What is the best way for your band to be recognized by a record company?

Question:I am a solo band for the time being. I am anxious to be recognized and really kick start my career if possible. I play guitar and sing, but I lack other band members. My music is different, yet good (based on a few local opinions). My question is mainly this: Should I just play shows? and where at? or could I try to send some music to a record company to see if they like it?

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: I am a solo band for the time being. I am anxious to be recognized and really kick start my career if possible. I play guitar and sing, but I lack other band members. My music is different, yet good (based on a few local opinions). My question is mainly this: Should I just play shows? and where at? or could I try to send some music to a record company to see if they like it?

1. Make your CD Demo. If you have it done already. thats step #1. Also, only have 3 songs on it. You dont wan't overkill when sending a Record Label your Demo. Also, get your "Bio Kit" ready to send to mail out to local Record Labels. This includes

1. A short 2 page Biography about your Music Career in your own words.
2. A good 8" X 11" Black and White Bio photo of you.

3. Your CD demo.

4. Any Articles, Music Reviews or Music Awards of you from your Music Career too.

2. IF you want to do Solo Shows. You could start off with some local Coffee Shops that allow Solo Artist to play.
I'm not Talking about StarBucks!! lol No, I mean they are other various local Coffee Shops around town that allow Artists to play for free because it bring them in more business and customers. You just have to ask the Coffee Shop Owners for permission too, that's all. After they decide who plays and who doesn't. Some Owners are cool with it...no big deal. You just have to ask them, that's all.

3. Do some local Talent Shows too.

4. Good luck

All of the above, it isn't just about the music in the music industry, it is a lot of networking, you have to gather fans rub elbows be seen and heard, the more exposure you have the more likely you'll get noticed, be prepared to go on the road for out of town and out of state bookings, and always be nice to the fans without them you will get nowhere. GL!

Put together 10 to 12 of your best songs, hire musicians to learn them, and go into a recording studio and record. Make sure you hire experienced production people for the recording, and get at least thousand CDs made to start.

Book gigs (whether solo or with the group) and market your CDs at them. Pimp yourself out on MySpace, and build a website that links you to pretty much every music related site on the Internet.

In this day and age, sadly enough, you'll need to pretty much do it all yourself, and sell a serious number of CDs all on your own to prove that your music is a product that's in demand. Once YOU take the risk, you might get attention. Labels don't take many chances anymore with all the changes going on in the industry.