IOTM Blog
Posted: Jun 3, 2025
Category: Fans
merch make money fan engagement super fans monetization data marketing plan budget qr codes disturbed nfc merch touring
**Guest post by Morgan Coates, Head of Music Partnerships at IYK.
"Most artists don’t know much about the fans attending their shows. That detailed demographic data is often siloed in ticketing platforms and with promoters, who aren’t incentivized to share fan data with artists. This is a massive issue for artists looking to maximize their return on the touring investment. After all, the people that show up to support you on tour are your most engaged fans. Over the life of a tour, thousands of fans could attend your shows and buy your merch, yet you don't know who they are."
Posted: Mar 4, 2025
Category: Tips & Tricks
live performances music business keys to success practice vocal tuning indie artists green day melissa mulligan music career mastermind touring sleep time management
**Guest post by Melissa Mulligan, Recording Industry Vocal Coach & Music Career Mentor for independent artists.
"When I sat down to make the two videos I'm sharing with you here, I did not intend to publish them. So, you're literally seeing me, in my home studio, helping a friend get ready for his tour. But the 10-minute routine I captured that day has been working so well for so many singers, I keep sharing this with more of the touring artists I coach. Even if we are working together weekly on more long term vocal goals, this routine is consistently upping the level of my vocalists' performances!"
Posted: Sep 24, 2024
Category: Online Presence
networking iotm tutorials show availability show booking touring community support opening bands band availability classified listing
Show availabilities are reserved for finding additional talent for shows that already exist...If you wish to announce your own availability, you can do that with a band availability...Lastly, classified listings are for everything else...all of these sections of the site are free!
Posted: Apr 3, 2024
Category: The Musician Business
make money touring artistic conviction music business community support cruise ship entertainment industry get creative collaboration routine schedule learned skills passion unified manufacturing
**Guest post written by James Hill, a veteran of the music industry. He has worked at Warner Reprise Records and then Interscope/ Geffen Records and now helps indie artists with branding and manufacturing through his company Unified Manufacturing, a CD/DVD, custom vinyl records and merch company in LA.
"Having a career in music is not all sunshine and rainbows, and I’m sure you already know that, especially during the pandemic. To start a career in the music industry, you need to not only release good music but you have to be willing to learn the trade, to advertise yourself, get to know the right people, and many more. It’s too tedious! But still worth it. Let’s head on and enumerate the 25 reasons why being a musician today is awesome." View Full Article
Posted: Nov 8, 2022
Category: Tips & Tricks
touring music business keys to success insurance gear be prepared musical instrument insurance killer rig music
**Guest post written by Don East of Killer Rig Music in the USA.
"No one ever plans on their instrument being damaged or stolen, but the unfortunate truth is that accidents happen all the time. That's why it's important to have insurance for your musical instruments. This way, you can rest easy knowing that they are protected in case of an emergency. In this article, we will discuss the importance of musical instrument insurance, and touch on some of the policies to consider."
View Full ArticlePosted: Nov 1, 2022
Category: Technology
touring entrepreneurship music business calendar listings photos google alerts google organization phone calls email stage plots
**Guest post written by Scott Aumann, originally featured on The Legit Musician blog.
"One of your band’s best friends should be Google services. They offer lots of free resources that can be powerful for running your band’s business. Did I mention these are FREE? Plus, these resources can be accessed anywhere you have an internet connection. Let’s talk about how you can use these to help your band run more smoothly."
View Full ArticlePosted: Oct 18, 2022
Category: Live Performance
show booking touring music festivals live performances cover songs corporate gigs private gigs wedding gigs hard ticket show soft ticket show whats next nashville
**Guest post written by Dennis Kurtz of What's Next Nashville.
" Last week I made the point that you are worth what you can draw! This is true if you are doing a hard ticket show...Most original music artists build themselves as a hard ticket, but also play soft tickets shows along with their hard ticket shows. Usually as a seller I try to find out what the budget is in these situations before I quote a price...Typically, here is how these gigs are priced..."
View Full ArticlePosted: Apr 11, 2022
Category: Touring
merch touring music festivals gear house shows disc makers taxes passport organization contracts visas
**Guest post originally featured in the Disc Makers Blog.
"O Canada! So close… yet sometimes so far away. Music flows freely across the border, but there are times when musicians and instruments have a little more trouble. If you’re planning a trip to play music gigs in Canada, here’s some advice and a few online resources to help make your border crossing smooth and easy."
View Full ArticlePosted: Apr 4, 2022
Category: Tips & Tricks
record labels touring music business fan engagement keys to success practice lords of the trident booking agents managers setting goals learning
**Guest post by Fang from Lords of the Trident, the most METAL band on earth!
"Well, the secret's out..."
View Full ArticlePosted: Aug 23, 2021
Category: Live Performance
live streaming nashville music venues touring live performing nyc know your audience house shows plan ahead kristen ford coronavirus national independent venue association
**Guest post written by Kristen Ford, Nashville based indie rock act with a passion for music business and a book on DIY touring in the works.
The East Room is one of 13 Nashville venues where either "Proof of a Vaccine or Negative Covid Test" is required for entry...All of New York City has this policy, as well as all NIVA (National Independent Venue Association) venues...Music festivals such as Folk Alliance and Kerrville already have similar policies for future events. This means regardless of your local rules and regulations, or your personal views on vaccinations, touring artists need to be ready for this policy change.
View Full ArticlePosted: 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..."
