10 Things Bands Can Do to Book More Shows
This post was originally published on the [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] on October 19, 2010. You can find them on Twitter (@[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]) and [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.].Assuming that you have strong songs and an kickass live show, here are ten (10) simple things you can do to get more gigs…1. Create a YouTube channel for your band.
Upload
a live performance video on YouTube that represents your band at its
best. Include a phone number and e-mail address too, so that anyone who
wants to book you can contact you easily. Say something like “Contact
________ to book us for a live show.” To show professionalism and
interest, try your best to respond to every inquiry within 48 hours.2. Print up nice business cards
…with
your band name, links to your music, live videos, and a phone number
and e-mail address that can be reached for booking purposes. Also,
include a link to your website so they can learn more about you.
Wherever you go, tell people who you are, how good you are, where you
are playing next and how easy it is for them to book you directly. A
little shameless self-promotion here and there can go a long way!3. Go watch other bands that sound like you.
If
there are any bands in your area with large followings, get out to a
couple shows and become friends with other bands. Ask the bigger bands
to let you open for them, maybe in exchange for some kind of help like
designing a website, flyer, banner, etc. The harder you work for a band
bigger than your band, and the more respectful you are to them and their
efforts, the more likely they will consider you for an opening slot.
Talk up how good your band is not why you are better than some other
bands in the area.4. Tell your fans how easy it is to book you.
Wherever
you play – the street, house party, club or major venue, make sure your
fans are aware that you’re willing to play anywhere. Use the Live Music
Machine’s booking and calendar widget. Put it on your Facebook page,
MySpace profile, personal web site, etc. and tell your fans to go there
and book you for their private events, house parties, etc. After playing
a gig, you should walk around the audience, engage people, ask them
what they thought of the show, and let them know you are available to
play live anywhere they want you too. Telling them that will definitely
help you stand out from the pack.5. Get guerilla.
Set up
wherever there is a crowd of people who might like your music and play
for them. Club, high school, venue, and stadium parking lots. How many
tailgate parties do you think would love some free entertainment? Play
outside clubs where bands are playing that fit in with your style of
music. Those people waiting in line are going to be bored, so playing a
spontaneous gig right on the spot will definitely make an unforgettable
impression.6. Don’t forget the old school.
Hand out flyers and post cards at events that have a link to free stuff and a way to book you for a gig.7. Network with key industry people at events and conferences.
Radio
PD’s and DJ’s, club owners, band managers, label executives, and others
all attend music conferences quite regularly. Say hello to these
people, maybe buy them a drink or dinner, but don’t make a nuisance of
yourself. Respect their space and don’t try shoving a CD in their face
two minutes after meeting them. Introduce yourself casually, let them
know who you are and where they can see you play. If’s it’s a club
owner, tell them you would love to come in during the day and do a free
audition for a free gig. Just make sure you can get a place to sell
your merchandise if you nab a gig. Offer to play at places that may not
always host live music, like restaurants, coffee shops, stores, and
malls.8. Get creative.
Write up a proposal and present it
to the appropriate person at your local school board, offering to do a
series of free shows to raise money for the school athletic or band
program. Ask to perform during a school assembly when they can provide
you with a built-in audience.9. Find places where bands similar to yours play.
Use
Reverbnation’s “Gig Finder” to figure out where bands are getting
booked in your area. However, e-mailing clubs with your RPK or EPK
usually won’t get any results, because many of these venues have yet to
claim their venue pages on ReverbNation. Instead, after finding some
good places, print out your press kit and mail it to them, or better
yet, personally drop it off it in a nice professional package along with
a CD to any decision maker at the club. Follow up with a call within a
couple of days so you stay fresh in their minds. If the decision maker
has an assistant, get to know that person and you will find that it will
be much easier to get in the door. If you email them anything at all,
make it your MySpace link along with a concise paragraph stating why
they should book you. For some reason, most clubs still feel most
comfortable checking you out on MySpace, so play by their rules.10. Do a gig swap!
If
you have a respectable following or are an up and coming band, use
sites like Indieonthemove.com and Splitgigs.com to trade and share gigs
with other bands who might want to break into your market. Collaboration
is key to success in today’s fragmented music industry.BONUS TIP!
