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Indie Artists: Be Your Own Booking Agent

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Time to Drop the Booking Agent, Here’s How to Book Your Own Shows

No one knows better than an indie artist how frustrating and stressful it can be to book shows, tour, and perform. The struggle, when it comes to getting in touch with venues, managers and bookers, is quite real. Hiring a booking agent may seem like the easy answer, but if the royalties aren’t exactly flowing in yet, you might not be in the financial position to do this. What to do, then? Let’s not forget that we are the DIY generation, we do it ourselves. Here’s how to book your own shows.

Photo Courtesy of The Magnettes

Photo Courtesy of The Magnettes

Perhaps you’ve made a list of all the venues that would fit your music, sound, and style, and yet it’s nearly impossible to get them to give you a decent time slot. You will most likely get an 11pm weeknight spot or a 3pm Sunday afternoon one, and we all know that no one is going to miss brunch to catch your new band at what promises to be an empty, desolated venue.

When you ask for a better, higher profile slot, the booking agent usually says: “Well, how many people can you draw?”. If the answer is more than 20, then you’ve got yourself a Friday night show. However, if your response is anything less, you’ll have to wait patiently in line until your following is bigger.

Which brings us to our next point.

 

Book Others, to Book Yourself.

How is a band supposed to grow a fan base if the only shows they can play occur when people are watching Netflix or in a yoga class? Good question indeed. Those who manage to bring a good crowd are those who are either already established or have a lot of friends in town. Venues are not going to bet on a new indie artist nor are they looking for the next big act to feature before they blow up. Venues want to break even. They want to see the money they spend on a typical Friday night come back in full, and if possible make a little profit.

Be your own booking agent. Look for an equally unknown band that shares your ambitions, ethos, and sound and put a show together. Perhaps, pick a less reputable venue in your town; smaller and more intimate is ideal. Make sure you market the show as a party; a night to have some fun and enjoy some live music. Startups like Sofar Sounds have built a brand around this exact experience and platforms like youbloomConnect match local indie artists with one another, making it easy for bands to come together and book. 

Each band will bring their friends, and if you advertised the event properly, their friends will bring other friends looking for a fun night.

Play the show, distribute some t-shirts, have a beer and repeat.

One of two things will happen. You will either get a call from the bigger venues looking to book your band or you won’t need them anymore because your fan base has been growing without their help.

You should hope for the latter.

Photo Courtesy of The Magnettes

Photo Courtesy of The Magnettes

About the Blogger

Luca a freelance writer, blogger, musician and songwriter. Born and
raised in Italy, his passion for Rock n Roll made him move to London where he
lived for one year and gained a certificate in Songwriting from ICMP.
Luca relocated in NYC in 2014 to pursue jazz music and liberal arts at the
The New School from which he graduated in December 2017. Luca currently
resides in Nashville, TN

Jessica Meuse Is Halfhearted On New Album

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American Idol’s Jessica Meuse will have her first full-length album, “Halfhearted,” released on August 3rd via Warrior Records/eOne.

Penned by Meuse, the 15-song album is a retrospect of her life, loves, and breakups, which is aptly being released to coincide with National Girlfriend Day.

“I am thrilled to release my debut album, ‘Halfhearted!’ It’s my first major release since my time on American Idol, and it truly embodies who I am as a singer, writer, and musician,” commented Meuse. “My dedicated fans have been waiting for a while, and I’m happy to say the wait is going to be completely worth it! This is my best work yet, and I hope everyone loves it as much as I loved creating it. This is only the beginning!”

Jessica’s song, “Love Her Better,” has risen for 14 weeks up to #2 currently on The Iceman’s Top 40 New Country Artist Chart and is also #1 this week on the Euro Academy of Country Music Chart, with over 100k views of the music video on YouTube. The track will become available June 1st, along with the album preorder, on all retail outlets. Subsequent songs from “Halfhearted” will also become on June 15th (“High”), June 29th (“California Dream”), and July 13th (“Thank God It Didn’t Work”), with the full album releasing on August 3rd.

