Who Does What? Defining Roles in Your Unsigned Band
Clear roles save time, money, friendships — and your momentum
1/14/20261 min read
Being in an unsigned band is a full-time job… shared between a handful of people who usually all have other full-time jobs. You’re writing, rehearsing, gigging, promoting, recording, replying to DMs, chasing promoters, running socials, selling merch, and somehow still trying to sleep.
Without clear roles, things get messy — fast.
At best, everything’s disorganised. At worst, resentment builds. One member starts carrying the weight while others coast. Or no one knows who was meant to email the venue, so the gig never happens. Sound familiar?
The solution isn’t a band dictatorship. It’s clear expectations. You don’t need titles like “CEO of Band Twitter” — you just need to agree who’s doing what.
Start with what needs doing outside the music. Promotion. Socials. Finances. Gig booking. Merch. Recording logistics. Website updates. Mailing list. Every band’s list will look different — but the jobs are always there.
Then, work out who’s best suited to what. Maybe your drummer’s great at graphic design. Maybe your bassist loves spreadsheets. Maybe your guitarist is the only one who enjoys talking to promoters. Play to your strengths — just like you do musically.
Agree on it. Write it down. And check in often. People get busy. Life changes. You’ll need to re-balance sometimes — that’s normal. But having the structure makes those conversations easier.
You can also rotate jobs. Maybe one person handles socials this month, another takes over next. As long as it’s clear and fair, it works.
And don’t forget: if no one is doing it, it’s not getting done. Bands who treat the business side with the same respect as the creative side move faster. They get booked more. They build momentum. Not because they’re better — but because they’re organised.
You don’t have to be a professional team. But you do need to act like a team.
Because if everyone’s doing everything — or worse, no one is doing anything — you’re not a band. You’re a group of people waiting for something to happen.
And that never works for long.