On this page:
We have been listening to your feedback and are incorporating it into the next version of Back On Stage that we expect to launch in the first quarter of 2024. Today, we are very excited to share some snapshots of our new designs and let you in on some of the powerful new features that are currently being worked on by our development team.
These features will be made available to our Beta testers first, and once stable, everyone will be migrated to the improved system, free of charge. Many new features will be available to all "Leader" plan subscribers, and certain advanced features will be available on our "Leader Elite" plans. Visit our pricing page for details or look for the Leader Elite Feature labels throughout this article.
The booking creator has been completely reimagined. It's easier to use, much more beautiful and packed with new time-saving features.
Let's start at the beginning, when you fill out our event details form to create a booking and set up your schedule:
Event Details Form:
It's clean. It's robust. You can enter all your booking details in one place and be confident that you're not missing anything. It's packed with helpful tooltips to answer any questions you have along the way, and it's full of new features that we'll discuss below.
d. Your Custom Fields Will be Easier to Use:
All your custom fields now appear inside the "custom fields" area, without you having to "activate" them making it quick for you to fill them out, just like any other part of the event details form. You can drag and drop them into your preferred order too.
The questionnaire builder was rebuilt to make it easy and quick for you to build questionnaires flexibly. You can quickly add items (Field, Title or Text) to you form, in any order, and you can now make as many questionnaires as you need for any booking.
You can choose if your client will be required to answer specific questions or not.
You can now use your own custom fields inside questionnaires so that client answers can be mapped to tokens inside your contract templates and emails.
Now you can create as many questionnaires as you need for each booking. Maybe your first questionnaire gathers details for your quote, then a later one collects information for the contract. Last, maybe you send another, one month before the booking to gather song requests. Manage your client experience like a boss!
Automatic invoice generation from BOS has always been great, but it's getting a few awesome tweaks too. We've made several updates to how you (the admin) builds and interacts with invoices, but we've also change your client experience of invoices - but you'll read more about that in our "Client Portal" section below.
No need to go back to the event details form. Add services right here.
Now you can set a default message for your client invoices. Include your bank or payment information, a thank you message or whatever else your business needs.
c. Edit Invoice Number
You can now set your own invoice number sequence. If you need to comply with a specific number sequence or format in your jurisdiction, just set it up!
We've heard that you want your clients to sign the contract first, before your signature is applied. Our new contracts will do just that. Plus more!
When you send a contract to a client, we'll wait until the client has applied their signature before yours is applied. Many of you requested this feature, so we made it happen!
b. Type To Sign:
Not everyone likes signing with their mouse or finger. So we're adding a "type to sign" feature that will allow your clients to type their signature for a beautiful experience every time.
Of course, we'll keep our old "sign with your mouse" and "upload signature" options too.
The Book Roles page is crucial to every booking. It is where leaders set up the musician roster for each service and send gig offers to fill each role.
Many leaders told us they wanted more information about their musicians on this page so they could make better, more informed decisions about which musicians to send gig offers to.
They also wanted more details around gig offers being declined and/or expiring and the ability to add multiples of the same role to a roster...and a lot more.
We think you'll love how we have addressed all these wishes!
First we've rebuilt our algorithm for our auto-book feature, and added a new "Shotgun" feature as well. Let's take a look at how our 3 booking methods (auto-book, Shotgun and Manual) will work.
The old Auto-Book would approach each role on your roster in isolation, meaning that even if a member had already been sent an offer for the "Vocalist 1" role, they might still later receive an offer for the "Vocalist 2" role. This made things confusing for recipients and made BOS impractical for larger ensembles, like orchestras (where there might be 24 violin chairs, and each should be filled by a different musician, but from the same call list, for example).
The 'NEW' Auto-Book will remember who has already been sent a gig offer and it will skip sending offers to anyone on any call list, if they have already received an offer for that service.
Here's how it works:
We're very excited to announce "Shotgun", a completely new way to book your musicians in Back On Stage. Shotgun helps you book your members in a time crunch or when you want to offer gigs on a first come, first served basis.
Let's say your drummer calls in sic, a day before the gig. You need to fill the role ASAP...and Shotgun is just the solution.
Here's how it works:
You can still book members manually for any role. Here's how it works:
With Manual Book, no action is required on the part of the member being booked (i.e. they will not need to accept or decline).
Next, let's look at all the handy new data labels and insights that will be provided to Leaders on the Book Roles page. The Book Roles page, inside any booking, is where Leaders go to book members for gigs and review gig offer statuses. It's one of the most powerful and time-saving pages in our entire application and we rebuilt it with loads of handy tools to give Leaders the information they need, quickly and efficiently.
Within the member list for each role, a convenient dropdown menu appears next to each member's name, providing quick access to essential stats. This feature enables admins to make informed decisions when offering gigs. The stats encompass email and phone details, along with the current year's gig statistics, such as:
Before you send an offer, each role you add to the roster is in the "Ready" state. From here, you can rearrange your call list, edit rate amounts and see all these handy status labels for each musician:
TIP: You can hover over each label to see a tooltip with even more info about that label.
After you send a gig offer, and before it has been accepted, the role appears in the "Pending" state for you to monitor the status. We have more handy labels at this stage for you to see:
Once an offer is accepted, you can still see the results of all the Auto-Book or Shotgun gig offers with the labels mentioned above, but you'll now see an "Accepted" label next to the member who was booked.
Now, introducing the event summary, prominently placed within the booking creator. Your entire schedule is conveniently displayed, making it easy for you to stay informed.
The Booking Creator is the launch point for admins to dive in and view/edit all important aspects of a booking. So it made sense to make all the most important statistics, like questionnaire, invoice, contract and booked roles statuses easily visible.
The addition of the sidebar is also a game-changer for the booking creator – visible on all pages, whether you're creating a client questionnaire, sending a contract or invoice, or booking roles. It's a constant reference point, adding significant convenience. Plus, all your client information is right at your fingertips, with handy dropdowns and you even get a financial summary for quick access.
Introducing Board View – a revolutionary feature that transforms booking management into a seamless and intuitive experience. This cutting-edge addition provides users with a bird's-eye view through a clean and modern board format, streamlining the entire process.
By default, every card includes details like date, title, client, and venue. You'll find tags, status updates on questionnaires, tasks, invoices, contracts, expenses, and more – providing a comprehensive overview. Each column in the Board View provides a handy financial snapshot, offering a more business-centric perspective.
One standout feature is the retractable sidebar, allowing you to pull it out and access the booking creator or gig sheet directly from the Board View.
Need to broadcast a message to every member of your team or have a conversation with select individuals? Just like Whatsapp, you can create group chats and conveniently add members. Search for members based on their name or their role (instrument).
This will be a game changer for how your team communicates. Need to talk about new songs or work out vocal harmonies? That's just the beginning. Add attachments within the chat too and hash out whatever important topics your band needs to disucss.
With email templates, you can take any email message you send over and over again and turn it into a reusable document. From wherever you send emails to clients within Back On Stage, these powerful templates will allow you to use tokens to inject existing booking details so you can quickly send off personalized communications without breaking a sweat.
Although not designed yet at the time of this posting, you have reason to get excited about unlimited lead forms too!
Currently, each company in BOS gets one Lead From which allows them to collect lead data from their external website or by texting or email a live form link to any interested prospect. But we heard that you wanted to be able to track where leads were coming from in order to better segment them and personalize the auto-follow emails in different ways. With unlimited lead forms, you can do just that!
Now, you will be able to set up as many different lead forms as you like. Each one can have a different array of questions and lead to a different set of auto follow-up emails. We'll also give you more data fields at the lead stage so you can ask for more specific inquiry information from your prospect as well.
We heard you lout and clear - you want a 'pretty' client portal that reflects positively on your brand and is customizable to your brand image. Our beautifully redesigned client portal will make your clients confident to do business with you.
Thank you for taking the time to read through our update! We are thrilled to share our new look and all the exciting features we have been working on. We sincerely hope that you share in our enthusiasm and are just as excited as we are!
If you have any thoughts, comments, or questions about our new look and features, we would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave a comment below or reach out to us via chat. Your feedback is invaluable to us as we strive to create the best possible experience for our users.
Once again, thank you for your support and we look forward to continuing this journey together!
And if you're just checking out Back On Stage for the first time, check out our 30-day Free Trial here.
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Entertainment calendar apps are the solution for music venues and agents to manage their bookings in one centralized place. But what should you look for in one of these apps?
In this blog post, we will explore venue calendar management platforms and the features you need.
Technology plays a crucial role in calendar apps. It can streamline operations by handling functions and data across multiple venues. Managers can efficiently manage various venues from a single dashboard.
Entertainment calendar apps can easily schedule and promote shows, handle ticket sales, and track attendance. By integrating ticket sales data, venues can gain valuable insights into audience preferences, allowing them to optimize their strategies and refine their offerings.
Technology also enables venues to automate tasks like inventory management, staff scheduling, and food and beverage stock control. Integrating ticket sales data ensures that they are well-prepared for each event. Automation streamlines operations, reduces errors and labor costs. It also increases revenue and customer satisfaction.
Entertainment calendar apps have revolutionized the way live music venues operate. They can streamline various aspects of venue management, such as:
Now that we’ve covered the key features let’s take a closer look at some of the top entertainment calendar apps available:
1. Prism: Prism is an all-in-one solution for venues, promoters, and booking agencies. It combines the tools needed to manage live events into one automated system. It includes an intuitive, sharable calendar, view ticket sales, and access to all live event information from a single dashboard. The app allows you to generate offers and contracts and manage deposits and payments. It eliminates errors by doing all the calculations for you. Prism makes it easy to track revenue and expenses for every show. You’ll have all the financial data you need to stay profitable and ready for tax time. It’s an easy-to-use, comprehensive event management software designed by music professionals for the industry.
2. GigPlanner: GigPlanner is an online calendar. CRM and task manager for anyone in the live music industry. It offers an intuitive interface, robust artist and agent management features, and seamless ticketing integration. GigPlanner manages your schedule in one central hub and can automatically inform all members of the latest developments. It has advanced analytics and reporting capabilities to help venues track their performance.
3. EventMaster: EventMaster has features such as event scheduling, artist management, communication tools, and ticket-selling integration. EventMaster also provides customizable branding options and detailed analytics reports. It works well for live music events as well as other live events such as fundraisers, sports, corporate, and theater events.
We recommend that you check the details of each of these apps before deciding which is right for your business.
To understand the impact of entertainment calendar apps, let’s take a look at two real-life examples of music venues that have successfully implemented these apps:
The White Oak Music Hall: Houston’s White Oak Music Hall suffered tremendously during the COVID-19 shutdown. General Manager Luis Rivera decided to use the downtime to upgrade by incorporating the Prism.fm app. Since replacing spreadsheets with Prism, they have increased productivity by 100%. “Because we operate three venues, there’s a lot more to manage. Prism has reduced an hour of work down to 30 seconds,” Luis says.
The Fillmore: The Fillmore, a historic music venue in San Francisco, chose GigPlanner to manage their entertainment calendar. The app includes artist management capabilities and advanced analytics. It helped The Fillmore maintain a comprehensive database of artists and track event performances. Additionally, GigPlanner’s ticketing integration allowed them to provide a seamless ticket-purchasing experience for their patrons.
To make the most of an entertainment calendar app, here are some tips for successful implementation and usage:
Keep working with everyone to get comfortable with using your chosen app to gain the most benefits from it.
Bar and club event organization has never been easier with the latest venue calendar management and event scheduling tools. Throughout this blog, we have explored the various ways these apps can significantly impact and improve the organization of venues. By implementing these measures, venue owners and managers can streamline operations, boost customer experience, and become more profitable.
Additionally, the integration of technology solutions such as ticketing systems, digital signage, and contactless payment options can further enhance the overall organization of venues. These advancements not only provide convenience to customers but also streamline processes for staff, allowing them to focus on delivering exceptional experiences. Efficient operations lead to improved productivity, reduced costs, and increased customer loyalty. It is a win-win situation for all stakeholders involved.
Visit Back On Stage to try out the live band management features, share your feedback, and subscribe to our newsletter for more updates. Follow us on social media for the latest news and tips on managing live music events.
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Mileage tracking for musicians has become an essential tool for their financial management. Every mile covered translates to money spent. Travel expense tracking can lead to substantial savings by managing expenses, understanding their spending patterns, and maximizing tax deductions.
However, manual tracking can be tedious, time-consuming, and prone to errors. Mileage tracking apps for musicians automate the tracking process. Travel expense tracking or tax deduction apps make it hassle-free and accurate, allowing musicians to focus on what they do best - creating and performing music.
For musicians, every penny counts. The costs associated with instrument maintenance, studio time, promotion, and travel can quickly add up.
There are five excellent reasons why all musicians need a reliable expense tracking system.
Overall, expense tracking empowers musicians to manage their finances, secure funding, and make strategic financial decisions.
The less tax you pay, the more money in your pocket. Here are some tax benefits and deductions that musicians should always take advantage of:
It’s important to keep accurate records. Always consult with a tax professional to maximize deductions and stay compliant with the latest tax regulations. A tracking app will save tax professionals time preparing your taxes and cost you less.
By keeping track of their mileage, musicians can claim deductions for business-related travel expenses, significantly lowering their tax liability. It’s as simple as entering the mileage details on a notepad or laptop, like this sample:
Date |
Destination |
Purpose of Trip |
Mileage |
01/15/2022 |
Recording Studio |
Recording Session |
30 |
02/02/2022 |
Music Venue |
Gig Performance |
50 |
03/10/2022 |
Rehearsal Space |
Band Practice |
15 |
04/22/2022 |
Music Store |
Equipment Purchase |
10 |
05/05/2022 |
Songwriting Retreat |
Songwriting Workshop |
100 |
Musicians can add additional columns such as toll expenses, parking fees, or any other relevant costs to provide evidence of their business-related travel expenses. They need to keep all the receipts to back up the claims.
Using a chart to record tax deductions can significantly improve the process of tracking musician gig expenses. The downside is having to record everything manually. To be more organized and less forgetful, use a mileage tracking app.
They automate the process, eliminating the need for manual logging. This capability means musicians can focus more on their music and less on paperwork.
These apps use GPS technology to track every trip accurately. They automatically record the distance traveled, the date, and often the purpose of the trip. Most apps allow musicians to classify their trips as business or personal, which is mandatory for tax filing.
Moreover, mileage tracking apps generate comprehensive reports detailing every trip. Use these reports as proof of expenses during tax filing. This feature significantly simplifies the process of claiming tax deductions, ensuring musicians don’t miss out on any potential savings.
Let’s take a closer look at the features of these recommended mileage tracking apps for musicians.
1. MileIQ is a basic mileage tracking app. It automatically tracks and classifies every trip as business or personal. The app also provides detailed reports, which musicians can export for tax filing. You can customize MileIQ by adding location names to the integrated GPS maps and adding multiple vehicles.
2. Everlance stands out for its simple, intuitive interface. The app automatically tracks mileage and lets musicians classify their trips. It also tracks expenditures when synced with a credit card. Everlance can scan transactions to review and classify potential tax deductions and provides detailed reports in various formats.
3. TripLog offers comprehensive mileage tracking, logging every trip with precision. The app has a TripLog ACH feature, allowing direct deposit payments to drivers from within the TripLog dashboard. TripLog also offers additional features such as expense and fuel consumption tracking and route planning. It offers 6 ways to link to vehicles and mobile devices depending on the driver.
4. Hurdlr automatically tracks mileage and expenses. It links to your accounts to capture receipts and provide real-time tax estimates. Hurdlr provides detailed reports to use for tax filing, helping musicians stay on top of their taxes.
5. Stride is a free mileage tracker, perfect for musicians on a tight budget. You can log income and expenses automatically, and it will categorize each one with just a few taps. It will generate expense reports for tax time. It’s not as robust as the paid apps because you must remember to start tracking when you start driving. Otherwise, you can enter miles manually.
An automated mileage and expense tracker makes it easy to keep musician gig expenses organized.
While mileage tracking apps are beneficial, here are a few tips to help you make the most of these apps:
Does your app allow for manual entries? Does it start and stop automatically? Check the features to get the most out of your app.
Musicians who have adopted mileage tracking apps find them to be game-changers in managing their finances. Many musicians have shared how these apps have helped them save money, manage their expenses better, and reduce their tax liability.
A TripLog user says, “For those who only use their car for business, it also permits automatic start and stop tracking sensing movement of your car. Finally, it has excellent reporting capabilities for use in preparing income tax returns. Very pleased with this product!”
A Hurdlr user shares, “Hurdlr completely automates my business finances and organizes each expense into an identifiable category, so I am always in the loop with my finances.”
Here is one for MileIQ. “MileIQ runs in the background, automatically tracking my miles. After a drive, I get a notification to classify it as either a personal or business expense. When it comes time to prepare my mileage report, printing is easy, and the reports are clear. I even get a notification on my Apple watch and can classify it there.”
And for Everlast, this person remarked, “I find I keep track of more work trips with this. I used to have a pen and paper in the glove box of each vehicle for years. I finally switched over to a digital one and have found I keep track of more of my business trips. I use the free version, so it doesn’t auto-detect, but I manually have to start the trip. I won’t be going back to paper logs.”
These testimonials underscore the fact that mileage tracking apps for musicians can significantly simplify expense management and maximize tax deductions.
With the help of mileage tracking apps, musicians can keep a detailed record of their travel, manage their expenses better, plan their finances, and reduce their tax liability. These apps take the hassle out of expense tracking, enabling musicians to focus on their passion for creating music.
Don’t miss out on the financial advantages that mileage tracking apps can offer. The road to savings starts with effective mileage tracking, organizing your business expenses, and reducing your taxes. When it comes to managing the rest of your music business, visit Back On Stage to find the best music business management app.
]]>As a music bandleader, you know that time is money. The more time you spend on administrative tasks, the less time you have to focus on your passion: creating and performing music. While generic software might seem like a convenient solution for managing your live music business, it can end up costing you more.
Keep reading if you want to find out why using generic software wastes time and money. Additionally, we will provide insights on how you can optimize your operations using specialized software designed specifically for the live music industry.
When you manage a live band, there are dozens of things to worry about. Some of those administrative tasks are:
Band management is a 3-ring circus, and you’re the ringmaster. Unless you have a full-time assistant, everything falls on your shoulders. To get organized and automated, you’ll need the right software.
Let’s compare generic and specialized band management software to discover which solution best suits your needs.
Here are the differences between generic business software and specialized band management software.
Generic Business Software |
Specialized Band Management Software |
Designed to meet the needs of various business types. |
Tailored specifically to meet the needs of live music bands. |
Offers a wide range of features that may not be necessary for a music business. |
Has band-specific features such as gig scheduling, ticket sale tracking, and contract management. |
Does not integrate with music apps, such as music streaming and collaboration tools for musicians. |
Integrates with music streaming services and social media platforms, which is essential for bands to reach their audience. |
Initially, it may be less expensive, but you may need to purchase additional apps to gain the necessary functionality. |
Specialized software offers better value. It’s an all-in-one solution and scalable. |
It may require additional customization to meet the specific needs of a music business. |
Customized for the specific needs of the music business from the outset. |
Some benefits of band management software include having access to features exclusively designed for the music industry, such as gig scheduling, royalty tracking, and fan management. Additionally, you can customize it to fit your band’s needs.
For a detailed comparison, visit our blog, “The Top 5 Band Management Software Options.”
From managing the logistics of a live performance to ensuring that the audience has an unforgettable experience, there’s a lot to keep track of. That’s where purpose-built solutions come in. When you shop for a software solution, look for the following seven features to make your life easier and more profitable.
Band management software lets you communicate directly with musicians, clients, and team members. The app lets you share important information, such as schedules and setlists, with the band so everyone is on the same page. It lets you talk directly with clients about contracts and financing for better transparency. Timely communication reduces costly errors.
Your band members can access all the gig details anytime without distracting back-and-forth chats and emails.
One of the biggest benefits of a quality band management app is it reduces the time to book musicians for gigs. The app should let you create custom call lists to send gig offers to the appropriate musicians in just a few clicks.
Do you know how it can take forever to hear back from musicians when you’re trying to book them for a gig? With an automated system, it’s much faster because the musicians already have all the engagement details. Plus, they keep getting automatic reminders until they let you know whether they can make it. You don’t have to stop what you’re doing to round everyone up.
There is nothing worse than playing a long gig and not getting paid. It’s worse when the band members look to you to hand them their money. If you want to attract the best musicians, you must pay them on time!