View Full ArticlePosted: Jul 6, 2021
Category: Touring
touring keys to success touring tips amateur bands lords of the trident touring guide live performing gigging
**Guest post by Fang from Lords of the Trident, the most METAL band on earth!
"I've been playing shows FOREVER, yet I ALMOST NEVER see bands bringing these 10 ABSOLUTELY CRUCIAL items to their shows! Make your life on the road 100% better by keeping these ten items at the ready!"
View Full ArticlePosted: 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."
View Full ArticlePosted: Mar 1, 2021
Category: Touring
touring live performing learning gideon waxman budget opening bands drum helper mushroomhead lodging stage rules soundcheck
**Guest post written by Gideon Waxman, a London based drummer & music educator. Originally posted on Soundfly's Flypaper.
"Although by no means a long run of shows, my band Familiar Spirit’s 2019 UK summer tour in support of American metal heavyweights Mushroomhead was an utterly insane and eye-opening experience — filled with wonderful people, great venues and an abundance of earth-shattering riffs. Having only formed a year ago, this was an opportunity that my band just couldn’t pass up, and I learned a lot from the experience. Here’s some of what I took away from the tour, and what I think young bands can do to prepare for and seize their own career-opening moments."
View Full ArticlePosted: Nov 9, 2020
Category: Touring
touring marketing relationships with fans newsletters concert promoter have fun local bands sound engineer live recording hudson moore digital tour bus
**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: Jun 8, 2020
Category: Touring
lodging merch diy touring spotify super fans data tour routing bug hunter
**Guest post written by Bug Hunter, a "thoughtful, self-reflective pop" singer-songwriter out of Seattle.
"It started as a plan to play a couple East Coast shows while attending our old drummer’s wedding in North Carolina. Eventually our radius got so big that we just decided: “Hey, let’s just drive out there and play a show every night along the way”. So we packed up the minivan in Seattle and drove for 15 days, playing 14 shows without any prior experience in the markets we were visiting (save for Seattle and Portland)."
View Full ArticlePosted: Mar 30, 2020
Category: Live Performance
live streaming touring twitter youtube stageit spotify call-to-action instagram persistence house shows gigging paypal craigslist facebook live the legit musician teach fiverr venmo soundbetter
**Guest post written by Scott Aumann, originally featured on The Legit Musician blog.
"I wanted to come up with a few ideas for you if you are dealing with lost revenue from a gig being cancelled. I also wanted to make this post more universal than just for this latest pandemic. My hope is that you can use these ideas for a cancelled gig under any circumstances."
View Full ArticlePosted: Mar 9, 2020
Category: Touring
touring touring tips career goals eat healthy mental health physical health interior decoration beauty tips aromatherapy horticulture charming disaster
**Guest post written by Charming Disaster, a goth-folk duo based in Brooklyn, NY.
"Over the past few years of touring the U.S., we’ve learned a thing or two about maintaining the fabulous lifestyle to which we’re accustomed even while we’re on the road, and we wanted to share some of our time-tested tips with other indie artists...Adding a touch of class to your tour routine is a great way to stay healthy, boost morale, and maintain your delusions of grandeur."
View Full ArticlePosted: Feb 10, 2020
Category: Touring
touring guide touring lords of the trident diy keys to success international touring
**Guest post by Fang from Lords of the Trident, the most METAL band on earth!
"Episode 16 of Words of Fang. Eventually, your band will be faced with the daunting task of touring outside of your home country. Here are some Dos and Don'ts about DIYing your cross-country-conquest!"
View Full ArticlePosted: Jan 21, 2020
Category: Show Booking
show booking make money touring cold pitching press kits press value posters advance the show follow up the legit musician tour routing tom jordan
**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
indie on the move show booking booking agents make money touring music business artist collective industry resources consulting diy
**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: Oct 14, 2019
Category: The Musician Business
music venues booking agents record labels managers touring music business national acts promoters opening bands music business after dark jeff lysyczyn
**Guest post by Jeff Lysyczyn, music industry veteran, educator, and creator of Music Business After Dark.
"Episode 2 of Music Business After Dark, a series of informative vlogs by music industry veteran and educator Jeff Lysyczyn."
View Full ArticlePosted: Sep 3, 2019
Category: The Musician Business
merch make money touring live performances spotify career goals cd's booking agents tour routing jake shane second job cost of living
**Guest post written by Jake Shane, an American singer-songwriter and guitarist who resides in Spain. He makes his living as an independent artist by touring around Europe. His fourth album will be released in October, 2019.
"A recent article by Larry Fitzmaurice titled “17 Indie Artists on Their Oddest Odd Jobs That Pay the Bills When Music Doesn’t” is by turns comforting and deflating to the indie musician...Contrastingly to me, none of those artists makes their living exclusively from music, and many of them actually lose money touring. So, what does this mean for musicians in general, and me specifically? Well, a variety of things, but I’ll limit myself to three important factors..."
View Full ArticlePosted: 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."
View Full ArticlePosted: Jul 29, 2019
Category: Health
touring keys to success eat healthy mental health treat yourself physical health exercise electraland radio hydrate coconut water
**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.
"Even when you’re a rock god, your mental and physical health can go either way. We all need a little help sometimes. So, I’m going to share the Top Three valuable and doable actions that will help you think and feel your best while you’re on the road, playing a gig, practicing in your room or just watching your favorite band. If you don’t take care of your body and mind, you won’t be able to think, write, perform or live well."
View Full Article