Tour Buy Ons Can Suck On My Big Fat Ethics – Digital Music News

Cam’ron was charging his openers $800 per show to open his tour playing rooms 500-1000 capacity. Motley Crue charged their opener $1 million.

Source: Tour Buy Ons Can Suck On My Big Fat Ethics – Digital Music News

Ari’s Take: Don’t Be Afraid Of The Phone

I’ve played over 500 shows and I booked the majority of these. I set up a 60 date tour around the entire country from scratch – starting without contacts for the majority of the cities. I’ve spent the better part of 4 years living on the road, making nearly all of my income from live shows.

Ari’s Take: Double Your (Merch) Income… No Really

When you’re on tour, merch is your #1 income generator. This can’t be stressed enough. Believe it. Bands stress over their guarantees and door splits and turnouts. If you want to survive financially with your music you must understand the importance of merch sales and approach it as such. I’ve played shows where 10 people showed up, but they had such an amazing time and I stressed the merch to them that all 10 people bought something averaging about $15. That’s $150 in merch sales. That’s good for any night.

Ari’s Take: 10 Steps To Sell Out Your Show

There’s no point in playing a show if no one shows up. Just listing a show on your Facebook Page will not bring people. Bands sometimes think that all they need to do is go on tour and get their shows listed on the venue’s website and people will magically show up because they are a ‘touring band’ far away from home. You must understand that venues do not promote their shows. They can’t. They have just too many. It is the reason Venues work with Promoters or expect bands to bring 100% of the crowd.

Crafting a Set List: Your First Step to a Great Gig | NationWide Disc Source

You’ve gotten THE gig, and you’re super excited. You’ve been rehearsing, but now you’ve kicked rehearsals up a notch or twelve. You’ve also come to the place that most musicians dread but every musician must deal with: You have to make a set list.

Some bands don’t bother with set lists, but they are important. Why? A bad set list can ruin a show. A good set list can take a decent band and make it sound like a good band. A great set list can reel a listener in, keep them with you for the entire show, and win you new fans.

There are many different things to consider when creating a set list, but we are going to focus on five key elements for creating and using your set list to its fullest potential. These five elements are:

• Purpose/Audience
• The Technical Stuff
• The “Feel” of the Song
• Transitions
• The Art of Spontaneity

Ari’s Take: 50 Is The Magic Number (Book a Headlining Tour)

Building a fan base is a daunting task. Just reading that sentence your blood pressure probably rose a couple points. Everyone talks about how it’s so important to “build a fan base,” but no one really gives a simple way how or what that even really means.

You should not look at the ambiguous “fan base” as something magical and detached that will only take getting a hit on the radio obtainable. A fan base can be your friends and friends of friends who came to your last show and liked the show. If they come to the next show – BAM – fan base. Who cares that you know their last names and went to the bar with them last week. A ticket is a ticket and if they like you enough they’ll pony up the cash to come to the concert.

Less Successful Numbers: The Money of Local Music | Newcity Music

By David Safran

Illustration: Ray Noland

“For a local bill, talent buying and barrel-scraping are often comparable. Three or four bands are assembled—or overstuffed—into a line-up. The show takes place on nights deemed graveyard slots for live music. Genres are half-considered, but it’s more about putting barely-heard-of bands together and suffering through the sets. Most venues have production fees and percentage splits. The net profit is often divided evenly between bands. One group could bring twelve people; another, seventy. Still, each band gets an equal cut. These methods are almost bearable when you are eager to play out—when you are young and raucous and full of hair. But it’s a bit problematic for a thirty-something full-time solo artist hiring full-time session musicians.”

How to Be a Good Music Citizen in Your Local Scene | SonicBids Blog

by Farah Joan Fard
Jun 6, 2014 10:00 AM

As musicians, we’re told over and over again how important it is to promote our work. And while this certainly holds true, it’s sometimes easy to forget that it’s just as important to be there for our fellow musicians, who – gasp – might actually return the favor! Having a strong support network among your musician peers can go a long way in building your music career, and if you make a genuine effort to support other artists, you’ll surely see the power of reciprocity at work sooner or later. Below, Sonicbids artists offer advice from their own personal experiences to help you get started on the path to being a good music citizen.

5 Things That Smart Musicians Do Every Day | SonicBids Blog

by Dylan Welsh  Nov 17, 2014 12:00 PM
The sheer number of tasks that need to be completed on any given day can overwhelm anybody involved in music professionally. In today’s industry, most musicians end up wearing many different hats in order to make ends meet. Everywhere you go, independent artists have to not only write and perform the music, but record it, market it, book shows, and do their own press. Getting organized is essential to avoid getting bogged down by tasks and overwhelmed to the point of stagnation. Below are five tasks that you can add to your daily to-do list that will without a doubt put you closer to achieving your goals.

Got a cool photo of your band we can feature on our website? DIY Musician Blog

Between cdbaby.com (our music store),members.cdbaby.com (the site for musicians looking for information about CD Baby), and this DIY Musician Blog, we’ve got a lot of places to feature awesome photos of the artists who use our services — like the one to the left of the rambunctious rockers in Nasalrod.

If you’d like a little extra online promo love for your music, here’s what we’re looking for:

1. Great live shots

2. Interesting pictures of you recording in the studio

3. Sweet pics of you just being a musician (life on the road, practicing, putting up posters, etc.)

Got just the right image? Please share the photo or an image link (with photographer attribution) in the comments section below.

If we end up using your picture on our site, we’ll give your band a shout-out on this blog and via social media.

Note: We’re not really looking for publicity shots — especially headshots — but if you’ve got one that is super compelling, feel free to show us!

POST YOUR PICS IN THE COMMENTS AT THIS LINK:
Got a cool photo of your band we can feature on our website? DIY Musician Blog.