How to Become a Rock Star

So you want to be a rock star? If you have a serious love for music and don't mind spending your life in a dingy tour bus, you’d do anything to make it happen. The road to rock superstardom can be a bumpy one, and not everyone makes it very far, but as long as you’re rockin' and lovin' it, you can’t go wrong.

Instructions

1. 

   Pick some good band mates. Unless you’re a solo act, you’ll need a full band. Who you choose to be in your band is vital to your success. Pick people who are dedicated to becoming rock stars, who want it as badly as you do. If your band mates aren’t on board like you are, it'll be hard to make it to the top.

2. Play some local shows. Once you’ve created 5 to 10 awesome songs, solicit your band out and try to get an opening spot in a local show. It helps if you have merchandise to sell during the show, but playing local shows is a good way to gauge audience approval of your music. Get out there and play even if you don’t have anything to sell yet!

3. Get your music recorded, put it on CD or on the Internet to sell. Next, you’ll need to score time in a recording studio and put some of your songs on disc. You can use this to shop record labels and sell your music to your fans. These days, you don’t even necessarily need a label at first--put your songs on the Internet and promote them yourself! Make a few CDs and sell them at the local shows you’re playing, and print some T-shirts up while you're at it.

4. Make friends with bigger bands and open for them. Before you even score that big record deal, you could be opening for famous bands. All you have to do is make friends! Network with people and find someone who’s in with the famous bands in your area, and give them a copy of your music. If a big band likes your stuff, you might be their opening act on a huge tour!

5. Grab a record deal with a big label. Shop your music to the big labels--in order to be a rock star, you’ll need a record deal with the big names. It’s good if you’ve played your fair share of shows before talking to labels. Labels want to know that your band is able to tour and record music, and the best proof is to actually do it. Send in your music to all the big labels and wait for the calls to come in.

6. 

   Tour, promote and tour some more! Once you’ve scored a record deal, you’ll want to tour like crazy. Usually, the label will want you to record a CD with them first, and you’ll be wise to listen to them. After recording, get on the road and play tons and tons of shows. The key to being a rock star is promotion. The more people that know about you, the higher rock stardom you’ll achieve, and the best way to do this is touring.

Tips & Warnings

• Don't get a big head if you start achieving some success. There's nothing more unattractive than a self-obsessed rock star!