Newbie: How to Get Started in the Music Industry as a Band or Artist?
- Thread starter JohnH.
- Start date
I'm not in the industry but I desperately hope that you don't have to sign government paperwork to be a singer/songwriter.
Guitar Center holds workshops on various topics and contests for groups and songs and things. They may not have the direct path to your goal but they might have some info or can offer some experiences that will help.
I suspect that the standard route includes getting booked to play at clubs, building a fan base, then doing some CDs to sell to your fans and so on.
Be sure to have a backup career figured out.
Good luck!
Guitar Center holds workshops on various topics and contests for groups and songs and things. They may not have the direct path to your goal but they might have some info or can offer some experiences that will help.
I suspect that the standard route includes getting booked to play at clubs, building a fan base, then doing some CDs to sell to your fans and so on.
Be sure to have a backup career figured out.
Good luck!
BroKen_H
Re-member
First you have to be good. Your music, performance and production should be above average. People need to think that you're good. YOU need to think your amazing.
Second, you need people that follow you. FB, Twitter, etc. and then get out and get some of those followers/fans to your shows. Build a large group of followers by doing free concerts in the park, playing local clubs.
Third, get backing. Whether it's a financial angel that believes in you music, having a nice backup job, Kickstarter projects or whatever, you've got to be able to afford it
Last, and most important, you have to hit that one-in-a-million chance that someone big will hear and like you, or your vid goes viral or whatever.
Like I've said before, make goals; envision the goals; make them happen...and then it's still a crap shoot. So be ready to back down from the dream when you hit a point that your goals are no longer attainable. When it's time to get out, get out.
Second, you need people that follow you. FB, Twitter, etc. and then get out and get some of those followers/fans to your shows. Build a large group of followers by doing free concerts in the park, playing local clubs.
Third, get backing. Whether it's a financial angel that believes in you music, having a nice backup job, Kickstarter projects or whatever, you've got to be able to afford it
Last, and most important, you have to hit that one-in-a-million chance that someone big will hear and like you, or your vid goes viral or whatever.
Like I've said before, make goals; envision the goals; make them happen...and then it's still a crap shoot. So be ready to back down from the dream when you hit a point that your goals are no longer attainable. When it's time to get out, get out.
pikingrin
what is this?
You don't have to sign any "government paperwork" but it may not be a bad idea to start an LLC (google it) in the long run if and when you actually make some money by playing/producing music. All that's going to do is change the tax dynamics a little though; you technically would separate the band earnings from your personal return (and some other things) by doing that, releasing your personal liability to an extent. But again, that's a long term kinda thing and unless you have enough of fan base to get noticed and "make it big" you shouldn't have to worry about it.
For now you and your band should harness that drive and write songs, play as many gigs you can and get a fan base going and growing. Get out there, play live and get noticed. Worry about the paperwork later.
And everything that BroKen said, too...
mjbphotos
Moderator
If you want to do music (only) as a career, be ready to work lots of hours and sometimes be eating generic mac & cheese ... 
"Government paperwork' - I think you're probably referring to registering the copyright on an original song. I wouldn't worry about that at this point in your life/career.
Assuming you're in high school, you and these others have been working on just 1 song? First thing - if you and they are serious - work on 3+ hours of songs - enough to play a whole gig (school dance, etc). Practice as much as you can together and separately (that's where things usually fall apart). Get a good high school education and go to college - if you're serious about music as a career, take a business major, it will only help you in the long run. Otherwise, major in something that interests you and can provide a career path that can make you enough money to make music on the side. Talk to your high school music teachers, too - chances are they got into teaching because making a living playing music is so tough.
There's a million guys/girls who want to be the next pop idol. Only a few make it. You've got a better chance of winning the lottery. BUT you can make music for fun, and even make a few dollars (but not many) while you have fun. You can also spend a fortune while not making any money!
"Government paperwork' - I think you're probably referring to registering the copyright on an original song. I wouldn't worry about that at this point in your life/career.
