Six ways to earn extra money on tour
If you’re having trouble making the numbers work as you’re planning to hit the road with your band, think creatively about ways to earn more money on tour. Read the post.
touring
Calculating a tour budget
Hitting the road can be a wonderful way to share your music, expand your fanbase, and have amazing experiences. But when you add up all the costs, it can be pretty expensive, so you’d better make a tour budget before you book those gigs. Read the post.
How to get the attention of a talent buyer or booking agent
You’ve put together a great set of music and you’re ready to perform. How do you make a connection and impress a talent buyer to book you for a high-profile gig? Read More.
A new release strategy for a new music economy
Indie artist Megan Slankard is finding success in the new music economy through the fan-support platform of Patreon – reducing risk and rewarding trust among her steadily growing fan base. Read More.
#TourLife hacks: CDs, merch, and fan appreciation with The Accidentals
From playing shows to selling CDs and merch to finding time for self care, life on the road requires a balance between your personal, public, and business life. The Accidentals share some #TourLife hacks with us. Read More.
Sick for the gig? Here are tips to get through the show in one piece.
Here are some practical tips to help you deal when stars (and germs) align to make you sick for the gig you’ve been looking forward to play. Read more.
Why can’t every day be a music festival?
We usually use music festivals as an escape from our normal lives. What I’ve been trying to do lately is keep a well-balanced, festival-like attitude and outlook all year round. To treat people with the same attitude and outlook I have towards them while I’m walking through the music festival on its trails and through the woods. Read more.
Don’t wait ’til the day after to get music instrument insurance
Sasha Brown of Sister Sparrow & the Dirty Birds had set an appointment to get music instrument insurance. Two days before the call, $11K worth of instruments were stolen out of the band’s van. Talk about bad timing. We talk about the break-in, theft, and almost having music instrument insurance in time. Read more.
How to gig more without overexposing yourself
If you want to perform live more than just once a month, there are plenty of ways to fill up your performance schedule without saturating a particular market. Four basic strategies you should consider include: 1) A club residency, 2) Alternate format performances, 3) Dual territory performances, 4) A tour. Read more.
Another awful music gig
In “Tales of the worst music gigs ever,” we shared a handful of on-the-gig horror stories and lessons learned from them. While those stories were all wrenching in their own rights, here is one from New York bassist Dmitry Ishenko that stands in a category of its own. Read more.
Tales of the worst music gigs ever
Every musician has stories of the best gig ever, that performances where the music, the crowd, and the stars aligned. Then there’s those other times when nothing goes right. Gear explodes, drunks attack, people vanish… But even the worst gigs can be valuable learning experiences. Read more.
Indie artists Sad Robot discuss marketing and music branding
LA-based band Sad Robot recently wowed the judges at Los Angeles Music Network’s LAMN Jam and walked away with the grand prize. Shortly afterward we caught up with them and gained some insight on their opinions on marketing and branding, performing and touring, and the importance of attending industry events. Read more.
The case of the lost bass
Bassist Malcolm Gold’s story about the benefits of MusicPro instrument insurance doesn’t involve theft or damage. It was just a momentary lapse of focus on a long commute. “It was a very stressful time in my life. I was traveling on a train with a beautiful 1966 ice-blue metallic Fender Jazz bass. It’s a custom color, and worth a considerable amount of money, to say the least.” Read more.
Simple travel tips for musicians (and everyone else)
Traveling can bring excitement to your life, and it can bring stress and upheaval, as well. Even when I’m not touring for my music, when I head to the hills for a month, I know how to make all systems go with as little as possible. Here are four simple travel tips to help you endure life on the road without feeling like roadkill. Read more.
What to do when the song is over
The moments after the song is over present a crucial opportunity to build momentum for your show, and it’s one that many music performers tend to miss. You need to learn how to put pressure on the audience and accept applause. This means that the ending should intentionally ask the audience to applaud – you’ll use non-verbal cues. Read more.