Using an app that integrates an auto-pay feature means no more checks. You pay everyone in the band accurately with one click.
Each payout automatically generates an invoice on the musician’s behalf, so you don’t have to chase them for one. The system acts like a bookkeeper, recording each payout inside the booking it belongs to. You’ll always know who did or didn’t get paid.
Band management software, such as Back On Stage (BOS), can automate the payment process by allowing electronic payments and charging individual transaction fees. Enabling the “Tip” option on client invoices recoups the transaction fees. Additionally, the software can integrate with payment platforms such as PayPal to simplify the payment process.
By automating these payment processes, band management software builds confidence between the musicians and the band leader.
When it comes to contracts, film producer Samuel Goldwyn said it best. “A verbal contract isn’t worth the paper it’s written on.” If a venue owner has ever screwed you, you know that’s a true statement.
Be sure the music management app you buy has a rock-solid contract generator with e-signature capability. It outlines the terms and conditions, such as payment, deposits, compensation terms, technical requirements, the scope of performance, date, and time.
Having a professional contract shows everyone you are serious about your business. A contract protects both parties from disputes and disagreements. You can customize, sign and send contracts as fast as an email. Clients can use a portal to sign the contract and seal the deal quickly. No more expensive couriers or “it’s in the mail” excuses.
Band management software can generate invoices automatically by pulling data from the booking details and client information. The software typically includes an invoice generator tool that allows users to input the necessary details, such as the date of the gig, services provided, and the total amount due. It should integrate with commercial payment methods like PayPal and credit cards. The software can then calculate the tax, discounts, and other charges. It generates a professional-looking invoice you can send directly to the client.
Make sure the app you buy lets you customize the invoice with your band’s logo for a professional image.
Another challenging task of band management is creating setlists for their gigs, rehearsals, and performances. Old school band leaders needed a sheet music file for each band member. Thankfully, the digital age has simplified music management.
Today’s apps let you download PDFs, MP3s, or other audio formats. Building a set list is fast, and rearranging titles is easy as drag and drop. The greatest advantage is the ability to share the list with your bandmates on the fly. The software can also help organize songs, handle MIDI program changes for multiple instruments, and manage backing tracks.
Have you ever lost a lead or a gig because you couldn’t find the person’s information? If you have a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tool built into your music business management platform, client information won’t drop through the cracks anymore.
Band management software, such as Back On Stage, can assist you in managing and converting leads into bookings by streamlining the backend of your music business. The software can automate follow-up emails, allowing personalized messaging and quick response times. It can also manage schedules, contacts, and contracts. Additionally, the platform offers customizable lead forms and templates for personalized messages.
When choosing an app to help you manage your live music business, look for software with a proven track record of success. Additionally, read reviews from other users and test the software before making a final decision.
The inefficiencies of generic software can cost you jobs, credibility, and band members. Specialized music software, like Back On Stage, is explicitly designed for the live music industry. It has been proven to help you to organize and simplify your music business and reduce errors. Using specialized software saves time, reduces costs, and increases your revenue. Take control of your band’s success with Back On Stage!
]]>Are you a talented musician wondering if it's possible to turn your passion into a sustainable profession? Well, we'll be taking a deep dive into one of the most common ways that musicians make money and sharing valuable insights to help aspiring musicians like you navigate their path to success through what we call live music service businesses.
Before we further explore the topic, I wanted to share something interesting I came across while researching for this video. I found a great article called, "18 Ways to Make Money as a Jazz Musician", on LearnJazzStandards.com. It provides a lot of cool ideas on how to approach different aspects of the business. I recommend checking it out for more inspiration. While there are many ideas in the article, today we will focus on starting a band and what jazz musicians refer to as "pop gigs."
On this page:
Let's take a look into the topic at hand: live music service businesses.
To begin, let's define the live music services industry. In our view, the music industry can be divided into two main camps: the live music service industry and original music artists.
The live music service business involves individuals or groups providing entertainment for hire, often performing well-known songs at events, weddings, restaurants, pubs, clubs, lounges, and similar venues. It includes a single contractual relationship with usually one client. They hire you to perform for a specific period of time, and once the job is done, you receive payment and go home. That's a very different perspective from a business model standpoint.
Original music artists perform their own original music. Examples include Ed Sheeran and Bruno Mars. They go on tours, sell merchandise, and do everything they can to gather as many fans as possible. It's all about building a dedicated fanbase.
Our focus is on the live music service business. This industry consists of individuals and businesses that provide services for hire within the music industry. They often perform well-known songs at various venues, such as events, weddings, restaurants, and clubs. This model, where musicians play other people's music, has been around for a long time and is considered one of the oldest and most established ways to make a living as a musician.
If we look back to the days of Mozart, when musical instruments were first organized into large groups, we can see the roots of this approach. There was really only one composer and then you'd have 70 people playing the same piece of music who are all just musicians.
In the music industry, I find that we kind of have this notion where you tell someone you're a musician or you're in a band, and they immediately think, “Oh, well, this person is really creative. It's all they do every day as they show up and they're just 110% creative”. The reality is, that's not the reality for most musicians and that's totally okay.
You don't have to be an overwhelmingly creative force to be a musician. Consider any other profession out there. For example, bankers aren't expected to arrive at work every day and completely revolutionize the industry with their innovative spreadsheets or dreamt-up mortgage manuals. Instead, they follow established procedures and apply the knowledge they acquired through education. Many musicians operate in a similar manner.
You can achieve success as a musician by performing other people's music without ever composing a single note of your own, and that's perfectly acceptable.
That's precisely what we're discussing today, and I can speak from personal experience on this matter.
Back in 2009, I took the initiative to start my own band. It was a group of ten friends who came together to play music, and we had an ambitious plan. Like many bands, our initial goal was to become rich and famous by playing our own music and touring the world. We decided to start by playing in casinos, thinking it would be a lucrative opportunity. Even though we discovered that playing in casinos didn't yield as much money as we had hoped, we remained determined.
As we played in casinos, we simultaneously worked on our original music, aiming to have a complete set ready for touring. However, our plans for instant fame and fortune didn't materialize. Instead, we found ourselves performing at weddings, which turned out to be a lot of fun. This led to more wedding gigs and eventually established us as a regular house band at a local bar. We were thoroughly enjoying playing music together, even though we weren't focused on songwriting.
Fast forward ten years, and our journey had transformed us into a full-fledged entertainment company. We have expanded our offerings to include various options for bands and musicians. In addition to that, we now provide photo booths, production services, and sound and lighting services. Our company has grown into a significant entity capable of offering a wide range of services. Surprisingly, we haven't ventured into creating original material, but we have utilized our creative skills in many other ways. As you can see, building a business requires a great deal of creativity. That's our story in a nutshell.
Playing other people's music offers several advantages. One of them is that you don't have to engage in extensive travel and touring. Not everyone is suited for a life on the road, constantly changing beds, hotels, and time zones can take a toll on your body. It can be especially challenging if you have a family that you need to be away from for extended periods of three or four months in a year. This lifestyle is not for everyone.
In the service industry, playing other people's music provides a more predictable income and regular paychecks. By staying local, you can take advantage of year-round events and the constant presence of open restaurants. In contrast, relying solely on touring for three or four months a year and hoping for the best during the rest of the time can be tough. While it may not lead to riches and fame, it is possible to make a decent living through this approach.
Another fascinating benefit is that learning hit songs, which becomes a significant part of this side of the industry, offers valuable insights into music. When you're tasked with transcribing your own part for a gig or responsible for creating charts and transcribing the entire song for the band, you gain extensive knowledge. It's akin to returning to school, as you delve deep into these tunes, unraveling their intricacies, and understanding their composition. This process can greatly inform you as a songwriter and musician, should you choose to pursue that path in the future.
Once again, we return to the topic of exploring avenues to make money in the music industry, particularly through the concept of starting a live music service business.
So, what exactly do we mean by "live music services"? These can encompass various types of musical groups, such as cover bands, tribute bands, string ensembles, or bands with a specific purpose or theme. I strongly encourage using the term "service" when discussing these offerings. Let me explain why.
Imagine you're reaching out to a company to inquire about booking a band for their Christmas party. If you introduce yourself as a member of the John Smith Band and ask if they hire or need a band for their event, the word "band" can be quite generic. Each person has their own internal perception of what a band represents to them. The person you're speaking to on the phone might envision a casual scenario where friends gather in a basement every Tuesday night, jamming tunes, having fun, and occasionally playing gigs for friends. It's an informal, recreational activity that doesn't resemble a professional business.
When you identify yourself as a band, that person automatically applies their preconceived notion of what a band is to your situation. As a result, this misalignment hinders your professional presentation. You want to portray yourself as a dedicated and reliable entity that can deliver a professional service tailored to their needs.
It's crucial to emphasize the service aspect of your musical offering. By positioning yourself as a live music service business, you convey the professionalism, expertise, and commitment to providing a tailored experience for your clients. This distinction sets you apart and ensures that potential clients perceive you as a reliable and capable provider.
Using the term "band" alone doesn't effectively communicate this. Using the term, “live music service”, gives you the opportunity to define the term for them as it’s not widely used… yet.
This becomes a huge advantage because you can offer different types of services such as a 10-piece dance band, photo booths, sound production and lighting, etc… You’re able to emphasize that your services aren’t limited to music-related activities, but other activities as well like speeches.
Your services become more valuable as you become a big asset for them, and this can lead to more bookings because your company can rank higher on their list of suppliers. So, the same client might call you when they require your services again in the future.
Identifying as a business also highlights your adaptability. You can listen to your clients and provide whatever they need. For example, if you’re talking to a wedding couple and they want to hire a band for their reception and they want a string ensemble for their ceremony, you’re able to say, “Oh, well, you know what? We have a string ensemble in our company. I will book that for you”. Meanwhile, you can go to your friend who you know runs the string ensemble and get them the gig. Obviously, you also reap the benefits by taking your cut in the middle as the agent or the booker for that gig.
That’s essentially how this industry works - you’re able to conglomerate all the services from all the individuals you know and sell them however you need to. If this isn’t your cup of tea, however, you can always join one of these bands or music ensembles! There are tons of clients out there just looking for an event entertainment cover band, etc.
Doing entertainment-for-hire is a very purpose-driven market, so you need to think about the spaces you’re trying to get involved with such as wedding ceremonies, cocktail hours, etc. Another aspect to think about is the type of music that is best-suited for that environment.
In summary, highlighting your role as a live music service business, rather than simply referring to yourself as a band, helps you present a more professional image and increases your chances of success in securing bookings.
The next thing I want to discuss is one of the most important things you can do as a musician: think about what you need in order to make a living.
We're talking about income now—how much can you make as a musician?
First, you need to figure out how much you need. Llet’s do a little mental math.
Let's say, for example, that the rent in your city is $1,000 a month. That's $12,000 a year. As a general rule of thumb, your living expenses should not exceed 30% or a third of your income. So, if you're spending $12,000 a year on rent, you need to make at least $36,000 a year to get by.
Let's use that as a starting point. From there, you can work backwards and ask yourself, “How many gigs do I need to make up that income?”.
I can tell you that in this industry, for live music services, you're probably going to make anywhere from three to $600 on average for a gig. Typically, these are all-day gigs. You have to show up in the afternoon, do a soundcheck, maybe there's dinner, and then you perform all night. It is a long time commitment, but you are compensated fairly well for it.
For example, if I open up my calendar here, let's say I wanted to make $36,000 a year again. That's a question you've got to ask yourself and figure out what you need to be comfortable with. If I was going to divide that by the average amount a musician makes at one of these gigs, which is around $400, that gives me 90 gigs. So, I would need to be able to do 90 gigs a year to make my minimum income. That's a lot of gigs. It's about once every four days you've got to be doing a gig.
Hence, you need to ask yourself, "Is this realistic in your city? Is there enough work to be able to do that?" Of course, I would also recommend not putting all your eggs in one basket as a musician. If you're just going to bank on performing your entire income, it's probably going to be tough for you to branch out. Again, read that article I mentioned upfront. There are lots of good ideas in there for other things you can do to spread things out. But once you've figured that out, you're good to go.
I also wanted to share some statistics.
For this statistic, it comes from the USA census data, making it fairly accurate. They say musicians make, on average, $42,000 a year. However, it's important to note that this may not be the most precise number in the world since there is a wide range of incomes within the profession. Many musicians treat music as a side hustle while having a full-time job or engaging in several other activities.
Consequently, when it's time to report taxes, not all musicians categorize themselves as musicians on their tax forms. They might identify as servers, bankers, accountants, or other professions, with music being their side hustle.
Unfortunately, census data doesn't capture this aspect comprehensively because, as I mentioned, most people don't identify themselves solely as musicians. So, I would advise to take this information with a grain of salt. Use it as needed, but keep in mind the limitations of the US Census data.
Here on Back On Stage, we've got a ton of these live music service businesses using our software namely bands, DJs, larger entertainment companies, and so on. We took an average of what these live music service businesses make in a year, and it came around to $150,000. Keep in mind that there’s a considerable amount of range with these numbers; some companies make $30,000 to $50,000 a year while some make $1,000,000 to $2,000,000. The range is quite broad, offering ample opportunities for both substantial success and a more casual, background involvement. There are numerous options available to you in this field.
The key takeaway I want to emphasize is that starting your own live music service business can be a fantastic way to make a living.
If you're going to be the owner or leader of this group, you can earn a substantial amount of money. As a starting point, you can charge $1000 or more per gig because of the extensive work you'll be doing, and you deserve to be compensated accordingly. However, you'll have to wear multiple hats as the owner. This is because you'll be the booker, the contractor, the musician, the CEO, and even an arranger, providing custom arrangements for gigs. You'll be responsible for curating the band's entire music library.
Additionally, you can take on roles such as learning sound engineering and lighting. You’ll also need to handle bookkeeping, accounting, and manage your social media presence such as promotional materials, generating content, and video editing. People need to see you in action before they book you, so you'll need compelling videos with excellent audio. All of these tasks require time and effort, and if you handle them in-house, be sure to pay yourself for your work.
On a personal note, I've personally taught myself these skills over the years, and it has become a lucrative side hustle for me.
The main point here is that you can certainly do well!
Recalling our previous example, if you aim to make $30,000 a year, it becomes much easier to reach that goal if you're able to secure gigs that pay $1,000 each. Now, you only need to do 36 gigs a year instead of 100 to meet your minimum income goal! As a musician, you will frequently find yourself wearing different hats. The key is to avoid wasting your time chasing after countless bookings.
From the Back On Stage data, we found that the average booking time for a band is around 3 hours. This consists of all the administrative tasks that are required in order to manage and secure a booking. These tasks include chasing your musicians around, doing the contracts and invoices with your clients, getting signatures, capturing payments, musician payouts, building a setlist, and more. It’s a very time-consuming effort which converts to a huge expense on your end by the end of the year.
Therefore, it’s important to be very mindful of how you’re spending your time. To help mitigate this challenge, invest in tools like Back On Stage to help you seamlessly manage your bookings.
Here's one of our example clients:
Previously, they used to spend approximately three hours per gig to set things up and organize their schedule. However, when they started using Back On Stage, they have managed to reduce this time to just about 15 minutes per gig. Prior to using the software, they were wasting nearly 300 administrative hours each year, which was a significant undertaking. With Back On Stage, they now save more than two and a half hours per gig.
Considering their calendar consisted of around 116 gigs last year and estimating an administrative cost of approximately $30 per hour, this previously resulted in an additional expense of $9,000 by the end of the year.
Therefore, it is crucial to carefully consider how you invest your time, as it holds great importance.
The final concept I want to address is the types of gigs that you can potentially get when entering into the live music service business space.
This is only the starting point, and the possibilities aren’t limited to these gigs. However, events like weddings are fantastic and could be very lucrative. The only caveat about wedding events is that they’re often seasonal with most weddings and outdoor events occurring in the summertime.
Corporate events can also be highly lucrative, though it's important to note that these clients can be quite selective and usually expect timely communication. So, it's crucial to stay on top of your game in that regard.
Other opportunities could also provide gig possibilities including private events, military events, government events, care homes, senior homes, and even occasions like birthday parties or Bar and Bat Mitzvahs. While it's relatively rare for this type of music ensemble, there is a possibility of getting hired for studio sessions, depending on your connections.
Festivals present an interesting prospect – It's highly unlikely for music festivals like Coachella to hire cover bands specifically, as it doesn't align with their brand. However, if you can find festivals that aren't primarily focused on music, such as harvest festivals or county fairs, where music serves to enhance the overall experience, they often seek well-known music acts like yours to entertain their crowds.
Similarly, smaller venues like clubs, pubs, bars, restaurants, lounges, hotels, and casinos heavily rely on the live music services industry. They seek music that guarantees to keep their patrons engaged, enjoying themselves, and participating in activities like drinking and dancing. It's essential to provide purpose-driven music that caters to that market. All of these options are available for you to explore.
I hope this helped you to kind of wrap your brain around the live music services industry and if that might be something you want to pursue as a musician or as a music company!
]]>Introduction
Are you tired of losing a significant chunk of your music gig revenue to credit card fees? In this blog post, we'll explore some ingenious strategies and money-saving hacks that can help you sidestep those fees and keep more of your hard-earned money in your pocket.
So, let's dive right in!
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Imagine visiting a grocery store, loading up your cart with items, and heading to the checkout. As you prepare to pay with your credit card, the cashier drops a bombshell, "That'll be an additional $30 for using a credit card."
Surprising, frustrating, and downright awkward, right?
Just as you wouldn't appreciate such unexpected fees, your customers deserve the same consideration. Credit card fees should never be a surprise to them.
Being part of a band is an exciting experience, but it also comes with a lot of challenges. In fact, one of the top struggles for 67% of bands is communication.
Coordinating calendars, booking and hiring musicians, sharing setlists, scheduling, and keeping everyone informed can be overwhelming, especially when bandleaders have other jobs on top of their bandleading.
This article will explore how to solve these communication issues and how Back On Stage App can help live music service companies, such as bands, musicians, DJs, and music ensembles, to organize their business.
Starting a band is exciting, but without proper communication, it can easily fall apart.
The most common issue that bands face is having scattered communication, with details and information spread out all over the place. Bandleaders usually have to juggle multiple tasks and coordinate with different members, making it hard to keep track of everything effectively.
Even simple things like sharing gig information, coordinating schedules, booking musicians, and keeping everyone informed can become a challenge.
Among the biggest challenges of band communication is setting up a shared calendar. It can be a hassle to coordinate different schedules and availability, especially when everyone has different commitments.
It's also hard to track everyone's availability and keep everyone informed of gig details. When it comes to sharing files and setlists, it's challenging to keep everything organized and up-to-date.
The key to solving communication issues in a band is to have a central location where all members can communicate and share information. This can be achieved by using software that lets everyone communicate and collaborate in one place.
One such solution is Back On Stage App, which provides tools that let bandleaders communicate efficiently with their teams, share files, setlists, gig details, and more, all in one place.
When using a solution like Back On Stage App, bandleaders don't have to worry about scattered communication or missing out on important details. Everything is organized and accessible, making it easy to coordinate schedules, book musicians, share files, and keep everyone informed.
The app also takes schedule coordination to the next level by automating gig offers and musician bookings, making scheduling your band for rehearsals and gigs a breeze.
Back On Stage App is an all-in-one booking and business management software that streamlines the back-end of a music business, including schedules, setlists, communication, contacts, payments, finances, and more.
By using the app, bands can increase their booking capacity by over 500% in just 1-2 months.
One of the main benefits of Back On Stage App is its ability to help bandleaders communicate efficiently with their team. The app comes with a messaging system that lets everyone stay connected, share files, setlists, and gig details.
Each band member can subscribe to a Google calendar feed which pushes all their gigs into their Google calendar.
Another benefit is that the app is easy to use, making it accessible to everyone on the team. Bandleaders don't have to worry about spending hours training everyone on how to use the software. The app is also accessible on desktop and mobile devices, making it easy to stay connected on the go.
Lastly, Back On Stage App comes with a PayPal integration that makes paying everyone after a gig easy. Bandleaders don't have to worry about scrambling to pay everyone after the gig, as the app will automatically take care of everything.
Communication issues can be a significant challenge for any band, but with the right tools, it can be solved. Back On Stage App provides bands with an all-in-one booking and business management software that streamlines communication, scheduling, file sharing, and payment processing.
By using the app, bands can increase their booking capacity by over 500% in just 1-2 months. So, if you're struggling with band communication, consider using Back On Stage App to help organize your business and streamline your communication efforts.
