to refine what you create.

3) Start independent music that is not overly mechanical and contrived. To make sure your music sounds real and is a reflection of your creativity, again…JUST play your music by expressing what is inside of you…your rhythm, your creativity etc. The optimum way to unleash this is to do it naturally, when you’re relaxed, not over critical of every note you’re playing.

4) Establish your music in an environment that fosters your creativity. prefer any artist, you want to produce your masterpiece in an environment where you feel comfortable and relaxed. Whether that is your home recording studio, basement or patio etc. make sure you’re in a stress free environment, so your talents can really shine when you’re creating your music.

5) Just performance your music like you do not have a care in the world. As you do that, you’ll might start playing a cool new lick and groove that you were surprised you might establish yourself. Do not forget, your 1st instinct in expressing yourself through your own music creation, is might your best instinct.

6) Record your music. an necessary note is that you should gain the wonderful new music you produce so you can share your creativity with others. Record your music, but try to forget that you are recording so you can relax and performance what comes through your heart and soul.

Unleash your creativity, and don’t over think what you’re doing when you’re creating your indie music…chances are you will be extremely pleased with your solutions.

As I clicked on a popular music business forum, I was greeted with a question. “Why won’t commercial radio play music by Indie musicians?”

My reply to this individual has been as follows:

“As a former Operations Manager and Music Director on both the Comm and Non-Comm sides, Let me break the reason down for you.

Commercial Radio needs ratings to get paid from advertisers. Virtually all advertiser’s, on radio, are ad agencies. Ad agencies base their buys”" (sponsorships) on a cost per point (”"CPP”") basis. CPP is based on how a lot of thousands of fans a radio station could obtain in a 15 minute period (or cume).”

a lot of commercial radio [Program and Music] don’t want to put thier ratings at risk, by airing an ‘untested song’ on the air. So what these commercial radio directors do, is, air music based on the national charts provide d by Radio and Records, Broadcast Data Systems (BDS) and Billboard.

These charts are mainly influenced by the major labels via promotions and strategic alliances.

Your optimum optimum is to do prefer Knarles Barkley. Knarles Barkleys’ single “Crazy” went #1 on the Web and radio could not endorse but to get them the single on the air.

Get your music on music submission website s, make some noise one the net, and get a CD Baby.com account so you can get your music on iTunes and start promoting.”

I suggested this because the music business is going digital. Clear Channel has a partnership with GarageBand.com where they’ll feature a certain amount of new performers every week in on their website. Since Clear Channel is the biggest and most innovative expansive caster in the music business, it is just a matter of time before the other cowardly copy-cat expansive casters will follow suit.

The world is going digital, while radio continutes to operate using an analog business model. You may be successful in the music business if you change your marketing model from analog to digital.

Showcase get togethers are an ideal way for artists to perform to a wide  fans, capture experience, and start building reputations on the indie scene. The Independent Music World Series is one of the largest showcase get togethers for indie music in the US. Tony van Veen, the vice president of sales and marketing for one of the major sponsors, states that indie artists play a important role in keeping the music industry energised and thriving.

IMWS insists that the showcase isn’t a popularity contest, but a search to discover and reward genuine talent. Despite its reputation as an independent showcase, musicians from all type ofs are welcome to enter. The panel of judges consist of 12 music industry professionals. musicians are judged on their song writing abilities, originality, musical performance, vocal and persuade instrument performance, as well as their “overall vibe.”

Other showcase events include the Palais de Festivals held at Cannes, France. The get together consists of talent showcases, a conference track and networking events. The showcases are meant to serve as a platform for emerging artists and to train artists and their managers innovative promotion techniques. All those involved in bringing music to the public’s attention, such as media programmers and record company representatives, attend to find new trends and sounds.

The Mid-Atlantic Music Conference in Charlotte, NC is a music conference that has been increasing in popularity and credibility since its inception. artists from all genres have to qualify to win one of thirty coveted slots for the  final performance, which takes place in the Halton Theatre. Talent scouts and music executives who attend the conference give it excellent reviews and use the opening  to sign up and coming artists to their labels.

music industry enthusiasts John Phillips and Bryan Banks started the Steamtown Music Showcase in September 2006. Eastern Pennsylvanian performers use the showcase to demonstrate their original music and song writing capabilities. The gathering is held in a disparate town every year. This year that honour goes to downtown Scranton, Pennsylvania.

Showcase parties are vital in giving emerging musicians a leg-up in the music industry. It gives them the opening  to capture stage show experience. They can also catch the eye of a music executive or label producer looking for the next extensive thing in Indie sound. As an artist, what do you have to lose, weighed against what you stand to gain?