Stay up to date with trends. You don’t have to follow them, but you should at least know what you’re choosing not to participate in. Magnify your strengths. Find out what people like about you and and highlight it.
Make a rough recording on your own to make sure everything sounds the way you want it to. You don’t want to waste expensive studio time tinkering with your song. Practice your songs with a metronome and record them to a click track to stay on rhythm. This will allow you to seamlessly add backup instruments to your demo. Keep it short. The people you’ll be giving your demo to are likely very busy. Your demo should be five songs or under. Put your best song first. Hook your listener right away. Make sure your demo has a cover that reflects your personality.
A way for fans to download your music Performance dates where your fans can see you Videos of live performances if you have them A bio Contact information for people who want to hire you
Bandcamp even offers ways for fans to support your music with financial donations. ReverbNation offers inexpensive promotion for your music so more people can hear it.
Merchandise lets people know who you are before they come to your show. They’ll want to see why other people like you.
You have a show You have new music coming out You have a collaboration with other musicians
Perform at open mics. Volunteer to play at retirement homes. Busk (play on the street) if it’s allowed in your city.
Add personal stories to go along with your songs. Tell jokes. Learn dance moves that will help your audience get into the music. Have a light show to go with your music.
Be honest about your draw. Don’t say you can bring in more audience than you’re sure you can. When you do book a gig, always be on time and be respectful of the crew.
Be organized. Have a list of the people in the music industry you meet and what they do. Stay in touch. Maintain relationships with the people you meet in the industry. They’re more likely to help you spread your music if they feel like you like them.
