The best of The Future of What, a weekly radio program about the music industry for insiders, outsiders, and outliers. I’ve spent 20 years in music, first as a drummer … Continue reading
Booking
A hidden world of better paying gigs
How to make money as a musician: listening audiences and guaranteed paychecks What’s a good-paying gig for you these days? I’m always amazed when local musicians in my area talk … Continue reading
The 3 things you should do right away when trying to “break into” a new music scene
Moving to a different town can be difficult enough, but it’s even more daunting if you’re a musician who wants to lay down some roots in a music scene that’s totally new to … Continue reading
6 keys to a good residency gig for musicians
Turning your residency into a fan ritual! Residency gigs — where you perform on a regular basis at the same venue — give you a great way to “stretch out” musically, build … Continue reading
Musician’s guide to touring Europe without a booking agent or label (Part 1)
[This article was written by guest contributor Brett Newski, an indie-pop songwriter who has toured extensively in Europe. Check out Brett’s online course called “How to Tour Europe without an … Continue reading
How to establish your band locally and move onto bigger gigs
There’s a lot of debate out there about whether or not a band should focus on getting established locally before trying their hand at regional, national, or even global notoriety. … Continue reading
Band Booking 101: approaching a venue
An interview with Lucan Wai of The Central & The Smiling Buddha (Part 1) [This article was written by Alex Andrews of Ten Kettles Inc. and originally appeared on their … Continue reading
Why bands should play two (or more) shows in the same town in the same week, and how venues can benefit from it
[This article was written by Cristof Ensslin, cellist and manager of The Wilhelm Brothers, a cello-infused folk rock band from Asheville NC.] Are you doing the booking for an indie … Continue reading
How to book a profitable gig at a venue that doesn’t have their act together
There are essentially three different types of music venues. The first type of venue is one that really knows what they’re doing. It’s managed by someone with good business sense, … Continue reading
Get it in writing: why your band should have a contract for bookings
When you’re booking a gig, you can negotiate anything you want over the phone or face-to-face, but you or the other person might easily forget something that was promised or … Continue reading