]]>If you are a blue-collar musician, DJ, or band, you might be struggling to find quality gig leads through your website. Luckily, there are some tips that can help you generate more quality leads and turn them into bookings.
In this blog post, we'll share five tips for generating better gig leads through your website. But before that, let's introduce you to Back On Stage.
Who are we?
Back On Stage is a web platform built specifically for blue-collar musicians, bands, and DJs who want an alternative to messy spreadsheets, email chains, and text threads. We're a live music booking software that helps you generate revenue and gig more by combining lead generation, client follow-ups, invoicing, contracts, income tracking, scheduling, payouts, setlists, and more into one easy-to-use app.
With Back On Stage, you can manage your gigs and bookings without breaking a sweat.
Check out what you've been missing in our 2-minute demo.
Now, let's dive into the five tips for generating quality gig leads through your website:
It might seem obvious, but having a lead form on your website is crucial to generating quality gig leads. Many websites only provide an email address, which can create problems for both you and your clients. Spambots can easily target email addresses, making it difficult for you to distinguish between real and spam inquiries. Plus, clients have to go through the extra effort of copying your email address and composing a new email message. This creates unnecessary friction in the sales process and can cause potential clients to lose interest.
Instead, include a simple contact form on your website. If you're using website builders like Wix or Shopify, you can easily add a contact form to your website.
Back On Stage app also provides a contact form (pictured above) that you can easily embed on your website and collect leads that way. It's super easy to build and integrate.
Learn more about lead forms from Back On Stage.
When creating your contact form, don't ask for too much information. You need to collect basic client and event details like:
Asking for information like the number of guests expected, band size, or a rough budget might be overwhelming for potential clients. They might not have all the details planned out yet, and this can cause them to lose interest or skip inquiring with your band altogether.
Here's a sample form with too many questions (in our opinion):
Instead, keep your contact form simple by asking for basic information like name, email address, phone number, and event location. You can always ask for more information later in the sales process.
Including a CAPTCHA box proving human verification is important because it is a security measure that helps protect websites and online services from automated attacks, spam, and bots. CAPTCHA challenges are designed to be easy for humans to solve, but difficult or impossible for bots to pass.
By requiring users to complete a CAPTCHA challenge, you can verify that the user is a human and not a bot trying to perform automated activities, such as scraping data, creating fake accounts, or spreading malicious content.
This helps prevent spam submissions on your form, which is important because if your form produces too much spam for your email inbox, you'll start to miss the real gig leads when they come in!
Testing out forms on a website is important for a few reasons:
Back On Stage app includes a ready-made lead form that you can customize and embed on your website (pictured above in Tip #1). When a lead submits the form, you'll get notified right away and you can opt to have an automated email sequence begin following up with your client immediately.
Following up with potential clients is essential for turning leads into bookings. Once someone submits a lead form on your website, make sure to follow up with them in a timely manner. (We recommend you follow up within 10-20 minutes).
You can send them an email or give them a call to introduce yourself and answer any questions they might have. Be sure to thank them for their interest and offer to provide more information if they need it.
Again, email follow-ups with your new clients can be automated inside Back On Stage app, so even if you're asleep, your client will get a response from you that looks like it was sent by a real human.
Follow this link If you'd like to learn more about how Back On Stage app helps you get more live music gigs using the lead form on your website.
Generating quality gig leads through your website requires a well-designed website, a simple and concise contact form, clear information about your services, search engine optimization, and following up with potential clients. Get all these components built properly and you're sure to build a steady flow of quality music gig leads from your band, musician or DJ website.
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So, you want to keep all your game details organized in one place to avoid the barrage of texts and emails on gig day. Or maybe your band members need help remembering you even have a gig in the first place.
Well, stick around because today, we are talking about the best-shared calendar app for wedding and event bands.
Now if you're new here to Back On Stage App, welcome.
We're a live music booking management software that lets you generate revenue and gig more by combining lead generation client follow-up invoices and contracts, income tracking musicians scheduling payouts, setlists, and so much more into one easy to use App. We are a web platform for blue-collar musicians, bands, and DJs who want an alternative to all the messy spreadsheets, email chains, and text threads that we're all so used to living on. Check out what you've been missing in our 2-minute demo.
Let’s get started and jump right into the Apple calendar app.
So as with all things Apple, we really love the design. It's nice and clean. But below, we have set up a sample gig to point out a few things.
Drawback #1: No Text Formatting
The first drawback is that event description inside Apple Calendar do not allow for any kind ot text formatting (bold, italics, underline, links etc).
This is a big drawback
Ideally, you would be able to bold some of this text, underline, or include links in the description, and Apple won't let you do any of that. When there are so many moving parts in any live music booking, having the ability to bold or underline various bits of information can make communicating with your team much easier.
Drawback #2: Calendar Invites
Calendar invites are clunky inside Apple calendar. The app doesn't send those out unless your mail app is open and running. And if you don’t use the mail app at all, invites are virtually useless.
In a test that we ran, we did not receive the invitation at all because Apple mail was not in use on our Mac, since we've switched everything over to Gmail recently. Not exactly the best case scenario for you when sending out gig offers to your bandmates!
Google calendar is a popular choice for many since it is free and also operating-system-agnositc. It’s a solid calendar with plenty of built-in team tools, but it also has a few drawbacks in the context of booking gigs with your band.
As you can see in the event description pictured above, it allows you to use bold, italics, and underlined text in your event descriptions, and you can even put links in the description too. Of course, you can add invitees to these events just like Apple calendar, but you will face the same challenges. Google Cal event invites don’t translate to other calendar apps smoothly in all cases.
For example, it the recipient doesn’t use Google calendar, often the invite is delivered as a .ics file which requires downloading and importing into the recipients calendar app. Responses often get mixed up, if they’re even delivered back to Google Cal at all, and god forbid you make any changes to the event…you’ll be back at square one re-sending all the event invites and hoping everyone is able to figure out how to add the new event to their calendar and replace the old one.
So, although we prefer Google Calendar over Apple cal for its improved event descriptions, we would not recommend using it as the solution for communicating all necessary gig details to your band.
We don't recommend Google or Apple calendar, and that is because both situations will lead you into a very dangerously messy communication situation. There are well over 200 data points with an average band booking for a 5-10 piece wedding or event band and you simply can’t fit all that into one of these calendars.
The back-and-forth communication to confirm people for gigs, sharing your set lists and attire information, and finer details like parking information, meal notes, who's on the gig, how much you're paying everybody…etc. There's no way you'll get this into a calendar app like Google or Apple.
Eventually, you’ll end up needing to create an email chain outside of the calendar, and then what's going to happen is your drummer will bail on the gig. Now you’ve got to get another drummer on board, and replace the old drummer in your painfully long email chain. Already, your sub drummer is frustrated and the whole band ends up confused and wasting their time hunting for gig details all over the place
So, what is the alternative?
Let’s take a look at a booking inside Back On Stage App. As you can see in the screenshot below, we’ve got all your important information in one place. Details like:
and so much more!
Each booking entry includes a tasks section with allows leaders to assign tasks to various members of the band.
Each booking also includes a ‘finances’ section which allows leaders to see exactly who is owed what for the gig and who has or has not been paid. There’s even an income and expenses section that gives you a profit and loss report showing money in from the client and money out to the musicians.
Back on stage will also automatically generate an invoice for each musician and mark this as paid once the gig is done and the leader has issued the gig payout.
Forget about trying to attach files to Google Calendar or Apple Calendar events. Sending your entire team over to Dropbox is clunky too.
But if you need to share stage plots, riders, load-in instructions, set lists, flight details, or anything else, the “Files” tab inside any booking is a central repository that anyone can access and it makes it super easy to share important documents with your team:
The worst set lists only tell musicians what songs are being played and in what order. Slightly better ones include the key. Even better ones include tempo markings.
But when have you ever seed a set list that also included links to reference recordings and videos, sheet music and notes from the bandleader?
All the information one would need in order to learn all the material leading up to the gig, is built right in to the set list. The set lists themselves are customizable so musicians can choose to hide or show various options like key, tempo and so on. And it’s easy to hit ‘print’ from your browser if anyone would like to take a hard copy to the gig.
How much does your client owe you? Did they pay a deposit? When is the balance due? Is their contract signed?
Keeping track of all that info in a Google or Apple calendar event would be a nightmare.
But in a booking within Back On Stage, there’s a client area that makes it easy to keep track of all these important client details, plus a whole lot more. Even email communications with your client can be handled directly inside a booking.
Good luck trying to get any of that into a Google or iCalendar situation; it's just not going to happen.
If you are a band or musician that's gigging once or twice a year, go ahead and use Google Calendar. It is probably going to work for you. But if you want to scale up your business and take your business to the next level, you really need to think about using tools that will allow you to scale and grow.
Although Google Calendar won’t allow you the flexibility and storage you need to keep all your music gig info in one place, it is still worth using as a calendar. It is widely used and it’s where many people keep track of their lives, so it won’t be going away any time soon.
That’s why Back On Stage made it easy to connect all your bookings within Back On Stage directly to your Google calendar. In fact, all your band members can subscribe to their booking calendar too so that anyone who wants it, can have all their gigs sync to their Google Calendar automatically.
Of course, many gig details don’t fit in Google Calendar, so that’s why each synced gig will contain a link that will direct you back to the gig page inside Back On Stage so anyone can click and see all the updated gig details anytime.
So, no. Don’t ditch Google altogether, but instead, use it in conjunction with Back On Stage.
The really great part about using Google Calendar in conjunction with your Back On Stage bookings is that within Google Calendar, you can set up notifications for your gigs, either via email or push notifications (requires Google Cal app).
Once subscribed to your Back On Stage calendar, navigate to your settings within Google Calendar and select your new Back On Stage calendar. Next, scroll down to “All-day event notifications” and add whatever notifications you desire.
Now, Google will email you or send push notifications at whatever intervals you wish, leading up to your gigs.
If you would like to check out Back On Stage app and learn more, you can book a demo with us or try our 30-day free trial.
]]>As a musician, your goal is to make money. The best way to do that is to focus on the most profitable gigs you can find. You might think this would require you to be famous, but it doesn't! What's more, you don't even need to look outside of your hometown in order to find these gigs. In fact, they're probably right in front of your nose: weddings and corporate events are great ways for professional musicians like yourself to make money without relying on fame alone. So if you're ready for an honest day's work as a musician—without having other people tell you what music is "good" or "bad"—keep reading!
Now that you have the facts, it's important to know what you're getting yourself into. This isn't going to be an easy road, but if you're willing to put in the work and make some sacrifices, then it can be rewarding.
First and foremost: You need to network like crazy. Like most industries, everything is about who you know. If no one knows who you are or why they should listen to your music, then it's going to be difficult for them to find out about it.
You'll also need to market yourself well enough so that people will want a piece of what you're selling (or at least try out what it sounds like).
Next up: Be prepared for anything! The more styles of music that a person can play proficiently on any instrument(s), the better off they will be in this industry because versatility is key when trying out gigs or playing live shows as part of an ensemble unit such as an orchestra or jazz band; even solo performers often include covers in their set lists because covers sell tickets!
If you're a musician looking for a side gig, consider playing at weddings. You don't need to be famous to make money, and there's a good chance that hiring musicians will be one of the first things people think of when planning a wedding.
You'll probably have to do some research in your area first to see how much the going rate is (or if there even IS an "going rate"), but this is something that can be done almost anywhere in the world. If you live near or travel around the country often enough and are able to secure gigs before leaving town on tour, then this could be an excellent way for you to bring in some extra cash every month or two!
Depending on where you live, wedding gigs can be quite seasonal, but they're generally much better pay than bar gigs.
There are many corporate events that include music, from company parties to retirement celebrations. You can also play at conventions, annual meetings, and more.
The upside of playing corporate events is that they often pay well. The downside is that you don't get much artistic freedom as the event organizers typically have a specific theme in mind for their party or meeting (think "80s", "retro", etc.)
Writing music for video games can be a lucrative gig because each game is different and you're writing music specifically for that game, so the publisher will pay you based on how popular the game is. This means that when a game becomes a hit, you'll make more money than someone who wrote music for something less popular (like an iPhone app).
The catch? Writing video game music means that it's usually not your own voice singing or rapping over the track. In fact, most developers hire singers to sing out their lyrics as they play through their games and listen to them—and there's no guarantee that these hired voices will add anything original or worthwhile to your song!
Ringtone composition is a growing industry. In fact, it's the fastest-growing medium of digital music sales in the United States and Canada. And while it's certainly not as lucrative as selling millions of records or downloads, composing ringtones can be highly profitable—and it doesn't require fame or a record contract.
There are two basic ways to make money composing ringtones: through royalties (which are paid by consumers who buy your song) and through licensing agreements with companies like Apple and Sprint (who want your music but don't want to shell out big bucks for it). If you're working on an original composition that you intend to release on CD at some point, then these royalties may not be worth pursuing; after all, if people love your songs enough to purchase them on iTunes or Amazon MP3, there's probably no reason why they won't pay for them in their digital form as well. However if what matters most here isn't so much whether or not people pay for their own enjoyment but rather how much money those same fans will be willing contribute towards supporting musicians financially through purchases like this one then that can definitely change things significantly!
One of the best ways to make a living is by joining an entertainment agency that can get you gigs at hotels, restaurants and bars. Agents take a commission, but if they get you enough work, it can be well worth it. They often have lucrative contracts with their clients who bring repeat business to the agency.
Often, you'll need to audition for an agency and bring your own promo materials, like photos, a bio, video demos and audio recordings (also known as a press or media kit). Make sure you come prepared!
Your music career is not a side job; it's a full-time (and sometimes more than full-time) venture. That means keeping track of your gigs, income and expenses is essential. If you're looking for an easy way to do this, Back On Stage is the app for you.
Back On Stage helps bands and musicians keep track of their booking details, income and expenses by giving you a simple workspace with all the tools you need. Never forget who still owes you money and be prepared with invoice and contract templates that make your business legit.
While it's true that there are some great revenue streams available to musicians, it's also important to be realistic about how much money you can make. If your goal is just to be able to pay rent and eat, then don't expect to quit your day job anytime soon. However, if you're willing to put in the time and effort required for a full-time music career—and have some luck on your side—then there's no reason why you shouldn't be able to make a decent living from what you love doing most: making music!
]]>According to entrepreneur.com, "approximately 20 percent of small businesses fail within the first year. By the end of the second year, 30 percent of businesses will have failed. By the end of the fifth year, about half will have failed. And by the end of the decade, only 30 percent of businesses will remain — a 70 percent failure rate."
So, I've got one question for you: Will your band be part of that 70%?
In case you were wondering, yes, your band is a "Small business". If your band makes, or plans to make more than $100K per year, it is advisable in most regions that you "incorporate" your band for tax purposes. You may also need a business licence, insurance, an accountant and many more requirements in place to grow your business successfully.
But if you're just a "bunch of guys doing what you love", then you don't really need to worry about any of that, right?
Wrong!
Unless you intend on never gigging and not selling your music or services at all, you need to have a plan in place for how you will scale your music project sustainably. In the great words of someone I don't remember, "If you don't plan where you're going, you're not going to get there." So let's plan!
Some say that the music business is 10% music and 90% business. So, having good business tools in place is essential for earning a living making music, which is what you really want, isn't it?
Ideally, your individual "music business" situation will involve a lot more than just 10% music (because you probably got into music for the love of playing and creating, not chasing emails all day), but without adequate systems to manage your business, you may spend so much too much time "in the trenches" and burn yourself out. And if you ignore the "business" and only make time for your music, that's a surefire path to financial ruin.
Let's talk about a few of the reasons that bands fail.
For the purpose of this article, we're going to focus on the business-level reasons, rather than the more subjective "art" side of things. It's probably obvious that your band will fail if you write terrible sounding songs or if your performance sucks. But since it's harder to write a guide on such subjective matter, we'll stick to some real actionable steps you can take to prevent business failure.
One of the main jobs of a CEO is to create and uphold a vision and prioritize this over the "daily grind".
As a bandleader or owner, it's not always possible to remove yourself from the daily grind (sending emails, managing contracts and invoices, bookkeeping etc), especially if you're a one-man team, but having a clear vision that you have written down and that you review on a weekly basis will really help.
As a band CEO, your vision might include goals and high-level company strategy. Goals could be things like:
Breaking those goals down into strategies and small achievable milestones is also one of your responsibilities.
Something that worked well for me as a bandleader was implementing a "weekly review" into my schedule. Each Monday morning, I review my company's vision so that I get my brain back into "high-level" mode for a bit. Then I ruminate on the components of the vision that are being worked on right now, or that should be worked on. From there, I devise a plan for the week with some small steps that I know are going to help me move toward my company vision.
Check out this video on "SMART" goals to become a pro at setting and achieving goals for your band:
SMART goals need to be:
If you want to grow your company and have more people than just yourself on the team (maybe this is already your situation), having a good routine in place for visioning and goal setting will be paramount to expanding your business. So give that "weekly review" a try and see what you think. I would also highly recommend the Getting Things Done methodology if you really want to kill it when it comes to clearing your brain clutter and achieving your goals.
In the perfect world, CEOs do very little of the "daily grind" work and are reserved mostly for the higher-level strategy execution. But as a band, which is an uber-small business, you may not have the luxury of removing yourself from the "daily grin" completely.
That's not to say you can't grow your business effectively. Just try to pay attention to how much time your spend on "the grind" and set up little "assessment" reminders for yourself - just a brief moment where you reflect on the time you've spent doing certain tasks and then ask yourself "was that activity really necessary", and then if yes "could I find a way to do that in less time?"
Just creating that space for you to check yourself could be a huge game changer for you that could quickly reveal gaps in your CEO style and provide you with some valuable areas for improvement!
It's easy to get lost in the daily grind of emails and business minutia. Before you know it, a month has gone by and you really have no idea what you accomplished over the last 30 days.
Without keeping track (measuring) of your progress in the important areas of your music business (ie: the parts of it that align with your company vision - see above), you're on a path to failure.
Measuring needs to be your new religion.
You may have heard it said that "What isn't measured, isn't managed." And as a CEO, your job is to move your vision forward...and the only way you'll know if you've actually moved forward is if you measured where you started so you can compare that measurement to where you are now.
So let's get measuring!
Remember "SMART" goals from above? Possibly the most important aspect of a SMART goal, is the "measurable" component.
You'll want to measure anything that is relevant to achieving goals that move you toward your company vision. So hopefully you got clearer on your company vision after our last step!
Your business may support some great causes or uphold meaningful values, but generally, the point of being in business is to make money. Otherwise, our government will call your musical endeavours a "hobby".
So assuming you want to stay in business, most of what you're going to be measuring has to do with money and marketing. But it could be said that successful marketing just begets more money, so really, we're just measuring money again.
So...
For demonstration, let's take a look at my sample goal from above:
GOAL: Increase annual profits to $75,000
For this goal to be measurable, I obviously need to have my bookkeeping in order. I need to be tracking my current income somehow and be able to measure that against my current expenses. To set this goal initially, I would need to know what my profits were last year so that I can judge if this goal is realistic.
That's a whole lot of number crunching. So if this goal is important to me, I'll need to be tracking my progress and checking in weekly or monthly to make sure I'm on course to meet the target. But how can I do that?
For this example, a tool like Back On Stage app would be great since it automatically calculates all my band's gig revenue and expenses in real time. It also makes it easy for me to see my last year's totals.
Back On Stage income & expenses widget displaying a comparison of last year's financial data compared to this yearIn the example screenshots above, you can see that Back On Stage has calculated my net profit for my last fiscal year to be $18,539. So my goal of $75,000 for this year might be a bit ambitious. I can see that my net profit for this fiscal year sits around $39,000, so I'm doing much better than last year, although I may still want to adjust my goal a bit to make it a little more attainable.
Since Back On Stage app was actually built for bands, it makes tracking income and expenses on a gig-by-gig basis really easy - something which is generally quite complex to set up in other accounting software. You can also track your overall company income and expenses, as seen above.
Money is the ultimate measure of how much your business is really growing, but there are plenty of moving parts involved in your sales and marketing that you should also be measuring, such as:
Ideally your website service provider can provide you with traffic stats on your website easily. Those numbers will really help you track the effectiveness of your internet marketing efforts. Most reputable website providers, like Shopify or Bandzoogle, give you easy-to-see stats on your website traffic.
