Musi 1113 – Intro to the Music Industry Touring and Performing

The following overview contains a lot of practical information for those interested in touring and performing.

Part 1 is the “Why” and “When” to go on tour and Part 2 is the “How” to set up a tour. Part 3 is for those who might not be ready to go on tour, but want to perform locally.

The videos in this overview are from Jamie New Johnson – a Canadian manager in the music industry. Her videos are a great resource for both artists/bands and those interested in other careers in the music industry, like managing bands, etc.

Part 1

Why and When to Go On Tour:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GB6PUTIYz3k

Question to consider as you watch the video:

1. What are the reasons an artist/band would go on tour?

Part 2

Booking a Tour for an Independent Artist or Band (i.e. How to book your own tour)

The following video provides some great information for those interested in booking their own tours. As you watch, answer the following questions:

How To Book A Tour For Your Band In 7 Steps

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EON81Gw1LX4

Step 1

Searching for Venues and Promoters

What does a promoter do – either a person or a company/corporation?

Venue buyers or bookers – how do you find the buyers or bookers?

Performance venues are often genre specific, i.e. they book a band or artist who plays a particular style of music.

What is one suggestion to find out what venues might have potential for booking an artist or a band?

4. What information should you include in a buyer/booking contact sheet?

Additional Video: How to Write an Email to a Talent Buyer or Promoter:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GhJY-Veq_VI

Step 2 - Find out Where your Fans Are1.

2.3.How do you go about finding out where your fans are?

What information will analytics and stats provide when it comes to an artist/band’s music? (What are analytics/stats?)How do “business” versions of online social media platforms help an artist/band? What kind of information is provided in a business version that a non-business social media platform wouldn’t provide?

Step 3 - Draft a Routing List

1. What is a “routing”?

2. What kinds of things should you consider when creating your routing list?

Additional Video: How to Draft a Tour Routing:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6IQllor3WeM

Step 4 - Draft Your Show Booking Request Email (See additional Video in Step 1 for detailed information)

1. What do you include in a booking request email?

Step 5 – Negotiate Your Agreement

1. What about money? Can you count on making money if you’re new to touring? What is the point of touring if you’re not going to make any/much money?

2. What kinds of things can you negotiate other than money?

Step 6 – Draft a Budget

1. What do you include in your budget for expenses and revenues?

2. The suggestions is to cut expenses vs. trying to make additional money when on tour?

What is the rationale for this?

Step 7 – Advance the Tour

1. What information is provided in an Advance? Why is this information important for the artist/band?

Part 3 How to Start Performing Locally.

What if you’re an artist or band that is quite new and not ready to tour yet?

Check out this video for some ideas about performing locally and building a fan following:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKmbbGvEkvU