You’ve Got To Play Live If You Want To Be a Rock n Roll Star

So, you want to be a rock and roll star, or country or hip hop, jazz, pop, or any genre of music star. Well, dreaming is fine, but no matter what they said in the secret, it isn’t going to make you any money, and it sure isn’t going to make you a star. You have to get off your bed and get started.

While playing live may sound old fashioned in this day and age of the internet, it is still an important part of your marketing arsenal. According to information at the MusicMarketingCenter.com, right now is a great time to build your career. There’s no ‘big thing’ right now. If you have something unique to your sound, there’s no reason you couldn’t become the next music phenomenon. If you fit into an existing style of music, people are always looking for something new yet familiar.

Before you do anything else, find your niche. For this article, we are going to discuss performing live. We will talk about getting you music out there in the virtual world at another time.

Does your music fit into a category? If it does, then that’s where you start. Look for venues in your area that support the music you play. Even if it’s a place where you get paid by the money that’s put in a hat that’s passed around, it doesn’t matter. You’ve got to start somewhere. This is the way to create a following in the real world.

Every time you play, bring whatever you need to build your mailing list. This is super important, and will be the topic of a number of posts at the musicmarketingcenter.com. But for now, even if it’s a legal pad for people to put their names, snail mail and e-mail addresses on, get that info. This will be your core list of fans, and the ones that are going to tell their friends all about how great you were. You need their info so you can e-mail when you play again, release a CD or have any news you’d like to share.

You can even make money directly from your list. Make a t-shirt and offer it in an email at a profit. People love to wear a shirt from their favorite band, especially a new band that people don’t know about. They feel like they know something special that others don’t know, and they are happy to tell anyone how great you are when they ask about the shirt. It will keep those coins coming in in a number of different ways.

Make an announcement at the end of your set to join your mailing list so the audience knows to sign up. Also, put it next to you, because when the set is over you can talk to people and make a connection. Some love to have the recognition of the talented person on the stage talking to them, others do not. These people will just put their information on the page and leave. Remember to thank them. This is not the Punk era and that attitude will only get in your way.

What if your music doesn’t fit into any established category? Look for colleges. They love going against the norms of society and are always looking for something new. There are also still some clubs around that like to give different kinds of music a chance. Just like you want to be a rock and roll star, plenty of club owners want their club to become the next CBGBs.

And don’t laugh off audition nights and open mic nights. Lots of well regarded bands and musicians have gotten their start that way. If you don’t know the names or address of venues in your area, do a Google search.

All in all, you need to just get out there at every opportunity and play your music live. For the fans, there’s nothing like hearing a band do their thing right in front of you as part of a crowd. And for you, it’s great to get the immediate feedback and admiration from a live audience. Although there are ways to get your music to more people at once, there is no other way to generate the kind of impact that a live show of your music creates.

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