Promoting a band can be a full time job. This is why record labels have huge promotions and marketing department. While most independent artists go it alone, there is an advantage that some bands can exploit to make promotion much easier. Delegation. Bands have more than one member; all of whom are personally invested in [...]

Here’s a great idea for building a local following. If you live in an area that has smaller live music venues then you probably have local music papers, magazines or websites that cover them (local newspapers will also do if no publications like this exist where you live). If this is the case then you [...]

While you’ll want to focus your practices toward specific directions, most of your practices are really just a way for your band to keep sharp during the week. If you don’t have a specific goal that requires a closed practice you should consider inviting people to come and hang out while you practice. There are [...]

If you’re a regular reader of RockStar Machine, you’ve probably noticed that we aren’t as focused on getting signed as we are on building a following. That’s because we believe that building a following is the most important thing you can do to make anything happen in your music career. Record labels want proven bands.

There’s a popular concept in economics called the 80/20 rule. It states that 80% of your total efforts produce 20% of your results and 20% of your total efforts produce 80% of your results. This means that, out of all your labor, only a small amount of what you do accounts for your best results. [...]

This is an article written by Steve Albini that I’ve found posted on a few sites. It was originally published in The Baffler (vol.5), and it’s a pretty thorough and highly pessimistic run through of the recording industry (it even includes a sample income/expense ledger). Albini is a musician (Shellac, Rapeman, Big Black) and producer [...]

A lot of bands rehearse with such consistency that you could set your watch by it. That’s a good thing – it shows dedication. You should be well rehearsed so you know your songs thoroughly and can give the best possible performances that you can give. There are, however times when you can and should [...]

If you’re up for taking part in a battle of the bands reality show with a chance to win a one million dollar recording contract, then head on over to Bodog.com and sign up for their Battle of the Bands. They’re currently seeking bands for their second season, so it’s safe to say that if [...]