Shopify Analytics DashboardIf you're looking for a great way to manage your email list, I'd highly recommend Drip. Not only can you easily collect, store and segment your fans and clients, but this app also tracks which of your website pages a person visits so you can create custom email sequences for them or trigger all sorts of automations. The stats you can pull from the data that Drip collects for you can make measuring your marketing growth very simple and exciting.
Example of filters being applied to your Drip email databaseThis relates back to our last two warnings: you need to be measuring your operating costs to know if they're too high, and they're likely only getting high in the first place if you're not running your band like a CEO.
When I was just starting out as a bandleader/owner, I was doing it for the love of music and because I loved spending time with my friends, performing all the music we enjoy so much. It was years before I started giving any thought to how much time it was taking me to organize every gig, deal with our clients and organize our music library. I just kept my head down in the trenches and plugged away.
Until one day...
I burnt out!
I was exhausted with replying to emails all day, updating our music library constantly and fussing with bookkeeping. I needed to find a better way, or I was going to quit.
While trying to do the best job I could to keep my operating costs low, I had subscribed to "free" apps and software wherever possible, almost never hired outside help (except for an accountant), and basically did everything myself. 'Cuz it's a DIY world, right?
Well, I had completely overlooked the fact that my time actually has a pretty high value...and so does my health.
I think this is a trap most bandleaders fall into - we work ourselves too hard and are so darn 'cheap' that we just can't stand the thought of buying the tools we actually need to succeed.
How much do you like to make at a gig?
$50 per set? $75? $100+?
Then, if your time spent gigging can earn you that much, why are you slaving away all by yourself doing boring tasks that an assistant could do for a fraction of the cost?
Well, okay. Maybe hiring an assistant is a bit of a steep investment for you right now, but there certainly are a bunch of apps that can help ease your load right?
I've put together a hugely popular post here on the top 30+ apps for bands. It's kinda crazy, and while I'd love for you to check it out and help boost my website rankings, I also don't really want you to waste your time.
Back On Stage app is the king of band apps - and it's not just because it's built by musicians, for musicians. But it ACTUALLY DELIVERS everything you will need to run your band in one package and at an affordable price.
But don't just take my word for it. Let's stack up the pile of apps you'd need to use if you wanted to build yourself a comparable option in your 'DIY' model.
17Hats CRM - $30/month
Your band needs client relationship management software to collect leads, communicate with clients, gather gig details with questionnaires and remind you to follow up. 17Hats can give you this, but it takes quite a bit of customization to make it work well for your band. Back On Stage includes these features, but since they're built with your band in mind, it works right out of the box.
BandHelper - $50/month
Your band will need a shared calendar where all your band members can access gig details 24/7 so you don't have to keep replying to those pesky "Where's the gig?" text messages. BandHelper was built for entry-level bands, but you will find it clunky and unable to meet your needs as your band turns pro. Also, their plans get more expensive as your team size grows. Back On Stage gives you all this, plus Google calendar sync (which pro bands love!), and many more business tools at a much better price (less than half!).
Todoist - $5/month
You will need task management software to ensure all your tasks are getting done on time. With well over 100 moving parts for an average gig, you can't risk trying to keep it all in your head.
Todoist makes keeping track of tasks easy, but the price grows along with your team size and so will the frustration. Back On Stage lets you add tasks right inside each booking so everything stays in context. Plus you can assign tasks to anyone on your team and even create task list templates and use relative due dates to save time when booking future gigs.
Freshbooks - $18/month
Your band will need bookkeeping and invoice software to manage your income. You also need online payment options these days. Back On Stage has you covered here with easy invoices that generate themselves automatically, easy online payments with PayPal and even an option for your clients to give you a tip when they pay their invoice. Who doesn't like extra money!
Adobe Sign - $19/month
You wanna get paid, right? Your band needs to have performance contracts that your clients can eSign in order to ensure each party is clear about their side of the bargain...and so you get paid on time. Back On Stage comes with a sample band performance contract template that you can use right away...and better yet, the software can fill it out automatically for each gig. Click. Sign. Done.
Doodle - $9/month
Need to poll your team to find out who's available for which gigs? Doodle is one of the cheapest and easiest to use apps for managing availability within your team. But it still requires tedious set up and monitoring. And why fuss with that when you can put your musician scheduling on auto-pilot with Back On Stage's "auto-book" system. Choose your musician call list template, and go. They system sends gig offers and monitors everything for you until you've got someone booked for each instrument on each gig. Sweet!
Bill.com - $39/month
Paying your musicians the right amount and on time, then keeping track of it all for tax purposes is one of the most painful parts of bandleading. Bill.com lets you send payouts to lists of people in batches, which makes the act of sending paychecks relatively quick, but you'll still have to wait for all the musicians to send you their invoices, process those invoices, create a spreadsheet of all the payment amounts, check it once, check it twice and then fiddle with the technology. Why not just click one button and have Back On Stage automatically pay all your musicians with Auto-Pay. When the gig is done, the software generates each musicians' invoice automatically, then sends the right payment amount to each musician instantly using PayPal. It's quick, easy and tax compliant.
Dropbox Pro - $33/month
Your band needs a central place to store reference recordings, sheet music, lyric sheets and more. But keeping it all organized is a pain in the butt, and it's frustrating for your team to find what they need. Back On Stage includes unlimited file storage for you to attach whatever you need to each booking. But one of the best parts is being able to attach reference recordings and sheet music directly to your song files in your music library. Make it easy for your musicians to learn the right version of each tune you play!
Repertoire Library & Set List Builder - value $20
Like previously mentioned, your band needs a central place to store reference recordings and sheet music, but it also needs an easy way to build and share set lists. Although there are many good set list apps out there, what sets Back On Stage apart is "Smart Setlists". These set lists are interactive and let your musicians access song notes, files, MP3s, key, tempo and more for each song. This makes learning your book easy for everyone and can quite literally save the day if one of your players gets sick and you need a sub to step in at the last minute.
So there you have it. If you want to make the same mistake I did for many years, by going rogue, and choosing the DIY model, you can put together an app package that fulfils all your band needs for just $233/month.
OR...
Come try Back On Stage app for just $23/month!
It's one tenth of the cost...and let's not forget about your time!
Chasing all your band data around a pile of different apps that each perform a small task but ultimately leave you tying up loose ends everywhere creates much more wasted time for you. Can you really afford to waste that kind of time in the trenches?
Running a band and growing it as a business is a lot of work. But now you know some of the most common reasons why bands just don't make it.
Follow our steps above to ensure that your band is well prepared to handle growth and so that you don't burn out like I did.
Here at Back On Stage, we're all about preventing bandleader burnout and helping our live music community grow. We hope you'll join us on the other side by trying our 30-day Free Trial today.
]]>Does your band play at weddings or corporate events where you deal directly with your clients? And do you live somewhere where tipping is common practice for service-based businesses? If yes, you will want to read on to see how to best leverage tipping as an additional income stream for your business.
Tipping isn't something most bandleaders think about when they consider their various revenue streams. Generally, it's just one of those 'nice to have' perks that might come your way every so often, but there has never really been any method to control it.
In this post, we're going to show you the secret to getting more tips from your band gigs and just how much more money you might be able to make.
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Obviously, your band needs to sound great, be entertaining, and be so easy to deal with that your client is eager to show their gratitude. But there are two important factors that plays a huge role in whether or not someone will leave you a tip:
Let's talk timing.
If you ask you clients to pre-pay for you services, in other words, pay your full performance fee prior to the gig, the likelihood of you getting a tip is very small. After all, they haven't experienced your service yet and have no reason to tip.
In this scenario, you're just hoping that your client(s) are walking around their event with pocketfuls of cash, ready to drop you handsome tip. Not likely.
So, when do you ask for payment in order to maximize your likelihood of receiving a tip?
We recommend this strategy for timing your client payments:
Most pro bands want assurance that their client won't cancel, so it's always a good idea to require a non-refundable deposit upon signing of the contract. Your client will be less likely to cancel it they know they'll be loosing that money.
As for the remaining balance, if you make this due the day after the booking, you give yourself the opportunity to 'earn' the tip. Your band gets a chance to shine, you get the chance to treat your client(s) like royalty and at the end of it all, you send them the final bill. At this point, they'll be much more likely to consider a tip.
Making it easy for your clients to tip boils down to two main criteria:
Let's start with the second point first. No one likes doing math. Your invoice software should have an easy way for your clients to calculate their tip right when they're making their payment.
Asking for a tip needs to be a subtle option, and yet convenient enough that your client can do it seamlessly as part of your payment procedure.
If you are using Back On Stage to manage your band's client invoices and contracts, your clients will see a tip option whenever they go to make invoice payments:
If you use another invoicing software, make sure you enable its tipping feature so your clients see the tip option when they pay you.
Now, what forms of payment should you accept?
Cash, cheque (check) or credit card are the most popular options, but there's a problem with cash and cheque:
Cash and cheque (check) payments add significant friction to your checkout process. In fact, they remove the buyer from your payment experience completely which results in more of their precious time being spent on tedious accounting tasks that they don't enjoy. And guess what, that makes them less likely to tip you!
Credit cards are the fastest and easiest way for your clients to pay you. Plus, your clients often collect points when they use their cards, which makes them happy. And the happier they are with you and your process, the more likely they are to tip!
If you're not using invoice software like Back On Stage to bill your clients, sign up for a 30-day free trial today. Invoices are generated automatically using your gig details and all you need to do is click a button to send it to your client.
Back On Stage integrates with your PayPal account to facilitate credit card payments - so when your client pays your invoice, the money is available in your PayPal account instantly.
Below is a screenshot of the Back On Stage "Client Portal", which is a secure place where you client can make invoice payments and review/sign their contract - all electronically. Note the tip option and the big blue "Pay Now" button, which make it simple and easy for your clients to tip you and send you their money:
Most invoicing software will offer a similar option to allow you to accept credit card payments from your clients, but nothing makes it quite as easy as Back On Stage. Back On Stage is an app specifically designed to handle you band management tasks, like performance contracts, client invoices, payment processing and much more!
>> Watch a Demo Of Back On Stage App Now << (You won't regret it!)
We thought you'd never ask! (chuckles)
Yes, there are fees involved whenever you run a credit card transaction. Most credit card processors charge 2.9% on the transaction amount, plus a $0.30 fee for each transaction.
But don't be alarmed! We've analyzed over 100 transactions from several bands using Back On Stage and we've got some good news for you...
We looked at over 120 band gigs from several different bands using Back On Stage App and while only 6.7% of clients tipped when paying with cash, cheque (check) or eTransfer, a whopping 55% of clients chose to tip when using their credit card to make the payment.
Those numbers paint a pretty clear picture: if you want to earn tips from your band gigs, credit cards and an easy tipping option at checkout are the way to go!
We haven't studied the psychology on this formally, so we can only speculate. But what we believe is that when a client uses your Back On Stage client portal (seen below) to make a payment on their invoice for your band's performance services, the tip option is made very clear and its easy for even the laziest people with little to no math skills to add a tip and send you a payment.
Just look how easy it was to add a 15% tip to the bill in that checkout transaction seen above!
This is not the case when someone chooses to pay with cash, cheque or eTransfer. In this process, the buyer just sees your invoice total, then leaves your checkout experience to go write their cheque or count their cash. If they're not paying you online, there's no need for them to use your checkout procedure, so they're unlikely to fiddle around with your tip option and/or feel any kind of pressure to tip you.
Think about it. Let's say you hired a band to play at YOUR wedding and the bill was $4,300. They are requesting that you pay them with cash or cheque on the day of the gig. How much would you pay them?
If it were me, I'd probably write a cheque for $4,300 a few days early and give it to my wedding planner to hand over to the band on the big day. Since the band hasn't performed yet, I have no idea if their performance is tip-worthy anyway. Additionally, this is probably my first wedding, and I haven't hired a band before, so I'm not even sure what the general tipping protocol is for a band, so I assume it's not really necessary.
On my wedding day, I'm too drunk to be thinking about money anymore, so it doesn't even cross my mind to give you more money at the end of the night.
And there you have it. The reason you will almost never get a tip unless you use our methods outlined above!
This really depends on where you are in the world and whether or not tipping is part of your local culture. In North America, we have observed that most clients who tip a band, tip between 7% and 17%, with an average tip being roughly 10% of the total bill amount.
In our experience, tips you receive from using a checkout process like the one in Back On Stage app and letting your clients pay with credit card won't just offset your credit card fees, but you'll still come out with more money in the end too.
Let's look at this example:
Your band charges $4,300 for a show and you do 25 shows per year.
Using Back On Stage to invoice your clients and letting them pay with credit card, we can assume that 55% of your clients (roughly 14 of them) will give you a 10% tip ($4,300 x 10% = $430).
14 clients X $430 = $6,020
25 gigs X $4,300 X 2.9% credit card fee = $3,117.50
Net tip amount = $2,902.50
Using your own method to invoice your clients and letting them pay with cash, cheque or eTransfer, we can assume just 6.7% of your clients (roughly 2 of them) will give you a 10% tip.
2 clients X $430 = $860
Net tip amount = $860
Now comes the fun part! Run these numbers for your own band and see how much extra money you could make from enabling credit cards in your billing process, and maybe even switching over to Back On Stage to manage your gig invoices better!
Make a calculation and write it down. Next year, take a look through your records and see if they align with our data in this article! Let us know in the comments below!
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Let's start off with this great video from Jen at Publicifi. She breaks down 3 key elements you can use to write a band bio that is memorable and that doesn't put people to sleep!
Some agencies suggest writing three different bios, short, medium, and long. A quick rule of thumb is:
Most visitors and bookers will only read the short version. As such, your short bio should be a part of your electronic artist press kit. However, the extended version works well on your website or concert promotional literature.
These three versions of your bio won’t just help bookers, but you’ll use them throughout your own social media and various online accounts too. Having a single place where all your bios are kept current really helps streamline and make your self-promotion battle an easier one.
There are six elements to crafting a useful band or artist bio.
Your bio page and EPK are living, breathing documents that tell the world who you are and what you’re doing. Always keep them current with the latest information, such as any new projects, music releases, collaborations, or upcoming gigs.
If you’re like most normal people and feel you might forget to update your band bio or EPK every month or two, set an alert in your calendar to remind you every month or two. Just changing a sentence or a date might be the only tweak you need to make the resource relevant and current again.
If you’re unsure how to write your bio, use the six elements above and write them in that order. Write in the third person, as if a reporter was talking about you on TV or a magazine.
Before we jump into these examples, we wanted to point out an interesting observation. While creating this article, we noted that it's actually quite difficult to find quality band bios for most of the well-known bands out there.
It seems to be that once you reach a certain level of fame, there ceases to be a need for a band bio on your website. Just try to find one any of the websites for popular stars like Beyoncé, Bruno Mars or U2. These artists have bios on Wikipedia, but their website is primarily for promoting upcoming tours and albums. When you're that famous, people already know who you are and what you do, so bookers and clients don't need to rely on your bio to get to know you.
If you're not yet one of these big famous artists though, don't think you can get away without a bio. It's a stepping stone you can't skip. Bookers, clients and potential fans need to get to know you before they commit, and a YouTube live performance video just isn't going to cut it.
So, how about some band bio examples...
Quite often, fans will want to know more about their favorite band member(s). As such, we always recommend that you include your individual musician bios somewhere on your site too.
Check out this band for some great musician bio examples. At a glance, you know who each musician is, what they do, and one interesting detail about them. Short and sweet.
What makes this bio unique is the number of players and their locations. Felix and Fingers Dueling Pianos has offices in seven states. The website has tabs for each state listing the bios of the piano players that cover each area. Each musician has a humorous blurb, a link to more information, plus an interview-style video bio.
Just like the last sample, this is a great place to look for musician bio examples.
This biography is unique because it’s not a biography. Instead, the artist uses a very descriptive quote about his performance.
This solo country artist packs everything into one page, including his “About” info. Fans and booking agents can quickly find everything they need to know.
This Canadian Hip-Hop duo uses their bio to chronicle their musical accomplishments. The bio touches on their indigenous heritage and their musical beginnings.
Music comes in all forms. These two DJ’s have a professional bio highlighting music awards, albums and international music festivals where they have played. It’s a simple layout with their photos in the header and an easy to read biographies.
Here's a great band bio example from a 4-piece indie band. This group of four makes a personal connection between fans and the individual artist. They post seven engaging questions under the title, “Band Facts.” Then, they list the responses by each musician.
This group has ten rap artists. Each artist has a photo with his stage name that links to individual bios. And each bio is quite detailed...so check this group out from some more musician bio examples. There is also one link to the Ill-Legitimate (the band’s) bio.
We added this bio, not because it tells the band’s story, but how it could be improved. White font on black is always a bit difficult to read. After the bio, they list the band members and what they play. Underneath the list, they post the band’s photo, but there is no way to tell who is who. Sure it’s artsy, but wouldn’t be helpful to put a name and an instrument to a face?
The bio for this Irish singer incorporates third-party testimonials. It’s a useful technique of social proof for newer artists because it helps sell the people interested in hiring them.
To summarize, add information that fans and potential bookers want to know. Make it easy to read and not too long.
Your bio should be fun and helpful for potential clients who want to get to know you and who want to hire you. Use easy to see links at the top of the Home page to your website. Make sure to highlight each member with at least a sentence or two.
Your band’s music and gigs change all the time. Make sure you keep your bio up to date with the latest activity and accomplishments.
One tool that keeps you organized is the Back On Stage app for musicians and bandleaders. It combines all the functions needed to keep a busy band on top of their schedules. It’s a repository for all your sheet music, reference recordings, band member info, contact information, integrated calendar, client contacts, invoices and everything else you need to manage your band.
Keeping your profile up to date demonstrates to potential employers that you’re not just another band. You’re serious about your business and your future.
To create a bio that works, here are a few things you don’t want to do.
Your Facebook, Instagram or WeddingWire profile pages aren't going to cut it. Set up a quality website. You can pay for it all with one gig. We personally love Shopify because of how easy it is to get running and they’ve got great 24/7 tech support for all us artsy and non-techy types! But platforms like Wix, Wordpress, and even Banzoogle might be a good fit for you.
Save the poetry for your lyrics. Stick to the information that matters to fans and potential bookers. Forego artsy, flowery descriptions in favor of easy to read details.
Don’t forget to write a bio for all members, not just a generic one for the band. Make the link easy to see in the top navigation bar. Some groups try to be so clever and different that they forget to create a link to the bio. Why would someone click on your MERCH link if you don’t even have a bio?
Filling your bio page with lots of photos and embedded videos can make the page load slowly. Cherry-pick the best media and use links to the videos. You can have a separate page or host them elsewhere, like YouTube.
It's terrible when your recently booked gig gets some press in a local newspaper or website and as soon as it's live, you realize that they used the wrong band photo and your description is out of date. It's also a big turn off to promoters and clients when your bio makes references to projects in the future tense when they have clearly come to pass.
Update your band bio as soon as something significant happens in your band's career. Here's a list of significant things worth writing about in your bio:
As often as any of the above events occur!
That said, it's easy to get caught up in your other daily aspects of running a band, promoting yourself, creating music etc etc. So be safe and set a monthly reminder in your calendar.
If you remind yourself the check in on your bio every month, you'll be sure not to forget about that recent achievement that really should be mentioned. You never know who will be reading your bio and how much a fresh detail might help them make up their mind to listen to your music or hire your band!
You would be amazed at how many bands don’t bother to have a website.
If you search for your band’s name in Google, what comes up? Here is a perfect example of doing SEO (Search Engine Optimization) right. The Phonix Band ranks for all the first page positions in Google for the “the phonix band” keyword.
Every group and solo artist needs to have an optimized website with an easy to find the link to their Bio page. Using proper SEO will help more people find you. This article, “SEO For Musicians and Bands,” will help you set up your website and bio the right way.
Post your band bio sample or or musician bio example in the comments below and show our community of readers what you came up with for your own bio!
We'd love to see what you've got and what is helping your music career! (Hey, it's free promotion for you and your band - why not?!)
]]>I know that running a band or music group takes a lot of work. Worship bands, cover bands, wedding entertainment, and original music projects all have plenty in common when it comes to daily activities. They’ve all got to wrangle musicians, keep track of files, take care of clients, make recordings and so much more.
Even if you’ve got a team of dozens of people helping you manage your music project, effective software and apps will still save the day. After all, you probably didn’t start a music career so you could spend all you time fussing with running a business.
Finding the right set of band apps to help you manage your daily activities will be paramount to your success.
In this article, I have split up the field of band management into some crucial categories and reviewed some great apps for bands that can help you manage them.
