How to Make Money as a Venue Owner

24-Apr-2018 By 2 Comments

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

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.jpg While 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.

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.

Danu5ik Interview – Part 2

29-Jan-2018 By Leave a Comment

In the second half of my music interview with Danu5ik, he and I tried to pin down what exactly it is that gets an artist’s creative water wheel spinning. Also, Daniel offers sage advice on how to mine that creativity once it’s found. We also discuss his newest project and how EDM is being changed by increased collaborations between DJs.

You were talking about getting hit with this surge of creativity. Could you talk more about how that hits you?

I find it very difficult to sit down in the studio and say I’m going to pump out something. Usually, when I try to do that I end up with tracks that get put on hold for a later date. You can’t really force creativity. Chances are I’ll be sitting in an airport when a concept for a track will come to me and I’ll pull out my laptop and see where I can go with that.

LA was an amazing experience meeting everyone at youbloom. The ideas that were pitched and listening to everyone else’s sounds, those things are really inspirational.

Do you have advice for musicians or artists on how to develop that initial stroke of creativity into a fleshed out piece of work?

Yes, go outside. Take a deep breath. Sitting down in front of the keyboard or guitar is one thing but what I’ve found is if you try to push yourself after that certain time, that creativity just goes down. So do something completely different and then go back to it. What you’ll find is when you go back to that track you’re coming back with a different take but you’re keeping that energy level there.

Anyone who knows me knows I’m about high energy; the enjoyment, the laughter, the happiness. Music to me is an aura, it’s supposed to transition fluently and be able to captivate people in the way starting a conversation with someone new does. You need to be able to just open up your mouth and say “Hello.”

If you missed Danu5ik’s newest Single and Music Video in Part 1 of the interview then take a peak. Or just watch it again. It’s as good the second time around.

Imagine wasn’t created all in one day, it was created over time and it was something I had to listen to over again. Whatever you’ve created you do need to get it reviewed by someone else, either friends or family. Feedback is everything, that’s the only way you can know you’re on the right path.

Yes, I feel like there is this tendency among musicians to hole themselves away until they create something worthwhile but what I hear from you is the opposite.

Yes, if you want to inspire to make something great that goes around the world, than you need to be able to show people that you’re not just an artist in the studio not connected to your fans or the world. You need to be able to show them that you can get out there and enjoy life, accept feedback and learn from others. That can only make your music better and that differentiates you from every other artist.

How do you find a space for collaboration in an EDM circle? Do places like youbloom foster that connection?

LA was an amazing experience meeting everyone at youbloom. The ideas that were pitched and listening to everyone else’s sounds, those things are really inspirational. For instance, being a part of youbloom I’ve been able to listen to so many other electronica artists and we get to pitch ideas at each other. It’s all about networking and youbloom is fantastic for that being able to connect different artists from different genres because you can never tell where a collaboration may occur.

32. At youbloom it’s great if you have different artists approach you and say they like your sound and want to come up with something. You can never tell where the next hit will come from. I got collaboration requests from youbloom Dublin and that was fantastic. You get to learn more about other artists and in a sense you’re piggy-backing off of each other in a positive way. The top artists wouldn’t be where they are if they hadn’t started somewhere similar so for local artists it’s a great opportunity.

What’s your vision as Danu5ik going forward?

At the present moment we are planning a US tour in the new year that takes place from New York to LA and a tour in Canada in 2019. I look forward to it! It gives me a perfect opportunity to connect with fans across the world and visit these different cities and make them a part of the live experience.

Is there a different type of atmosphere when you travel to these places you haven’t played at before?

As a DJ you always have to read the crowd. When I perform in different places where the fan following isn’t that strong it’s always interesting to see how those new fans listen to the music and see how it captivates them or doesn’t. For me, it’s always great to take those few moment before performances to connect with fans because I don’t want to be one of those artist who just comes to do the performance and then is out the door. You’re here for the fans so connect with them. It adds more of a one to one with them which is what I set out to achieve and they know I’m always in arms reach or they can take a picture with me or we can grab a drink if it’s a small location.

Its always going to be a challenge to be a local artist.

Never give up on your sound. Know that your sound will evolve.

Do you have any advice for other artists who are trying to make it in this industry right now?

Never give up. I’ve met a lot of artists who always struggle with this. Its always going to be a challenge to be a local artist. Never give up on your sound. Know that your sound will evolve. Keep networking, there are various outlets you can learn from.

