Ian Anderson started recording music when he was thirteen and launched his own successful label, Afternoon Records, in 2003, when he was just eighteen. Now this wunderkind of the indie music scene has written the ultimate guide for all those aspiring to a career in the record industry. Here Come the Regulars covers territory ranging from a label’s image to its budget, focusing on the importance of blogging culture and how to use new media like MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, Amazon, and iTunes to the best advantage.

Aside from its essential advice—including a truthful account of the role of attorneys, contracts, and record deals—this accessible guide also contains key practical information ranging from sample legal agreements and press releases to actual figures illustrating how much money to spend on what (promotion, tour expenses, even T-shirts), all specifically geared toward the young upstart with very little in the bank.

As the front man for the indie-pop band One for the Team and the editor of the music blog MFR, Anderson demonstrates how an energetic and persevering small label can thrive in an era of big box stores and homogenized radio stations. Showing how to start with $500 and an office that’s the size of a bedroom closet because it is a bedroom closet, Here Come the Regulars will become the dog-eared, underlined reference to which students turn again and again.