Communicate With Your Band
Share Your Band's Calendar Online
Sharing Band Files Is A Necessity
Manage Day-To-Day Band Tasks
Book Musicians For Gigs
Book Musicians For Rehearsals
Create And Record Your Music
Best Apps For Sheet Music, Chord Charts, Lyrics and Set Lists
Before you commit to a bunch of band apps, make sure you know how easy it will be to collaborate with them.
Many apps charge much higher fees when you add more “admins” to your team. Some only allow collaboration once you pay. And some aren’t great for collaboration at all.
It is my theory that most bands fail because the workload just gets too big and it’s usually just one person taking care of it. Don’t let that be you!
Ultimately, your goal should be to make your band so successful that you have a team of people managing it with you. But before that day comes, it’s all up to you (and your band apps)!
If you can’t find band apps that make sharing your band’s workload and delegating tasks easy, you’ll start feeling overworked and underpaid. Your band will become another statistic before you know it!
At the heart of any great organization is a great system of communication.
In other words, you shouldn’t have to pray that your band mates will remember to “reply-all” each time you send a band email so that everyone stays in the loop. Your system should:
Let’s look at these popular options for team communication:
This band app was actually built for bands, by bandleaders. Designed with efficient communication at the core, Back On Stage is an all-in-one band app that you can’t be without. It’s my favourite!
All your band’s communication happens on a per-gig basis, which makes keeping track of who-said-what-about-which-gig a breeze. Just open up the “Chat” tab on any booking page and type away.
All admins, as well as any musicians booked for that gig will see those chat messages. Each time someone posts, the post is time, date and name stamped, then each band member is sent an email notification.
I’m not alone in loving slack for team messaging. You can create themed (#hashtagged) conversations and add any number of your band mates to it.
When someone posts a comment, it gets a time and name stamp, then push notifications get sent to app users and everyone in that conversation is notified.
Definitely one of the best apps for bands to communicate with.
You can also attach photos of files to your posts.
Slack has a FREE plan that you can probably get by with. Otherwise it’s $8/month per active user if you need to upgrade for some reason.
It gets messy: I’ve seen bands using slack to communicate about everyone’s availability for gigs and rehearsals. They’ll have one conversation for #gigdates and another for #rehearsals.
Once a few dates pile up for gigs and all 8 band members start replying, it results in a sh*tload of notifications getting sent to everyone and a really messy wall of data that the bandleader eventually has to painstakingly scroll through and sort out.
As far as band apps go, there are much better ways to manage your availability!
These guys are clearly trying to chew up some of Slack’s market space. I haven’t tried this myself, but it seems like it’s got pretty much all of Slack’s features, but at a lower cost - just $3/month instead of $8/month per active user.
Folks, welcome to the new “snail mail”. I sure hope you don’t plan to run your business through these.
The terms “chasing emails” and “buried in my inbox” should not even be part of your vocabulary. Get out of the dark ages.
These were designed for simple informal communications between one or a few parties. Large and long conversations get awkward quickly. And god forbid some silly algorithm suddenly decides that your important client’s gig offer is spam!
These are among the worst apps for bands to communicate with. You can do better!
Eesh! If you’re booking your band through text messages, I pity you. This is the fastest recipe for hair loss and sleepless nights.
Unfortunately, for some insane reason, I will say from experience that this is the most common method of communication for bandleaders trying to book their musicians for gigs.
Don’t be seduced by it’s apparent ability to send messages rapidly. Losing track of scattered text message conversations is all too common. Don’t risk your band’s reputation over this organization-less communication medium!
Even with band apps like Slack or Back On Stage managing your gig and rehearsal communications effectively, nothing beats the familiar and efficient visual display of a calendar.
If I could only look at my band’s bookings in a giant list, I’d go nuts. Wouldn’t you?
You need a way to manage all your bookings and also share them with your band members.
By far the best band organizer app when it comes to centralizing and sharing your band’s calendar. Just create new bookings and they’ll be added to your fancy dashboard calendar inside the app.
These days, digital file sharing is central to running a band. Cover bands need to share reference recordings that they learn their arrangements from and original bands pass around recorded song ideas or their recorded performance versions.
Of course, you likely have lots of sheet music or lyric sheets, guitar tabs, or random song or performance notes too. Maybe you’ve even got videos you need your bandmates or subs to check out before a show.
I think of all these resources as a band’s “Music Library”.
They’re not just nice to have so that your bandmates are on the same page, but I believe they are possibly your band’s best insurance policy also.
Imagine if your drummer (or other key player) gets in a serious accident a couple days before a show. Can your band hire a fill-in on a moment's notice and still perform?
If your answer is “no,” it’s likely because your music library is in sad shape…or possibly no shape.
But with an organized file system that you can share with a click, you could save your band’s show by providing a professional substitute with the reference recordings or sheet music they need to nail the gig.
It’s free, and it’s freekin’ awesome. What’s not to love about that?
Just checkout these beautiful screenshots from their mobile app:
Share gig and rehearsal info with bandmates: If all my band members are involved in EVERY gig, I would just create a band calendar and share that calendar with everyone. But if certain bookings only go to certain members, I’d do it a little differently.
Share events with a custom group each time:
If I only want certain gigs going to certain band members, I would keep the calendar sharing limited to myself and any other band admins. Then I would just individually invite musicians (via the “add guests” feature) to each booking that they are involved with.
I’m a huge lover of Apple products, but I just don’t have space in my heart (or my iPhone) for this app anymore.
Take a look at these (boring) screenshots:
5 Big Pitfalls:
Sorry, but this just isn’t in my shortlist of great apps for bands or musicians.
Band file sharing has never been this easy!
This is by far one of the best apps for bands to share files because you never have to go digging. Files are stored where you need them. If you need sheet music or recordings, they are attached to song cards inside the app. If you need gig-related files, they are attached directly to gigs.
There are 2 main ways to share files with band members:
Gone are the days of having to organize your sheet music or recording in separate folders, sharing them with your musicians, hoping they’ll actually download them, then madly doing it all over again when you need to update something.
The robust ‘Repertoire’ feature is unique to Back On Stage and has two main sections:
Dropbox saves the day for many band’s needing central cloud storage that all band members can access.
Before switching my band’s sheet Music Library to Back On Stage, I too was a Dropboxer. I had folders setup in Dropbox as follows:
This setup allowed me to quickly share specific sets of files with a new substitute player and give them everything they needed for a gig with my band.
This is a great option for most. The 15BG of free storage space far outweighs the 2GB that you get for free with dropbox.
You could organize your Google Drive just as I outlined for Dropbox above and have a rock solid file storing and sharing solution for your band in no time.
Need to share big files (up to 2GB), one at a time? WeTransfer is for you.
Their dead simple interface just lets you send a file to one or more parties. No storage is provided though. It’s really just a one-off service.
There are dozens of tasks that need to be accomplished for every gig. Keeping track of them and delegating them is key to your success.
In my opinion, Back On Stage is the best of the band apps when it comes to managing gig tasks. Gig tasks are often repetitive from gig to gig (so templates make life much easier), and the due dates of these tasks need to be relative to the booking date.
You can setup your own task templates and set each tasks due date as “relative to the booking date”. Now, when you get a new gig, just apply your task template and watch as all the due dates magically set themselves:
Big Wins:
A super clean and easy to use app. When I decided to switch to this for another project I was working on, it only took a few minutes to get setup and start sharing tasks with my teammates.
Wins:
Pitfalls
Google Sheets has a nice To-Do list template that makes getting started easy. You can even download the app on all your devices.
Wins:
By far the best way to book your musicians for gigs. All you have to do is:
Back On Stage will contact each of your musicians, in the order you specify, until all responses have been received and your roster is full.
How cool is that?
Come back in a day or two and check the status of the Auto-Book of all your musicians by visiting the gig page and navigating to the "Roles" tab, like so:
There are no other apps for bands that include such an amazing tool for wrangling your musicians!
As previously discussed, please save yourself the headache. Chasing emails and scrolling through pages and pages of text messages is a terrible way to run your business!
Read on…
One of the few band apps that has an availability checker built in. If you can convince all your musicians to sync every one of their calendars with the app, then you’ll be able to see where the gaps are and plan rehearsals and events when you know your bandmates are available.
In theory, this sounds great. But it never worked for my band because:
At the end of the day, it’s still best practice to ask someone before dropping a confirmed event into their calendar. For this reason, Back On Stage takes the cake!
Doodle lets you pick a bunch of date and time options, then poll your band mates to see which options work best for everyone. It’s super easy to use.
Wins:
A big step up from Doodle in terms of features. Arrangr securely links all major calendaring platforms to spotlight when to meet, coordinate the location or call details, in as little as 30 seconds. One unique feature is that it can suggest best meeting location as well - not sure how handy that is for band rehearsals, but might be cool for a band meeting.
3 Wins:
As discussed above, Back On Stage’s ‘Auto-Book’ feature lets you send gig offers to your musicians and cycles through your roster until it finds someone for each position. For show bands or groups with a sub list, this works great. But if you need the same lineup at every rehearsal, this isn’t the most elegant option.
Back On Stage is currently developing a ‘rehearsal booking’ tool for their app though, so stay tuned!
It’s basically a notepad for you to store your lyrics and ideas, but also has a built in audio recorder and loads of tools to help with your songwriting. If it’s good enough for David Foster, it’s probably good enough for you too!
3 Wins:
Possibly the best app for bands and artists to catalogue their recorded songs. Not only is it a user-friendly way to organize your entire song catalogue, but you can pitch songs too. Easily collaborate with others by uploading song recordings and sharing lyrics. Each song gets it's own page so you can add/remove files, keep track of various versions and even keep track of who listens when you send out demos.
3 Wins:
Designed by one of the most iconic recording studios, Abbey Road, this app was built to save those spur-of-the-moment song ideas that often get forgotten due to lack of one-th-go recording devices. It's essentially a beefed up "Voice Memos" app that allows you to multitrack record, add reverb, import existing tracks and share mixes all from your smartphone. It's like a dumbed down version of the Garageband iPhone app or the Bandlab app.
3 Wins:
Available for Mac users only, this is a fantastic option for anyone looking to record their music. It comes free on any Mac computer and has apps for iPhone and iPad which are quite capable and fun!
Is it professional? Yes, many agree that Garageband can be used professionally. Professional recording largely depends on the audio interface you use and the quality Audio-to-Digital (AD) converters it uses.
Wins:
This is the big brother to GarageBand. Another Mac exclusive app designed to help you capture all your band’s recordings and help you be creative.
Wins:
Logic and ProTools have been battling it out for years. Fairly similar workflows and constantly copying each other for features and instruments. Obviously more expensive, so it’s not my first pick, but it’s compatible with both Windows and Mac operating systems, so that’s a plus!
Wins:
What is BandLab used for? It's the first completely free and completely online digital audio workstation (DAW) I’ve heard of. Haven’t tried it personally but, it looks really clean and simple...and heck, they’ve got a review from David Foster, so maybe it’s pretty sweet.
I’ve heard it said that “If the product is free, then YOU are the product” (think about Facebook selling your stats to big ad agencies, for example). So, I’m a little apprehensive about using a completely “free” service, when it clearly is valuable. However, they do sell their own hardware too, so maybe that’s where they plan to make money?
Wins:
There are loads of sheet music apps for iOS and iPad. But they're not all created equally.
In the ideal world, all members of a band would use the same setlist app and would be able to find everything they need there. With good band setlist software, a bandleader should be able to:
Here are my top picks:
Back On Stage is an incredible sheet music app for iPad or android and is simultaneously one of the best band set list makers and one of the best set list apps for musicians on stage. It's super easy and efficient for bandleaders to add all their band's material to the repertoire library, then create and share interactive set lists with musicians.
Add all your bands songs. Just hit "New Song" and fill in the fields. You can even attach audio files as reference recordings and attach PDF files too.
Create a new set list and add songs to it. Just hit "Set List Builder", then create a new set list in the drop down field. After that, just click on the songs you want to add to the set list.
Reorder your songs and add details. Just hit "reorder/edit", then drag and drop your songs to reorder them. You can also add notes, calculate timing points or even assign various vocalists to each song.
Publish and perform your set. Just hit the "publish" button to attach you new set list to any of your existing bookings (inside Back On Stage app) so it's easy for your musicians to find. Or click the "Perform Mode" button to see your live set list.
Learn more about how to build and share 'smart setlists' with Back On Stage.
Setlist Maker is packed with features the will leave your head swimming. This might be a great solution if you always have the same lineup in your band, but if you have subs a lot, asking every new band member to go buy your setlist app and pay for in-app purchases will be annoying and is likely to get some backlash.
Like with Back On Stage's set list builder, it's not just an app that lets you put song titles in order. You can also attach audio files, midi files, ChordPro and OnSong files to songs as well. One cool thing is that you can broadcast your set list to up to 15 other devices wireless, so your entire band can be on the same page at shows.
Wins:
OnSong is a powerful app with way more features that you will ever use. You can load in lyric and chord charts and do fun things like beam messages to your bandmates (provided they're using the app too), broadcast your lyrics to other devices and screens (good for sing-alongs and worship bands), and even control your stage lighting (although this is a paid add-on).
Unfortunately, you cannot upload actual sheet music. So this is no good for horn players or anyone who prefers to read music notation.
How much is the OnSong app? At the time of writing this article, it's priced at $29.99, but bear in mind, that is per user. If you want your 10-piece band using it, you'll pay almost $300, plus more if you need it for subs!
Noteable App Features:
Wondering how to put sheet music on your iPad? Forscore is a great option.
Unlike Onsong, which only works with text-based song files, Forscore only works with PDF files. It's perfect for storing all your sheet music and organizing it into set lists.
On big feature that musicians rave about is being able to edit your sheet music on the fly. I'm not going to lie, it's painful editing sheet music with your pointer finger, and certainly not something I'd want to do often, but it's a huge help when your score is missing an eighth note here or a quarter rest there.
Noteable App Features:
This is like the little brother to the Forscore app. It lets you import, store and organize your PDF sheet music files on your iPad or iOS device. There are certainly less frills than Forscore and the design isn't quite as appealing (in my opinion), but this is still a very functional app and could likely be all you need.
Plus, for the price, it sure can't be beat!
Noteable App Features:
Did you miss not seeing your favourite band apps on this page? Let me know in the comments below.
Check back soon for some fresh new apps that you won’t want to miss!
Please share if you care.
]]>As your wedding or event band gets busier and more popular, it's inevitable that you will start getting more and more booking inquiries. If you have set up your business well, you'll likely have profiles on WeddingWire, Party Slate, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn and your own website...just to name a few.
Prospective clients (leads) can contact you through all these places to inquire about your services. But keeping track of all these conversations in various places can get frustrating and messy.
If you really want to get more gigs for your band, you need to automate your booking process AND increase efficiency by putting everything in one place. Thankfully, there's an app for that!
In this article, we're going to share some pro tips on how to collect leads from all your channels and seamlessly aggregate them into one place so that you can keep everything organized and stop losing your hair trying to remember where you left that last conversation!
Chasing all your leads around in a pile of different apps is inefficient. To cure the chaos, you need to direct all your inquiries to a SINGLE place where they can give you enough information about their booking request that you can get the conversation going properly.
For this, we suggest some kind of web form, like a contact form, that will give the client an opportunity to provide their:
We suggest using the Back On Stage customizable lead form (seen above), but you can use something like Google Forms or even Survey Monkey if it suits your needs.
Now that you have a lead form and an easy link that you can quickly send out to new inquiries, you're ready to start collecting leads efficiently. But to get more gigs with our new lead form, we need to actually send the form link to new prospects so they can actually fill it out!
Once your leads have filled out your form and you have their basic event details, it's time to get the conversation going and close some deals!
First, be aware the most people reaching out to you for booking inquiries are also reaching out to many other bands at the same time. As such, we've got some tips on how to craft your replies so they get noticed amid the noise.
For even more great tips on what your leads want to hear in your booking inquiry follow-ups, check out this great post on WeddingWire: What Couples Want to Hear in Your Lead Replies.
PRO TIP: Check out The Email Cure if you need don't have time to write all your follow up emails yourself. They've got some great templates for a reasonable price.
But wait, before you jump in and start manually replying to all these inquiries, make sure you leverage the power of automation to help you deal with the inflow.
As your band gets more and more popular, you'll start to notice that no matter what you do and how great your follow-ups are, many of your leads still won't end up booking you. Further to that, many won't even have the decency to respond to ANY of your attempts to communicate with them. It's almost like they found you on Tinder, swiped right, and then just ghosted you entirely.
That doesn't feel good - especially since you just wasted all your time sending them multiple follow-ups.
So, this is where automation saves the day (and your self-esteem).
Using an app like Back On Stage, you can turn on automatic follow-up emails that get triggered whenever someone fills out your lead form. With automatic follow-ups, you can rest assured that you'll always be replying to your customers in a timely manner AND you can even personalize the replies, so your customer won't even know that you didn't send the message yourself.
Why not sign up for a 30-day free trial of Back On Stage and try it for yourself!
Once a lead replies to you and your automatic follow-up sequence has successfully completed its mission of getting the conversation going, the onus is on you to remember to keep in touch and keep the relationship moving forward.
Your leads should be organized in such a way that you can quickly scan through your lead list and see:
Having this information at your fingertips will allow you to spot your "Active" leads. These are prospects who are in two-way communication with you and who are getting serious about booking. You should make sure that your "Next touch date" is never more than 2-4 days away with these leads as you don't want the relationship to go stale.
In Back On Stage, we make tracking your leads easy by calculating your "Next Touch Date" for you automatically. Each time you send a message, the "Next Touch Date" resets to two days from today, so you'll never forget to follow up. Leads that require action now show up right at the top of your leads page with easy-to-see stats that let you know how responsive each lead has been.
With this information handy, you now have the ability to quickly process your leads by either archiving them, deleting them or converting them to bookings.
Without an app like Back On Stage, you'll need to manually set some kind of reminder to keep you on top of cleaning up your lead list. But however you do it, you'll want 3 options when your lead reaches the end of its lifecycle.
Archive:
Inside Back On Stage, just click the "Archive" button if you would like to keep the lead's contact information, but no longer wish to pursue the relationship.
If you manage your leads in a spreadsheet or contact app, create a special sheet or folder where you can archive your dead leads. Maybe you'll want to keep them on a mailing list for future company updates? Email addresses are a valuable asset, after all!
Delete:
If you wish to no longer communicate with someone, permanently delete their lead info. In Back On Stage, just hit the "Delete" button.
Convert:
This is the best case scenario. Your lead wants to book your services. In Back On Stage, just open their lead file and click "Create Booking". Now you're ready to begin sending questionnaires, booking musicians, creating a contract and collecting money!
So there you have it! That is some of the secret sauce that could help your band book more gigs by creating better first impressions and building stronger client relationships through rock-solid communication practices.
You band is a business that needs Google reviews and WeddingWire testimonials in order to convince future clients to fill out your lead form. So make sure you start every booking relationship with an experience that is worthy of a 5-star review.
Back On Stage app doesn't just help you process your leads. It is a complete business management software built for pro event and wedding bands. You can manage your gigs, musicians, money, clients, repertoire and more.
To get started, sign up for your free 30-day trial of Back On Stage today and see if it's right for your band.
]]>As a band, musician or performer, what would you rather do, keep writing invoices, or making music?
Pro bands need invoices to request payments from their clients, and musicians also need invoices to request payments from their bandleaders. We've got the cure for both of these situations in this post!
Before we jump in, we need to point out that an invoice and a receipt are different things:
We didn't want to assume you were an accounting or bookkeeping major, so we thought we best get that sorted.
No. An invoice simply makes a request for money, whereas a receipt is proof that the money has been received for products or services rendered.
Typically, invoices and receipts are separate documents entirely. However, you can combine the two documents by simply providing a section on your invoice that serves as a register (a tally) of payments received toward that invoice.
Here's an example of what that might look like:
Has anyone ever asked you to send them a money request in invoice format, and you scratched your head wondering "What is Invoice format"?
Invoice format simply refers to all the following items, neatly arranged on a page:
There are three reasons every musician or band needs to use an invoice for each gig.
Woohoo, you've got a gig! Now, let's get you paid.
We can do things the hard way (where you manually input your gig details into your invoice and email a copy to your client), or the easy way (where some fancy software does it all for you!).
If you are hung up on doing things to "old fashioned" way, where you use a document that you manually duplicate and fill in for each gig, you can grab our Google Sheets invoice template for bands and musicians.