Assuming you're in high school, you and these others have been working on just 1 song? First thing - if you and they are serious - work on 3+ hours of songs - enough to play a whole gig (school dance, etc). Practice as much as you can together and separately (that's where things usually fall apart). Get a good high school education and go to college - if you're serious about music as a career, take a business major, it will only help you in the long run. Otherwise, major in something that interests you and can provide a career path that can make you enough money to make music on the side. Talk to your high school music teachers, too - chances are they got into teaching because making a living playing music is so tough.
There's a million guys/girls who want to be the next pop idol. Only a few make it. You've got a better chance of winning the lottery. BUT you can make music for fun, and even make a few dollars (but not many) while you have fun. You can also spend a fortune while not making any money!
If you want to do music (only) as a career, be ready to work lots of hours and sometimes be eating generic mac & cheese ...
"Government paperwork' - I think you're probably referring to registering the copyright on an original song. I wouldn't worry about that at this point in your life/career.
Assuming you're in high school, you and these others have been working on just 1 song? First thing - if you and they are serious - work on 3+ hours of songs - enough to play a whole gig (school dance, etc). Practice as much as you can together and separately (that's where things usually fall apart). Get a good high school education and go to college - if you're serious about music as a career, take a business major, it will only help you in the long run. Otherwise, major in something that interests you and can provide a career path that can make you enough money to make music on the side. Talk to your high school music teachers, too - chances are they got into teaching because making a living playing music is so tough.
There's a million guys/girls who want to be the next pop idol. Only a few make it. You've got a better chance of winning the lottery. BUT you can make music for fun, and even make a few dollars (but not many) while you have fun. You can also spend a fortune while not making any money!
I agree with everything but the "don't worry about copyright" part. Do it. For the USA, $35 per submission. Gather a bunch of songs, compile them into an "album", and register that. Multiple songs for the same price. Also, register with ASCAP, BMI, or whatever agengy covers where you are. Register as both artist/composer and publisher. then if by strange chance your music is found, you have your side covered. You must understand that this is a business you are starting, if you want to take it to that level. It takes some effort. But Mike has nailed the most important point- do it because you love it. "Making it" or not, do it because it's what you do.
You're asking "how to get started" from a group of people that have done nothing. This is like asking a blind person how to paint.
R
RAMI
Guest
Yeah, but look at the bright side.
"Government Paperwork" is a great name for a band. I'm copyrighting that!
"Government Paperwork" is a great name for a band. I'm copyrighting that!
Armistice
Son of Yoda
This^ - no-one here has really "made it"... why ask us?
jimmys69
MOODerator
A few things to start with:
#1 Don't suck.
#2 If you do, learn to suck the right thing for the right guy at the right time.
#3 If you had #1 right you wouldn't even need to read the word 'suck'.
#4 Some of the best music is not even heard by the masses, because nobody else seems to care.
#5 Just play music because you enjoy it. If you are trying to make a living from it, you damn well better be ready to devote 100% to it. And refer to #1.
#6 LOL!
Schwarzenyaeger
Formerly "Dog-In-Door"
"Luck is when opportunity meets preparation" - Yoda, 33rd president of the USA
mjbphotos
Moderator
He and his 'band' are doing one cover song at this point. It'll be a while before any originals come out of them worth copyrighting and until they start playing/recording originals there's not much point in PRO registration either.
BroKen_H
Re-member
The world is constantly changing. Soon you won't be able to buy a loaf of bread without your paperwork...oh, wait, that happened already. Late 30's early 40's in Germany if I remember it right...
Another thing that hasn't been covered (at least I didn't see it): Don't get discouraged. Get your vision going. When your vision seems unattainable, when the band splits, when you have to move to a new city and leave everything behind. That's when you need to see your goals the clearest and not give up. A lot of people are down on the music industry because there are literally millions of people out there trying to get in. There's a kid I know, practices 8 hours a day; has great skills, great talents, got a golden ticket on Idol...and he's still playing coffee houses. He still sees the dream. He still envisions himself on top. But he's realistic enough to have a job to support his family.