Thematically, Meuse’s collection of songs delves into the heartfelt dedication that has always driven her to succeed.

“The album is titled, ‘Halfhearted,’ which can be interpreted in several ways — which was also my intent,” said Jessica. “For me, ‘Halfhearted’ is about the duality of everything, from the macro-cosmic concept of good versus evil to the darkness and light within each and every one of us. It’s about taking the two extremes…because they are a part of something much, much bigger.”

The album also features a guest appearance duet by friend and fellow American Idol alumni, Bo Bice, on Jessica’s composition, “Without You.” Commercially, Meuse became the first person in the history of American Idol to perform her own original song, “Blue-Eyed Lie,” during the show’s finals.

“I wrote most of these songs after Idol, and they are a direct reflection of everything I have gone through emotionally and mentally in the time that’s followed,” relates Meuse. “It means the world to me to be a songwriter and be able to take a thought — a simple line or even just a word — and turn it into something real. A lot of the songs on “Halfhearted” came to me like a slap in the face. They just happened. Music has always been a therapeutic and healing power for me, so writing this album was what has held me together. It’s my heart and soul opened up for the world to see.”

Jessica Meuse’s Halfhearted Release

The past year has been a busy one for Jessica with the new album production, increased touring, a 2017 Female Vocalist of the Year Nomination (Texas Country Music Awards), and 2018 Best Female Vocalist Finalist (14th Annual International Acoustic Music Awards). The summer will see Meuse in concert at various festivals and an extensive radio tour through the fall, beginning Memorial Day Weekend with a May 27th performance at Brat Fest in Madison, WI, where she and her band go on before Black Stone Cherry.

Jessica Meuse – Socials:
Website  ||  Instagram  ||  Facebook  ||  Twitter  ||  YouTube  ||  Tour Notifications

House shows are the New Frontier of the DIY

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youbloom Dublin house shows

youbloom Dublin house shows

There’s a new way to get your band out there: house shows.

Playing local clubs and venues is certainly a must for any emerging band. But the networking opportunity that might spring from throwing house shows is something not to sleep on. It might seem counter-intuitive that playing a house show is more fruitful than a local club. It’s not, and here’s why.

It’s Cheap

Playing a house show is a great way for your friends and fans to save a ton of money. No cover charge or overpriced drinks to deter potential guests! Sure they are going to want to drink, but let guests bring their own beverages. And everybody knows that a six pack from your local store is cheaper than a tall boy at a bar. And most importantly, it lasts longer. More people are encouraged to come, have a good time, and spend the few bucks they saved on some merch.

You’ll Definitely Fill the Room

Second, unless your marketing skills are extraordinary or you are playing your hometown, your band is definitely going to have a better time playing in front of a house show audience than a half empty room at a club. And if your band is coming up in the club scene, check out our tips on how to ace those live shows. It takes practically nothing to gather 50 people to a house party, the only thing you have to say is “Hey, there’s a house party”. You won’t even have to add “Bring your friends”. That’s a given.

It’s Easy

Dublin festival House Shows

Dublin festival House Shows

Third, you are way more likely to build a fruitful relationship with other bands at a house show than at a local club. A party is a familiar environment, even for someone who’s somewhat of an introvert or just doesn’t know anyone else except their bandmates.

It’s a lot easier to go up to someone and chat at a house party than at a club with loud music playing, people sticking to their friend groups, and bands always busy loading their gear or getting lost at the bar.

In an era where DIY is king, house shows must be queen.

 

youbloom is all about helping bands build relationships in unexpected places. If you could see yourself hosting a show in your own space, check out youbloomConnect to see what we can do to connect you to a CityRep and a band near you.

