by Kevin Osheer

Created on: March 15, 2009   Last Updated: February 26, 2010

If you've been playing music with some friends for a while, you may actually be ready to take the next step. There are plenty of bands out there that could be popular to an extent if they only tried to spread their music. There are ways to get more popular besides hoping that some rich producer will be walking past your house and hear you playing your music. The fact is that for you and your band mates to actually be successful in the music industry will require work. Through knowing people who have been signed by record labels I can provide some ways that other bands have found success.

1. Play for charity events with other locally known bands. This is one of the best ways to get your name out there. People will come to these shows, because they usually have some kind of following. Being paired with other bands is a perfect way to get your music known because people will come for all the bands, making your audience quite a few times bigger than any of the individual bands could draw. The fact that it is a charity event is good because it will make more people willing to pay to get in, and thus get used to paying to see your band for future shows.

2. Make an EP. Once you have all your songs written it is a good idea to get them recorded somehow. You can do anything from recording songs on your Mac and burning them onto a CD, to actually going into a recording studio and getting clear songs. Whatever you choose it is important to start getting your first profits from CD sales as well as giving your fans a way to spread you around themselves.

3. Create a MySpace entry. This will surprisingly get you a lot of fans. It will also provide a place for you to update your fans on the progress of the band and upcoming shows. This will be like the virtual coffee shop where all your fans will go to chat with you or even each other.

4. Play for a small venue. If you can find a small little bar to play in that has regular customers you could find yourself with a fan base. The best way to get people to keep coming back to hear you play is to make sure you're playing in an area where people regularly go. If people hear your music and they start to recognize songs, they'll start to look forward to hearing you pay and maybe even invite more friends.

5. Keep playing. The important thing is that you really put time into writing songs and make your goal to produce quality music. If you write songs that are well done and master them, you will be recognized. To be big, you have to enjoy what you are doing and focus on quality instead of fame.

Learn more about this author, Kevin Osheer.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.