14 Ways Musicians Can Make Money from Live Shows

You know the adage, “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket“. Musicians just can’t afford to do that anymore. There are just so many baskets and each one has its benefits. Some baskets will be more important to you, and some will be more important during specific times in your career.

Think of the below list as a bunch of baskets related to making money from your live performance, and determine which ones you want to use. Some of these will be no-brainers, but they’re still on the list as a reminder.

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High Notes: What You Can Do To Reduce Drug Use At Concerts

Festivals and concerts would be a great time for live music, but some people use them as an excuse to do drugs. In fact, we hear about drug deaths and drug overdoses every year at concert festivals. Along with the injuries and arrests, it can turn an awesome time at a concert into a sad experience. Because the law prohibits drug-friendly concerts, many organizers of these events enforce a zero-tolerance policy. You do have some who turn a blind eye, but they get shut down eventually.

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The Key To Effective Rehearsals And Being Prepared For Your Next Gig

Musicians are a scattered bunch. I know you agree with me. Don’t lie.

I think some of them just glide through life with this “things are bound to happen!” mentality. I mean, optimism is great and all but you know what’s better?

Actually being in control of what’s going to happen.

Do you know how you can get more control over your music career?

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The Rising Popularity Of Tracks In Live Performances

In recent years, the music industry has experienced a shift as audiences get younger and music fans become more accepting of a wider range of sounds and musical genres. Streaming services and online music stores like iTunes have completely changed the way that we buy and access music by placing the entire history of the artform at our fingertips. We no longer buy the albums that sound like the ones we already own. (After all, who wants to pay $18 for something we might not even like?) Now, we sample everything because it’s extremely easy and cheap to do so. The effect is that, over time, our tastes evolve to let in a larger variety of sounds and styles.

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Concert Etiquette 101: Tips Every Music Lover Should Know

Festivals, intimate club shows and arena tours are the places to be to see your favorite band or entertainer. In fact, you might see several shows a month because music is your passion. When you frequent concerts, there’s a specific culture that you encounter. From mosh pit rules to bathroom etiquette, take a look at some of the best ways to enjoy every concert without hindering the experience for someone else.

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Why The Live Show Experience Is So Important In Laying Down The Proper Foundation For The Independent Artist

Setting the proper foundation for your career in any business is very crucial in setting yourself up for success.  When it comes to building your career as an independent artist building and setting the proper foundation is equally important. There are so many things that you  should make sure is in order to make sure that this is properly executed.   

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Land Of The Free, Home Of The Rave: America's 5 Best Music Festivals

The days of Woodstock, Lilith Fair, and Lollapalooza may be behind us, but that doesn’t mean that the current generation of concertgoer has to miss out on the festival experience. From the highs of enjoying the best in modern music, with tens of thousands of like-minded souls, to the lows of enduring those same people ahead of you in line for the Porta-Potty, anyone with a ticket can enjoy some amazing festival experiences.

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6 Dead Giveaways That You're Uncomfortable Onstage

This post originally appeared on the Sonicbids Blog

Performing live music is a nerve-racking experience. No amount of singing in the mirror or head-banging in the garage can quite prepare you for the moment when the lights come up and you’re there. The center of attention. The subject of scrutiny. “Here we are now, entertain us.”

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The Power of a Concert Memento

A ticket stub does so much more than just admitting you into an event. A ticket stub is a filled with memories, emotions and, if you’re lucky, your favourite singer’s autograph. Just one glance at that flimsy piece of paper, and the flood gates are opened. You are submerged in a pool of memories, like which song the band opened with, the moment you made eye contact with the guitarist, the hoarseness of your throat from screaming along with the lyrics, and how, for a couple hours, nothing else mattered in the world. That flimsy piece of paper can become a prized possession. 

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Top 10 things to do (and not do) when playing an Industry Showcase

Music Gorilla regularly hosts showcases. At many of these events, we have an A&R rep from a major label that is there solely to watch the performances and take notes on everything they’re seeing and hearing. The performers are introduced to the rep and the networking commences. A few weeks later they receive written feedback on their performances for better or worse. What they do with it is up to them of course, but information is priceless.

Since we’ve been doing these shows since 2004 we figured it was time to put some of that experience on paper. So here we go,

10. Show Up – Obvious, but crucial – in order to perform you have to show up. We can expand on this by saying show up on time, or even early. We have bands come in from all over when we do these shows and when you’re on the road, things can happen. Just try to leave yourself plenty of time so that if (or rather, when) they happen, it doesn’t force you to cancel the gig or become a no-show.

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6 Ways to Get More People to Your Shows

Do you sometimes feel that your band’s draw is languishing? Are you tired of seeing the same people at your shows and want to play to a new crowd, even in your hometown?

If you’re like most musicians, you know that you absolutely can do better, that you have more fans out there than who actually show up at at the venue, and despite always receiving positive feedback, you don’t know why more people aren’t showing up. Here are some tips on building some momentum back into your tour dates so you can increase your band’s draw:

1. Find a Different Angle for The Show: It’s easier to get more people to show up if it’s your band’s first show, when you’re releasing a new album, it’s a tour kick off, or when it’s your final gig. Obviously, it’s because your fans realize those as special occasions and want to be there.

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Your Fans Won't Come to Your Shows...

That’s right, on average, 75% or more of your fan base won’t make it out to a show on your next tour. Proximity. Sold out. Cost. All factors which can keep your most loyal fans from attending your next killer show. Learn some creative ways to engage your non-attending fans.

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House Concerts - You're Probably Doing it Wrong

If you treat someone’s home (or your own) like a public venue, you are inviting several types of liability with potentially serious consequences. House concerts should be private events, and this article describes ways to safely build an audience, and the problems that can arise if you go “public.”

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The 4 Places You Should Be Entering All Of Your Concert Dates To Increase Concert Attendance

Entering concert dates is one of the most annoying parts of playing live. It’s both time-consuming and annoying to keep up with. Thankfully, it gets easier and easier each year to do this menial task. Entering dates into the services we have outlined below increases the chance of getting both fans and potential fans to your shows. Some of them can put them in the places where your fans go to hear and discover your music, where as others alert your fans who have liked you on Facebook that you will be in their town. Entering your dates into these services also increases your chance of being added to local concert calendars in local papers and radio stations. Making sure your dates are always up to date in these four services will increase the likelihood of getting fans out to shows and we will explain why.

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