How to make a superfan in 90 seconds
Here’s my real-life story of how an artist I like took 90 seconds and converted me into a superfan. Read the post.
working the crowd
How to make the most of your live music shows
How do you sell out your live music shows, especially if you’re just starting out? Here are some low-cost techniques which are within reach of every musician. Read the post.
Are we witnessing the rebirth of physical media?
With the explosion of music streaming, physical media appeared to be out for the count. However, the majors are now reporting physical music revenue growth compared to 2018. Heck, even cassettes are making a comeback. Read the post.
Work To Create A Killer Live Show
To create a show that packs the house, you have to do more than just play your recorded music live. You have an entire stage to create a spectacle that draws people in and makes an emotional connection. Read the post.
The importance of merch for today’s working musician
Being blind hasn’t stopped Joey Stuckey from living a life of intention, joy, and music-making. He also helps design and sell his merch, which is a big part of his revenue stream as an indie artist. Read the post.
Tips for growing your mailing list at the gig
These tips can minimize headaches and maximize success when it comes to connecting with your audience and growing your mailing list at your shows. Read the post.
5 ways to grow your email list
Compared to other promotion tools – like social media, where most of your posts can get lost in the feed never to be seen again – email gives you a much better chance of actually communicating with your fans. Read More.
Give your music audience a chance to relive the moment
Your music audience is at your show for different reasons, and one is to experience moments – emotional and musical. Let them relive those moments with your CDs and merch. Read More.
The Super Bowl halftime show wades into controversy
Updated January 2019. Solidarity with Colin Kaepernick, the fraught politics of professional football, and a missed opportunity to feature Atlanta hip hop have created controversy for the Super Bowl LIII halftime show. Read more.
Focus on song intros for your live performances
A good intro will set up what is going to happen next. With most artists and most songs, it’s one of the first parts of a song I need to rearrange. We want to capture and engage the audience, make sure people are with you. I use the analogy of a mother hen gathering her chicks, making sure they are with her and together before she crosses the street, rather than just taking off and hoping they follow. Read more.
Owning the crowd: music performance tips from the “One Man Sideshow”
You might have great songs and finely-honed chops, but engaging an audience from the moment you walk on stage until the moment your last note fades is another skill entirely. Here are tips from David Darwin (AKA The One Man Sideshow) for indie artists on what to do before, between, and during songs to make your entire music performance as powerful as your individual songs might already be. 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.
9 things you should never do on stage
While it’s good to know what you should be doing to advance your music career, it’s also important to be aware of the things you should avoid. With that in mind, I want to share with you nine mistakes I’ve seen musicians make during a music performance. I’ve tried to leave personal opinion out of it, instead focusing on what will make for a poor show for your audience. After all, it’s them you’re there to entertain, right? Read More.
Making Money: Merch, Music Gigs, and Your DIY Tour
The most important thing to do when dealing with money is to make sure to write EVERYTHING down. A good way to keep tabs is to put all the info in Excel. We divide it into date, gas, food, lodging, salary (how much we pay our musicians), pay (from the venue), CD sales, t-shirts, tips, extra. At the end of each day we total it up. There are two main ways to make money as a band: 1) Guarantees/door/bar percentage, and 2) Selling merchandise. Read more.
Working the Crowd… Offstage
Before he goes on to play, Tony Bennett walks out and greets audience members in the foyer and thanks people profusely for coming to see his show. Outreach like that is really admirable. It shows appreciation and really creates a bond with audience members. I’m in favor of that approach with more of a human touch, not having the star being tucked away and untouchable. Read more.