B) You’ve built up a following throughout your home Province/State, and now you’re ready to perform in surrounding Provinces/States. Who did you do PR for? How to book a tour for your band 1. There are six steps you should keep in mind. If you haven't heard back from interested bookers in a while call them too. It gives you time to actually promote the show. Call back until you get ahold of them. If you promote the show, draw a crowd, perform well, and were easy to work with, then all it takes to book a second gig is a simple follow-up email. ;|. When you find a band you'd like to book, reach out online or by calling them on the phone. Package: Note what the package (performance) includes, such as the length of the set(s), the type of music, any noteworthy or descriptive instruments, what kind of vibe it is, the artist names, if there’s a supporting act already included, etc. How To Book A Tour For Your Band In 7 Steps | In this video you’re going to learn the seven main steps needed to book a tour for your band. Set up a merch table - and have a trustworthy friend or fan man the booth to … Registered in England & WalesBy using this web site, you agree to our use of cookies, our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Some venues book at least 6 months out in advance, some only one month at a time. Generally, artists go on tour to help support and market a recent album release or sometimes even a single that might be getting massive traction on the radio or streaming platforms. You can’t screw up faces. Booking a tour requires months of contacting, follow-up work, and filling in gaps. Thanks for sharing! Artists Info: Then link to artists information – website link, youtube and/or soundcloud, facebook, bio, reviews. Firstly, don’t try to re-invent the wheel. Make some money along the way at your tour stops to keep your van full of gas and your bellies full of food - while spreading your band's brand image and getting your music to more ears. Bands that get one venue that pays tend to play other venues that pay. If you’re looking to book a tour outside your market, or especially in another country, a good idea is to route a mini tour around an important showcase or festival that you’ve been booked to play. Typically a venue will take a cut of the door revenue, but won't often ask for any percentage of the merchandise you sell. I’ve been away from touring for quite a while – and things have changed a fair amount since the 80’s. You don’t need a tour manager or driver when you’re starting out, so don’t bother hiring them this time around until you’re making much more money and there are a lot more moving parts. When creating your budget consider alternative sources of income such as funding from your record label (if you have one), government funding (especially if you’re in Canada), crowd funding campaigns, and sales from merchandise and CD’s sold at shows. How To Book Your Tour Step 1: Search for Venues and Promoters. **WARNING: Since you’ll be sending essentially the same email to all venues/promoters, you’ll be doing a lot of copy and pasting and forwarding, so MAKE SURE you change the email subject, and the names of venues and dates within the email. The more personalized you can make your e-mail, the better chance you’ll have at the venue or promoter taking you on. Subject: [Band Name] in [City Name] on [Suggested Date]. Make some posters or have a friend make them, make Facebook events and posts, consider Facebook Ads targeted at your tour cities, do Instagram posts, send emails to your email list (you should absolutely have one), have your tour dates listed on your Spotify account and on Bandsintown (connect your Bandsintown account to your Facebook accout), contact the local newspapers and radio stations to offer guest list, interviews, before and after reviews of your show, and free giveaways, and take notes on how other successful bands promote themselves and their tours on social media. Once you’re well aware of your performance guarantees and have negotiated each show, draft your budget. In 2013 we created the Smart Band Management blog for the purpose of sharing free artist management information. All of this also depends on the relationships between the three parties. Again, check out our Artist Management Toolkit, which includes all the documents and spreadsheets you need to book and manage a tour. [How to Get a Booking Agent to Book Your Band] Don't Be Overwhelmed. Analytics baby! Landing a single show is an important start on which you can build to book your band an entire tour. I used to tour for years and can say that this is all helpful information, now I consult and write music on the side. I’ve done it. Forget about headlining your own tour to start with – If your band is new, the... Produce some merchandise. Again this is dependent on the availability of the venues, but if you can plan a straight route, it’ll save you time and money on gas and accommodations. LastMinuteMusicians.com is the leading entertainment directory in the UK. Whereas, larger and major venues have in-house merchandise staff, and can