How Much Does A Band Cost To Start Up? Things To Consider

So, you’re considering starting a band, eh? If you haven’t been in one before, it can certainly be deceiving from the outside. Just grab some buddies, practice, and perform, right? If you all have your own instruments already, how much more would it cost….right??

In some cases, that could be right. But in most cases, it will require some investment. More so if you want to take it seriously and be professional. So here’s some things to consider if you’re interested in starting up a band.

Instruments & Basic Gear

$0 – ?

Chances are, if you’re starting a band and have band members, everyone will have their own instruments in advance, but it’s still good to double check. Basic gear refers to anything one needs to play or practice, like cables, amps, drumsticks.

If they have what they need, are they in good working condition, or would they need repairs? Maybe a cymbol needs to be replaced or a keyboard needs to be updated. If the bassist was a guitarist, does he have a proper bass amp? You should also consider carrying cases in this category as you really would not want to take your instrument out of your home without proper protection.

Rehearsal Space

$250+ Start Up -OR- $25~/Hour

Now, the biggest initial expense for a band will usually come down to where they will practice. There is no ‘band’ if you don’t have a space to get together and run through songs. If someone has a basement or garage where noise wouldn’t be an issue, great! But if not, a rehearsal studio will usually be the space of choice.

If You Have A Member’s House To Practice At:

The startup cost will be more, but then you won’t have to worry about it moving forward. You’ll require a basic setup which would include amps, cables, microphones and mic stands, speakers/monitors, possibly a soundboard/mixer and so on. If the owner of the house isn’t a drummer, you will more likely need to purchase a kit as well. You should also invest in some soundproofing or sound absorption panels to assist with reverb and sound quality.

Not everything is needed right off the bat, and you may choose to buy some cheap or second-hand things in the meantime and upgrade later on, but know that a quality setup with everything you could/would need could easily cost over $1000, even reaching $2000 if you plan to record there one day.

While there is an option to have everyone bring their own instruments and setup, it would not only take a lot of time to get ready each session, but it would be inconvenient or impossible for those without a car. People like guitarists will need to carry their instrument, amps, pedal boards and so on. People are more likely to attend rehearsals (and be on time) if it’s not a burden on them.

And finally, you should also consider and account for the extra cost of electricity, water, and maybe even food for your additional guests as they’ll probably hang around longer since there is no time limit.

If You Need To Rend A Rehearsal Space:

The average for a rehearsal studio is $20-$30/hour. Some places may offer discounts for pre-bookings or returning customers, but regardless, it would be around this ballpark. It’s a great option as everything mentioned above is included, however, it is a reoccurring expense that you will have to pay for each time. Thus, it will inevitably cost more than having your own quality rehearsal space after just a few months.

Also note that rehearsal spaces still won’t provide everything you need. So if you’re curious what else you should bring or buy beforehand, check out this article!

Travelling

$2 – $10/Way

Regardless of where you get to practice, most members will have to travel to and from that location. Public transit users may only need a few dollars per way. Drivers on the other hand, may have to spend more gas based on the distance and the weight of their equipment. And recently, gas has been at level records.

If you happen to live together, or you’re a college band, that’s another story, but in any other case, you should include travelling in your weekly band budget. You may also need to rent a truck to haul all your instruments and gear if/when you get any gigs. So when you’re looking for members, try to find people who are closer to you to avoid potential travelling burdens.

Additional Gear/Necessities

$100+

Additional gear? What else could you possibly need? Well, that’s something you and your band will figure out as you play around. If you’re going for a certain style or sound, you may want to invest in additional crashes or guitar pedals. Maybe the microphones at the rehearsal studio is too basic so you’d like a compressor mic. Oh, don’t forget things like earplugs and/or monitors.

As you’re preparing to gig, you should also have backups of everything just in case. This includes cables, tuners, picks, strings, and drumsticks. Depending on your bands style and niche, you may invest in some kind of costume or uniform. Point is, you’re only going to end up needing or buying more stuff down the road.

Promotional Material

$0 – 250+

If your band just wants to do open mics around the city or play for friends, you omit this section, but if you’re even a little serious about getting further in the music industry, getting real gigs, or selling tickets for your own concert, branding is something you don’t want to cheap out on. Your online presence is especially important when organizers are looking into you.

One of the first things you’ll want to invest in is a photoshoot. You’ll want high quality photos taken by a photographer who can handle the angles and lighting. These can later be used on your website, flyers, and if any venue was to feature you, they would expect high quality photos as well. Expect to spent at least $100-$500 for a basic shoot. The price will come down to how many photos, how long the shoot goes for, photographers status/level, and if you’d want any edits and touchups done.

If you’re serious, you’ll definitely want a Professional Website. You can go with a free website builder, but you won’t have much customizability options, won’t have a ‘real’ domain, and may not be able to collect emails or sell items from there. Thus, it’s definitely worth getting a host (I use Bluehost, use my affiliate link for $2.95/month) and setting up with WordPress right away. It will cost about $100-$200 for your first 2 years, depending on if you get additional security and privacy protection, but then you’ll have the tools and freedom to do all you want with your website! You can also hook it up with other websites and social media sites.

Additionally, while social media is popular, that doesn’t mean you should skip out on Business Cards. You’re going to bump into people when you’re going out and about, and sometimes, you won’t have time to show them yourself on their phone, or you may be underground and don’t have internet. Having a business card is great as they can easily find you later. If you go to venues to watch other bands, you may run into important people who also won’t take you seriously unless you have one. With sites like Vistaprint, you can get 250 cards for $15. You can also get pens and other promotional material on here.

There is still a lot you can do for free though. Social media is a great way for anyone to reach a big audience and possibly go viral, but it will take a bit more time without any investments. Remember that on social media, people will usually only find you if they were looking for you or if someone else was sharing something you made.

Pro tip: Don’t want to wait until you drop something to find an audience to listen. Be sure to promote and share ahead of time so there’s an audience waiting to buy your album or tickets when you debut.

Estimated Start Up Costs Based On Scenario

So with the information above, let’s consider a few scenarios and the costs for the first 2 months:

Cheapest Scenario: Everyone has their instrument ready to go and a member has a place with a decent setup for you to all practice in since he had a band before. You all decide you just want to take this casually and just jam for fun or do a few open mics for experience and exposure. The only real costs would be travelling and perhaps some gear for the practice space, but you can survive with under $150.

Mid-tier Scenario: Everyone has instruments, but you need a rehearsal space to practice at. You decide to do 3 hours every week. You do require earplugs and additional cables, along with a distortion pedal for the lead guitarist. You all want to take it seriously so you decide to invest in a website to help with promotion and gigs. This would cost you about $600.

Expensive Scenario: Some members need instrument repairs/tune ups as their instrument has been collecting dust and the pianist needs a portable keyboard. You need to rent a rehearsal space and decide to meet twice a week, 2 to 3 hours each time. You are best friends and you all have previous musical experience so you know this band will go places, thus, you decide to invest in a website and photoshoot. This could easily cost over $1200.

Conclusion

It can be hard to give you an exact cost to starting up a band. It varies a lot on what every member already has, where you plan to practice, and how far you want to take it. All in all, I hope this article can give you a good baseline of costs and purchases to consider.

If you’re interested in other band related articles, definitely check out my other articles: Where To Find Band Members, What To Include In A Band Listing, What To Bring To A Rehearsal Studio, and Youtube Channels For Band Advice. And if you live in Toronto, here’s an updated list of Rehearsal Studios.

Good luck! ^_^