How To Promote Your Band

This is the second in a series of posts on starting a band. The first was How To Start A Band.

Having been in and out of bands through college and having blogged about the music world for the last 8 years, I’ve learned a lot about the ways of promoting a band, both proper and absolutely wrong. Once you’ve formed your band and have a few songs and performances under your belt, the next logical step is promoting your band. No one will know about your band if you don’t get the word out. People are not going to seek you out (at first). You have to seek them out and spread the word that the next greatest rock and roll band has arrived…and it’s yours!

The Proper Public Relations Company

First off, do not go it alone. So many bands make the mistake of wanting to be their own PR machine. There are endless reasons and arguments as to why they do this, but almost all of them are wrong. Yes, a PR company is going to cost some money, but the band will reap the rewards of that investment many times over. Beg, borrow, or steal the funds necessary to hire a PR company. It is a solid investment in your band, your dream, and your future. It also frees up your time to do what’s most important---create fantastic music that others want to listen to.

PR companies are important to the life blood of any band, but the finding the right PR company is the most important aspect of all. Vet your choices thoroughly. Has the company promoted bands similar to yours? Have they been in the industry for a while, or are they just starting out? Are you able to visit with them in person on a regular basis? Who do they promote to? How do they promote? All of these questions (and several more) are necessary asks prior to hiring a company. Ultimately, you don’t want to hire a PR company that is going to do a shotgun blast of your music to anyone that writes a blog or website. The Rock And Roll Guru gets several requests a week for MOVIE reviews. Have you ever read a movie review on The Rock And Roll Guru? Clearly that is a PR company that does not understand the market they are promoting to. Avoid these type of companies and make sure the company you do hire promotes your work to the proper outlets.

Sending Out Your Music

Even if you’ve taken on a PR company to promote your work, don’t be adverse to still doing some self-promotion. If you come across a website or a blog that you respect and want to submit your music to them, do so! I have become a huge promoter/fan of Watts because the band contacted me directly about reviewing their albums. And every band that reaches out to me directly gets pushed to the top of my review list. If a band takes the time to reach out to me directly, I give them higher consideration for a review.

Just don’t make the mistake of sending your music over and over and over again. If you send a request once and don’t hear back after a week or so, a follow up request is okay, but after that, leave it. The Rock And Roll Guru gets hundreds of requests per week, and I’m sure that larger sites/blogs get thousands. Someone has to sort through all of those requests, listen to the music, and determine if it is something worth reviewing for their medium. So be respectful and give the site some time to respond. And don’t be offended if you don’t hear back at all. It most likely means that your music wasn’t right for them.

Flyers, Advertising, and Social Media

When I was in bands (back when Aqua Net ruled the music scene), promotion was much more challenging than it is today. There was no internet. There was no social media. Word of mouth and paper flyers were all we had to go on. Free ads in the musician magazines helped as well, but our outlets were limited. That is just not the case in 2017. Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Craigslist, Snapchat, the list goes on and on. There are several social media outlets where one can promote their band, and your band should have an account for all of them. And it should be active! Post your upcoming gigs. Post pictures of your latest shows, or of the band recording their latest song. Post any and all positive reviews of your concerts and/or recordings. Your goal should to be post something daily to all of your social media accounts. In this instant age, going a week without posting is the same as announcing your retirement. Fans have moved on. Don’t let them forget about you! And respond to their tweets and comments. Retweet a cool tweet about your band. Post a cool Instagram pic to your Facebook page. Cross market all platforms and direct fans to follow your band on all outlets. And always encourage them to share. The internet age makes word of mouth move like lightning.

Have A Website

Nothing annoys me more than when I am reviewing an album for a band and they don’t have a website. How am I supposed to know who is in the band (or how to properly spell their name)? How am I supposed to know when their upcoming gigs are? And just like social media, in this day and age, having a website is easy and free. If your PR company doesn’t set one up for you (and they should, they are your PR company after all), set one up for yourself. And don’t rely on your Facebook page to be your website. That’s just lazy and shows a lack of commitment. Have a website and keep it current! Add all your upcoming gigs to the website under the “tour” section. Is there new music being released soon? Add that to your “music” section. If possible, have a song or two featured on your website. If someone stumbles across your page it would be good to have music for them to check out. They might become your biggest fan.

