Posted: Apr 12, 2021
Category: Live Performance
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**Guest post from Justin Paul, music/career coach, A&R, DJ, and producer.
"First and foremost, talent buyers look at how many tickets they believe (based on data) an artist can sell. The more tickets an artist can sell, the higher the performance fee they can command. Sometimes talent buyers are tastemakers, and they take a chance on an up and coming artist/band that may not have much data available. Typically, those are opening acts or the middle of the lineup. Up and coming artists may even play for free or a smaller amount and are often more suited for club events."
View Full ArticlePosted: Mar 22, 2021
Category: Show Booking
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**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."
View Full ArticlePosted: Mar 15, 2021
Category: Live Performance
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**Guest post by Fang from Lords of the Trident, the most METAL band on earth!
"👴HUH? WHAT!? YOU'LL HAVE TO SPEAK UP JIMMY, I'M QUITE OLD."
View Full ArticlePosted: Jan 11, 2021
Category: The Musician Business
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**Guest post written by Jordan Gates, of Megaphone Agency.
"Even through all the challenges this year has brought, the industry hung on through remarkable resilience. Live streaming, drive-in shows, fundraisers, even lobbying the government – there’s nothing we won’t do to keep the culture alive and the music playing. Music isn’t going anywhere. It’s only a matter of time before we can get back to that unparalleled feeling of experiencing it live and in person again."
Posted: Dec 21, 2020
Category: The Musician Business
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**Guest post by Fang from Lords of the Trident, the most METAL band on earth!
"Kids, if a stranger in full armor comes up offering you free band advice, you know what to say, right? JUST SAY NO!"
View Full ArticlePosted: Nov 30, 2020
Category: The Musician Business
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**Guest post by Randy Chertkow and Jason Feehan of MakingMoneyWithMusic.com. Originally featured in the Disc Makers Blog. Reprinted with permission.
"...there’s a lot to managing a music career if you intend to make money with your music. Fortunately, do-it-yourself doesn’t mean do-it-alone. Plugging in and outsourcing to music services that handle different aspects of the industry is one way to get the help or expertise you may be lacking. In this post, we’ll tackle roles and services associated with live music events."
View Full ArticlePosted: Nov 2, 2020
Category: Touring
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**Guest post written by Hudson Moore, originally posted on DigitalTourBus.com.
"I’ve been a touring independent artist for 10 years. I’ve booked, advanced, produced, and promoted almost every headline show I’ve ever played. I still have a long way to go, but I’ve been fortunate to play some amazing shows to fans across the US and over the years I’ve picked up a few tried and true tips and strategies that have helped me that will hopefully add value to you as well. So without further ado..."
View Full ArticlePosted: Mar 2, 2020
Category: Live Performance
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**Guest post written by James Redhead, one half of the duo behind the music podcast Anyone Can Play Guitar.
"We thought it worthwhile to give a balanced view [about support slots] based on what we’ve learned so far, to help all you bands and artists make as informed a decision as possible when you’re presented with such opportunities, or even before you start actively seeking them out. Let’s start with the negatives…"
View Full ArticlePosted: Jan 21, 2020
Category: Show Booking
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**Guest post written by Tom Jordan, originally featured on The Legit Musician blog.
"You can make [booking shows] easier on yourself by using some effective strategies that help me book 200 shows a year. I pay my bills exclusively with music, and I’ll tell you how...If you’re prepared up front, you’ll avoid a lot of frustration. Preparation is important and makes a HUGE difference in outcomes."
View Full ArticlePosted: Jan 13, 2020
Category: Touring
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**Guest post written by Vinnie Hines, Co-Owner of Artist Collective AKA @ac_vinnie.
"As a music consultant for Artist Collective, I constantly hear the complaints and excuses of artists all around the country about the industry and the idea of ‘touring’...so to start chipping away at the brainwash, let’s knock down these 5 HUGE LIES ABOUT TOURING IN 2020..."
View Full ArticlePosted: Sep 24, 2019
Category: Marketing
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**This post originally appeared on the Disc Makers Blog for indie musicians by Randy Chertkow & Jason Feehan of MakingMoneyWithMusic.com. Reprinted with permission.
"Your best social media strategy is to entertain your fans throughout the year rather than just drop an album and disappear. Create a strategy to make your fans anticipate your every release — music, videos, merch, and more — and attract new fans in the process."
View Full ArticlePosted: Jul 1, 2019
Category: Online Presence
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**Guest post written by Dave Cool of Bandzoogle.com.
"An electronic press kit (EPK) is essential for making a strong first impression on promoters, bookers, media, and other music industry professionals...You can use your EPK to help you get more press, more gigs, and come across as a serious artist."
View Full ArticlePosted: May 28, 2019
Category: Show Booking
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**Guest post written by Scott Cooper, talent buyer for Testarossa Winery and Sam's Chowder House and previously syndicated music journalist for newspapers across the country.
"As a Talent Buyer...I only book via email. Emails are a traceable record of who said what and the details of the agreement. Sometimes I can even tell if I want to book the band just by how well or poorly the email is formatted. So what to include or exclude in your email? There are certain things I want to see and other things I don’t want to see..."
