So, you have a band. You think you sound good and want to be the next Metallica, Dave Matthews Band or the Jonas Brothers. The good news is that you have the hunger and the dream. However, that is not enough to get you to the top or anywhere near the top.
Before you get started with promoting your band, be realistic. Do you sound good? Is the band music sound ‘tight’? Does the music appeal to more people than just your friends? If the answer to any of these questions is a no, then you should work at it until you get a resounding yes. Once you have got that sorted, develop an image for the band, which should match the music. After all looking like The Beatles will not help if you are playing hard rock. Get a good songwriter for the band and come up with good original material and this will help in the end.
Grab all the gigs you can in the beginning because there will not be that many. Build up your following and start campaigning for bigger gigs. Getting an agent will help greatly in these matters. Once you are well known, get into a studio and record demos. These are your calling cards, so send them to every record company and radio station that you can find. Promote your band shamelessly to everyone you meet; you have to get the word out. Get people to call radio stations and request your songs, talk about you, etc.
Be prepared for rejection, criticism and for most bands, a long wait. Usually it takes a long time for a band to be “discovered”, but the wait is worth it and the perseverance and patience that keeps you going will help you later on when you are successful.