Step By Step Band Promotion

For even MORE great Band Promotion Tips, Tricks and Self-Promotion Techniques visit our website www.GarageBandProject.com

Check out our Recommended Books, e-Books and DVD's at The Garage Band Project Band Promotion Learning Center!

OK, you've got some GREAT musician friends, some good instruments, some skills and talent - you've got a BAND! But wait, you've got NO NAME, or even worse, a band name that sucks. This is probably the HARDEST step in your new musical adventure, and the more band members you have, the harder it is! Here are a few tips to get started:

• DO pick a name that is MEMORABLE! "I heard this GREAT band last night, wish I could remember their name..."


• DO pick a name that is 2-4 words long, it tends to be more memorable than a single word name.


• DO pick a name that is PRONOUNCABLE!


• DO pick a name that is MARKETABLE! We'll spend ALOT of time talking about MERCHANDISING.


• DO pick a name that FITS the BAND, your STYLE and the style of MUSIC you play (and PROMOTE)! If your music is UPBEAT, happy - then you need a name that reflects that. If your band leans more toward PUNK! Then your band name will tend to be more ANTI-SOCIAL! BUT be careful...


• DO NOT pick a name that is TOO OFFENSIVE, promotes ILLEGAL ACTIVITIES, or is TOO CONTROVERSIAL. True, controversy can lead to publicity and media coverage, but BAD PRESS does not necessarily pave the way to STARDOM! And that's our long range goal. You may have a song called Killing Babies but DON'T name your band BABY KILLERS. You won't get AIR PLAY! And it may seem 'cool' or 'fun' to name your band after your favorite drugs or drug habits, but you'll never make it past the local club scene or High School parties. DO NOT LIMIT YOURSELF OR YOUR BANDS FUTURE!

Check out some BAD band names at YOUR BAND NAME SUCKS!

HOMEWORK ALERT! Let's get started picking a BAND NAME or a NEW (BETTER) BAND NAME! Get everyone involved (Band Members, Fans, Friends and Family - these people are your biggest supporters and future STREET TEAM!) to WRITE DOWN 5-10 suggestions. Set up a meeting with as many of these people as possible and BRAINSTORM! Narrow it down - until you find that PERFECT, MEMORABLE, MARKETABLE BAND NAME! GOOD LUCK!

By now, your Band should have a KICK-ASS, Marketable, Memorable BAND NAME that FITS you and your music! So, let's move on. The band needs a PHOTO! An original, CLEAR, professional (or at least PROFESSIONAL looking) photo that REPRESENTS the BAND. You need a band photo for Press/Media Packets, and for future WEBSITES and MySpace Music, Facebook sites. And not TOO long from now, you need a BAND PHOTO for autograph signings - for your Fans and GROUPIES!
Let's talk about some things you SHOULD and SHOULD NOT do re: THE OFFICIAL BAND PHOTO. FIRST: You see that CLASSIC, Memorable and FAMOUS photo of THE BEATLES from the cover of ABBEY ROAD ? DO NOT try to imitate it. Please.

• DO hire a Professional Photographer if you can afford it. Tell him/her you need both digital AND 8x10 black and white copies. Old school print media (local papers and magazines) still run newsprint photos from B&W prints - providing them INCREASES your chances of getting YOUR photo in print!


• DO NOT spend money you need for INSTRUMENTS or DEMO CDs on BAND PHOTOS at this stage! You, or the band members MUST know someone with a QUALITY film or DIGITAL Camera! Use them! Save the pics to disc and choose the BEST one - take the disc/cd/memory card to TARGET, WALMART or your local PHOTO SHOP and print some BAD-ASS 8x10 BAND PHOTOS for a couple of bucks each!


• DO use natural light (outdoors) as much as possible.


• DO put your 'Front Man or Woman' ie. Lead Vocalist at the front - usually centered.


• This sucks, but this is the REAL WORLD - DO put your most attractive band members at the front.


• DO NOT do the sitting on the steps photo or the leaning against the brick wall photo that everyone and every OTHER band has done. - UNLESS you can do it BETTER!


• DO let the PHOTO reflect YOU, THE BAND, your PERSONALITY, your MUSIC, your ATTITUDE! BUT...


• BE PROFESSIONAL. Don't sneer, flip-the-bird, bite heads of rats, etc. Why would I want to PRINT that or HIRE YOU! That's what the photos are for! Build a following and FAN BASE and THEN you can get psycho - and go all ROCK Star, PUNK Star, COUNTRY Star, whatever.

