In this article we will be talking about the last two secrets to getting your band signed: the very important aspects of FINANCING and COMMITMENT.

Now those are two dreary words! Let’s knock them down one at a time.

Getting FINANCING today is harder than ever. Since the collapse of many institutions for giving out loans to people who couldn’t pay them back if their lives depended on it, getting credit now is just as it should be: rock hard (sounds ironical, right?).

However, there are ways around this and one of them is bartering.

One great way of bartering is to actually offer to play for some charitable event. Usually, you can get yourself a sponsor for doing this. The same charity might help you (at least, partially), to begin with, which can lead to more financing down the road. Yes, it might sound like a roundabout way of getting there, but it works, and it won’t cost you anything up front other than your time.

But what exactly do you need finances for? Well, for lots and lots of things. A short list would include:

Manufacturing
Distribution
Consumption
Touring

Naturally, once you get signed, a lot of these expenses go out the window. But until that time, you are on your own.

Manufacturing involves the actual media you’re producing. Fortunately, with digital distribution being an option today, this cost can be greatly minimized.

Same thing with distribution. Whereas in the old days you had to physically mail out CDs, today, you can have your product directly downloaded off the Internet. All you need is a hosting company and a domain. The expenses are minimal.

Still, if you’re going to go out on tours or even just travel to local clubs and venues, that costs money… And a good whole lot of it, actually!

Which brings us to the last secret to getting your rock band signed: COMMITMENT.

This is the least “technical” secret of the six, so I want to leave you with a few personal words.

Let’s pause and be realistic for a moment. The music business is way beyond competitive. To put it bluntly, it’s insane. For every band that makes it to the top, there are thousands of bands, some of them really talented ones, that never see the light of the day.

A lot of this, call it unfortunately or invariably, has to do with how serious they -and that would actually mean YOU- REALLY are. And if you think about it, it shouldn’t be that much of a secret…

I’ve seen rock bands that have gone through more member changes than Elton John has hit singles. This is no good for a band’s chemistry to begin with, and in addition to that, it shows lack of COMMITMENT… at least as far as the core members go.

You need to take a good long hard look in the mirror and ask yourself if this is something that you REALLY want or is this something that is just a diversion? And you should ask the ame question to all the members of your band in a group session.

If you’re REALLY serious about this as a career and a life style, look in the Author’s bio at the bottom for links to additional information resources. They WILL help you greatly.

Author Bio: JOE BRIGHTER has successfully frequented the music biz corridors for over 25 years now. In his blog he discusses on band management subjects and the current practices and trends of the business. He has also written a thorough report that will help you get your band signed!

Category: Entertainment
Keywords: band promotion,unsigned bands,band management