4 Ways To Make Money On Tour (Besides Selling Tickets)

This article originally appeared on the Sonicbids blog

It’s a pretty well-known fact that touring is incredibly expensive. Even if your entire band sleeps in the van every night and survives on a diet of nuts and Top Ramen (not recommended), the cost of gas alone can be completely debilitating. And that’s only if everything goes smoothly – there are always emergencies that can come up, such as van breakdowns, gear malfunctions, or medical emergencies. All of these problems will require money to solve.

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Top 10 Music Industry Podcasts

Listed here are my top 10 podcasts for anyone who wants to get educated about the music business and how to get started. These podcasts were picked out of hundreds that exist on iTunes. Their official descriptions are given along with their websites. Whether you’re a professional musician or just getting started, these podcasts are a quick and easy way to immerse yourself in the business side of music.

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The Best Way To Make Money As A Musician Is Not With Music

The acclaimed NWA biopic Straight Outta Compton is a must-watch movie for anyone in the music business. Many of the struggles that artists (particularly young artists) continue to wrestle with are powerfully depicted in the film. However, there is one minor theme in the film that resonates deeply in the current music climate: the fact that the best way to make money in the music business is rarely the creation of the music itself.

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6 Music Business Skills All Guitarists Need To Know

For the most part, the music business skills guitarists need to build aren’t that different from skills other musicians should be equipping themselves with. Communication and networking skills. Marketing, image and branding. Punctuality and professionalism. Money and time management.

However, there are also some obscure or counterintuitive skills that guitarists should take the time to develop, like the ability to teach, write, or speak.

Have I piqued your interest? Then let’s delve in. here are six music business skills all guitarists need to know.

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The Difference Between A Successful Band, And YOUR Band!

Ever wondered why your band struggles to even get pub gigs, yet a fresh new band is packing out venues from day one? Fed up of having to resort to Pay2Play gigs because no decent promoter is willing to take a chance with you? The secret to success is in plain sight, it’s just only a few have the vision to see it. This guide covers the importance of planning ahead, how to gain attention for your band, and how to score those exciting opportunities that are otherwise unavailable to you.

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MusicThinkTank Weekly Recap: Become A Successful Artist In The New Millennium

• Larry Butler | Become A Successful Performing Artist In The New Millennium
• Cherie Nelson | Music Visualization: From Rubens’ Tube to Magic Software
• Razz Palumbi | 13 Awesome Apps For Touring Musicians
• Cherie Nelson | How To Pre-Plan & Manage Your Band’s Tour Finances
• Jason K Ventura | Ian Rogers Beats It

http://www.musicthinktank.com/blog/musicthinktank-weekly-recap-become-a-successful-artist-in-th.html

How To Become A Successful Performing Artist In The New Millennium – Part One

“The great thing about rock and roll is that someone like me can be a star.” – Elton John

It shouldn’t be news to anyone in the music business today that the smart (and maybe the only) money is in live performance, merchandising (which is kind of tied into live performance) and publishing (and all of its Constitutionally-guaranteed income streams). The bottom line: If you want to make a living these days on the artist side of the music business, you need to write and publish your own songs and perform them from the stage in an entertaining manner. Here’s a step-by-step list of how you might go about doing that – starting with the live performance side. (Note: There are probably a couple hundred other ways to accomplish this – but the odds are better this way. You’ll see why.)

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13 Awesome Apps For Touring Musicians

Nowadays there are tons of musicians taking it upon themselves to pack up their gear, hop in a working vehicle, and hit the road. Touring is tons of fun and definitely worth the cramped spaces, long haul drives, and occasionally tense moods. Here are 13 of the top apps we recommend for the road to make the most of your touring experience.

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How To Pre-Plan & Manage Your Band's Tour Finances

When indie music duo Pomplamoose went on 28-day tour in fall 2014, they sold just under $100,000 in tickets. With merchandise sales and a sponsorship from Lenovo, they pulled in a total of $135,983. However, after paying for publicity, payroll, production, hotels, food, travel, commissions, merchandise manufacturing, and other costs, total tour expenses added up to $147,802. Pomplamoose ended up putting $11,819 on credit cards to cover the cost of their own tour.

Fortunately, Pomplamoose was expecting a loss

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Music Visualization: From Rubens' Tube to Magic Software

Forty years ago, an innovative new technology called music visualization changed the way we enjoy music. Music visualization features electronically generated shapes and images that are based on the sounds of the music, which allow us to see the songs as well as hear them.

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Ian Rogers Beats It

The news of Ian Rogers’ departure from Beats 1 flooded the Internet on Friday August 28, 2015. After Financial Times broke the news of Rogers parting from Apple. This came as a surprise to many music industry insiders. Rogers has been said to be detrimental to the development and the future success of Beats 1.

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MusicThinkTank Weekly Recap: How To Target Radio Stations That Will Actually Play Your Music

• Jack McCarthy | Promoting Your Music With Snapchat
• Sonicbids | How To Target Radio Stations That Will Actually Play Your Music
• Wallace Collins | The Importance Of Creating A Paper Trail When Submitting Your Work
• Sonicbids | 4 Things Your Music Publicist Should Never Say

MusicThinkTank Weekly Recap: How To Target Radio Stations That Will Actually Play Your Music

How To Target Radio Stations That Will Actually Play Your Music

This article originally appeared on the Sonicbids blog

If you’ve been following the Sonicbids blog, you already know the three things you need to be “radio ready.” But after you’ve met those prerequisites, how do you determine which stations or music programs you should submit your music to for airplay consideration?

Radio stations come in a few specific types, and it’s not only AM/FM and internet. Here’s the breakdown.

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4 Things Your Music Publicist Should Never Say

This article originally appeared on the Sonicbids blog

There are things that a publicist, or someone purporting to be a PR professional, will say that are instant red flags. If these statements don’t sound quite right, that means they probably aren’t. So you better ask the person who said them to clarify. That, or reserve your right to be a bit suspect.

I’ve heard certain people who claim to be/who act like PR people say a handful of things that cause my eyebrow to raise a little. These sayings indicate that they don’t know what they are doing, that they aren’t legit, or that they might be a poser. Four of the most questionable statements I’ve heard in some variation or another are below, and are what to be on the lookout for.

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