This invoice has been customized to include the booking (gig) details and some payment instructions. This is helpful for clients to reference your invoice with the correct booking so there aren't any mixups.
This invoice is suitable for both pro event bands as well as individual musicians.
Here's a sample:
Once you download the sample:
Click on File > Download, and choose the "PDF" option. Save this document to your computer and send it to your client as an email attachment.
Sending an invoice as a PDF is important, because it prevents your client from making changes to this document - you don't want them to be able to edit how much money they owe you!
Once the invoice is sent, you'll want to make sure you put a reminder in your calendar to follow up with your client if you haven't received payment after the invoice is due.
Bands and musicians looking to do their invoicing the easy way needn't look any further. Back On Stage was built specifically for bandleaders and musicians.
Right out of the box, Back On Stage includes invoice templates that bands can use to bill their clients AND it also includes invoice templates for all the musicians that a bandleader hires for each and every gig.
The best part is, these invoices all pre-fill themselves automatically from your existing event information. In just a few clicks, everybody has a nice clean paper trail for all the money moving around in the band.
If you're a bandleader, you can sign up for a 30-day free trial of Back On Stage to see for yourself just how easy invoicing can be! If you're a musician, you need to get your bandleader to sign up, then they can invite you to join the band they create.
Since Back On Stage was built specifically for bands, the invoice creation process is optimized for the band booking workflow.
It works like this:
It's that simple!
Let me explain some of the magic behind the invoice generator...
When you fill out your gig details in the Back On Stage "Booking Creator" event details form, each detail you enter lives in its own special place in that booking's database. When you open your invoice generator for that booking, all the invoice fields that need filling are automatically populated from existing gig details and your own band details to whip up a ready-to-go invoice in just a couple clicks.
Here's an example:
Pretty cool, hey?!
You can generate a contract in a couple clicks and use that 20 minutes you just saved to go practice scales instead!
In the past, musician invoices were a pain for everyone involved. Musicians had to remember to make an invoice and send it to their bandleader for each gig. Bandleaders had to process them all, store them in a safe place for tax time and make sure they all got paid on time. What a headache!
Thankfully we have a cure for that!
Back On Stage simplifies the entire gig payout procedure with a unique payment workflow and bookkeeping solution. A solution that dramatically reduces the amount of time everyone has to spend fussing with invoices.
Here's how it works:
Pretty slick, right? Check it out in action:
All the magic really happens between step 3-5. For the first time ever, Back On Stage app has brought together the payer (bandleader) and payee (musician) under the same roof, so to speak. Because of this, it's redundant for musicians to create and "submit" their own invoices to the bandleader after the gig.
Instead, the software already knows how much each musician needs to be paid (because Back On Stage keeps track of all your band's important gig details!), as well as all the gig details and contact information of each party. So, it's easy for Back On Stage to generate musician invoices automatically as soon as payment is sent.
For bandleaders, there's no more back and forth waiting for gig invoices and no more losing track of who is still owed money!
For musicians, you don't have to fuss with making and keeping track of invoices anymore. Your Back On Stage dashboard shows you exactly how much gig money you've made, how much your will be making and how much you're still owed.
Here's an example of the musician payout invoice:
It's hard to find good accounting software for musicians, so this app is a no-brainer. Ask your bandleader to sign up for Back On Stage today:
Invite My BandleaderWe're getting more into bandleader territory here, but if that's you, read on!
You already know that you need to use an invoice if you want to get your band paid. But an invoice is not a legally binding document that guarantees you will actually receive the money for your services. For that, you need a performance contract.
And we have good news! Back On Stage also has an invoice generator that works just like the invoice generator.
With just a couple clicks, you can create and send electronic contracts to your clients. Learn all about what you need to include in your performance contract and get a free template in our article about band performance contracts.
Experience the ease of gig life while enjoying automatically generated gig invoices and contracts, all while reducing your band's operating costs, getting more gigs, maximizing tip revenue and managing musician and crew schedules automatically, with one simply monthly subscription to Back On Stage app.
Start Your 30-Day Free Trial Today
Are you considering getting into the music business? wondering how to manage a music artist? It’s an exciting career, and you can make good money. But it’s not for the faint of heart or someone who needs nights and weekends off.
Before we begin, if you are a band looking for some helpful information about finding a music manager, take a look at this blog, “Finding a Music Manager Who’s Right for Your Band,”
To be successful, you need to know the industry. Music managers go by different titles like artist manager, band manager, or talent manager. Whatever you call them, they wear many hats. Artist managers don’t necessarily play an instrument, but they must love music and the people who make it.
In this blog, we’ll briefly cover what hats they wear and some resources for you to find out more about this unique career opportunity.
(The Beatles with their manager, Brian Epstein)
First and foremost, a successful music manager loves their clients. They believe in their music. It’s almost impossible to manage someone if the person or the band lacks skills. A band manager must have the confidence that they have a star on their hands.
Sometimes, artist managers must be available 24/7 to prepare for gigs and manage unexpected incidents. It helps if you have some business aptitude and enjoy working with different people every day.
The manager is the business director who handles all the finances, payments, collections, and contract negotiations.
The short answer is everything that puts the artist into money-making and publicity opportunities. They mediate between the artist and the rest of the music industry, allowing the artist to focus on their music. A manager helps develop career strategies, including turning down gigs that could hurt the band’s image.
Briefly, some of the tasks involved when managing a music artist:
When learning how to manage a music artist, you can expect a steep learning curve and ton of administrative work.
For another perspective, check out this video from Phase VI - Music Management 101: What Do Music Managers Do?
Reuben Avery, a band manager for a 9-piece R&B band, Phonix, says, “Managing a band is running a company. Communication is vital to getting everyone on the same page as well as keeping ideas flowing.” He spends much of the time coordinating the calendar and ensuring everyone has all the information for rehearsals and gigs.
The manager sets targets and reduces wasted time. Instead of a 3-hour beer-drinking jam session, they ask “why are we rehearsing?”, and “what do we want to achieve in these rehearsals?” Managing a music artist well is like being a coach, always bringing out the best in their artist.
When managing a music artist, organizational skills are critical. There are so many details to tie down before a band can play a gig. The manager must keep track of:
There are many hours of emails, contacts, and phone calls a manager must make every week for a band to maintain momentum. Ideally, they’ll use professional artist management software to keep track of all these details and keep the band informed.
A manager should have an overview of the band’s strategy, set goals, and be the driving force to stay on track to achieve them. Like any business, the manager holds people accountable. They make sure the members are doing everything they need to succeed while saying “no” to the things they shouldn’t.
For an in-depth resource, you can subscribe to SmartestU on YouTube. Jamie New created an online school specifically to help new music managers get into the music business. Here is one of her videos, “How To Manage An Artist In The Music Business.”
For another perspective, check out music pro, Damian Keyes’ video, “How to Become a Band Manager.” He gives experienced advice about band and artist management.
Once you head down the path of managing an music artist or band, you’ll quickly learn that the administration details can be overwhelming. You want an assistant, but you can’t afford one when starting.
The Back On Stage web app can take over about 80 percent of the tedious administrative details, leaving you with more time for family or for making more deals and booking gigs.
It’s a comprehensive business tool packed with ready-to-use templates for contracts, invoices, and emails.
The Back On Stage app will make you much more organized and efficient as a music manager.
Being a music artist manager is a demanding job. The more your act(s) grow, the more everyone will demand your attention. The band manager functions on both a business and a personal level. One minute you are emailing contacts and paying bills, and the next, you are the referee to an argument between band members.
You are a bookkeeper and a peacekeeper, a legal advisor, and a therapist. But is it worth it?
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are roughly 19,400 managers and agents working today. Their salaries range from $33,440 to $187,600 or more.
If you catch a rising star, you can end up touring internationally. Most of your income is from commissions, 15% to 20% of the artist’s gross income. Typically, you’ll see 10% for the first $100k, 15% up to $500k, and 20% above that.
Learning how to manage a music artist well will involve getting organized. Use tools like Back On Stage to stay organized, and you’ll earn an excellent reputation. The music industry is the best place to work if you can manage it and not let it manage you.So, you are seriously thinking about starting a band. From air guitar to your first guitar, it’s been your childhood dream. Your love for music and desire to perform on a stage can happen with a little practice, patience, and guidance.
Most top bands formed when the members were in their late teens or early twenties. Mick Jagger was 19 when he and his bandmates formed the Rolling Stones. James Hetfield was 18 when he started Metallica. Two of the Kiszka brothers of Greta Van Fleet were 19, and their younger brother was 16 when they started playing gigs.
You’re never too young to start, so let’s get started.
It’s not that hard to find some musicians who will jam with you in your garage and drink a few beers. The challenge comes when you want to achieve your dream of creating a band that will rise above the masses and becomes a local legend or household name.
Your first task is to find bandmates on your wavelength, artists who have the same dream as you, and willing to roll up their sleeves to make it work.
Another challenge is finding a place to practice and times where everyone can meet. Typically, your group has day or night jobs. Getting everyone in the same rehearsal space at the same time must happen if you are to succeed.
Bands all over the world overcome these obstacles, and so can you.
Here are the ten actions it will take to start your band starting TODAY! Be consistent, take one step at a time, and stay organized. Make a list of what you need to do and have one place to keep all your contact and schedule information. Apps like Back On Stage will keep you organized as you take on bandmates and gigs.
For this article, we’re going to assume you already know the music genre you want to play. You should have a list of the instruments and vocals that you need to create a unique sound for your band. Once you know how many roles you need to fill, it’s time to go headhunting.
There are bandmates, and then there are the right bandmates. You want to put quality, like-minded musicians in the right positions.
By quality, we mean they have skills equal to or better than yours. However, it’s not just the ability you need. Look for someone with the right attitude.
Do they show up for rehearsal on time?
Do they add creative ideas?
Do they share the same vision and goals for the band like you?
There are many places to look for band members, and three of the top methods are:
You’ll find plenty of ideas and links to get you going with this article, “How to Find Members For Your Band.”
You know the genre of music you like. But what is going to make your band sound unique? There are millions of rock bands out there. So, why is it you know that it’s the Rolling Stones or Metallica or Aerosmith within the first few notes?
If you can come up with a signature sound, you will be way ahead of the pack, even if you are a cover band. Let your inner mad scientist out and experiment!
To drill deeper in finding your sound, check out how the band, Mute Prophet, did to get theirs.
Don’t be afraid to fail. It’s where you’ll learn the most. Use all your creativity and try everything at least once.
You’re going to need a place that’s secure and soundproof. The last thing you need is the cops fining you for noise complaints.
Some obvious first rehearsal spots are a garage or basement. Once you outgrow those and have some money, look for churches, music venues before they open, and professional rehearsal rooms.
Get creative to find someplace to play and get loud.
Before you dive into full-time songwriting, you and the band should have some covers memorized. It will help you learn how each other plays and your strengths.
Once your covers are second nature, let your creative juices flow. The writing process will come naturally.
There are a bunch of great band apps that can help you with lyric writing and of course, recording your music too.
Each time that you create a song that you’re proud of copyright it. Checkout this eleven-minute video by the musical expert, Damian Keyes, as he gives professional “Advice On Copywriting Your Songs.”
Time for a brain dump.
Everyone in the band should come up with at least 10 to 20 names. It doesn’t matter how crazy, silly, or stupid they sound. You can pin them up and start picking away.
You know that we live in a digital world, so keep Google in mind. Pick a name that’s short, memorable, and easy to spell so people can find it in a search. Don’t use a common word like “Love” or “Peanut Butter.” Your band will never show up in a search.
Once everyone is satisfied with the name, you must check to see if someone else already used it. Look for it on Facebook, Soundcloud, and, most importantly, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). You can search their database called the Trademark Electronic Search System (TESS).
Next, check with a domain name seller to see if the URL for your band’s name is available. If not, you should think twice about using it.
Once you have bandmates and an official band name, it’s time to get serious. You need to have a Band Agreement.
Why? In-fighting is the primary cause of bands breaking up. A band agreement is like a pre-nuptial agreement before you get married or famous. The contract spells out everyone’s responsibilities while working together, financial aspects, and what happens in the event of a breakup.
For more particulars on how and why to create a band agreement, read our articles, “Band Member Contracts Keep the Peace,” and “Your Band Needs This Music Performance Contract."
When starting a band, making everyone sign a band agreement is the smartest thing you can do and will keep your band cohesive.
A well-crafted demo is an essential part of getting your music heard by the right people. How you organize it depends on your intended audience. Are you giving it to friends and family, or are you giving it to a venue owner to try and book a gig?
You get one chance to make a fabulous first impression, so lead with your best song, followed by the next best two or three. Be sure to use the highest possible quality equipment you can afford. No one wants to hear poor quality music.
This article, “How Do I Make My First Demo?” gives some good insight and suggestions for making your demo.
Now that you have some sample tunes ready to hand out, it’s time to create an unmistakable image.
Think Slash (Saul Hudson) with his top hat, DEVO, with their red cereal bowl hats or Elton John with his crazy glasses.
You need to have a consistent look, whether you wear the same clothes or not. It doesn’t need to be a uniform; you just need to look like you’re on the same team. If you saw the members of KISS walking through your local mall, you could tell they were from the same group. You don’t have to be that extravagant, just wear the same colors or logos to show people you’re from the same band.
P.T. Barnum said, “No one ever made a difference by being like everyone else.”
Your look is a vital part of your show and separates you from your competition.
Now that you have a tight group, a fantastic song repertoire, and a new look, it’s time to get some gigs.
Before you go out pounding on doors, you’ll need to have an EPK, an Electronic Press Kit. The EPK is your calling card, resume, and how prospects can check out your music and style. If you need to learn how to build an EPK, this article, “How To Build A Great Electronic Press Kit for Your Band,” has everything you need.
With your PR ready to go, how about your equipment? Do you have everything you need to put on a flawless show? Do you have enough amps, cords, and mics, so you don’t look like a high school band?
Be prepared and self-sustaining by always carrying a spare PA. You’ll find many venues don’t have them or won’t let you use them. Plus, you can charge more.
The band is ready to get out there and start playing for the crowds. You need to begin promoting your group. When you’re just starting, everyone in the band should help get the word out for your first few gigs to get as many people to come as possible. They need to get on social media and tell their friends to help spread the word.
With your EPK ready, your band’s look and sound tight, you can go out and talk to venue owners with confidence. You’ll present a polished professional image, even if it’s your first time.
“How to Find Gigs for Musicians and Bands,” has lots of tips to find those first few gigs.
The same advice applies to how to get into a band.
These top ten artists represent the diversity of musical tastes that people want to hear. Elton John and Billy Joel are in their 60’s and 70’s but still draw a crowd.
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The one common thread with these and all successful artists is quality band management. As you grow, you’ll need a manager for the day-to-day tasks, a booking agent, and an accountant to keep things organized.
If you’re just beginning and starting a band for the first time, take a peek at the Back On Stage app. It performs most of these functions until you can hire someone full time.
Put your heart and soul into the type of music you like and play it well. With a little marketing, chances are, your efforts will pay off. The music industry is wide open if you have the talent, organization, and discipline to improve.
]]>Music manager, Jeremy Levin of Mega House Music said, “Being a great manager is about building and maintaining relationships. The more you know your clients, the better you can help them. If I can’t see myself going on a vacation with you, chances are you won’t fit the aesthetic we are looking for.”
This blog will cover how to find a music manager who cares, like Mr. Levin. We’ll also touch on why you need a manager, the characteristics of a good music manager, and how to hire one.
If working on your social media, marketing, emails, negotiating contracts, and booking new gigs starts to eat into your creative and family time, it’s time to hire a band manager.
You should know that to take over your workload, a music manager will require anywhere from 15% to 30% of any revenue that they help to generate. Can you afford it?
Let’s discuss why you may not need a manager in the beginning. If this is your first band, you should learn the ropes yourself. You need to know what you’re paying someone else to do for your group. Keep in mind, successful music managers generally won’t work for a band if it’s not making money.
How much do you make per gig? Can you afford to spend a percentage of your precious income on a music manager? These are the hard questions you need to answer before hiring anyone.
Also consider how much more you could get done on your own if you have the right arsenal of band apps to help with your daily band tasks.
Watch this video, “How To Get A Music Manager & Do You Need One?” for additional tips and a healthy dose of reality.
The best music managers are masters of organization, have excellent people skills, and can weave their way through the intricacies of today’s music industry. The duties of a music manager vary from one to another. However, their common goal is to connect bands and artists with as many of the right gigs and opportunities to maximize everyone’s revenue potential. Ask for references before you hire one.
Here are some positive characteristics you want to look for when finding a music manager:
The right music manager will help propel your group into stardom while taking care of daily mundane tasks like paying bills and negotiating contracts.
Finding a music manager is not as hard as you think. You’ll search in some of the same places as you would for a new band member.
Some of the best places to search for a music manager are:
2. Be Vocal and Use Social - Don’t keep it a secret. Tweet, post, and tell anyone on your social channels that you’re looking for a manager.
3. Check with Other Bands – Connect with similar bands to yours. Experienced groups can provide valuable information, pros, and cons of a potential manager.
4. Talk to Music Bloggers, and Other industry People - Bloggers, radio DJs, club owners, and promoters know the right people in your local music scene. Ask them for help.
This article, “How to Find Members For Your Band” may have some other useful ideas for you.
Chances are, more than one music manager is looking for talent. Just like you’re looking for them, they are looking for you. As long as you are getting the word out, it shouldn’t take long to find the right person.
Help your new manager be more productive for your band. Consider a comprehensive band management app that…
One way to get through the growing pains of managing your band is to automate as many tasks as possible. The Back On Stage web app can do 80% of the office work that a manager does in 80% less time. It’s a minimal investment that will help you or your manager automate critical activities such as:
The app will save many hours each week, minimize mistakes, and free up more time for them to find more gigs for you.
]]>Are you thinking about hiring a new band member? Whether you are just starting a band or need a replacement, there is a lot to think about. Besides their skills and experience, personality is a critical trait to scrutinize. Band members who don’t get along can cause devastating acrimonious breakups. Bad attitudes and artistic differences will cripple your band, affect the morale of the other group members, and tarnish your reputation. So, be very careful when choosing your band members.
As a bandleader, it is your job to select the right musicians or artists to reduce friction amongst members so that your band can thrive and make money.
In this blog, we’ll show you how to look for the band members, where to find them, and how to prepare. Learn to recognize the traits of an amazing potential band member.
How do you go about finding the right member? It starts with you. You need to be clear about the type of person you want. After all, your band is your extended family.
“If you don’t know what you want, you’ll never find it. If you don’t know what you deserve, you’ll always settle for less.” – Rob Liano, Best Selling Author, a Certified Life Coach, and a Business Strategist.
In a band’s performance, the band members feed off one another. It takes a group effort to make it look and sound great. Think about the personality and style that will harmonize with your band’s unique identity. Musical talent alone is not enough. There are busloads of talented musicians from which to choose. You need to find the ones that will contribute to your band’s stardom.
The first step is to screen for the kind of skills and musical style that you may need, like a bass player, drummer, guitarist, or vocalist.
Then, make a list of qualities that you want. Ask questions to find out about these traits. Are they:
Despite checking on all these qualities during the interviews, you won’t know for sure until you start working together. Consider a probationary period to make sure it’s a fit.
Damian Keyes, the founder of the British Institute of Modern Music (the BIMM Institute), has the perfect video on this subject. Watch How to Find Committed Musicians / How to Replace and Find Band a Member. It will open your eyes to what you need to do.
It’s up to you to instill the right belief, trust, and work ethic in your bandmates. You need to lead by example, and they will follow.
Even if you’re just starting your band, you need an online presence. Post your videos on YouTube or Facebook. Build your social media, so it looks attractive. Serious band members want to see you and your music. You must have samples of your music ready online where people can hear or see your style.
Better yet, get the Back On Stage app. You can curate all your music and setlists, then send them straight to your prospective band members. This web app keeps their contact info, lets you send emails, and rehearsal times all from your phone.
Now that you know the kind of person you want how do you find members for your band?
You can find quality musicians everywhere. Here are some proven places to begin your search.
Hard-working groups that already have fans and momentum naturally attract talent. The better musicians want to be on the winning side and will work to get there. You need to look and sound professional, especially when starting up.
Get some excellent advice from the pros when you watch these videos.
How to Not COMPLETELY SUCK at Starting a Band - Glenn Fricker, recording engineer at SpectreSoundStudios made this hilarious, yet spot-on checklist of what not to do when starting a band.
