Many new bands record a song or two and add a lot of friends on MySpace then wait desperately for a record company to swoop in to handle all the marketing, publicity, new media and radio promotions that it takes to build a fan base and launch their career. The same misguided thought process regularly takes place when it comes to booking agents, attorneys and managers. New bands often spend a tremendous amount of time, energy and money to find a “team” only to be disappointed when they get no takers.

The reality is, this process almost always works in reverse. The most sought after artists and bands are the ones who have built their own fan base, booked their own tours and managed themselves for an extended period of time. Consider how the business opportunity of working with your band looks from the other side of the table. What is a safer bet for a record label in a really tough environment, investing a lot of time, money and effort to expand the success of proven band with a built in fan base or building a fan base from virtually scratch for a new band very few people have ever paid money to see or hear? Would a booking agent be able to cover their expenses on 10% of the shows you booked last month or a manager on 15% of the income your band earned last month?

Building and expanding a fan base yourself is the most important thing you can do to build a sustainable career and attract the attention of the music biz folks.

Beware – It is very hard to get noticed in the extremely crowded field of artists vying for attention of music fans today. It can be done, but understand this is a long-term process that requires a “build one fan at a time” approach, a lot of hard work, persistence and determination.

To build a fan base focus on these items first:

• Playing live shows is one of the best ways to showcase your talent and build a fan base. You might only play in front of a couple of people at first. Stick with it and there should be more people the next time and the next if what you are playing is of high quality and appeals to the fans at the venue where you are playing. A packed venue is the most powerful publicity a band can have.

• Increase your knowledge and use of the many tools now available for artists to reach fans through distribution, licensing, Internet radio, and more. MySpace is not enough. Check out our Resource Directory and set up a RSS feed from New Music Ideas for starters. Talk to successful bands in your area and find out what tools are and aren’t working for them. Keep up with the latest trends and tools but don’t try and do it all. Prioritize what is manageable and only stick with what actually produces results for you.

• Build and follow a marketing plan for developing and maintaining a personal relationship with your fans. Giving thought to how and what you communicate with fans through your website, blog, or newsletter will help with follow through and getting it done on a regular basis. Developing creative ways to provide fans with extra value out of a direct relationship can pay huge loyalty dividends.

You will know you’re on the right path when record labels, managers and booking agents start calling. Once you’ve done the hard work necessary to build a fan base and are presented with a couple of recording contracts you just might decide your career is better off without involving a record label involved after all.

Developing a loyal group of fans who support you is the best way to build and sustain a career in music. It also gives you a lot more career options, including the one to say “no thanks, I like making all my own decisions” when the music biz folks do come calling.