 

Luca is a freelance writer, blogger, musician and songwriter. Born and raised in Italy, his passion for Rock n Roll made him move to London where he lived for one year and gained a certificate in Songwriting from ICMP. Luca relocated in NYC in 2014 to pursue jazz music and liberal arts at the The New School from which he graduated in December 2017. Luca currently resides in Nashville, TN.

How to Make Money as a Venue Owner

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Whether you’re re-branding your old bar as a buzzing music hub or just getting into the game, the question is always, how do I make money as a venue host?

It really comes down to two things: 1), How you negotiate cost with artists and 2), booze sales.

Selling drinks is pretty straightforward. Estimating the potential cost-benefit of an unknown artist on any given night, is not. Here’s a few things you’ve got to know if you want to make money as a venue host.

 

A Flat Rate

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Photo taken at youbloom Dublin Music Festival

For the indie artists that can’t promise a surge of fans, a flat rate is often in their best interest. This will guarantee the band they’ll get paid an agreed upon amount, regardless of ticket sales.

The number they’re asking for should be entirely based on the draw they can bring in. Remember the part about how important it is your selling beer? The concern over flat rate is not whether or not they’ll make you rich at the ticketing booth. It’s whether or not they’ll be keeping your barbacks busy.

You have to factor in operational costs, what similar acts are receiving in the area, and projected earnings. Don’t be afraid to turn bands away if you believe they’re asking for too high a price – Bands have money-making rules of their own to follow, and making friends with the local talent is not worth it if your venue can’t sustain itself.

 

Claiming the Door

Bands with a following will often want the opposite from their undiscovered counterparts. Instead of a flat rate they might demand 100% of the door sales as payment. These artists are anticipating their paying fans will follow them in.

If you’re not quite as confident as the band is about their ticket sales, be honest with them. Offer them a percentage of door profits for their first time at your venue. A door split of 80/20 with the artist taking the majority is not uncommon with lesser-known talent. Then, use that first night’s profits as a reference point. If the band brings in the audience they anticipated, you’ll feel more secure promising them 100% of the door next time around.

Stay in the Loop

d2.6_mh1464952221722.jpgWhile at times it may feel like that dive-bar down the street with the open-mic night is your competitor, this does not have to be the case. It pays to build a relationship with other venue owners.

To make money as a venue, hosts can provide each other valuable intel on the local talent: who’s worth hiring, how they conduct business, and what their draw really is, compared to what they’re asking for. Checking a band’s concert history on a hub like Pollstar is a good way to “feel out” what type of pull they have had in cities similar to yours.

 

Know your Market & Differentiate Yourself

An ideal crowd is packed with fans of a venue, not of the band playing. Get an idea of who your target show-goer is, and build your venue to draw them in. A venue that is consistently hosting artists of a particular style will build trust among fans, and promise a consistent stream of attendees even when the headliner is unknown.

Even though it can be tricky straddling the sidelines of a music scene, many third-party fan club ticketing platforms have sprung up to make it easy. While ticketing companies like Live Nation/Ticketmaster and Eventbrite partner with venues to pull in appropriate acts, they often disproportionately serve big-name acts. Meanwhile, weighty surcharges are enough to turn away potential concert-goers from seeing smaller talent.

For this their are splatforms like Songkick,  Artist Arena, and youbloom Connect which link venues with lesser-known artists that are better tailored to a venues style and atmosphere.

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Fan-club ticketing companies like these allot artists a percentage of tickets (usually 8 – 10%) for them to sell directly to their fans. Unlike the larger ticketing companies that make their revenue off hefty service charges, fan-club ticketing brands usually take their share from the artists’ profits at generally lower rates.

Giving artists a hand in their own ticket sales increases selling incentives for the bands. Companies like youbloom Connect have raised the stakes by also allowing fans to sell tickets, increasing selling power for the venue in exchange for discounted tickets. Plus, hosts get more security of a show’s success from increased pre-sale tickets.

