An unsigned band is a band that is not signed to a record label and often self-releases their own material. The venues most popular for unsigned bands in Norwich are places like the B2 and Brickmakers pub. To play at these venues, bands have to email and call to try and secure a spot. To get signed, a band needs to show they are a good investment and will be able to sell their music well. Most unsigned bands will send demos to agencies hoping to impress and get signed, but this takes a lot of work and many bands are unsuccessful. The local Norwich band Laps Around the Lake discussed the challenges of being unsigned, including difficulty finding shows and not getting responses from labels they've

2. ‘’An unsigned band is a band that has not been
signed to a record label. Bands that release
their own material on self-published CDs can
also be considered unsigned bands. Often
unsigned bands primarily exist to perform at
concerts.’’
- Google web definitions.

3. The venues within Norwich that seem most popular for unsigned bands are
places
such as the B2 on Sprowston Road, and the Brickmakers pub. To get to play in
the venues includes emailing and phoning the place and trying to get a session
within that venue. I also found that sessions can be advertised on Facebook, for
example...

4. To get signed the person must show themselves to be a good investment to the
agency, as they are looking for talent, and a person that will be able to sell their
music well. Some places may also need some extra favours, such as offering to
do some graphic designs, or remixing other artists work free of charge, therefore
making you sound willing, and also giving them a good bonus!
Most unsigned bands that are looking to become signed will search around
agencies and send demo’s of their music to the company. However, this takes a
lot of hard work, and the Artist would really have to impress and have experience
in selling their stuff to become signed. Which is why there is still many bands
that are unable to get signed.

5. I got in touch with a local
unsigned band from Norwich
called Laps around the lake to ask them about
ups and downs of being an unsigned band...
it's really hard to find shows I wont lie,
like we have to email so many people about getting on shows and probably
about 2 out of 20 of them reply
what we do is we literally look through all the local shows that are going on
around Norwich and we email the people putting it on
and we nine times out of ten they usually just say no we don’t have any
room on the bill but if you get the right people they'll have space on the bill
for you
we don't as a band because most of the shows
we play are for free but we play for free so we
can get ourselves out there

6. we're sending in demo's to numerous different
labels but nobodies getting back to us!
It's really hard, but our guitarist Jack has
got us on this compilation of local Norwich
bands for this label called NR1 records
and out of it hopefully will come a deal
we hope!
I suppose we get to control what we do recording wise
like some contracts take away your copyright rights when you
sign
so you wont get any money if they're played on the radio and
stuff
so I guess it's good that we get to control everything
I think that’s what we'd like if we were signed, like to be able to
control what we like but yeah being signed wouldn’t really do
much for us really all they do is sell your music and promote you

7. Because this band is mainly promoting themselves through social
media, such as Facebook and YouTube I think that they would probably
be best to either act as their own agent and sign to a independent
record company that’s regional, or just act as the distributor and try to
sell to shops so that their stuff will reach out further than just small gigs
and online promotion. They could also try for Airtime of public radio
stations, which then means more people would be likely to want to
download their music.