It took me going to LA and talking with Andy Gould and he said it quite clearly, the info is there for us artists, it’s all laid out. We don’t have to find things difficult because if you want to connect to another artist there are avenues there. In terms of creating new sounds, there is a wide range of tools out there, experts that can give you feedback. Just reach out and never feel like you’re alone because you’re not.

17. You heard it here folks, Danu5ik has got fresh beats cooking in the oven so follow him at @DDanu5ik to know when those tracks hit. Also, Danu5ik will be at youblomDublin for the 2018 Music Festival & Summit (May 30-June 4) and you should be too. All bands gain free admission to the 5 days of musical performances, workshops, and master classes about navigating the music industry. Apply To Play -Deadlines hit February 19th.

BEFORE I DIE: youbloom | HEADROOM #9 with Featured Artists from the youbloomLA 2016 Music Summit and Festival.

01-Oct-2016 By Leave a Comment

Sometimes all it takes is a little list. There’s a big world out there full of choices and for an ambitious musician it can be hard to know which direction to steer in. That’s where a BEFORE I DIE list comes in.

Narrow things down. Weed out distractions. Focus on the three things that will make your time on this mortal coil the best it can possibly be. Then go.

The youbloomLA 2016 Music Summit and Festival is in full swing, with scores of the finest independent artists around hitting stages all around the city of angels with one thing in mind: to share the music they love with you. They’re on this journey because they know, deep down, that this music train ain’t stopping; they’re in it for the long haul; they’re married to rock ‘n’ roll...you get the picture. But where the path will lead is different for every single artist up there tonight, and five of them were kind to provide us with some truly great answers when we asked: Hey buddy, what do you want to do before you die?

Huxley Rittman:

1 | Be featured on a hip hop banger

2 | Play a show somewhere stupid like underwater or in space or while freefalling from a great height

3 | Play a show in which I actually don’t screw up

An act we’re pleased to welcome back to the youbloom stage, Rittman is an artist who brings fresh footfall to the well-hiked trails of acoustic storytelling, making it more about the listener than about himself, which is dignified and refreshing. Like a relaxed, neofolk Dylan; instantly persuasive and warmly addictive. For fans of: Nick Drake, Hudson Taylor, Mark Kozelek

Nasty, Dirty and Nasty:

1 | Become a touring artist full time.

2 | Be featured on a song with Nas.

3 | Perform the 5 fingers of death on the Sway in the Morning show.

Eclectic, exploratory hip-hop that pulls no punches. The chemistry between Dirty and Nasty is colossal; together they capably tackle a range of different compositions, from sexy grooves to party anthems and rhymes to make you stop and think. This is an act that’s going places, and you really want to be there to see their live show before they blow up. For fans of: Black Milk, J Dilla, Digable Planets

Jonny Cat, frontman & guitar, Coo Coo Birds:

1 | Write an Opera.

2 | Score a great film.

3 | Tour three times a year in Europe and Asia.

Welcome to your new favourite garage band. Coo Coo Birds bring the fuzz and crunch with all the references to sex, drugs and rock’n’roll essential to doing justice to this timelessly rebellious musical style. They’re groovy, they’ve got swagger, and they write really great rock’n’roll tunes. You’ll love ‘em live. For fans of: The Stooges, The Black Keys, Jay Reatard

Case Bargé:

1 | Make a positive change with my music, rather it be in a listener’s personal life or in the overall music scene in general.

2 | Go on a world tour and have every show sell out.

3 | I would love for the creative collective I’m a part of to be a staple and known for our influential and positive efforts to better not only the music community but the entire world as a whole.

Like a dark dream shot through with sharp-as-a-knife clarity, Bargé’s music blends ambient tones and synthy, electronic landscape sounds with rhymes so deftly spat you get the sense they must be red hot. It’s top class hip hop with more than enough food for thought for a feast. For fans of: Tyler, the Creator, Ab-Soul, ScHoolboy Q

Grover Anderson:

1 | I would kill for one of my songs to become so ubiquitous that everyone rolled their eyes when it’s played, even if that meant someone else played it. Like, I want to feel like Ketch Secor from Old Crow Medicine Show does when Darius Rucker’s version of Wagon Wheel comes on.

2 | I’d also like to play in one of those overstuffed tribute performances that they do every year at the Grammys, like when Growl & Springsteen & Costello & Little Steven did that Clash Tribute.

3 | I’d like to tour with Garth Brooks. In my book, he’s the best live singer-songwriter that you can see, and I want to learn everything I can from him.