 

Get Creative

While getting your bar or venue up and running feels mostly like a numbers game, there are also creative steps you can take to bring in some extra cash.

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As I’ve mentioned before, your ability to move booze will always be the staple form of income, but expanding your amenities to include a food menu will do more of the same. And you don’t have to get fancy – becoming locally-renowned for your bar’s half-pound blooming onions is a milestone in itself.

Finally, make your space rentable. More than ever, people are looking for a one-of-a-kind atmosphere that can double as a work-space, or be rented out for company retreats, rehearsals, or a recording studio. Platforms like youbloom Connect work for these types of events, making it easy for you to choose from a variety of acts that suit whatever private event you’re hosting.

By knowing how to properly negotiate with bands, and by innovating your space to draw a loyal niche of show-goers, you’ll be able to make money as a venue at a sustainable rate; and beer, don’t forget about selling lots and lots of beer.

 

 

 

Musical Medicine

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Have you ever stopped to wonder why music is everywhere you go? Why these unavoidable tonal patterns are essential to human life and apparent in every aspect of society?
Maybe it’s a nice distraction from daily life, or maybe it’s much deeper than that.

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Music philosopher, Friedrich Nietzsche, made this claim by insisting that humans ‘listen to music with their muscles’ through the use of facial expressions, keeping rhythm, and using their bodies to sing along. He projected music as something which requires the whole person rather than a mere half-listening ear.

Scientists have found that the act of simply experiencing music with others stimulates a ‘binding of the nervous system’ which can physically heal people. So hooray! Every musician can be a doctor! (Sort of).

Studies have shown that there are certain places in the brain most stimulated by the rhythmic sequences of sound. The Auditory Cortex (a fitting title) is primarily part of the temporal lobe on either side of the brain and the cells within are organized depending on their ability to receive high or low frequencies.
The Cerebellum is located at the back of the brain and is the body’s center for rhythm balance and coordination. The Center for Neuroskills attributes a musicians ability move their body to play their instrument as envisioned, is all thanks to a highly functioning Cerebellum.
And Finally, The Limbic System gives you the ability to react to music with your emotions, and feel the pleasure of a song you love. Disease researchers have also noted this as the place where humans feel music rather than hear it.

While our brain is busy experiencing the influence of this amazing art, our bodies, minds and nervous systems are able to improve with the simple influence of these tone patterns.

One mind-blowing study conducted by a series of educators in music, drafted the hypothesis that performing a musical instrument can protect the human brain from degenerative diseases. This was based off the scientific evidence that playing an instrument improves cognitive ability.
In order to prove this theory, music educators studied twins; this would eliminate favorable genetics as an indication for dementia prevention. The results of the study showed that musicians who play well into adult hood were thirty-six percent less likely to develop dementia.

Another fascinating discovery showed that playing an instrument leads to a higher IQ in early adulthood. In this study, researchers found that children under ten who had a sole year of instrumental music lessons had a significantly higher intellectual quotient than those who did not attempt to learn.

So now that you know how powerful music can be in the human brain, you may be wondering how to take it even further to develop some supernatural abilities (at least I am). Sadly, no discovered have been made on that —yet— however, there are several ways for us to best utilize the gift of music.

Music can be used for reduce stress and depression through improving mood, reducing stress, boosting immunity and aiding social bonding.
It can also lead to enhances in cognition. Through learning to play an instrument, even as a beginner, you will improve certain high brain functions which truly can enhance brain development.
3) Finally, don’t forget to use music as a memory booster. Science have found that music can be used on young brains to retain formation and enhance learning.

To take your insight of how music can brighten your day, please try youbloom connect. For more details, please check https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AI6_Rg3fNgQ

Josey is a content writer for youbloom as well as a member of the marketing team. She is music obsessed and a diehard Tom Petty fan. Josey currently lives outside of Los Angeles where she enjoys excessively sunny days, train adventures and organic chai (yes, Josey is high-maintenance about her chai).