How well have you got your musical efforts covered? In other words are you doing everything you can to extend your reach and play the venues and festivals that you want to play? Here’s some of what works. Are you doing most of these?
1. Before The Show
You work to bring people to the show. Website. Email list. Friendly DJs and newspapers. Social. You make some noise. All the more for venues that are new to you (and new to their crowd). Venues remember the bands that made the effort to promote their own shows.
2. Meet The New Member Of The Band For The Night
Arriving at the club, you’ve made friends with the live engineer and told them what you’re looking for in terms of the mix and what to watch out for. You’ve given them a stage plan. You’ve bought them a beer.
3. Live Performance Technique
You play whisper-quiet on stage when using a PA and monitors. You let the PA and monitors take the load. You can hear each other play with nuance and expressive depth, you simply play better together.
4. You Keep It Fresh
Your live set is never the same. Regular fans get a different experience. You work out new arrangements, You feature new material. Breathe new life into your performance.
5. Craft
You get as much experience as you can with other musicians and with other genres outside your bubble. Who knows where that might lead? Whilst you’re busy creating your own sound and craft, don’t silo your horizons.
6. Strategy
You have a plan to maximize your revenue to reinvest in yourself, You’ve taken time out to ensure you have CDs and other take away merchandise to sell at your shows.
Lower-paying gigs become break-even. Listeners maintain the connection.
7. Your Email List
You’re collecting email addresses from people that you connect with, either at your show, or buying a CD, or visiting your website – at every opportunity. For up and coming artists, the list is everything.
Use that list to announce new songs, new shows, new material, and engage. Continue the conversation long after the show has ended.
8. Digital Arts
Your website is kept up to date and is current. It’s authentic to who you are. It plugs into the rest of your social media. You have a very specific digital strategy and social media plan. You automate.
9. Your EPK
You have a current Electronic Press Kit (EPK) that’s easily found and downloaded from your website. Your EPK should contain a zipped file of media photos, logos, a poster template, and a couple of MP3 tracks, preferably some with you playing live. Live venues are twice as likely to hire you listening to live tracks than studio recordings.
10. The Backstory. Why You?
There is compelling narrative in your EPK too. About you, About your music. It’s a good narrative and interesting and gives journalists and DJs a compelling reason to write and talk about you. You’ve provided a press contact number, and used an email address that is regularly monitored.
11. Building Relationships. Building Trust.
You’re proactive in seeking new gigs and new opportunities to play. You have an up to date list of venues and festivals. You work through them and get names. You take time out to curate relationships with these businesses and organizations, and you show the decision makers, those who hire the talent, the true value of you and your music.
12. Go Learn A New Instrument
One for the future. New skills. More options.