Live Performances

Nothing helps a band succeed more than live performances. Live concerts are the best way to promote your band as potential fans can hear what you sound like in the live setting. It also provides an opportunity for immediate excitement and bonding --- associating feelings of joy with your band. Performing as many shows as possible, wherever possible, is the mindset that every member of your band must have. And when you are just starting out, there is no gig that is beneath you. Little Joey’s 8^th birthday party? Play it! The local elks lodge annual member reunion? Play it! Open mic jams? Play them! Your band should strive to perform wherever and whenever they can.

There are countless bands that made their name, as well as a decent living, by constantly touring. When your band is just starting out, it is crucial to get your music in front of as many people as possible. The best way to do that is to play live. And don’t worry about the size of the audience to start. You never know who will become a fan, and that fan may tell two friends, who tell two friends, and so on. Before you know it, people will be lining up to see your shows.

Self-Promotion, Self-Promotion, Self-Promotion

There’s an old adage that states “no one cares about your money more than you.” That same adage needs to be true for your band. No one should care about your band more than you. Throw any and all humbleness out the window when it comes to self-promotion. That’s not to say you can be obnoxious, but you cannot be afraid to discuss your band – anywhere and with anyone. You never know who knows who and where a small conversation can take your career. And if you’re not comfortable and excited talking about your band, how do you expect others to be? You have to show your passion whenever the conversation of your band comes up. Anyone that is near you talking about music should know that you are in a band. If they don’t know at the start of the conversation, they definitely should know by the end of the conversation. And you should invite them to check out your next show as well. Friends, family, neighbors, co-workers, the mailman, the guy who sells you your morning coffee---they all should be aware of your band and your passion for your band.  

Confidence

There is nothing as important as confidence. If you don’t believe in your band and your music, no one else will either. You have to be your toughest critic, but you also have to be your biggest believer. You must have the confidence to talk about your band in the hopes that people will want to hear your music. Believe in yourself and know that the hard work you have put in will pay off. Have the confidence that your music is spectacular and everyone should want to hear it. Just don’t be cocky. I know that’s easier said than done and it’s a fine line to walk, but the masters do it with ease. Have the confidence to know that you can perform in front of 20 people as well as you can perform in front of 20,000. That type of confidence will take you and your band very far.

With the right amount of confidence, belief, and promotion your band could take off in no time. If you don’t get the word out though, no one will know about your band and you may as well stick to playing your garage. Be outgoing, surround yourself with the appropriate people, and do whatever it takes to promote the music. You are in a band and it is going to be the next greatest thing. Be sure to shout it from the rooftops. Your talent and dedication will take care of the rest. And if you tell them, they will come…in droves.

The Price Of A Concert: Breaking Down Where The Money Goes

We all have a tendency to balk when seeing the price of some concert tickets, especially for the larger tours. How on Earth can these performers justify their $100 - $250 ticket price? Don’t they realize that without the fans, they wouldn’t even have a job? And I will admit that I am the first one to scream about the cost of concert tickets, but I’ve recently given some thought to exactly where the money spent on concert tickets actually goes.

Below is a breakdown of who gets paid for putting on a concert. The band (or entertainer) takes a majority of the money, and rightfully so. They are the talent. They should be paid for entertaining us. However, there are many other people involved in producing a concert. They get paid as well. And that money all comes out of the sale of tickets.

Venue
Before anything happens on a tour, the venues have to be selected and confirmed. Doing that takes money. Most venues are paid up front, and they get paid whether the concert is successful or not. The average cost to rent an arena is around $20,000/night while the average cost to rent an amphitheater is around $10,000/night. Smaller clubs cost less, but their capacity is also less.

Promoter
The promoter takes a chunk of the ticket money, as they spend a lot up front. They also help determine the price of the tickets and how pricing will be structured. There are advertising costs that need to be compensated. Promoters have to recoup the cost of tour expenses, venue rentals, and anything else that may have been shelled out up front. They also take a nominal (or in some cases, not so nominal) fee for their services, ranging anywhere from 3% - 10% of the ticket cost.

