Build Your Following

• 1). Create profiles on social network sites like Facebook, Myspace, and Youtube--where you can upload videos--to raise interest in your music. Keep the proceedings simple. A basic biography, description of your style and list of upcoming activities should suffice for now until your career starts to build.
  
  
• 2). Avoid posting songs with similar sounds or tempos--ideally, the material should complement whatever image you create, yet show some songwriting diversity. This quality will attract fans outside of your genre, making you potentially more marketable to record labels.
  
  
• 3). Maximize your profile's marketing tools--such as blogs, guest books and photos--to create a distinctive online presence. Make yourself as fan-friendly as possible. Answer all inquiries promptly, and update your profile at least every couple weeks. A site that looks active stands more chance of drawing fans and labels alike than one that stands still.
  
  
• 4). Join forums and message boards to promote your music, but don't limit yourself to posting tidbits of the next gig. These are places where committed music fans hang out, so take the time to interact with them. Otherwise, you'll miss the chance to create the street-level "buzz" that convinces a record label to look at an act in the first place.
  
  

Build Your Mailing List

• 1
  Reaching decision-makers is a crucial goal for any musician.closing a deal image by CraterValley Photo from Fotolia.com
  
  Play live as often as you can, but don't let people slip away without having the opportunity to sign up for your mailing list. This information--plus ticket and merchandise sales for your shows--provides a critical element for labels to consider. Keep accurate figures to show strength in these areas.
  
  
• 2). Invite local music writers and bloggers to review your live show, demo CD or latest recording. Post the more compelling write-ups on your website as they arrive. Good press alone can't lift a career, but it does provide another crucial element in convincing a record label whether to take a chance on your act.
  
  
• 3). Distribute your music as widely as possible because airplay is another important consideration for labels. Give press packets and copies of your latest release to DJs and programmers who play local music, if their playlists allow it. Local clubs and parties offer another starting point, especially if your chosen genre happens to be dance or funk music.
  
  
• 4). Add new songs to your setlist, alert fans to changes in your sound and seek professional guidance in such key areas as recording, touring or promotion. Don't overlook the importance of novelty in drawing fans and labels to your side, so make artistic progress a key selling point of your act.
  
  

Build Your Network

• 1). Network as much as you can. Referrals are the lifeblood of any musician's career, so make a point of attending other bands' gigs, as well as awards shows, parties or other gatherings where local decision-makers may be present. These people may provide contacts further up the ladder that prove useful at a later date.
  
  
• 2). Update your press packet regularly. Talent buyers and record labels don't want to see old press clippings and reviews, no matter how compelling. If you include a demo CD, make sure it includes all relevant information, including the band's name, tracklisting, website and contact information.
  
  
• 3). Present yourself in the best possible light at all times. Popular music is driven by image, so make sure that all promotional materials--particularly band photos--reflect your chosen genre. Record labels want to see you're in touch with what's happening, even if you're not chasing the trend of the day.
  
  
• 4). Make sure the songs on your demo CD--if you've recorded one--reflect your chosen genre. Labels are looking to develop bands that fit certain stylistic niches, so know where you stand on that score before approaching them. Don't let the promotion of musical diversity confuse how you present your act.