How to Find Musicians For a Band - Damian Keyes, the founder of the British Institute of Modern Music (BIMM Institute), tells it like it is.
Experience is the best teacher, and you’ll learn a lot from these guys!
By using a few of the methods listed in this blog, you’ll meet lots of potential bandmates. But that’s only the beginning. The tough part is knowing if your styles and work ethic can mesh. Use your checklist. See if your prospect can rehearse at the same time and if their playing experience is on a similar level.
You need to have a reason for musicians to follow you. Have your audio or video tracks ready so they can see how serious you are about making it in music.
If you’re committed to your path, other like-minded musicians will find you.
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If you’re a bandleader, you know that finding good sheet music for cover bands is quite challenging. You either make it yourself or hire someone else to do it. Sometimes you can find free sheet music online, but it’s usually crap and not the arrangement you want.
We’ve put together some reliable and some obscure places to find quality sheet music for your band.
A word of caution about some distributors. When searching online, you’ll see sheetmusicplus.com, musicnotes.com, and jwpepper.com come up. For bandleaders, they are not worth wasting your time on them unless you’re super desperate. They are OK for finding a lead sheet (piano & vocal sheet music), but if you’re looking for parts for each instrument in your band, they’re not much help.
WARNING: If you’re searching for “horn charts” and you run across this site - Horn Section Arranging - nobilicollinedelmonferrato.it, don’t click it. It’s a phishing site! |
For your convenience, we put together some of the best horn charts and band sheet music distributors on this page.
Searching for sheet music online is easy nowadays. Type in the name of the sheet music or composer, and you’re sure to come up with it.
Party Band Sheet Music is the go-to-choice for band leaders who need modern, downloadable sheet music for every jazz and cover band instrument. They have an extensive collection of funk and soul classics arranged for 3-5 horns and rhythm section ready to use.
For older pieces, try Iowa music printer, C.L. Barnhouse. They have musical archives dating back to 1886 when they stated. They offer sheet music for jazz, solo, ensembles as well as marching bands and orchestras.
If you can’t find what you want, sometimes colleges have libraries containing more obscure music. You can search for sheet music at Humboldt State College’s Music Resource Guide here. You can search by composer, a piece of music, or the type of music.
Another university source of downloadable sheet music is Ohio State University. You can search their site by:
They offer links to multiple libraries and guides under each category. For example, under Jazz Lead Sheets, they list Free Jazz Chord Charts That You Can Transpose. You’ll find around 1,300 chord charts of jazz standards that you can transpose to any key.
If you need something customized for your band or a particular gig, using a transcription service is the way to go.
Can’t find the sheet music you want? Use a transcription service to upload any audio, video, or YouTube URL to the music for which you need sheet music. The transcription service will then transform the audio into quality sheet music with high accuracy on the notes.
In addition to quality charts, Party Band Sheet Music offers custom music transcription services. If your client has an off-the-wall-request for a tune and you can’t find the sheet music, they can help. They charge $36 an hour and state that most single-instrument transcriptions for 5 minutes of music take between 45 to 90 minutes. They can make arrangements for cover bands up to 5 horns and rhythm section parts for guitar, bass, keyboards, and drums
To give you a better idea of transcription costs, here are three sample quotes posted on their website:
Expected turnaround times are 3 to 14 business days depending on the complexity. The sheet music comes as a downloadable PDF for 8.5” x 11”.
Transcribe A Song charges $18 per audio minute with a minimum of two minutes. Turnaround time is a minimum of 5 days.
In this blog, we focus more on the cover, jazz, and horn bands. Below is a list of sheet music sellers that cater to those genres of music. We’ve also added a couple of college libraries for more obscure music.
Horn Charts 4 Less – Try this service if you are on a tight budget. However, they say, “Different arrangers write the charts, and we do not guarantee their accuracy.”
Pepperhorn.com – You may search by artist, song title, album, composer, or era.
Free Horn Charts – This is a free site, but the music is limited.
Internet Sources for Big Band Arrangements - Fredonia College in New York has a searchable music library.
Horn Band Charts – This is a good source for horns, but not for other instruments.
Party Band Sheet Music – They have a wide range of search options, including eleven different instruments. You can also search by genres such as Big Band, Funk, High School Band, Horn Charts and Arrangements, Master Rhythm, Rhythm Section Charts, and Sheet Music.
Scribd.com – This site is mostly for books, but they do carry sheet music too.
MindForMusic.com – This is a free site. You may find some music you can use here, but it won’t be as comprehensive as other sites.
Now that you’ve gone to the expense and trouble of finding and downloading your sheet music, where will you store it so it won’t get lost or deleted? We have the perfect solution, the Back On Stage App. It’s a comprehensive web app that helps bandleaders manage their bands.
One of the best features is the Repertoire and Set List feature. You can store digital copies of your sheet music along with the audio and video files if you have them. You can send copies to all members of your band with a couple of clicks. It’s a lifesaver for when you call in subs to fill in at the last minute. They get the right information from the start—no more searching YouTube or hassling with Dropbox, Evernote, or other disjointed music libraries.
]]>How do you know you are offering a competitive rate for your or your band’s musical services if you have no idea what other musicians and bands are charging?
Rates that seem fair to you could be too high or too low in your market. Either way, it can hurt your business. Make a well-informed decision by finding out how much you should charge for your performance where you live. Some bandleaders prefer to use the Musicians' Union rates (known as “scale”) while others prefer to charge performance fees as negotiated on a case by case basis. We’ll provide you with some references and links to help you command the best rates.
A great place to begin your search is with your local musicians' union.
Wait, you didn’t know there was a musicians union?
Fair enough. It’s not something we hear about everyday, and to be honest, many union branches are a little under the radar. The UK, Australia, United States, and Canada all have musicians unions, just to name a few.
These unions tend to be a bit old in their ways of doing business and unfortunately don't offer much value to self-employed musicians or bands. As such, many freelance players don’t find unions to be particularly beneficial. If you happen to land a gig in an orchestra or doing regular recording sessions for film or television, then you’re likely to get a lot more benefit from union membership as their collective bargaining agreements are quite favorable. That said, the unions in Canada and the US both have great music equipment insurance policies which are so good that many musicians join the union just to get at them!
But we digress. Back to musicians union rates...
You’ll find some links to the various music unions in the next section. When you go to either the American or Canadian Federation of Musicians, you can search by state or province to localize your search. Contact the local chapters to get accurate pricing for your area. You’ll want to send an email to their office and ask for their current “Rate Chart” or “Tariff of Fees”.
A lengthy document (30+ pages) that outlines all the baseline rates that musicians must charge for services ranging from soundchecks and rehearsals to concerts and steady engagements (repeat shows). It even details rates for various types of recording sessions and even mixing and mastering fees. It’s a great resource to keep on your shelf!
This document is a condensed version of the Tariff of Fees. Whereas the Tariff of Fees can be 30+ pages, this is usually just 2-3. It outlines baseline rates for things like orchestra, dance band, and background music performances and also includes non-performance work time rates for activities like soundchecks, rehearsals, mixing and mastering. Much more helpful for freelance musicians and event bands!
Another way you can look for rates is to search for comparable bands or musicians in your area. For example, “Wedding Band Rates in New York” returned hundreds of possible groups. You can look at each site to see if they display their rates or reach out to them directly. There’s no shame in secret shopping!
By comparing the musicians union rates with what other working musicians in your area charge, you should be in the ballpark with a decent starting number for your band’s prices.
Here is a list of musician’s unions you can contact in your area.
Other Canadian Local Associations
You can search for local music unions for every U.S. state on the American Federation of Musician’s website. Go to the Find My Local page here or click the image.
If you become a local member of the American Federation of Musicians in Canada, you automatically enroll as a member of the Canadian Federation of Musicians. They help you with working across borders, insurance plans, and other benefits. In fact, their musicians' equipment insurance deals are so good that many musicians join the union just to get the insurance! It’s worth looking into.
Not every band wants to post their rates online. Plus, there are too many variables. That said, we managed to come up with some sample pricing. It should help you price your band so you can get you out of the studio and into some gigs.
The Silver Arrow Band covers the NYC metropolitan area and tour as far as Boston and Buffalo. They offer packages starting as small as a 3-piece combo up to a full 14-piece jazz band.
Here are their stated rates:
On the other side of the continent, we have the Phonix Band, a premium wedding dance band from Vancouver, BC. They also have variable musical packages.
In Denver, musicians for wedding gigs make about $150 per hour. For Nashville, TN, it’s a bit lower, between $65 and $120 per hour.
These posted rates will provide you some insight into what bands charge on either coast or in between.
It’s not easy to establish rates for the first time. Here are some tips to help you.
When it comes time to negotiate your fee, get it in writing. Use email and a written contract, so both parties have a written record.
Knowing what to charge is not that hard, but keeping everything organized is. To help you tie it all together, including emails, contracts, and employer contact information, get the web app, Back On Stage. It’s the hassle-free way to manage your band and get paid what you’re worth.]]>As a bandleader has anyone ever asked you, “I want to hire you guys. How much do you charge?” Do you have a quick answer?
To set a competitive rate for your band here’s something to consider before you open your mouth. If you quote a rate that’s too high, you might turn off your potential client. If your price is too low, they might think your band is not good enough. The question is, how do you set a rate that compensates your band members fairly and yet attractive enough that potential talent buyers can’t ignore?
Determining a fair and profitable price for your band takes a little homework. Negotiating your best price takes practice and strategy.
As a side note: if you'd like to quickly calculate a minimum asking price for your cover band, try our event band rate calculator now.
Author Kenneth Eade said, “In any negotiation, the one who first gives a number is the loser.” That’s excellent advice. There are two principles in negotiating your band’s rates. 1) Don’t quote your price until you have all the information, and 2) don’t make demands until you know their position. To understand where the other party stands, ask these questions:
Then there are questions that you need to answer:
Read a book on how to negotiate or take a short course. Whatever it takes, always be ready to negotiate because the other side will.
Your band performs a valuable service, musical entertainment. Putting a price on the band’s musical talent starts by determining the base costs.
Think about what goes into pricing a jar of peanut butter. You have the peanuts and other ingredients that make up the peanut butter. Next, you have the jar, lid, label, and shipping container. Those items are your base cost. Then you add in the additional and variable costs like labor, rent, utilities, shipping, and grocery store slotting fees. If you don’t add those expenses, you’ll lose money and go out of business.
It’s the same with your band and setting your music artist booking prices. You have fixed and variable costs. The first step is to determine an hourly base rate for your group. Once you have that rate, you can add in the other expenses such as:
Pro Tip: Remember to ask potential clients if they have a budget in mind. This way, you know if it’s worth your time.
Whether your band has the same musicians for each gig, or it fluctuates depending on the venue, set up a table to help you determine your band’s hourly rate. The musicians in your group are worth the same as any skilled tradesperson in North America. The range begins at the low end at $25 per hour and runs up to $75 for highly trained and experienced musicians.
If all nine members of the band earn $50 per hour, the hourly base rate is $450 per hour. However, if you only charge the base rate, you’ll be out of business fast.
Check out this chart to see other costs you need to add to your price. The table is courtesy of the Phonix Band, a 9-piece Canadian Funk band.
You can adjust the costs by adjusting the BOLDED items that are specific to your band.
Make sure to add expense items that aren’t on this list, such as producing a promo video, licenses, and other promotional costs. You’re going to have to pay them one way or another.
Here are some charges you should add to your price. You can use these items as bargaining chips, but you should try and charge for everything you can.
Make sure to add travel expenses to your fee if you are traveling more than 15 to 20 miles from your base camp. You can charge a mileage rate for a day trip and add food and lodging if you plan to stay overnight.
You’ll need to set fees appropriate to your area and band, but here is a rough guide.
For a look at how the U.S. calculates per diems for their federal employees in every state, go to U.S. General Services Administration – Per Diem Rates. It can help you calculate local per diem fees for your band.
The bigger the crowds you can draw, the more you can negotiate.
Is the gig in the middle of the week or on a Saturday night? Are you playing during spring break or the dead of winter? Just like the airlines, you want to price accordingly for peak and off-peak times.
Do your fans expect to see explosions, fire, fog, and laser lights? You’ll need to include the rental and techs required to operate them during your show.
So, you’ve come up with a price for the gig, and the venue owner or client has agreed. Now what? How do you make a contract? If you’ve never made a contract before, your band needs this music performance contract template!
Pro Tip: Never make your first offer the best offer. Add at least 10%, so you have wiggle room for negotiations.
When negotiating, don’t forget to include a deposit. Typically, you should ask for and receive a 50% advance deposit. However, the deposit varies depending on the type of event and the advanced booking. Once both parties agree, sign the deal, and you receive a deposit, congratulations, you’ve officially booked your band!
As a bandleader, you have a lot on your plate. Keep your sanity by keeping things in order. The automation features in the Back On Stage app will save you time and keep you on top of your game.
This unique web app will take care of your booking list, leads or contact information, communications, event dates, band members details, payments, and finances, to name a few.
Back On Stage provides a specific structure to generate contracts at your pay scale, no matter what you charge or where you play. It’s never been easier to submit proposals, make contracts, or get paid.
]]>Is your band ready to perform for live audiences? Then you need to build an Electronic Press Kit (EPK). Just like a CV or resumé for job seekers, an EPK is your band’s resumé. It shows promoters and potential clients who you are, what you look like, and how you play. It’s a professional multimedia online business card showcasing your band. In this blog post, we’ll show you what you need to build a stunning artist press kit that helps you get more gigs.
As you put together your band’s press kit, be clear and concise. Don’t go crazy with the artsy photos, colors, and fonts. View your musician’s press kit like a promoter. He or she wants to learn about your band in the shortest amount of time. They aren’t judging your graphical creativity.
Finding gigs for musicians and bands is much easier with an EPK ready to send.
If your Press kit lives on your website, you need to optimize it for search engines. This article, SEO For Musicians and Bands, will help.
There are seven elements to a professional EPK that answer who, what, when, and where about you or your band:
Make all links clickable, so it’s easy for clients to find the information they need to hire you.
The biography highlights the band’s artistry and history. It should include individual references to the band members as well as all the achievements of the group. You’ll also want to add any press quotes, recent shows, recordings, venues, and any endorsements.
To make the bio section as professional as possible. Consider hiring a copywriter to write it for you to ensure accuracy and avoid any spelling errors.
Because promoters and agents will check out your sound before they do anything else, link to only your best music samples. If you have multiple locations like Spotify, Soundcloud, and YouTube, add every link. Make sure your links don’t require account signup or similar. If the person needs to create a new account, get out their credit card and confirm their email address just to hear your music, they’ll surely take a pass. Thus, one excellent option is to offer a free download.
Use video if you have it. Linking to some high-quality video of live performances demonstrates your musical chops to promoters. Function bands can use an original promotional video, overlaid with the band’s information, to get their message out.
If you plan to send out your EPK to different venues, swap the video links to the appropriate type of venue. There is no need to add every video.
Invest in some quality pictures of your band, including headshots, the entire band, and promotional shots. Quality photos help to tell your band’s story. Try to keep with the theme of your group, whether it’s off-the-wall-crazy rock, classical, or jazz.
If you have a logo, add a PNG image so promoters can use it for event promotions. Also include any CD cover art, and liner graphics if you have those.
Let everyone know where you’ll play in the upcoming weeks and months with your performance calendar. It’s an essential part of your EPK, so both fans and promoters can follow you. Keep the schedule updated and fresh.
Your contact info is vital to getting gigs. Make it easy for promoters and venues to reach you by providing multiple contact points. List your email, phone numbers, your website, and social network links. Designate two people as preferred points of contact, so promoters know whom to call. Have at least one back up phone number so that you don’t miss a significant lead.
Promoters are busy people, and they’re not detectives. Potential employers should be able to contact you on the first try.
Positive reviews and testimonials go a long way in helping you attract more gigs. Whenever you receive a positive press review or testimonial from a client or other music industry professional, add them to your press kit. The more social proof you have, the faster you can grow your fan base.
If your band plays festivals, or shows featuring more than one act, a stage plot saves the stage crew a lot of time and reduces performance day hassles. Be sure the stage crew and sound engineer have access to your stage plot well in advance of the gig.
Don’t have a stage plot? Use this great stage plot designer tool to create one now.
There is a lot of information and links in an EPK. Use Headings and Subheadings to make the page easy to scan and to navigate.
Coordinate the design so that there is a general sense of your brand using the same colors and fonts throughout the EPK, logo, and website. Use simple, easy to read fonts with high contrast backgrounds. You can’t go wrong with black font on a white background.
If you’ve never put together an artist press kit, here are a few great examples.
The Phonix Dance Band – You’ll find the EPK in a dropdown menu under “Band” on the website. It’s neatly organized with clickable links to get you where you want to go.
Albannach – Their EPK has a top navigation bar with everything you want to know about the band.
Sometimes the artist’s website is their press kit, containing all the essentials listed on the site. Here are three great examples.
If you have a separate EPK, you can create a separate page on your website, or upload it to Dropbox and provide the link. Wherever you decide to keep it, make the page and links easy to share and view.
Although you can create an amazing band website with ALL or your band’s content, agents and promoters don’t have time to hunt for things. Make sure your electronic artist press kit is a dedicated page on your website where they can find everything they’ll need, all in one place.
Always keep your information fresh with news and upcoming gigs. The Back On Stage Band Software is a huge help. It’s for musicians and bandleaders who want to stay organized as they grow. The Back On Stage app is the place to organize your music audio and video. It has all the functions you need to manage a band, including email communications, repertoire, and gig details. The app keeps all your information in one place, making it easy to create and update your EPK.]]>Unless you are an off-the-grid-punk band with a mindset of, "I play music, why should I care about SEO or being online?" you need an online presence. Period!
What is SEO, you ask? It stands for “Search Engine Optimization.” It’s the process of refining your website’s content (text, page titles, and images) to include keywords and keyword phrases via conversational copywriting so that search engines can understand your site’s purpose and determine its value to a search user. More valuable websites rank higher on search engine results pages (SERP), which means they get seen more and get more traffic. Your site needs traffic if you want it to effectively market your band. So, SEO is VERY important for your online success!
If your band is serious about growing your fan base, you need a website to communicate with them. How else will they know where you will play next or get the latest tracks you laid down? Think of your fan base as a cool underground spring, and each optimized social link and website page as a tree root. The more roots you have in the spring, the faster your tree grows.
But, SEO for musicians and bands is different than for products or services. In this blog, we'll show you why optimizing your website and posts are essential to building a solid fan base and why it's different from almost any other online search.
Remember what SEO is. It means Search Engine Optimization. It's marketing 101. By "optimizing" your website, you make it easier for people to find you and your music. Let's say you are searching for "Music artist management automation". The search engines will return search results with all or most of the words in your search.
But SEO for musicians and bands is different. People don't find your group the way they look for shoes or headphones. Think about when you bought something online. You searched for the brand name, found the search results page (SERP) with a list of products and websites. Then you clicked on a link and purchased your item. That's the simplified way most people search and buy online.
For bands and musicians, it's just the opposite. People don't look for a specific musician or band until AFTER they found them another way, such as a live event, social media, or a music app like Pandora. It's after they experience the music that they search to learn more about the band, not before.
Optimizing your website starts by using a URL (aka domain name) that uses the band's name, YourBand.com. Keep it clean and short. Add keywords that fans will likely use when searching for your music.
You want to work in as many natural keywords into your blogs and website as you can, such as:
You need to consider your band's name as your "brand" and any related words, such as band member names or song titles, as branded keywords. The more brand keywords you use, the easier it is for people to find you.
Keywords, keyword phrases, or longtail keywords all refer to the words and phrases inside your website’s content that allow search engines to serve your site to searchers. They are the words and phrases that people are actually typing into search engines to find the content they want.
For example, if you were visiting an unfamiliar city and wanted to eat Italian food tonight, you might search Google for “Italian restaurant.” In this case, the “Italian restaurant” is the keyword you are using. Google will serve you up a list of websites that it knows to have the most used and best-placed instances of that keyword in their content. Of course, Google’s search algorithm is much more complex than that, but that’s the basic gist.
Finding the right keywords for each page on your website is an arduous but essential process. Tools like kwfinder.com and ahrefs.com can help, but they all come at a cost, unfortunately. Alternatively, just try to imagine what future fans or clients might search for to find your band or music. Type that into Google and see what you get. Then, scroll to the bottom of the page to see Google’s “related searches.” These are some other keywords that you could consider if they fit.