Management
Every great band has a manager or a management company. They have to. Someone has to take care of the many affairs involved with a tour. From booking a hotel room, to checking the contract riders, to scheduling the tour bus, rides to and from the venue, and making sure the band has clean clothes, managers do a lot. And a good manager is worth his/her weight in ticket proceeds. The average manager takes between 10% - 15% of the ticket sales. Most of them earn it.

Road Crew
These guys work their asses off for the band and usually receive small wages in comparison to the amount of work that they do. Everything from lugging the equipment, to checking the guitars, drums, and microphones, to setting up the stage…it’s all covered by the road crew. Affectionately known as roadies, these men and women are the backbone of any touring band. The road crew is the gang that makes it all happen. While the band is responsible for providing the magic on stage, the roadies cover every little nuance to ensure that the band has all the tools they need to perform.

House Lights and Sound
These days, most shows, even the ones at small intimate venues, have a great light show. From different colored lights flooding the stage, to the house lights that reveal the audience, they are all operated by lighting masters. Sound engineers make sure that the band is hooked up to their speakers and on stage monitors. They verify that the sound is excellent and they stand in front of the soundboard for the entire concert, making constant small adjustments and improvements to ensure there is no feedback or change in sound quality. If the band sounds impeccable, it’s almost always due to the sound engineers who work the board.

Hotels
Even if you are in the world’s biggest band, hotels aren’t free. While some bands sleep on the tour bus, most bands prefer to stay in a hotel with some minor luxuries and a bed. Hotels in certain cities cost a lot of money, and it’s the band that has to pay for this. From the road crew to the assistants and everyone in between, hotels are needed and require cash.

Hospitality
Have you ever been backstage after a concert? If so, you may have noticed the nice spread of food that’s available to the band and crew after a show. This is all provided by a hospitality service. They take care of the menu, setting up the food, and making sure that there is a large variety of eats for the band to enjoy.

Transportation
From the tour bus to the big rigs that carry the equipment and the stage, transportation from city to city and town to town where the band is performing is required. Gas is extremely expensive these days, and the large vehicles use a lot of it. Some bands even fly from show to show on planes. That cost adds up and it’s all paid for out of the ticket sales money. As you can see, there are a lot of people other than the performers required to produce a concert.

The next time you see astronomical ticket prices, take a moment to think about where all this money goes. Why that doesn’t justify the insane prices (like $250 to sit on the floor), it does help explain where the money goes. Not all of it goes to the band or the concert promoter. A lot of it goes to the everyday men and women that are working hard to make sure you are entertained for the evening.

Comments are open. Feel free to post some.

Lower Your Prices, Dummies!

The future of overpriced concerts

I’ve been reading a recent trend in all the major music publications lately. Concert promoters are worried that the concert industry is going to take a huge hit in 2011. Based on the drop in overall ticket sales for 2010, cancelled tours by major acts, and the worry that gas prices are going to rise to over $5.00 a gallon, promoters are concerned that there won’t be enough fans in the seats this summer. Whether that ominous premonition comes true remains to be seen, but one thing is certain---fans are finally revolting against high ticket prices by sitting on their wallets.

There have been endless articles as to why overall ticket sales dropped last summer. I’ve read and heard everything from bad luck (like U2 being forced to cancel many tour dates when Bono had emergency back surgery), to poor scheduling, to lack of major talents touring, to not enough promotion for major events. What it all equals is a scramble to come up with a story and avoid the truth.

The truth is simple, even if major concert promoters want to turn a blind eye to it---the fans are tired of overpaying to see a concert. Let’s look at a tour that had no problem selling at all, the Dave Matthews Band. Now, some would argue that maybe their announcement to not tour in 2011 helped their ticket sales, but I disagree.

DMB have never had problems selling tickets to their shows. One of the main reasons for that is the fact that they keep their ticket prices reasonable. With the exception of tickets to the Citi Field concerts in New York City, the average DMB tickets were between $50 and $75. While that’s a tad on the high side, they are reasonably priced compared with other bands. Bon Jovi tickets cost between $150 and $300. That’s just too high. And while their concerts in the NY/NJ area are pretty much sold out, their concerts elsewhere have not sold as well.

Companies like Live Nation Entertainment and AEG are scratching their heads saying that they are not exactly sure what is causing the low ticket sales. They still think it’s due to the economy. And while the economy does play a small part in the lack of attendance, it is the price of the tickets that is the biggest reason fans are staying away. It’s hard to justify spending over $100 on a concert (and that’s before fees) no matter who the performer is. The hard working citizens that are the bread and butter of concert attendees simply cannot afford it. And yet, the concert promoters don’t see this.

You could blame the band and say that they should lower their ticket prices, but in the case of the big name acts (DMB, The Eagles, Nickelback, etc.) the bands have signed a contract with a concert promoter and have little to no say in what the prices for tickets are. That is why you are seeing some concert tickets going for as much as $250 per ticket.

The formula is simple, if you want more fans to buy tickets up front and if you don’t want to slash your ticket prices at the last moment in order to sell more seats, then lower your prices from the beginning. Rather than having a tiered system where some seats (and it’s always a low number) go for $30 - $40 and then the rest of the seats range from $75 - $225, have a one price system that is a median sum of the numbers. Fans are much more apt to pay $85/ticket with an equal chance to sit on the floor than they are to spend over $150. Springsteen does this with his stadium concerts and I’ve never seen him have trouble selling tickets.

To the concert promoters, I make this plea. Lower your ticket prices for just one tour and see what happens. If you truly care about how many people attend the concerts, rather than how many millions the tour makes, then try this experiment. Put on an affordable tour. You’d be amazed at how many people will show up.

What are your thoughts? Should the industry lower their ticket prices across the board, or is this just a matter of expected inflation, as most entertainment events have gone up in price over the last few years? Comments are open. Feel free to post some.

Friday's Rockin' Roundup - The Best of the Guru Edition

Happy Fourth Of July Holiday Weekend! Barbecues, softball tournaments, Yankees baseball, reading, and of course, music, are all on the docket for my long weekend. July makes it 18 months since I launched this little blog. I still enjoy writing it as much as I did the day it was released and I am still amazed at the response this blog gets. Thank you everyone who reads, comments, emails, and enjoys The Rock and Roll Guru. Without you, this blog would be nothing. It means a lot to me that you keep coming back to read more.

Since July marks the halfway point of the year, I thought it would be a good time to round up the best of The Guru – 2010 (so far). Here’s a list of what I think is my strongest work for 2010. Enjoy the 4th everyone!

The Live Nation Ticketmaster Merger
One of the worst things to happen to the music fan.

Who Sets The Price For Concert Tickets?
This is one of the posts that I am most proud of this year. A lot of work and research went into this article, but the hard work paid off. Many people have stopped to visit this post. That means a lot to me.

STILL the front-runner for best album of 2010
Doug Keith’s The Lucky Ones is one of the greatest albums I’ve ever heard. It could be album of the decade. The more I listen to it, the more I find to enjoy about it.

The time I met Clarence Clemons
It was an amazing experience and he is one of the nicest people I’ve ever met. I will always remember that night.

Discount Albums Online
As CDs are becoming more and more obsolete and people are ripping off the artists by stealing music online, some stores are countering. Sites like Amazon are offering full albums in MP3 format for $4.00 or less. Not too bad at all.

My trip with Stone to see Pop Evil and Charm City Devils
Stone is awesome. Charm City Devils were ok. Pop Evil was FANTASTIC! Stone left a huge fan.

The Loss of an Old Friend
Earlier in the year, I lost an old friend. Next weekend we will be having a bonfire in his honor. There are bound to be a lot of tears and shared memories and that’s all right. That’s how friends live on forever.

The Summer Tours
Wondering what tours are out there this summer? Look no further! Cousin Ryo did the work so you don’t have to.

Milli Vanilli 20 Years Later
Remembering Milli Vanilli … and a girl.

Who Sets The Prices For Concert Tickets

You would think that the band/performer set the price of tickets, but unfortunately that is no longer the case. Managers, promoters, venues, and ticketing agencies all have a hand in it now. It makes you miss the good old days of seeing your favorite band play at the local bar.

Recently I hopped online to price tickets for Dave Matthews Band. This summer I wanted to attend a lot of their shows as a way to play catch up since I got into the band so late. They were performing at several venues within a 3-hour drive from my house, so I figured why not do a road trip? I was excited by the idea of travelling to see the band play different venues and to see them in different settings. Then I saw the ticket prices.

