Are You Ready for the scene?

A Checklist of things and information an artist needs to expand his audience nationally

Things to Have Ready:

1. A clean-looking press kit as a PDF with:

    - Artist bio

    - Links to music

    - Other artist details and links

2. The information should be easy to copy-paste.

3. A Google Drive with photos of the artist for use in posters and PR.

Getting Your Music to Bloggers and Magazines:

1. Email music bloggers and magazines before the release date.

2. Be polite and include all necessary information in the email.

3. Follow up without being annoying.

4. Remember, the people at the other end have other editorial priorities too. Do not take anything personally.

Notable Platforms:

- Rolling Stone India

- Rock Street Journal

- Extravaganza

- Indian Music Diaries

- The Score

Perform Gigs Outside Your City:

1. Spend some money on travel.

2. Take non-AC trains and stay in hostels.

3. Put in the work and get more people to listen to your music.

4. Make it an adventure and build relationships.

5. If you want to make it to festivals, you need to make enough noise in the scene to get noticed, whether through music releases or gigs.

6.Always remember, your first audience is your friends, even though they can’t show up at every gig. Tell them to show up.

7.For an outstation gig, always get a local artist to perform with you. This will spread word-of-mouth information about you in their circle and in that city.

8. Download or screenshot every positive press article about you. Put it in a drive. Sites shut down. Links change.

9. A manager cannot make you successful; only your music can.

10. Do tours, preferably near a music release. Talk to other artists if you are doing it for the first time and see if you can combine your efforts.

10. Go to conferences and other gigs, and meet people in the scene. Networking and relationships are key.

Sofar Sounds will help:

-It is an international platform with presence all over the world.

- Less pay but great crowd.

Active Cities:

- Kochi

- Chennai

- Pondicherry

- Bangalore

- Hyderabad

- Delhi

- Mumbai

- Patna

- Dehradun

Contact Venues:

- It won’t be easy. But keep trying. Always be polite. Follow-up without being annoying. Each city is different. Some will respond, some will not.

List of venues

Mumbai:

- Antisocial

- Bonobo

- G5A

- NMACC

- Harkat Studios

Pune:

- High Spirits Cafe

- Swig

- Soundtrack Cafe

- Cobbler and Crew

Delhi:

- Piano Man

Safdarjung

Gurgaon

Eldeco Centre

- Depot 48

- Bira Tap Room

Hyderabad:

- EXT

Bangalore:

- Fandom

- Gylt

- Bira Taproom

- Rainbow Bridge

- Courtyard

Kochi:

- On Stage

- Nosh Haus (Companypadi, Jew Street)

Chennai:

- Black Orchid

- Barracuda Brew

- Medai The Stage

- Gears and Garage

- House of T

Pondicherry:

- Storytellers Bar

- Catamaran Brewing Co.

- Dorian House

Contact Gig Promoters to Make the Process Easier:

They basically help venues curate events and help manage the event.

Some notable ones.

- NRTYA Culture

- Chennai Scene

- House of T

- Gatecrash India

- HEARTLAND Experiences

This checklist should help guide you in promoting your music and expanding your audience nationally.

Please Note:- This is not an exclusive list or a complete solution. These are just the basics for you to start with. Contracts, streaming revenue all this come later.

Editorial comments

Nobody owes you anything unless you have proven yourself. In the beginning, you beg for gigs, or you bug people for gigs.

Believe in your music. But know you are not the greatest artist in the world. There is always someone better.

Be polite, be kind. But take your stand when needed.

Do your part, not just in music, but in promoting the event as well. It is a group effort.

Keep sending that email to that publication that has ignored you so far. Persistence.

Sound check isn’t jamming time.

Respect other good artists and their art.

This industry will break your heart more than any ex did. But what should you do?

You show up anyway.