And trust me, it's a lot of luck (luck in the sense of the Yoda quote above).
I was in two different bands in Denver in the 80s. One played clubs and bars almost every weekend. Tons of talent, great originals, decent following. Never got a second look, never got out of the bars. Good money, but we all had to have jobs to support ourselves.
Other band only practiced in a basement, decent talent, played a few parties and got offered two different contracts (which they turned down for solid reasons on the first and a really stupid one on the second...when Warner Bros offers you a three album contract, you ARE ready) I left when they turned down the second and kept playing bars...That kind of fell apart, too, but I see that one of the guitarists still plays the Denver bar scene. Some live the dream to the hilt and never loose sight of that dream.
You're still young. Go to college. Study, get good grades. If you don't like the idea of college apprentice from a plumber (Allan's suggestion) or a mason or a carpenter. Learn a skill. Lots of great bands started in college. Warren Zevon was a lawyer before he became a "star" in the 70s. The members of Queen all had college degrees. There's a ton of 'em out there. Don't end up working for minimum wage for the rest of your life because you chased your dream.
Another thing that hasn't been covered (at least I didn't see it): Don't get discouraged. Get your vision going. When your vision seems unattainable, when the band splits, when you have to move to a new city and leave everything behind. That's when you need to see your goals the clearest and not give up. A lot of people are down on the music industry because there are literally millions of people out there trying to get in. There's a kid I know, practices 8 hours a day; has great skills, great talents, got a golden ticket on Idol...and he's still playing coffee houses. He still sees the dream. He still envisions himself on top. But he's realistic enough to have a job to support his family.
And trust me, it's a lot of luck (luck in the sense of the Yoda quote above).
I was in two different bands in Denver in the 80s. One played clubs and bars almost every weekend. Tons of talent, great originals, decent following. Never got a second look, never got out of the bars. Good money, but we all had to have jobs to support ourselves.
Other band only practiced in a basement, decent talent, played a few parties and got offered two different contracts (which they turned down for solid reasons on the first and a really stupid one on the second...when Warner Bros offers you a three album contract, you ARE ready) I left when they turned down the second and kept playing bars...That kind of fell apart, too, but I see that one of the guitarists still plays the Denver bar scene.
Some live the dream to the hilt and never loose sight of that dream. You're still young. Go to college. Study, get good grades. If you don't like the idea of college apprentice from a plumber (Allan's suggestion) or a mason or a carpenter. Learn a skill. Lots of great bands started in college. Warren Zevon was a lawyer before he became a "star" in the 70s. The members of Queen all had college degrees. There's a ton of 'em out there. Don't end up working for minimum wage for the rest of your life because you chased your dream.
R
RAMI
Guest
The thing is this....There is no more music business, on any level. Record companies don't "sign" you to a record contract any more, club owners don't pay you play in their clubs, and nobody pays for anything. Only one artist went platinum in 2014, and that was Taylor Swift, and that took until November to happen. I'm beginning to wonder if the only way to make money is to become a "Youtube Sensation".
My advice would be to not worry about "making it" until you've at least written a few good original songs. Not that this will guarantee you of anything. But if you don't even have any originals, worrying about breaking into the business (I feel foolish even typing that) is like asking how to get signed up for the Indianapolis 500 just because you just got your driver's license.
If worrying about being financially successful pre-empts how much enjoyment you should be getting out of making music, you've already failed.
My advice would be to not worry about "making it" until you've at least written a few good original songs. Not that this will guarantee you of anything. But if you don't even have any originals, worrying about breaking into the business (I feel foolish even typing that) is like asking how to get signed up for the Indianapolis 500 just because you just got your driver's license.
If worrying about being financially successful pre-empts how much enjoyment you should be getting out of making music, you've already failed.
GWJinks
New member
Perhaps an understanding of the current state of the business will direct you on how to get started. Google the name Steve Albini, you may find his perspective on the music industry informative. If you don't like reading, watch his keynote address from 2014 Face The Music on YT.