Wistful and clever, the wonderfully proficient Grover Anderson weaves together songs that mix youthful whimsy with heartfelt daydreams, delivering them to eager ears with a stripped-back, pure and well-considered expression. From the acoustic gems to rockier grooves, It’s the perfect road trip music, and it’s sure to be a killer live. For fans of: Paddy Casey, Josh Ritter, Ryan Adams

What three things would you put on your BEFORE I DIE list? We’re, uh, dying to know. 😉

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WOKE UP THIS MORNIN’: youbloom | HEADROOM #8 with Featured Artists from the youbloomLA 2016 Music Summit and Festival.

28-Sep-2016 By Leave a Comment

We all have heroes – performers and artists we’ve stayed up late into the night listening to and watching over and over. For many of us, it’s these legends and icons of music who inspire us to pursue musical careers of our own, and for that kind of life-changer, we’re eternally thankful. But what if we had the chance to live their life? Would we take it? Knowing everything we know about our favorite artists, would we want to say I WOKE UP THIS MORNIN’ and cashed it all in for a shot at walking in their shoes?

Six featured artists from this coming weekend’s amazing youbloomLA 2016 Music Summit and Festival tell us, in no uncertain terms, who, if anyone, they’d rather be if they WOKE UP THIS MORNIN’ and found another face staring back at them.

Gabbs Casanova, guitar & backing vox, Only on Tuesdays: ‘I would have to say Miles Davis. Not only is he one of the most amazing trumpet players to this day, but he was also a passionate and spiritual figure who refused to be pigeon-holed, which I find very inspiring. To me he represents an artist with great insight about life whose brilliant music and rejection of the status quo transformed not only jazz, but also genres like rock and fusion. It would be absolutely amazing to wake up and find out what it is like to be Miles Davis, even if just to play an improvised solo with the mastery that he did.’

Alfredo Lucero-Canaan, bass, Only on Tuesdays: ‘I would love to wake up as Joe Lally, the bass player from Fugazi, only because I would get to play with my favorite band of all time.’

Only On Tuesdays blend the very best elements of folk, indie and blues and bundle it all up into a shiny pop package that’s instantly catchy and smooth. The guitar playing is superb, going tête-à-tête with the impressive vocals as the tempo-perfect rhythm section rolls along beneath it all. It’ll be gorgeous live. For fans of: Lisa Loeb, Carla Bruni, The Growlers

Marcelo Loss, bass & vox, Banda Concreto: ‘I wanna be one of the biggest musicians in the world, Mr. Glenn Hughes. He is my hero – an amazing musician and a great singer as well.’

Insanely tasty heavy metal from four Brazilian rockers, reminiscent of the most fun headbang-worthy acts from the 80s, updated just the right amount for a contemporary audience. Wailing vocals, shredding guitar, machine gun drums – Banda Concreto has it all. Don’t miss them. For fans of: Iron Maiden, Saxon, Avenged Sevenfold

RickEy, keys, Of The Dark I Dare: ‘I would most want to be Quincy Jones because I can’t play trumpet and he can.’

Tribal beats meet soaring, soulful, dark vocals and stripped back and sultry electronic elements to create an exciting and unique sound that you can either dance or bliss out to. It’s earworm-worthy music that is going to sound incredible live. For fans of: Björk, MØ, Lamb

Kathleen Farless: ‘Freddie Mercury; he was an incredible performer, a brilliant singer-songwriter. I wish at least I could be half of his talent. He is really an inspiration and a huge influence on my music.’

Jagged beats, cabaret-inspired lyrics and rolling piano and bass make the perfect vehicles for Farless’ powerful, sweet vocals, at once tender yet inspiringly confident. With bulletproof composition and challenging arrangements, it’s seriously beautiful stuff.

For fans of: Corinne Bailey Rae, Rebecca Ferguson, Les Nubians

Erica Lulakwa: ‘I would want to be me. In life one never knows what really goes around or what other big artist goes through in their life. So I would want to be me and be an icon of my own.’

Synthy and infectious, Tanzanian-born Erica Lulakwa’s music is a funky, friendly take on Afropop, blending in elements of dance and gospel to make something totally new. True to form, African polyrhythms set the meter, as enchantingly atmospheric sounds swirl around and Erica’s voice cuts through like a crystal. For fans of: Sade, Yemi Alade, Sia Tolno

What do you think? What if you WOKE UP THIS MORNIN’ and saw another face? Who’s rock’n’roll mug would you want staring back?