Everywhere you go, wherever you play, whomever you talk to about your
band… collect as many e-mail addresses as you can. E-mail is still one
of the best ways to communicate directly with your fan base, and develop
long-lasting relationships.source:tightmixblog.com/
This post was originally published on the [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] on October 19, 2010. You can find them on Twitter (@[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]) and [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.].Assuming that you have strong songs and an kickass live show, here are ten (10) simple things you can do to get more gigs…1. Create a YouTube channel for your band.Upload
a live performance video on YouTube that represents your band at its
best. Include a phone number and e-mail address too, so that anyone who
wants to book you can contact you easily. Say something like “Contact
________ to book us for a live show.” To show professionalism and
interest, try your best to respond to every inquiry within 48 hours.2. Print up nice business cards
…with
your band name, links to your music, live videos, and a phone number
and e-mail address that can be reached for booking purposes. Also,
include a link to your website so they can learn more about you.
Wherever you go, tell people who you are, how good you are, where you
are playing next and how easy it is for them to book you directly. A
little shameless self-promotion here and there can go a long way!3. Go watch other bands that sound like you.
If
there are any bands in your area with large followings, get out to a
couple shows and become friends with other bands. Ask the bigger bands
to let you open for them, maybe in exchange for some kind of help like
designing a website, flyer, banner, etc. The harder you work for a band
bigger than your band, and the more respectful you are to them and their
efforts, the more likely they will consider you for an opening slot.
Talk up how good your band is not why you are better than some other
bands in the area.4. Tell your fans how easy it is to book you.
Wherever
you play – the street, house party, club or major venue, make sure your
fans are aware that you’re willing to play anywhere. Use the Live Music
Machine’s booking and calendar widget. Put it on your Facebook page,
MySpace profile, personal web site, etc. and tell your fans to go there
and book you for their private events, house parties, etc. After playing
a gig, you should walk around the audience, engage people, ask them
what they thought of the show, and let them know you are available to
play live anywhere they want you too. Telling them that will definitely
help you stand out from the pack.5. Get guerilla.
Set up
wherever there is a crowd of people who might like your music and play
for them. Club, high school, venue, and stadium parking lots. How many
tailgate parties do you think would love some free entertainment? Play
outside clubs where bands are playing that fit in with your style of
music. Those people waiting in line are going to be bored, so playing a
spontaneous gig right on the spot will definitely make an unforgettable
impression.6. Don’t forget the old school.
Hand out flyers and post cards at events that have a link to free stuff and a way to book you for a gig.7. Network with key industry people at events and conferences.
Radio
PD’s and DJ’s, club owners, band managers, label executives, and others
all attend music conferences quite regularly. Say hello to these
people, maybe buy them a drink or dinner, but don’t make a nuisance of
yourself. Respect their space and don’t try shoving a CD in their face
two minutes after meeting them. Introduce yourself casually, let them
know who you are and where they can see you play. If’s it’s a club
owner, tell them you would love to come in during the day and do a free
audition for a free gig. Just make sure you can get a place to sell
your merchandise if you nab a gig. Offer to play at places that may not
always host live music, like restaurants, coffee shops, stores, and
malls.8. Get creative.
Write up a proposal and present it
to the appropriate person at your local school board, offering to do a
series of free shows to raise money for the school athletic or band
program. Ask to perform during a school assembly when they can provide
you with a built-in audience.9. Find places where bands similar to yours play.
Use
Reverbnation’s “Gig Finder” to figure out where bands are getting
booked in your area. However, e-mailing clubs with your RPK or EPK
usually won’t get any results, because many of these venues have yet to
claim their venue pages on ReverbNation. Instead, after finding some
good places, print out your press kit and mail it to them, or better
yet, personally drop it off it in a nice professional package along with
a CD to any decision maker at the club. Follow up with a call within a
couple of days so you stay fresh in their minds. If the decision maker
has an assistant, get to know that person and you will find that it will
be much easier to get in the door. If you email them anything at all,
make it your MySpace link along with a concise paragraph stating why
they should book you. For some reason, most clubs still feel most
comfortable checking you out on MySpace, so play by their rules.10. Do a gig swap!
If
you have a respectable following or are an up and coming band, use
sites like Indieonthemove.com and Splitgigs.com to trade and share gigs
with other bands who might want to break into your market. Collaboration
is key to success in today’s fragmented music industry.BONUS TIP!
Everywhere you go, wherever you play, whomever you talk to about your
band… collect as many e-mail addresses as you can. E-mail is still one
of the best ways to communicate directly with your fan base, and develop
long-lasting relationships.source:tightmixblog.com/
