Five factors to get into the difficult music industry as a small band

Working from a small office based in Leeds, my role was maintaining the website homepage, writing blogs and helping to produce the magazine.I would first like to say that Leeds is an amazing area to work in and I really enjoyed all of my time working at the office; however it can be very expensive to live in Leeds city centre, with increasing rents and a lack of available properties to occupy, making it difficult for a young professional to live comfortably.Here are just some of my tips for entering the music industry and being successful, no matter the age of the band, history of gig venues or prominence in the region.5. Sign up to a plethora of online blogs and magazines Kerrang and NME are commonly the most widespread and commonly accepted music magazines; however there are an array of others to choose from that can yield similar (and sometimes better) stories with which to derive news and gather information from. Online blogs also usually have immediately available news before any magazines can; however, you must ensure that the blog you are viewing is reputable and reliable. This can help to increase publicity of the band and experience success.4. Sign up to Last.fm, promote your band: Last.fm is much more than a website that collates information about who you have been listening to - you have the opportunity to create a band page, upload any songs that you have recorded and stream them, as well as linking to music stores, netting you a small profit. Facebook has begun to make its mark by providing band pages, but Last.fm is typically the most straightforward and recognised way to publicise your band.3. Blog, blog, blog: You might believe that writing online content will provide no real help to your band, but blogging is a highly effective way to boost SEO ratings and publicise your band name. Google is a major part in popularising your band and an effective SEO strategy can be very beneficial - but, you should write blogs on industry news and music activity as this will pique the interest of the readers.2. Visit a number of festivals, read newsletters and news of small bands: Small bands, whilst not attracting as much popularity or publicity, are an ideal way to gain popularity through osmosis and vastly improve your popularity. This partnership can also make getting gigs and support acts even easier. It is very helpful to build a localised fanbase in your own region before breaking out. My experience in an office in Leeds has shown me a lot of local bands that made it big, such as Hadouken!1. Make friends in the industry Similar to working a start-up company, a great deal of your prosperity will depend on business relationship and contacts. It is a great idea to attend events for networking within the music industry and talk to high-powered members. Something as basic as a telephone number or e-mail address can be your ticket to breaking into the music industry.Whilst a lot of your success will come down to the quality of your music and the style of your music (except if you are spotted by a talent scout and are lucky), these factors can boost the potential of your band towards success.