1. Posters Do not underestimate the power of a picture…especially when you’re playing in a new city. Posters work! Postage and printing costs can add up, but they’re a must-have and a great way to easily attract new ears to your event. Tip 1: Make sure the poster is simple, clean, and easy to read. [...]
STEP 1: Perfect your performance Play as many open stages as your can to network with others and solidify your stage presence. Become a familiar face and make sure you get to really know the people. Give this a 6-month time period. STEP 2: Book shows in your community Build your following little by little in [...]
The last time we interviewed a venue owner on this blog, it was some 3 years ago. Since then we haven’t come across too many venues that care just as much about their artists as they do their patrons. Just read “An Open Letter to Venues that Exploit Their Musicians” and you’ll see what [...]
THE ARTIST: Universal Beat Union (Pittsburgh, PA) THE QUESTION: I just discovered your blog a few days ago and have been absorbing your advice like a dry sponge! Great stuff! I’ve especially been focused on your booking articles. My band played 5 shows last year and we want to at least double that for this year. We’ve [...]
Lets face it, alot of us are still looking for that “Big Break”. We want to be discovered and we want someone to tell us we’re good enough. Well, in today’s post Fame Factor tells you why that just might not happen. ______________________________________________________________ Sending record labels demos in order to get signed has become somewhat of [...]
Today’s post is by UK-based music distribution company Fame Factor. If you didnt know what an A&R representative did before reading this post, you won’t have any excuse in a few minutes. ________________________________________ A&R stands for: Artists and Repertoire. An A&R Rep “in it’s truest form is somebody that has an ear that can discover [...]
THE ARTIST: Last Hour Battle (Philadelphia, PA) THE QUESTION: We’re always looking for the best way to manage all of our information about gigs, fans, etc… Any ideas of a great open source customer management program that integrates w/ social media and email? THE ANSWER: Oh yes, one of the many complications of being in a band. [...]
Summer Touring is just around the corner. If you haven’t begun the booking process yet, what are you waiting for?! As you (or your band) jump in head first, here are some tips for doing it the right way START 3-4 MONTHS OUT By right, you should be working on July and August right now. [...]
If you’re like me, you’re probably sending out email after email to venues, radio stations, and blogs, in the hopes of booking a show or getting your music reviewed. It can quickly become very old! But as someone who also wears the editor hat (while writing and maintaining this blog), I get alot of [...]
ARTIST: Jonathan Wood Vincent (New York, NY) QUESTION: Is there a house concert listing online. Like a reference of places offering these? ANSWER: Hey Jon. The short answer is “Yes”! There are a number of resources out there. Here are a few familiar and not-so-familiar websites that we suggest. Concerts In Your Home These guys don’t mess around. [...]
This is a post I’ve been meaning to write for quite a long time. Having talked to many of our readers online, I realize you all are coming from different places in your careers. Some folks have been playing for years, some have been touring for years, and some of you are closet musicians. Well, [...]
1. YOUR FANS MIGHT NOT COME As someone who plays alot of colleges in the Fall and Spring, I sometimes forget that I can’t go to certain cities/towns in the summer b/c the audience turnout will be slim. Keep in mind that alot of people are back home, or on vacation during the summer. It’s [...]
Booking is hard. Here are some valuable tips on how to hopefully make things a bit less stressful. If you have other tips, post them in the comments section. 1. Start with the Weekend Where do you want to spend your weekend? Book your Friday and Saturday gigs first? Its likely that these will be [...]
Hmmm…it was really hard to pick just 10. Perhaps these are personal favorites. But we felt like these posts were worth taking a second look. If there’s another gR post that has stuck with you this year, stick it in the comments section. Oh…and we cheated. The last one on the list is actually 5. [...]
I’m knee deep in booking shows, and here are some more things I’m learning along the way about booking. If you’ve recently learned a thing or two, put it in the comments section. 1. Call Ahead If you are unsure about the venue you’re about to book, call the venue (as if you are a [...]
