“5 Keys To Success As A Garage Band” plus 1 more

So, you have a guitar, a voice, and some friends that want to make music. Well, in order to succeed in this difficult industry you’re going to need some help. Many bands try and fail hard because they don’t remember these important factors that will help you reach your dreams of rocking the big stage.

Rehearsal Space

You are going to need a place to practice. Chances are, and hopefully, one band member will have a garage style space to practice in. Garages, although cliché, are a great space to practice because you can be louder than if you were rehearsing in a house. A great idea is to hang up packing blankets around the room to help muffle the sound so you don’t scare off your future fans. If you don’t have a garage then a storage unit from a company like Wheaton World Wide Moving is a great alternative. These spaces are generally inexpensive and you can leave your gear set up and lock it up safe after each rehearsal. Just make sure to check with the company whether it’s okay before you claim it as your new rehearsal spot.

Good Equipment Costs Money

You are going to need gear and it’s going to cost you. An instrument is an investment and if you invest a lot of money, chances are you won’t want it to just sit in the corner and collect dust. Don’t be afraid to spend money on your gear if you’re serious, even for the “cheap” stuff. If you’re just starting out, find a guitar at a garage sale, but when you get serious, don’t be afraid to pull out the big bills.

Practice

Practice as much as you can. We all have busy schedules but to put on a really good show, you have to practice! Know everything forwards, backwards, and upside down. Don’t just know your licks and lyrics, know them so well that you think you created them. If you are performing originals, practice even more. This is your product and you want to present it in the best form possible to your audience. If you only go half way, the audience will be able to tell and they won’t want to see you again.

Be Open and Be Honest

Remember that you were friends first before you were rock stars. Have open communication within the band. Talk about your goals and how you want to achieve them. If you are transparent with your band and they are transparent with you, then you will have a much lower chance of something little becoming something big and ultimately breaking up the band. If you’re unhappy about something, talk about it and come to the table with a solution. Bands fight, and often it about something that is so easily prevented. Remember, you were friends first!

Get Yourself Out There

If people don’t know about you they can’t come see you. Start a Facebook page, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat and constantly keep them updated. Post all the time, even when you’re just hanging out! Fans love to see that side of the band and they will follow you! Play any show you can regardless of how much you get paid. Play coffee shops, bars, open mic nights, and whatever you can get your hands on, and don’t be ashamed to play for free. The more experience and the more exposure the better.

Conclusion

With these helpful hints, your band will surely do much better than you could have ever thought. The most important thing to remember is to have fun. Being part of a band is something special and if you forget why you started it or lose sight of what’s really important, you won’t last. Dave Grohl said, “Musicians should go to a garage sale and buy an old drum set and get in their garage and just suck. And then they’ll start playing and they’ll have the best time they’ve ever had in their lives and then all of a sudden they’ll become Nirvana.” Go out, make some noise, but remember to have the best time in your lives!

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There are more musicians than there have ever been before, and they all have a platform online to put their music out there for the world to hear. It isn’t enough to just put music up online and expect people to pay attention, and as the world of marketing changes people are looking for ways to stand out. Some of the classic, tried and tested marketing methods are still doing the business for bands and artists, but there are also some new ways people are trying in order to get more eyeballs to their project.

At Gigs

Gigs are a way for bands and artists to get the word out there, and are many ways to utilise performances to get your name out there.

Giveaways - I’m not talking about just giving away a free MP3, most people won’t pay attention. If you want to stand out, give away something interesting such as merchandise, a physical release such as a CD or even something as simple as a branded t shirt or cup (preferably with a drink). These things will serve to get your name out there.

Online

Social Media - Social Media is a wonderful tool for musicians, but lets be honest, there is so much being put out on Twitter, Facebook and more social medias aimed at musicians and music fans. Artists such as J Views have done an amazing job, he involved fans in the process of recording his music, which meant they were more invested and likely to buy the album when it was released.

Apps - Some bands and artists have used apps either to enhance the audio visual experience, or just to keep their fans more involved. Providing an app can give you a platform to build a community around your music and give away exclusive content to help your tribe of fans grow.

Video - It’s a classic, but using video in a creative way is vital for marketing music. Whether you take the OK Go approach of amazing, eye-catching videos or you look to create content like tour diaries or studio ‘making of’ videos, video is a great way to reach millions of eyeballs constantly on YouTube.

Physical Items

The Physical value of music has not been forgotten. Vinyl sales are still growing and people have found ways to enhance this side of their music. Releasing lyric books, artwork and even gift packs with music can be a great way to make money as well as ensure there are more platforms for people to find your music. There are a lot of people who go crate digging and look for new music in physical stores, and having something that stands out can be a good way to at least stay in peoples memories.

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now