View Full ArticlePosted: May 13, 2019
Category: Touring
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**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..."
View Full ArticlePosted: Nov 19, 2018
Category: Show Booking
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**Guest post written by Jordan Gates, of Megaphone Agency.
"Booking shows can be difficult, especially if you don’t have an experienced booking agent working with you...Most artists start out booking their own shows early on in their career...Knowing how to properly represent yourself to venues and get booked is an essential skill for independent artists. There is no definitive playbook for getting gigs, but here are some things that can help get your foot in the door."
Posted: Mar 5, 2018
Category: Show Booking
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**Guest post written by Jordan Gates, of Megaphone Agency.
"In the early days, a lot of bands book their own shows until it becomes necessary to seek out an agent or when an agent finds them. For serious artists, hiring a booking agent can be a big step in launching their music career to the next level. If you are wondering when you should get a booking agent, here are some things to consider..."
Posted: Dec 11, 2017
Category: Show Booking
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**Guest post written by Adam Young, CEO and founder of Event Tickets Center, a marketplace for tickets to sports, concert and Broadway events.
"Playing a concert takes a ton of preparation, especially when it’s your band’s first time on stage...But when it’s finally time to make your debut, it’s important plan for the venue—and it’s hard to know what to expect until you start going to performances at a wide range of bars, clubs and concert halls in any town. When you do, here are a few things to keep an eye out for..."
View Full ArticlePosted: Aug 21, 2017
Category: Touring
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**Guest post written by Ari Herstand, the author of How To Make It in the New Music Business.
"I’ve made a ton of mistakes and got screwed over by talent buyers, promoters and club owners more times than I’d like to admit. I learned everything the hard way and it took me years to figure out how to actually book a successful, money making tour. The biggest thing you want to remember when thinking about setting up a tour is: do not book a tour just to go on tour..." View Full Article
Posted: Jul 10, 2017
Category: Tips & Tricks
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**Guest post written by Jonathan Sexton, CEO of Bandposters.
"It’s hard to stay on top of all the things you have to do to break your band and make a living...To keep ahead of the game, time management is key. So we’ve put together a weekly calendar for you, with some helpful things you can do early in the week to help sell out your shows on the weekends..."
View Full ArticlePosted: Dec 12, 2016
Category: Show Booking
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**Guest post written by Louise Dodgson, Editor at The Unsigned Guide.
"Working with a booking agent is a topic we’re often asked about by artists and bands who wonder whether they should still undertake all gig bookings themselves or acquire the services of an agent who can bag those lusted-after festival slots and tour supports. Do I need an agent? At what stage should we approach one? Will a booking agency even work with an unsigned or emerging band? If you’ve ever wondered about any of the above, this blog is for you!" View Full Article
Posted: Jun 21, 2016
Category: Show Booking
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**Guest post written by Joy Ike, creator of Grassrootsy.com and Independent Musician, as featured on Grassrootsy.com.
"Nailing big opportunities is one of the major things that kickstarts the career of an independent artist. Sometimes it’s having a video go viral. Other times it’s falling under the good graces of someone who knows someone. But sometimes it’s getting to open for a national touring act and getting your name out to a larger audience of new listeners...here are 7 excellent tips for making it happen."
View Full ArticlePosted: May 2, 2016
Category: Touring
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**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."
View Full ArticlePosted: Mar 7, 2016
Category: The Musician Business
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**Guest Post by Bret Alexander of The Badlees and Saturation Acres.
"Pretty much for all of the 1990s, I played with one band. One band. That was it...Ours was a pretty typical scenario for a band around that time. The object of worship was the CD. Or even a few cassettes and vinyl. Those little circles of information were your lifeblood….. and your salvation...Cut to 2016. Things have definitely changed. Quite a bit. CDs barely sell on an independent level. Vinyl has some appeal, but I would think on the ground floor it would be a break even proposition at best. There are download sales, but as we all know if you want the music for free it ain’t too hard to find...Musicians no longer worship that little round piece of plastic. Their new object of worship is square. And much bigger. It’s called a calendar."
View Full ArticlePosted: Feb 29, 2016
Category: Show Booking
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**Guest Post written by Dave Cool of Bandzoogle.com.
"I spent three years as program director for two venues here in my home city of Montreal, overseeing 500 shows during that time. Here are 5 ways that you can impress venue bookers and give yourself the best chance to get more gigs..." View Full Article
Posted: Feb 1, 2016
Category: Touring
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**Guest post written by Joshua Powell, singer-songwriter, DIY musician, and frontman for Joshua Powell and the Great Train Robbery, as featured in his blog Fearsome Folk.
"I’ve been on and off the road with my band for over three years now, and it’s been entirely DIY, grassroots, self-booked. We’ve learned a lot along the way, but I’ve discovered one secret to touring as the single most valuable principle to make sure your tours are worth the trouble. Never play a show without booking 1-3 other bands as local support..."
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