HOMEWORK TIME! It's also time to start MULTI-TASKING. First and foremost - YOU NEED TO PRACTICE! None of this promotion stuff will work if you (your band) sux! SO practice, LOOK GOOD - SOUND GOOD!

FINISH polishing/finalizing the BAND NAME. Play with various FONTS and LOGO development with your new name. Make your BAND NAME LOOK GOOD and SOUND GOOD!

Find a PROFESSIONAL Photographer or SKILLED and TALENTED friend and get the photo shoot set up. NOTE! DO NOT wait until the day of the shoot to figure out WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE, etc. Decide MOST of the details in advance. Like WHAT to wear, which steps NOT to sit on or brick-wall NOT to lean on! GET TO WORK!

OK! You've got skills, talent, a Kick-Ass BAND NAME, you have a STACK of (or you're arranging) your BAND PHOTO. Now it's time to start thinking about your first DEMO! You need a demo to let the world know the STYLE and Sound (quality) of your band. LATER - you'll be sending Demo's to Record Labels, Radio Stations, DJ's, etc. But for NOW, we need a Demo to get your NAME (and MUSIC) OUT THERE! And we'll use it to GET Local GIGS, GIGS=CASH=Groceries (or MORE Demos, or better instruments). AND you'll be posting the Demo songs to your Band's MySpace Music page.

Hopefully by now the BAND has at least 10-12 BAD-ASS ORIGINAL songs that you've been practicing and refining EVERY CHANCE YOU GET! NOW, pick FOUR. THE absolute BEST FOUR SONGS that represent YOUR band! Those are the songs that go on your Demo. NOT six, ten whatever, the Demo is NOT a FIRST Album, First RELEASE, it's a sample of your BEST work. The DEMO is a TEASER and will become your Band's BUSINESS CARD! If you don't have 3-4 Bad -Ass songs, GO DO YOUR HOMEWORK - then come back! Then you need at LEAST 10 or 12 MORE! before you're ready to perform, book gigs and open for other bands! Get Busy!

If at all possible, PAY a PROFESSIONAL Recording Studio to record your DEMO! Recording Studios are in the business of HELPING musicians and they UNDERSTAND the concept of STARVING ARTIST and will generally work with you and develop a budget. Keep in mind that whatever the cost - it is a small price to pay if that PRO DEMO GETS YOU a JOB, GIGS or eventually AIR PLAY, Press or MORE!

IF you live in an area that has no Recording Studios, or you have RECORDING and COMPUTER SKILLS, it IS possible to produce good quality Demos in a HOME RECORDING Studio! Check out FREE digital music and recording software at Software4Free.org or SourceForge.net (I have heard good things about Audacity capture/recording software. There's ALOT more to cover before you record that DEMO! We'll talk about it next time. Meanwhile - WRITE, refine and PRACTICE those 3 or 4 KICK ASS songs and get ready to ROCK!

Let's take a break from the Homework and talk for a moment about my Music Industry Heroes.

I am NOT a musician (although I do have some wicked Hard-House and Techno DJ skills). I am first and foremost a BUSINESSMAN with friends who are artists, songwriters and musicians. Through them I have seen and learned that although the 'Band Scene' and 'music business' revolves and BEGINS with Talent and MUSIC, GOOD Music, it is a BUSINESS. And unfortunately (most) MUSICIANS ARE NOT BUSINESS PEOPLE! I hope that I can help change that for you - it's the real reason I developed the Garage Band Project! I want YOU to become a PROFESSIONAL MUSICIAN, skilled in the ways of the MUSIC BUSINESS! Like my HERO: Gene Simmons who evolved from a ROCK STAR to a merchandising millionaire (billionaire?) There is NO ONE PERSON who puts the BUSINESS in MUSIC BUSINESS more than this man. Gene Simmons - study him. Learn from him.

I don't know the name of my second HERO, but he or she is that ONE person who controls the HANNAH MONTANA merchandising EMPIRE. The Apparel, Posters, Lunch Boxes, School Supplies. WOW!

These are the two people I would like to meet and spend a day with and LEARN from. If you don't get ANYTHING else from this website - get this:

There are millions of dollars to be made in MUSIC, but there are BILLIONS to be made in MERCHANDISING!

I know, you're thinking 'But Dude - it's all about the MUSIC!' I agree, it is. But as you develop and perfect your MUSIC, Talent and Skills - also develop your BUSINESS SKILLS! Develop relationships and friends and products that can help you! How GREAT would it be to DO WHAT YOU LOVE and GET RICH DOING IT! Rock On! (All the way TO THE BANK!)