Practical guides for bands doing it themselves
The Band Research is a free handbook for independent and amateur bands. Plain-spoken guides to recording, gigging, merch, releasing music and keeping a band together, written to be used, not admired.
Featured guides
Five core guides covering the jobs every band ends up doing, whether or not anyone volunteered.
Recording a Demo on a Small Budget
Home or studio, which gear actually matters, and a tracking order that keeps a cheap session from turning into a long one.
Booking Your First Gigs and Building a Local Circuit
What bookers want to see, how to pitch without pestering, what to agree in writing, and how one gig turns into a circuit.
Designing and Selling Band Merch Without Losing Money
What to make first, how to work out true cost and break-even, ordering small, and running a merch table that actually sells.
Releasing Music Independently: Distribution, Metadata and Timeline
How digital distribution works, the metadata that quietly matters, and a week-by-week plan so release day isn't a surprise.
Rehearsal Habits and Band Agreements
Rehearsals that get things done, fair ways to split costs, agreeing songwriting credit, and what to write down before it matters.
Start here
New band, or an old one starting over? This is a sensible order to work through.
- Sort out how you work together. Rehearsal habits, splitting costs and songwriting credit. Rehearsal and band agreements
- Capture the songs. A simple demo for bookers and for yourselves. Recording a demo on a small budget
- Get on stage. Pitching venues and building a local circuit. Booking your first gigs
- Give people something to take home. Merch that pays for itself. Band merch without losing money
- Put the music out. Distribution, metadata and a release plan. Releasing music independently