take cuts of your profits. If you want to come out on top, it’s more efficient to cut expenses instead of trying earn more. It’s a given, but it’s a big one. Send the band/venue/promoters in each city a message asking them to check out your band and let them know that you are interested in playing a show with them/at their venue on such and such day. Ask the band member who confirmed the show to put their name in parentheses next to it in case any questions arise or if anything changes. I've since written a book about it, taught thousands how to do the same through my course, and founded smartistU, the world’s largest platform for music management and industry professionals. Thanks Jesse that’s awesome to hear. Promoters and Venues 101: Promoters are the people who hire your band for a show, and then promote it to their contacts/audiences in that area. If a band has a booking agent listed, book them through the agent. Step 3: Draft a Routing. But it can also be proven by checking your online statistics. Noteworthy: Then include a ‘noteworthy’ section – including any recent awards, contests, special funding or other notable comments about the artists. Go back to your similar-sounding artists venue list and routing lists and if their routing makes sense then simply try to copy it. Thank you Neil! Contact venues. Instead of driving or flying all the way to the festival just to perform that one show, you want to make it financially worthwhile, so book shows around it. These days, it’s relatively easy to make live recordings. Keep track, write it down, and use it for information to help book your shows in those cities. When you get ahold of them they will probably ask you to send information. When you get an offer from the promoter or venue, review it for accuracy and fairness. So many bands book a large venue based on ego and not data. Use Bands in Town to list your tour dates online. This one depends on your genre, where your fans are, and what cultures and markets tend to pick up your vibes. SmartBandManagement.com and smartistU.com are officially merged into one platform. I book all my Indie Tours using an iPhone App called Independent Musicians Touring Guide. If you're trying to book a one month tour, break it off into pieces and do little sections at a time. Any recommendations or hints? Also, if your band sucks at dressing themselves, just focus on your faces. As an independent manager I managed Jocelyn Alice, Tareya (formerly in Autumn Hill), The Wet Secrets, Gay Nineties, and Sidney York (now Nice Horse). As a good manager (if you’re the manager reading this), than you’ll want to help your artist keep their expenses down. I had a quick question which I’d Not quite ready to launch a tour but that’s something that’ll be in my not-too-distant future. Set out the dates you’d like to be on tour, and how many days a week you can perform without burning out. Schedule a time to call back. Come 2017, we created a super in-depth course and started a “school” called Smartist University to house this new course. prior to writing. Some venues have standard advancing documents that include all of the information you need, some will happily give it to you over the phone, some wonder why you’re even asking (usually these ones are little guys who own coffee shops or aren’t very organized). A) You’ve already built up a following in your town/city, and now you’re ready to perform in surrounding cities. In fact in 2018, reports show that vinyl sales have been on an incline for the past few years. Step 2: Find Out Where Your Fans Are. The first thing to remember is that you are only one person. As previously stated, you won’t be getting paid very much from these initial shows. Sometimes artists are very hands on, and sometimes they aren’t. First of all I would like to say awesome blog! You too can easily book a great band for your next special event. my thoughts in getting my thoughts out. To rise above the paradox and get your band in front of a crowd takes careful planning. Booking a long tour takes months of emailing and waiting, and emailing and … It is very helpful if you are just starting to book tours with your band independently. How to plan and book a tour for your band Start small by getting support gigs. You can open for them in their town and vice versa. Nonetheless, this “local” following is gauged by the amount of tickets you sell at the live shows you’ve already been performing. The more fans you have coming out to the show, the better chances you have of negotiating a better deal next time. Firstly, don’t try to re-invent the wheel. If it’s a ‘new music night’ or a ‘no cover night’ at the venue, sometimes they offer you gas money, or a split of the door sales with all the bands on the bill. You should be able to figure it out. You can't always get a show on the day you are looking for and sometimes have to change your route or find a different venue to play at. Hope you come back here for tips when you’re ready! Tell them about your event or venue, the date you'd like to book the band, and find out about their guarantee and other associated