7 Tips to Get Your Indie Band Noticed!

1. Play

Play every concert possible. No matter how mundane a show may seem, get out there and play it! Furthermore, play every show as though it is the most important show of your career. You never know when somebody who has the ability propel your band to the next level may be watching.

2. Share

Share your demo with every online music blog, music producer, and music publisher you can. Share your demo with friends, family, anybody who will take it.

3. Cover

While playing shows, play at least a few covers mixed in with your originals: and not necessarily covers of the most famous bands out there as this will make you seem like any bar cover band. Most importantly, cover songs from bands that have a similar sound as yours. Playing a cover of an established band will make people at any venue take notice, especially if it is a cover from a (relatively) lesser known band. Think mid-level indie band rather than the kind of band who does stadium tours.

4. Piggyback

List several bands that you (or others) believe you sound like. Not only can this bring your music up when somebody searches more established bands, it will also give potential listeners an idea of what your band’s sound is like. If somebody is looking for new music and sees your band being compared to a band they like, obviously they are far more likely to give your music a listen!

5. Brand

Having an effective presence on social media is unquestionably crucial to a band’s success. But it is more than just posting your music on a Twitter or Facebook page. Engage with other bands, music bloggers, and your listeners. Working on new music? Tell people! Another band that you like just released new music? Tell people!  Create an active presence in not only your local music scene, but also reach out to publications/other bands with an even wider reach. The more you share of others’ work, the more likely they are to share yours!

6. Review/Interview

Find somebody to review your music. Having an objective analysis of your music is worth its weight in gold. Anybody can release an album that gets lost among all of the others. But having even just a short excerpt from a (positive!)  review will give your album instant credibility. Better yet, sit down with somebody and do a quick interview. Tell your listeners how the recording process came along. Tell them about any future tour dates. Tell them about anything to get them excited about your band!

7. First Impressions

Create a good first impression to make sure that your band looks professional. Make sure your band has quality promotional pictures as these are often the very first thing people will see of your band! Make sure you have professional quality cover art on your demo/album. Nobody wants a blank CD with sharpie just like nobody will take your demo/album seriously if the cover art looks less than professional. Prominently display said cover art on your social media pages, create a recognizable brand.