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MY FIRST TIME: youbloom | HEADROOM #7 with Featured Artists from the youbloomLA 2016 Music Summit and Festival.

23-Sep-2016 By Leave a Comment

Being a beginner is never easy, but every great artist started somewhere. Whether it’s making beats on Garage Band alone in your basement, busking on the streets of your town, or churning out your first rock tunes, learning your instrument as you go, your first time playing music leaves its mark on you forever. Often, these experiences become relegated to teenage photo albums – the stuff your parents break out to embarrass you in front of new girlfriends and boyfriends. But for a handful of people the memory they might call MY FIRST TIME plants a seed that blooms into a full-blown passion. Every time we at youbloom organize a new festival, we get the privilege of hearing all about these first band experiences. From the good to the horrible, they always make for a good story.

Read on for MY FIRST TIME stories from five featured artists who will be playing at the upcoming youbloomLA 2016 Music Summit and Festival.

Defacto Thezpian: ‘As a hip-hop artist, I haven’t necessarily been in a band, but I have been in a two-man duo named Cully Base (KUH – lee Base). The group, and how we affected other people, truly inspired me to be involved in music. Cully Base, and all of its experiences, taught me core values I still use to this day.’

Jazzy and creative, Defacto Thezpian’s smart brand of cross-genre hip-hop is mellow and thoughtful; smooth atmospheric instrumental samples ripple beneath incredibly spat rhymes, with a delivery that is sincere and energetic. It makes you listen and it makes you think. Absolutely one to watch. For fans of: Quasimoto, Danger Doom, Edan

Gray Tolhurst, bass, Coo Coo Birds: ‘I was in a band called Teardrop Raygun in high school. We had kind of an indie-pop sound. Our greatest moment was winning a Catholic middle school Battle of The Bands in Los Angeles. The guitarist from Extreme was the judge and for some reason he liked us. I think it was when I swung my guitar into an audience of frightened middle-schoolers that did it.’

Welcome to your new favorite garage band. Coo Coo Birds bring the fuzz and crunch with all the references to sex, drugs and rock’n’roll essential to doing justice to this timelessly rebellious musical style. They’re groovy, they’ve got swagger, and they write really great rock’n’roll tunes. You’ll love ‘em live. For fans of: The Stooges, The Black Keys, Jay Reatard

Madi Rindge, singer/songwriter: ‘The first band I was ever in was one called It’s All Relative with my cousin Allie. We literally named our band after the fact that we are relatives! We were about 14 and we wrote songs about our love for the Jonas Brothers. We also put covers up on our YouTube channel of Demi Lovato songs, Jonas Brothers songs, and anything Disney. Talk about obsessed. Sad to say that duo does not exist anymore but we both pursued music careers as artists AND write about things other than the Jonas Brothers.’

One of the most soulful voices we’ve heard in a long time, Madi Rindge serves up the perfect blend of style, substance, and vocal prowess with her sweet, soaring tones and tendency to ake things just a little bit funky. Her tracks take just the right amount of hooks and melodies from indie, dance and pop genres, making her perfect for both dancefloor and the pop charts. For fans of: Selena Gomez, Bridgit Mendler, Gabrielle Aplin

B-Rad, drums, Ambiguous Culture: ‘The first band I was ever in was called the Blenders and it was a bunch of homies I knew growing up. The guitarist’s dad was a heavy musician and guitarist and he would coach us through rehearsal. We played all the songs the dad knew and liked to play so mainly Creedence, Cheap Trick, and blues jams. We fucking killed it for being 8-10 yrs old.’

Andre Sinatra, MC, Ambiguous Culture: ‘To be honest, this is probably my first band I’ve been in with this many people. But it is definitely not my first musical venture. Prior to teaming up with Ambiguous Culture this year, I had actually been performing as a solo rapper under my alias, Andre Sinatra, along with my good friend Josh (aka DJ M-O) for 2 years. I’d rap/sing and he’d spin the beats. Our relationship was very band-like. And for the most part, it was a lot of great and fun times I will never forget.’

If you’re sleeping on Ambiguous Culture, you’re missing some of the most impressive independent hip-hop out there right now. It’s melodious and syncopated, with sick flow and understated, yet tight-as-a-drum beats. Observant and pensive, this is hip-hop for the dreamers. For fans of: Asher Roth, The Cool Kids, Kid Cudi