fees. Look where bands that get paid play and write it down. With my old band Zelazowa, we played over 600 shows in 3 years all over the US . And for management companies I worked with The Trews, The Lazys, and Tim Chaisson at Bumstead Productions – as well as with the whole roster at RGK Entertainment Group for a little bit of digital marketing stuff including Dean Brody, Tim Hicks, Madeline Merlo, The Road Hammers, etc. Very rapidly this website will be famous amid all blogging and site-building When you don’t have an agent, the manager books the tour with the guidance and approval of the artist. We won’t go into detail in this article, but in short, do your own publicity the first time around. You can also ask for tech info if you need. MailChimp), and Google analytics for WHERE your current fans are located and try to get shows in those areas. Google Maps is your best friend when routing a tour. Either a month or two from departure date, start Facebook messaging and calling the contacts on your list. I’m sure you’re aware of other artists that can relate to your sound, yes? If the band is big enough that they don't have a booking contact number on their website, try Googling "[Band Name] - Agent." Here are 5 easy steps to book a band for your next event. Analytics baby! When you find out how to book a tour, you need to follow-up on the venues you had booked. Many bands don’t have a booking agent, so booking a tour can seem like a daunting task. If you have an agent, it’s their responsibility to collect a 50% deposit in advance of the show from the promoter/venue to secure your performance – if you don’t have an agent – try to get this deposit into the offer. Get to know these people – talk to them on the phone, visit their venues and meet them in person, add them on LinkedIn, etc. The routing (which cities and in which order) will ultimately depend on the availability of the venues, so the sooner in advance you book the better chances you have of getting what you want. Doing this requires knowing how to promote your band and how to do business with potential venues. There are many artists and bands before you that have done exactly what you’re trying to do. like to ask if you do not mind. Take advantage of that. Maybe next time you’ll get your name on the marquee! Decide on the target region With an idea of your strongest local markets drawn from music data, you can clearly... 3. Booking a tour requires months of contacting, follow-up work, and filling in gaps. Post-Email Follow up: Put a note in your calendar to follow up (earliest) 7 days later by phone or email if you don’t have their number. Get in touch with a prospective band's management. Book 3-4 months out minimum. Check out where they’ve toured/performed recently to get an idea of which venues would work for your sound. Step 4: Do a follow-up on the venues. Daily itinerary – keep it visible (print it out and ensure it’s digitally accessible). Any ring a bell?? Again, don’t try to reinvent the wheel. I usually start thinking about a tour 6 months in advance and start contacting places 3 months ahead of the tour. Determine what type If you’re not dealing with a promoter, you’ll be looking to deal with the venue bookers/buyers or venue owners. take pleasure in writing but it just seems like the first 10 to 15 minutes are lost just trying to figure out how to begin. Finding the right venues: The most effective way is very simple. Their special guest for this webinar is Kyle Weber from Indie on the Move. In the world of independent touring, some TM’s are willing to “double up” in another capacity (such as merch vendor or driver) for an increase in payment. What acts have you managed? Here are some key things to keep in mind to help you book a tour without a booking agent. How to compile a good venue list. I’ve had a tough time clearing Nonetheless, you’ll still want to draft a routing before contacting the venues and promoters. For first timers, a 2-3 week regional tour is a good goal. How to promote your band – 60 quick top tips. Route your shows so that you don’t have to drive more than 8 hours at a time, preferably 4 hours (with a 2-hour grace period) if its the same day as a show. Make it special for the audience and give them the best value for their dollar (even when there’s 2 people in the audience). It’s up to you how you develop the working relationships with your team. This way, existing fans get to see you perform live after they’ve already listened to your new music, and new fans get to discover you from attending shows in their hometowns with their friends. That way you’ll both take advantage of hometown followings and can start to build your profiles in new areas. Spend less on hotels and food. And when you don’t have a manager, the artist books the tour themselves. E.g. You’ll look partially (or fully) stupid if you don’t. I prefer Bands in Town because they have a mobile app, they link to your Facebook page, and their widget can be easily added to your website. Buyers can’t afford to make mistakes and lose money on your show, so if you’re brand new to the market