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How to Get Signed to an Indie Label

With the explosive popularity of the Internet, it is no longer as easy to get signed to an indie label as it was in the 1990s, when new labels were seemingly sprouting up every day. At the same time, many labels have been exploring alternative options, such as releasing music digitally through the net. Bands who want to get signed to an indie label should thus show that they are media-savvy enough to have mastered the basics of Internet promotion, such as MySpace, in addition to having a good sound and a decent following.

Instructions

    • 1

      Open a MySpace account. Put your best recorded songs in the profile. Write a band bio, detailing any interesting facts about individual members. List your gigs in the events section. Add bands as friends that you know personally or whose music you like.

    • 2

      Develop a local following. Network with fellow musicians and bands that you like or who have a similar sound. Get gigs at local clubs and parties.

    • 3

      Tour. Accept gigs from out of town. Try to get a gig as an opening act for a band with a slightly larger following than your own.

    • 4

      Record a demo or a self-released album. With the advent of digital technology, this can be done for next to nothing, and mixed on a home computer.

    • 5

      Approach several indie labels. Don’t just blindly send out demos to labels. Select labels with bands and artists playing similar styles of music to your own.

Recording Music

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