Kaylin

It’s a great time to be an unsigned band. No one to tell you what to do or what kind of music to make. In the past you might have been worried about getting your stuff out there, getting promotional time ect… With the popularity of My Space, Face Book, and other forms of instant media this is no longer an issue. Now bands can directly interact and listen to their audience, and cut out the middle man (or as Trent Reznor called them “greedy fucking assholes…”).

A-list artists including NIN, Radiohead, Prince, Paul McCartney, Garth Brooks and soon, probably Madonna are all throwing off the chains of the music industry and going freelance. Basically they want to be indie, which is funny because a lot of indie artist want to be signed. But you don’t need to be. They all want to be you baby … and it’s a beautiful free artist world out there!

Tips for the unsigned artist include:

1. Get a computer

2. Turn it on

3. Post stuff about your band everywhere (My Space, Face Book, Trig.com …)

4. Give the finger to the record labels

5. Spend you money on good recordings

6. Sell your music directly to your fans

7. Don’t discount iTunes (I know Radiohead doesn’t like them, but they are still one of the most popular places to get mp3s)

8. Get street teams to promote your stuff in every major city of the world

9. Offer exclusive box sets, and other merch to fans directly from your web site

10. Promote your stuff on independent radio

11. Stay creative, if you think it ROCKS, your fans will probably love it too

12. Don’t do popular, the majority of people are idiots

13. Blood, sweat and tears baby … If you give fans your soul they’ll support you everywhere

14. Don’t forget clean underwear, unless you’re going commando

In other words screw the record companies; you don’t really need them in this day and age. All they’re going to do is fuck with your music anyway, try to clean it up so it’s mass marketable (see rule 11). And baby we like you the way you are … dirty and rockin hard!

So stay unsigned, and stay true to your music. If you are going to sell your soul, sell it your fans. You still might feel like a cheap hore, but at least you can ask for the money upfront.

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