Posted: Jul 12, 2021

Category: Live Performance

show booking tour booking live streaming lodging touring live performances fan engagement online presence cover songs bandzoogle practice gigging original material plan ahead be prepared kristen ford

**Guest post written by Melanie Kealey for Bandzoogle.

"As restrictions are starting to ease in some parts of the world, we thought it would be beneficial to have a conversation with Kyle Weber (founder of live show & tour booking platform Indie on the Move) and Kristen Ford (singer-songwriter and touring artist) to gain some perspective on how artists are going about booking or re-booking tours..."

Posted: May 3, 2021

Category: Promotion

music venues promotion call-to-action restaurants bandsintown videos plan ahead hashtags artist collective reward live streaming

**Guest post written by Leonard Patterson of Artist Collective AKA @ac_leonardp. This is an excerpt from his new book, 365 Livestream Ideas For Musicians.

"1. Custom Domains 2. Custom Overlays 3. Partner with Venues..."

Posted: Apr 26, 2021

Category: Touring

lodging merch make money touring touring plan bandzoogle plan ahead save money finances be prepared timing

**Guest post written by Patrick McGuire for Bandzoogle.

"...responsible budgeting is just as important here as it is in any other facet of life. If you’re just starting out booking shows on the road, or if you’ve had bad experiences that have cost you gobs of money in the past, here are four considerations to make so that you can safely avoid going broke on your next tour."

Posted: Mar 22, 2021

Category: Show Booking

show booking live performing calendar listings stage banter professionalism plan ahead pay your dues dustin drennen

**Guest post written by Dustin Drennen, DIY independent songwriter and musician.

"Shouldn’t music and friendship still be central to building a community and playing your songs? Absolutely. But, you don’t have to bumble along, you don’t have to loose direction or heart. That’s where this advice will come in handy. Here are four bits of advice for securing shows and building a reputation that makes it easier to do so."

Posted: Aug 24, 2020

Category: Fundraising

promotion fundraising crowdfunding incentives fan engagement setting goals plan ahead email pre-promotion bandtwango

**Guest post by Nicole Hoglund, Managing Director of Bandtwango, the premier crowdfunding platform for country music artists.

"There are always elements that can lead to an artist having a successful campaign. From choosing the right incentives for their audience, shooting for a realistic monetary goal, and to having an engaged fanbase all help, however there is one element that we know is the most important one for artists to succeed, pre-promotion of their campaign."

Posted: Apr 6, 2020

Category: Tips & Tricks

music business live streaming merch fan engagement songwriting insurance recording performing rights organization plan ahead teach patreon coronavirus relief government assistance unemployment donate financial grants kristen ford

**Guest post by Kristen Ford, Nashville based indie rock act with a passion for music business and a book on DIY touring in the works.

Seeing as so many gigs are canceled, with business as usual impossible due to coronavirus social distancing, I am trying to make the most of this unfortunate situation. If you are a musician like me, whether you are self employed, have a small business with a few employees or just do music part time and are still missing some of your income due to Coronavirus cancelations, I hope some of these resources will be helpful...

Posted: Aug 5, 2019

Category: Health

touring live performances health eat healthy plan ahead mental health emotional health physical health electraland radio

**Guest post written by Electra (The Rock-n-Roll Health Chick), an Integrative Health and Nutrition Consultant and Coach, specializing in the health of musicians.

"No one likes a hypocrite, and I want to feel great as well. I’ve been having the lemon and salt water in the mornings and more fruits and veggies. That leads us to the second most important change you can make to think and feel your best...EAT WELL."

Posted: Jun 10, 2019

Category: The Musician Business

fundraising funding plan ahead communication the sophistocrats long distance relationship expectations

**Guest post written by Sophie D’Orléans, singer and keyboard player for The Sophistocrats (Canadian Smooth Jazz band).

"After spending 3 years and 4000km away from home, I wanted to move back to my hometown. I left my mountainous college town knowing that all my musical connections would be very far, yet it was what I needed to do for my personal growth. Trying to keep a ‘band’ together at a distance has been challenging in ways I didn’t suspect, while other difficulties I had predicted never happened."

Posted: May 13, 2019

Category: Touring

show booking press and radio touring touring plan promotion stay connected health be patient please and thank you plan ahead physical health collaboration ellisa sun

**Guest post written by Ellisa Sun, Jazz/Soul musician formerly based in San Francisco currently full-time RVing across the USA.

"200 days ago, my partner Ken and I left our home base in Oakland, CA to spend one year full-time RVing and playing as many shows as we can to build an audience, learn about the industry, and hopefully earn enough money to survive...the following 10 Things I’ve Learned are more focused towards DIY Musicians like myself..."

Posted: May 2, 2016

Category: Touring

couchsurfing.com ezekiel morphis gear marketing plan merch original material plan ahead show booking social media touring touring strategy vehicle web presence

**Guest Post by Ezekiel Morphis, San Diego based Americana/Folk Singer-Songwriter.

"If you just started playing music last week, this article will aid you further down the road as long as you stay committed and work on your music first. If you are like me — two EPs completed, well practiced, working on an album, playing for a handful of years, don’t mind smelling like beer and shame for days on end and still want to know how to tour DIY — then this is the article for you."