$50 for lawn seats at most venues and between $70 - $80 for actual seats (all before fees). What the hell was that? That’s not Dave Matthews Band, they ALWAYS kept their prices low and affordable for fans. That made me start to wonder, just who is setting the ticket prices for these concerts? I can’t imagine DMB charging that much for their concert, when just a couple of years ago, their most expensive ticket was under $50. I wanted to know if I should get mad at the band or if there are other factors involved.

Guaranteed Payments
Lately, the big thing in the concert industry is signing a hot artist to exclusive rights. Concert promoters like Live Nation and AEG salivate at the opportunity to get a top name act to deal exclusively with them. Madonna, Nickelback, Jay-Z, U2, and other acts have all signed on for this. For the artists, it’s almost a no-brainer; they are guaranteed millions of dollars whether they sell out venues or not.

Unfortunately, for the fans, these exclusive contracts are not so great. Now the promoter gets to set the price on the tickets, the merchandise, and they get to determine where the concerts will be held. Granted, the band negotiates the ticket prices before signing the contract with the promoter, but every new contract sees ticket prices rising, meaning the promoters are winning the war.

Since each promoter has a lock on certain venues, it means that if a band like Nickleback is coming to your town, there is only one arena they are going to perform at. It also means that the good seats are going to cost quite a few dollars, and if the scalpers get a hold of them, you can almost double that price.

The Concert Promoter
The concert promoter may agree to a fixed payment with the musicians for their performance and then any money left after costs is theirs to keep. The promoter also covers the bands expenses for the concert (or the tour) and the only way they can recoup that cost is through the ticket sales.

The promoter promotes the artist to the venue to book the gig, then promotes the artist to the fans to get the tickets sold. Even big acts need to convince the venue that they will sell out and that it would be good for the venue to have them there.

Below is a quote I found online from a book about breaking into concert promotion (www.concertpromotions.net):

“It's easy to overlook that concerts are actually part of the same industry as weddings, conferences, conventions, and seminars. The event planning industry comprises all of these and more.”

While that is irritating and aggravating, it’s also true. Concert promotion is a business, and while we love our favorite artists and live for the chance to see them live in concert, the simple truth is that they are entertainers, just like actors/actresses, comedians, and other types of live entertainment. It is a business and a successful one at that.

However, it’s a double-edged sword. The bands don’t want to rip off their fans, but the more popular they become, the larger the venue they need to perform at. The larger the venue (and sub sequentially the tour) the more promoters are involved. They have to be, because they own exclusive negotiating rights with the venue.

The Tiered System
Unlike attending an up and coming (or on the way down) band at a local club like the Starland Ballroom, seeing a major act is not a one low price for all. If you want good seats expect to pay. If you want great seats expect to pay more. And then expect to pay the fees on top of that.

The recent phenomenon in the concert world is the tiered system. Promoters know that not all fans can afford to pay a high price for concert tickets (especially these days), so they came up with a tiered system where the better the seat, the higher the price. This can range from $25 on the low end (RE: nose bleed or lawn) to $250 for the best seats in the house, depending on the entertainer.

The Future Of Concerts
So, what does this all mean? It’s obvious that this practice isn’t going to change anytime soon. Bands need promoters to handle the preparation of their long tours, so they can focus on practicing and creating great music that the fans will love. Unfortunately, the promoters are getting greedier and greedier as each year passes. These big national promotion companies are like the health insurance industry or the bank industry – they see an opportunity for a lot of money and they exploit it. And just like the insurance industry and the banking industry, the customers are left footing the bill. There is no hope to seeing this change anytime in the near future. As bands get bigger and bigger, adding more and more fans, concert promoters are going to charge more for tickets. It’s an unfortunate truth to the new way of seeing concerts.
For me, this means going to more club shows and if there’s a band that I really want to see, I have to sit in the bad seats, or miss them completely. For Dave Matthews Band, I’m going to try and scrape together the cash to see one of their shows this summer, but the chance of me seeing multiple shows are slim to none. I can’t justify going into major debt just to see a band perform live, no matter how much I love them.

What are your thoughts? Comments are open. Feel free to post some.