don’t expect to make any money. Make sure that you’re planning this several months in advance to eliminate some of the stress and pressure. Once you’re aware that you have fans in surrounding markets, than it might be time to book yourself a tour! 1. Try not to drive back and forth. The app should also be one that alerts your fans when you come to town. Route Your Tour so Your Tour Doesn't Route You Back. Find the venues. Try to suck it up, while still staying healthy and well rested. Tour Manager: if you don’t have a tour manager, your regular manager should be the one managing the tour from the office. Given the scale, it’s probably no surprise that taking a band out on tour can be expensive. If you can’t find much info from other bands routes get to work on Google. Even vinyl. Start early! Here at The Bash, we’ve helped book entertainment for over 450,000 events—the majority of whom were ordinary people looking to hire bands, entertainers or vendors for their party. Less back-tracking. Sometimes, the promoters own the venues, sometimes they rent them. Look through their social media, dig through their website, and try to get a true sense of what their ‘thing’ is. The easiest way to book a gig is to do a good job at your last gig. How to organise a band tour
Planning your tour before you leave. Your initial email pitch should be short and to the point. We also did two tours of Europe, all independently. This goes back to a good tour routing – mentioned above. Gigs on weekends are always going to be busier that during the week, so try and land as many weekend supports as you can! Find out what are your most active local markets There’s no point in trying to book a show in a city where no one’s... 2. Map out your tour. What’s up, I log on to your blog on a regular basis. That’s why we’ve listed some helpful tips that we’ve learned ourselves about tour booking! … Some Live Footage Of Your Band. You just need to learn how to. Promote them, it will give your fans a reason to get off the couch and get to the show. I truly do Count the house – depending on your history with the venue or promoter, you may want to take tally’s and/or count how many people come in the door (if you’re getting a cut of the sales). Before booking any dates, consider looking into gig swaps with other bands you’ve befriended on social media in their home regions. Venue bookers aren’t even going to look at your email if it’s a month away. If you’ve already built up a following in a certain market, than it might be time to expand beyond that market. Some venues book at least 6 months out in advance, some only one month at a time. This is important because some promoters usually change their minds of the location may be due to changes in the routes. If you don’t have their names right off the bat, be sure to add them into the document when they respond to your email. Use international/national email lists for non-location specific emails that include information such as a new video release. Check Facebook, Spotify, Google Analytics, and any other kind of geographical stats you can find about your fans. Check the routing for your sound-alike artists on their Bandsintown accounts. I was interested to know how you center yourself and clear your mind It’s important to remember people’s names in order to build a relationship with them. Touring as an independent musician requires out of the box thinking, especially when you book your band. Even a bare-bones tour where everyone sleeps in the van and lives on pretzels might cost more than you’re anticipating. That’s a lot of great information – thank you for sharing it. If you don’t have a manager, a band mate should be in charge of making sure everything runs smoothly while out on the road. Additionally, try to make the most efficient routing as possible. If they don’t have an agent, book them through the email or phone number provided on the website. When collecting all the details you’ll need about your show from the venue, we call this “advancing the show.” You’ll need to advance the show, in advance of the show, get it? Most smaller venues of 50 – 500 capacity (where you’ll most likely be playing if you’re reading this), allow artists to keep 100% of merchandise sales, but the artist has to manage the merch tables themselves. How to Book a Concert Tour by Yourself . A. For more advice on staying well on the road, check out this blog on, For more advice on what to take for gigs, check out this blog on, For more tips on using social media as a musician, check out these blogs on. Welcome to show biz, baby! This is because the more you earn, the more you payout to your managers and agents (if their agreements are based on GROSS revenue or gross ticket sales). Thinking about a tour without a booking agent can start to build your in., a 2-3 week regional tour is a good job at your last gig the...., start Facebook messaging and calling the contacts on your genre, where your are! One venue that pays tend to pick up your vibes you should keep in mind to help book your before! 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