Looking for band members means giving place, rehearsal times and costs

If you're looking for band members, a precise wanted ad brings you more replies that fit. A good ad names the instrument, the place, the rehearsal day and the costs. It also says what you're aiming for: rehearsing, the odd gig, or regular paid concerts. Leave that open, and you get few replies, or lots that don't fit.

What goes into your ad

An ad isn't the band's life story. It answers the questions people ask themselves before they get in touch. Put the key facts in a short list:

• Instrument or voice: named precisely, so "electric bass" rather than "bass or whatever".
• Style: the direction you take your cues from, with examples everyone knows.
• Place: town and neighbourhood of the rehearsal room, not just the canton.
• Rehearsals: weekday, time of day and how often.
• Goal: rehearsing only, occasional gigs or regular concerts for a fee.
• Costs: whether the rehearsal room rent is shared, and on what basis.
• Level: what someone should bring, described honestly.

Don't leave out the costs. Anyone joining wants to know what goes out of their pay each month. Say whether the rent is split between everyone. Mention whether a share for gear, transport or recordings comes on top. If the amount isn't fixed yet, say so. Then you settle it at the first meeting. No rehearsal room yet? Have a look at rehearsal rooms on music.ch.

The same goes for money coming in. If you play for a fee, say how you split it so far. Equal shares for all is one answer, "fees go into the band kitty" is another. Both are fine, as long as the ad says so up front. For how much to ask, Sonart, the Swiss musicians' association, publishes fee recommendations with a calculator (in German, French and Italian).

How your ad gets replies

The title decides whether someone opens your ad. So put instrument, style and place first. "Drummer wanted for indie band in Basel" says more than "We're looking for you".

A recording says more than any description of your style. A rehearsal recorded on a phone is enough. Upload it to your profile and point to it in the ad. That way, people know how you sound before they get in touch.

Describe yourselves in a few sentences: how long you've played together and what you've done so far. Skip the superlatives. "We play our own songs and have played our first gigs" is more concrete than any amount of enthusiasm.

Reply to every message, even with a no. People who never hear back may not answer your next ad. A short no takes you little time and keeps the scene in your town friendly.

Once the spot is filled, take your ad down. Otherwise people keep writing, and you have to put them off. If no reply fits, rewrite the ad rather than reposting it unchanged. Often one point from the list above is missing.

Where and when to look

Look where musicians already look. That includes the Wanted section of the music.ch marketplace and noticeboards at music schools and rehearsal buildings. Jam sessions and music shops in your town are good places too. Give the same place and rehearsal times everywhere, so nothing gets mixed up.

Start early enough, not under pressure. If you look for a bassist just before a gig, you take the first one who says yes. It can take a while before a first meeting happens.

Look at the other side, too. Musicians looking for a band can post an ad too. Read those ads in your region before you write yours. Someone may already fit, and you save yourself the wait.

The first meeting

Meet for the first time somewhere open to the public. A café or the entrance of the rehearsal building works well. Tell someone where you are if you don't know the people yet.

For the first rehearsal, agree on a few pieces beforehand. Send the recordings or chord charts in good time, so the new person can prepare. That way you hear whether it works musically, not just who sight-reads well.

Sort out money at the first meeting, not months later:

• Rent: who pays how much, and from when the new person chips in.
• Fees: how you split them and what goes into a shared kitty.
• Expenses: who pays up front for travel and gear at gigs, and how you settle up.

Write the outcome down in a short message to everyone. Then nobody argues later about what was agreed. Before the first rehearsal together, also sort out who has the key.

Agree on a trial period over a few rehearsals. After that, each side says openly whether it works. A clear no after the trial is fairer than slowly drifting apart.

What you can do now: write your ad with the key facts from the list above and the monthly costs. Check the Wanted section to see who is already looking in your region, then post your own ad.