For many people, being in a band is the absolute dream – getting to fulfil their passion, building up a strong fan base, going on tour, and potentially even playing at festivals. However, so many bands form but unfortunately don’t stick around for very long. In some cases, this is a mutual decision between the band members, who decide that it is no longer for them, but in other cases, it is a result of lack of organization, or lack of common interest. When you are forming a band, there are certain things you must consider and discuss throughout the process, and here are a few of them:

Practice Together Regularly

Firstly, practice makes perfect! If you are looking to become successful, you must be cohesive – there is no point in trying to do live performances if you don’t practice together regularly. No matter how talented you may be individually, this will only pay off if you are all mutually interested in the band and how it does in the long term. Be serious about your practice, and make sure you have somewhere appropriate to do it.

One great option is to hire out a recording studio for band practice, which will be perfect at keeping you all in the zone and getting you into the right mindset for doing it all properly. This music rehearsal space is ideal for bands since there are rooms of a great size that have all the equipment you may need. Having the correct equipment is absolutely necessary if you are taking your band seriously. You also need a music rehearsal space that has good sound quality, and often this isn’t the case if you are just practicing in somebody’s home.

Ensure You Are Friends as Well as Colleagues

You and your bandmates need to be able to get on well for your band to thrive and survive in the long term. Being in a band is not just a business or career move, but it is also a lifestyle, and you will end up spending a lot of time together. This can end up being disastrous if you don’t actually get along as people, so try and find people who you feel genuine friendship connections with. This is why a lot of bands form during school or university – naturally, friends who are also interested in music gravitate towards one another and end up sharing their passions to set up a band.

Respect Each Other’s Decisions

When you are in a band, having a common goal is vital, and you need to respect each other in these decisions. For example, do you all want to do live performances and feel comfortable with this idea? Would you be open to touring around the country or would some of the band members prefer to base themselves in one area and stick to a local audience? Hopefully, you will agree on some of these integral things, but if not, you must respect one another and your boundaries. If someone isn’t comfortable with something, you need to make sure it is thoroughly discussed as a group in order to avoid falling out and jeopardizing the band and its success. This will be a whole lot easier if you are genuinely friends and don’t just regard each other as colleagues – in friendships, you tend to be pretty selfless, and will genuinely care about what others think, but colleagues may see decisions as purely business moves.

Check In with the Group

Checking in with the group on major decisions is really important to keep you all in the loop. For example, don’t commit to anything on behalf of the band without checking with everyone else first. You must see yourselves as one secure unit and respect each other. To ensure you feel up to date with everyone’s feelings and goals, you should regularly check up on people and what they are thinking. If somebody is no longer feeling committed to the band, for instance, it is good to find this out early on, to avoid messy situations and to keep you all feeling involved. It is natural that you may have a member drop out during some point in your band career: Don’t stress too much – there are so many people out there who would be interested in joining, but communication is key.

Although there are a lot of logistics involved in having a band, you must make sure that you are always having fun! If you start to get big and successful, you could look into getting a manager, which will help you focus solely on the music. Keep engaging with your audience, keep up your relationships with your bandmates, and enjoy the incredible opportunities that are presented to you.