So you want to be a singer ?
If you love to sing and believe that you have what it takes to sing professionally, here are a few simple steps to jump start your singing career.
Develop your repertoire. Be able to sing hit songs in your genre, and try other genres to increase your likelihood of getting gigs. You can also write original songs that flatter your singing voice.
Then develop your own unique style and don't inmate other already famous singers. (it's good to pick up a few things from them, but don't sound exactly like them)
Check your newspaper's classified ads craigslist, Facebook to see if any bands are advertising for a lead or backup singer.
Ask to sit in on a band's rehearsal and sing lead or backup for them. Audition for singing jobs in local recording studios. Start small and work your way up.
Take voice lessons. Hire a voice teacher or vocal coach to help develop your singing voice to its full potential. Practice any exercises that your coach gives you.If that is not an option there are plenty self taught audio courses u can buy for a reasonable price .
Develop an image. Think about how you want to look in front of an audience and develop a look that's uniquely yours. Take publicity photos of yourself or your band that showcase your image.
Record a demo CD. Recruit the best musicians in your area and put together a demo of 1 or 2 songs. Keep copies of your CD with you at all times, especially when you're singing at a gig. A professional recording studio is the best place, but if you can't afford to do that (most can't when they first start) there are alot of computer programs u can download for free that allow u to record onto your computer and add effect and mix and master it and it will sound somewhat professional if you know what you are doing, but most are pretty easy to use just for recording purposes.
But before you mail copies of your demo to record companies or to other singers that you admire it is VERY IMPORTANT TO HAVE UR OWN MATERIAL.You need to have original songs. Most record labels won't take the time to listen to a demo full of covers (songs already made famous by someone else). So one way to do this is either write material yourself if u can. Like if u play the piano or guitar. Write some songs. Or if u know how to make beats or someone who does. Some people charge for the rights to a beat or song (usually for $25 to even $1000 and up). There are also websites where u can get beats for free from up and coming producers who offer a free download of there beat to use on your demo or any other non profit project. To use the beat on a cd u going to sell u will have to buy the rights to it or if u have a friend or someone u know that can write music, and lyrics collaborate w/them.
The only labels that accept "unsolicited materials are usually indie labels or ones that specifically say they will accept unsolicited material . A good thing to do is call and ask. Here is a link to a list of record companies that list whether they do or not.http://www.allmusicindustrycontacts.com/record-label-A&R.htm
Perform as often as possible. Open Mic's , Join a choir, sing in church, front a band or perform at a local fair. Performing often will increase your confidence in front of a mic.
There are also plenty of websites that you can post music on and have people comment, download and listen to your music, and a lot of them are free. These sites are also good to hook up with other people that love music too. Like up and coming producers, songwriters, and singers that might be interested in collaborating with u if they like ur music. This is good for networking and meeting people that might possibly be the key to getting where you want to be
Set up a website. Include photos, a bio, a touring schedule and maybe a blog. Allow your fans to download free copies of some of your songs from the website. Share your performance footage. Post videos of your performances on YouTube and share the links on Facebook or Twitter. You never know who might stumble across your performance.
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