The underlying idea for forming a fan base is this - find and nurture a set of fans that follow and love your band and your music. They’re out there, you need to find them.

Creating this community of fans is much easier compared than in the past, when record labels had all the control. Today’s technological advances have put the control in the hands of the musicians and artists looking to make a living off their craft.

The driving force for building a community is actually made up of two trends - (1) the decentralization of information and (2) an infinite distribution channel.

What do those words mean? Well, two companies sum it up: Google and MySpace. Google makes it easy to find new things and MySpace offers a unlimited way for you to get your music out to people.

As it turns out, there are over 1,000 different companies, similar to Google and Myspace, enabling you to get your music out to fans. Google and MySpace are just two of the largest.

By putting together a unified marketing effort in the digital world, your fan base will grow from a few local patrons to a huge following. Once you have the fan base, then you have a audience for monetizing your craft.