To illustrate, let’s look at an example for a cover band called The Phonix, from Vancouver, Canada. They are a funk cover band that wants to book wedding gigs. First, we need to identify our target audience and ask what they are looking for. The more precise we can be, the more narrowly-focussed and effective our keywords will be.
So here’s what we’re thinking:
First, we try a search for “funk wedding band” and here’s what we get:
Great! The Phonix band is coming up first. That’s because they have plenty of instances of “funk wedding band” on their website, or at least enough related keywords that Google has deemed them the top result for this search.
But what if they want to get ranked in the top for other keywords too?
When we scroll down to the bottom of the Google results page for that search, we see this:
This is another pile of great keywords that Google thinks relate well to what we have searched for. In other words, these are the phrases that Google knows other people have used to find similar content. If we want to generate more organic traffic for The Phonix, they could create more pages on their website using these keywords.
Event bands need to optimize their websites for keywords relating to the types of events they want to get gigs for and their home city, as we saw above.
The event name is the most valuable keyword of them all. If you're playing multiple or recurring events, you'll want to make sure you use the event name in a blog or page title. When fans enter it in the search box, your band will come up more often.
What do we mean by Page Title? Your page title shows up in a few places, and it’s super important that it includes the EXACT keyword you are aiming for.
For example, the blog post you are reading right now is targeting the keyword “SEO for musicians”. You can see it in the title of this blog if you scroll to the top. That big heading at the top is known as the “h1 tag.” Read all about creating the perfect h1 tag here.
Also important is the “title tag.” The title tag is what shows up at the top of your browser window when you are on a webpage. This is also what will appear in search results.
Depending on your website building software, the Page Title and Title Tag might actually be different things and editable in different places. Make sure you know where you can edit both!
Original bands will likely have better luck optimizing for keywords related to their band name, but also for a specific playlist and music categories, like "easy listening," "coffee house playlist," or another style.
Don’t forget that Spotify, Google Play, YouTube, and Apple Music are also search engines. These days, people are digesting music much differently than 20 years ago. No one (or almost no one) listens to full albums anymore. People want music to fill a practical purpose in their life. They want a “work out” playlist or “music to study to.” “Romantic dinner” or “afternoon tea” could also be considerations.
Think about what practical role your music could fulfill in someone’s life and create your own public playlists with appropriate pastimes or activities in mind. Fill the lists with popular music you know and sprinkle in a few of your band’s recordings. Before you know it, people everywhere will be listening to your music.
Keyword density is the technical term used to refer to the number of times a specific keyword or keyword phrase appears on a particular page. There’s no exact science on this because search algorithms change all the time, but as a general rule, aim for 1% of your page content.
Use this handy Keyword Density Checker tool to help you out and follow this example:
When optimizing your website, you need to give Google and other search bots a hand. They aren't very good at deciphering your music or videos. Write descriptions that tell the search engines what the song or video is about but keep your readers foremost in your mind while writing them.
Title tags and meta descriptions should accurately describe the content to both search engines and human readers.
Metadata – The title and description that you see displayed in Google search results are the metadata someone wrote to tell you what's on the page. Every page on your website must have a well-written meta description.
The rule of thumb here is that the titles should be 70 characters or less, and descriptions around 155. Any longer and they get cut off, especially on phones. Both should be unique to each page on your site and each blog post.
Use this great Google SERP Preview Tool to input our page title, URL and meta description to see how it will display on Google.
Alt Tags – These are like metadata, but they are attached to images and videos. Alt tags describe what the image or video is about, usually in one concise sentence. They make for better user experience by describing images to visitors who are unable to see them and they also help search engines understand what the media is since image files and videos do not contain searchable text. Try to limit them to 125 characters or less.
Your website is the hub, and all your social and media channels are the spokes. Some of the channels on which you should have a presence are:
You'll want a link to each page from your website and a backlink from them to the site.
If you have an EPK as part of your website, think about SEO as you write the content. Check out this article, "How to Build a Great Electronic Press Kit For Your Band," for some ideas.
Do a search for a famous band that you like. Even with a brand-specific search term of the band's name, you'll notice that the SERP comes packed with third party brands, ticket sellers, and businesses. You must compete for your fan's attention through all these distractions.
To help your fans find you, build a mobile-optimized website with each page SEO-friendly. Add pages and blogs that target keywords that will help you. Don't forget to link to relevant music and social pages.
Take SEO seriously, and the search engines will reward you for your efforts by sending new fans to your site. To help you manage all the new gigs, leads, and finances, check out our all-in-one band software, Back on Stage. It's the most comprehensive band management tool you can get.
Finding a gig can be a Catch-22 for a band. To improve your performance and build your fan base, you need more gigs. But venue owners want someone with more exposure and poster value so they can draw bigger crowds and make more money.
So, what is a bandleader to do? Every band must pay their dues to make it big, and it all begins with lining up that first gig. These tips will help you get your first gig and many more. Before you start pounding on venue doors, you need to ask yourself…
Here is a short checklist to see if you’re ready for the world to see you play.
The idea is to present a polished, professional image, even if this is going to be your first gig. You should already have a website, optimized for your band’s keywords and style of music. Not sure what that is? Read, SEO For Musicians and Bands.
Having these items in place shows potential employers that you are no longer a garage band.
A showcase gig can be an opportunity for a new act or an established band to present new material. However, you need to know who is putting on the event.
Showcase gigs or concerts, put on by established labels or promoters, can sometimes help you to get your music in front of the right people. Do your homework before agreeing to do the show. Never get into a deal where you must pay to play. It’s a scam.
To get your band booked, you need to market it just like any other business. As we said above, always project a professional image no matter what type of music you play. The reason Gene Simmons could wear 50 pounds of gear while playing in KISS and became one of the wealthiest promoters, was that he never drank or got high.
Stay professional whatever you do, say, or wherever you post a message on social. Your fans and promoters are watching.
Even if you’re just starting, you need to put together a professional electronic press kit along with recordings of your band. Get professional-quality photos and well-written biographies to go with them. It’s worth investing in a promo video/showreel. It shows that you’re serious. Have hard copies made and upload everything online, so your prospects can view or download it.
Keep a list of local radio stations, contacts, promoters, events, night clubs, and anyone who hires your brand of musical talent. Start locally to keep expenses low and to build a following. Continuously invite entertainment writers and music podcasters to your shows.
List your band on appropriate sites. For example, if you are an event and/or cover band, list yourself on sites like weddingwire.com, gigmasters.com, or gigsalad.com. If you prefer a bar, club, and tour gigs, try sites like sonicbids.com, bandsintown.com or reverbnation.com.
Go to venues and ask for the person in charge of the booking. Most likely, the owner or manager. Get an email address if you can’t see them in person and send them a promo package. Make sure to follow up and keep calling or emailing until you get an answer.
One approach is to get on with a band that already has a following. It’s easier to get started, and you can split the venue fees.
You can find local promoters and send them your package. You’ll still need to follow up with them to get an answer. Remember, you need them more than they need you, so be courteous but persistent.
Chances are they won’t put you on alone if you are new. Ask about being the opening act. If they turn you down, keep checking with them for future gigs.
Many of the highest-paying positions in the world start as lowly, unpaid internships. Think of your first few gigs like that. You’re gaining experience and exposure. Once you’ve built a reputation and following, you can be more assertive about getting paid.
It’s always a good idea to use a music performance contract, even if you’re not getting paid. It still helps to protect you, and you gain valuable experience negotiating the deal.
Again, be professional. That means showing up for sound checks and the gig on time. You only have one chance to make an excellent first impression. Your audience and the venue owner appreciate a well-rehearsed set.
Although your venue may offer alcohol, leave it for after the gig. No one wants to pay to see a bunch of drunken fools pretend to make music.
You want the audience and venue promoters to remember you for a great show. Courtesy and professionalism go a long way in the music world, and they will help you get more gigs.
Even if your band has enough gigs to sustain and thrive in today’s music industry, you need to manage it well. For a bandleader, that means managing communications, staff, band members, setlists, calendars, contacts, contracts, invoices, and payments.
The best way to do it without losing your creative time is by automating all those routine tasks. Doing so will keep you organized so you won’t miss those important calls and contacts that lead to your first gig. Check out the Back On Stage app. It can automate almost all your management tasks such as filling in contracts and invoices, responding to contacts, as well as communicating with and assigning band members for separate gigs.
In short, it’s like having a full-time assistant with you 24/7.
It’s an excellent resource to tie down those contacts for your first and subsequent gigs.
]]>Imagine this, your band is supposed to perform at a private function. You and your group have been practicing throughout the months leading up to the gig. Suddenly, the event is canceled due to COVID or some other reason. Hopefully you already collected a non-refundable deposit, but unless you have a music performance contract in hand, you probably won’t receive the rest of your payment.
Remember Murphy’s Law? “Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong.” As a bandleader, you can beat Murphy’s law by having a signed music performance contract. It helps both parties to understand each other’s responsibilities for any unforeseen situation. Having a signed contract in place will ensure you and your band members get paid and eliminate problems, rain or shine.
In a hurry?
PRO TIP: If you don't want to waste hours of your time manually creating contract for each of your gigs, use Back On Stage app to automate the process for you. Your 30-day free trial includes a sample band performance contract and the template automatically fills itself for each of your gigs. Contracts in a click!
It takes two to tango when it comes to signing a performance contract. In this case, the two parties involved are:
Once the Purchaser reaches out to hire a band for a show, they should agree and sign this document. The Artist, usually the bandleader, can then prepare the group for the performance. They will know upfront the details of the gig, plus how and when the “Purchaser” will pay.
A contract should spell out the what-ifs for both sides, such as no shows, cancellations, and other issues that could happen. Check out Why Use A Music Performance Contract for more information.
Try to keep your contract as simple as possible while still protecting your interests. As your band and clientele grow, you’ll need to expand the agreement to cover contingencies that you may not need when you’re just starting.
Here are the essential elements you need in your performance contract.
You’ll want to use legal names, not stage names here. Fill in complete street addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses. You want as much contact information about the other party as you can. In most jurisdictions, a contract is not considered legal unless there is a complete address for both parties, so don’t skip over this step. An email address doesn’t cut it!
This element includes all the venue information such as the location, the venue’s name, the date and time of the performance.
This section covers the details of the band’s performance. Items to include are:
Here’s where you define the amount of pay for the performance, when you get paid, and the payment method. Compensation doesn't just mean money - you can also include things like hot meals, parking, travel expenses and hotel rooms here.
For wedding and event bands, or established original bands with regular gigs, asking for a deposit is standard practice. Typically, the deposit is non-refundable but deducted from the total balance after the performance. In this case, “non-refundable” means that in the event of a cancellation, the deposit amount will not be returned. It is common for deposit amounts to equal 25-50% of the total contract amount.
Questions to address here are:
The relationship section is legal jargon describing the “Artist” is not an employee of the “Purchaser.” The reason for this clause is to prevent liability issues and also to provide clarity for tax purposes.
This clause is a legal term for “superior force” or unavoidable accident. It’s the section of a contract that relieves both parties in the event of a natural catastrophe, like a flood or tornado, that’s not anyone’s fault.
In this section, you define, or "interpret" any important words in the contract that could possibly be ambiguous or have multiple meanings. You define the words as they apply to this particular contract so that neither party can make claims against the contract using outside definitions to suit their purposes.
Filling out a contract with the above sections and elements will give you a solid deal that will hold up in your area. Make sure you have it reviewed by an attorney who understands entertainment law in your area.
To get started, you can download this music performance contract template below. We have included a travel clause which you can remove if it’s not applicable.
But if you'd rather not have to manually fill out this contract for each of your gigs, sign up for a 30-day free trial of Back On Stage app to get a free contract template that automatically pre-fills itself for each of your gigs!
Manually filling out a new contract for each of your gigs is tedious and time consuming. You need to input all your client's details and event information, then double and triple check it for errors. The last thing you want is to realize that you didn't include hotel costs in the original contract and then be out of pocket yourself when you need to book them (this happened to me once - not fun!)
The easiest way to save yourself 40+ minutes of contract data entry on each gig is to use contract software to handle the data input for you. After that, you'll have to send the contract to you client for signing. It's best to do this electronically and offer an e-signature option so that you get a fast response.
We've heard of bands using apps like PandaDocs and Docusign for contracts, but of course, we recommend Back On Stage band management app.
With any of these apps, you can load in your contract template and then just create duplicates of it each time you get another gig. With PandaDoc and Docusign, you'll still need to do a fair amount of manual data entry for each gig, and pay a subscription fee, but with Back On Stage, all the data entry is done for you.
For this, let's look at Back On Stage app. Since Back On Stage was built specifically for bands, the contract creation process is optimized for the band booking workflow.
It works like this:
It's that simple!
Let me explain some of the magic behind the contract generator...
When you fill out your gig details in the Back On Stage "Booking Creator" event details form, each detail you enter is assigned to a "TOKEN". Tokens are magical placeholders that you can insert into your client contract templates so that when the contract is sent or printed, all your existing gig details are inserted in their places, saving you the headache of switching back and forth between multiple screens and apps to copy and paste all the right gig details into your contract.
Pretty cool, hey?!
You can generate a contract in a couple clicks and use that 40 minutes you just saved to go practice scales instead!
Having a great contract template will save you time and money. But it's only half of the picture when it comes to booking gigs and collecting payment from your clients.
A band gig invoice is also necessary to spell out the exact financial remuneration requirements for your performance.
An invoice is a formal payment request from one business to another and it is necessary when you are transacting with most wedding clients, special event planners, companies or venues.
Take a look at this sample band gig invoice generated by Back On Stage:
>> Grab a copy of our invoice template here <<
Like your contract, it's ideal for your invoice to be an electronic document that your client can pay online. Software like Quickbooks, Xero and Freshbooks will gladly take your money in exchange for their invoice tools, but why duplicate your booking details in yet another place, when you could just do it all within Back On Stage?
Just like the contract generator that's built in to Back On Stage, the invoice generator also uses your existing gig details to automatically generate an invoice for you, and with just a couple clicks, it is sent off to your client. They can make online payments and when they do, you'll be notified right away.
Learn more about the importance of having a band performance invoice and how to make one in article on Band and Musician Invoices.
Experience the ease of gig life while enjoying automatically generated gig invoices and contracts, all while reducing your band's operating costs, getting more gigs, maximizing tip revenue and managing musician and crew schedules automatically, with one simply monthly subscription to Back On Stage app.
Start Your 30-Day Free Trial Today
Have you ever heard the phrase, “In God we trust, all others pay cash?” When there’s money involved, a handshake or verbal agreement doesn’t help your band if the venue or event organizer doesn’t feel like paying. No matter how small your band is, having a professionally written and signed contract protects both parties.
Other names for this document are Artist Performance Contract, Live Performance Contract, and Music Performance Agreement.
Sometimes you may see the term Band Contract. However, a Band Contract is typically between the band members themselves. It puts in writing who is responsible for what, how costs, payments, and future royalties get divided. A band contract helps the members avoid ugly disagreements when it comes to money and responsibilities. Learn more about how band member contracts keep the peace.
In this blog, we focus on the performance contract between a band, or an artist, and the client.
In the simplest explanation, it is a professional agreement that outlines the terms and conditions between the musical talent or bandleader and the client or venue, such as a nightclub or wedding. Typical live performance contracts will outline the details such as payment, deposits, cancellation policies, performance expectations, time, and location.
In an artist performance contract, you’ll find four critical sections to protect your band and make this a useful document:
This is not an extensive list. There are more specific items you should have in your contract. Here are some general details about each of these sections.
The scope details the expectations of what the musicians will do. It outlines the performance, such as the number of songs, sets, and breaks. This section specifies the number of musicians, when they will rehearse, and any special appearances such as radio shows, press conferences, or any additional venues.
Also, you could specify whether or not audio and video recordings are allowed without your permission. This really depends on your preference and values, but generally, most artists these days are happy for the free promotion that fans and guests will provide by making candid videos of your performance on their smartphones and sharing them on social media. Many companies pay good money for social sharing campaigns as part of their marketing plan. Consider if having your fans do this for free is valuable for your own marketing.
Along with the exact day and time of the gig, you’ll want to specify any load-in, rehearsal, and soundcheck times. Knowing the access times is vital if you play at a venue with multiple bands, if the stage has other performances or if there will be other events going on at the venue on the same day (such as at a wedding).
Getting it all in writing saves aggravation if the venue owner or stage manager forgets that you’re supposed to have access.
Like Cuba Gooding Jr. said in Jerry MaGuire, “Show me the money!” Unless you are a philanthropist, you want to get paid.
With so many variables and payment options, get everything tied down here. Some things to consider are:
Another area you must consider is what happens when your work goes beyond the scope of the original agreement. Things like playing an extra set, a special song, or a percentage of the door if the crowd exceeds the initial estimate.
Don’t forget to write the terms of a deposit and determine the conditions for a refund. With endless reasons for events and weddings canceling, why should you have to pay?
Everything is negotiable, but you need to get it in the contract upfront to minimize problems after the gig.
The technical section will grow with your band. Initially, for small groups, it will cover who provides the sound system, stage lights, stage crew, and other necessities for the show. For larger gigs or national bands, this part of the agreement will be a “rider” to the contract and can be many pages long. It details the stage plot and mic input list along with the placement of all the other pieces of equipment.
Before you walk into a venue with cases of T-shirts, you better know upfront if you can sell your stuff. Specify the three “Ws” in the contract. What, Where, and When can you sell?
Iron out in advance if the venue offers a dedicated table, someone to work it, and their split. Know the details and get them in writing before attempting to sell any merch.
When you have something in writing, even a series of texts and emails, you stand a better chance of winning your argument should you have one. A formal contract shows venue owners that you’re serious about your business, even if you’re a sole entertainer.
Something as simple as an equipment list with photos can quickly end a backstage disagreement over ownership.
The music world is littered with bad contracts and the bankrupt musicians who signed them. Here are a couple of notable examples:
There are hundreds of sad stories of musicians bilked out of their hard work and creativity. You and your band don’t have to be one of them. Use a valid performance contract, reviewed by an entertainment lawyer who is on your side.
One of the easiest ways to draw up an artist performance contract is with the templates available in Back On Stage. Check out this post for A Music Performance Contract Your Band Should Use.
]]>You’ve all heard horror stories of bands melting down, blowing up, and never playing with each other again. From the Beatles to Guns N’ Roses, there will always be differences when a creative group of individuals forms a band.
It’s a smart, long-term play to hash out an agreement before the band starts generating income. In the music business, it’s called a Band Member Contract. Think of it as a prenuptial agreement for bands. The contract protects everyone involved. Creative differences and financial matters can quickly spin out of control without a signed agreement upfront.
This blog will cover why you need a band agreement (aka contract) and what it should contain.
NOTE: A band agreement covers the musicians in the band. If you're looking for the type of contract between bands and their clients, check out Why Your Band Should Use An Artist Performance Contract.
If you play in a hobby or garage band just for fun and don’t plan on making much money, you probably don’t need a band agreement. Text or email messages between everyone should be enough.
However, If the band’s goal is to make it big and go full-time, you need to come together and make a mutually agreeable contract. When the band starts generating income, the band member contract is necessary to ensure the band’s members get an appropriate piece of the pie. A band agreement will protect everyone’s rights, entitlement, and livelihood, especially if your album goes platinum.
It’s hard for creative people to think about contracts, clauses, and splitting up money. Unfortunately, many bands self-destructed because they didn’t think about these issues until after they became successful. Disagreements involving financial matters tore them apart.
If you think money comes second to music and art, here’s what Gene Simmons of Kiss has to say.
“I would urge all bands that say they only care about credibility and don’t care about money, to send Gene Simmons every dollar that they don’t want. I’d be happy to take it off them.”
A band is a for-profit business, and you need to treat it as such. There are three areas to consider when negotiating an agreement with your fellow band members.
A band agreement puts in writing who does what. It answers questions like:
All of these issues are all likely to occur in the life of your band. You need to settle these matters early on.
It’s good to think big, like going on a 20-gig international tour. But you have to think smart. How will the band divide the revenue from touring, record sales, merch sales, publishing revenue, and any other sources?
Agreeing in advance how the pie gets sliced will reduce animosity and keep everyone happy.
With most new bands, there are one or two primary debt holders covering expenses until the band can cover them. Decide upfront how the debts get paid if the band breaks up, or a member quits. What do you do about jointly owned equipment?
If you are the one holding the debt, protect yourself with a band member agreement. At least you’ll have something in writing should you need to go to court.
Your band is like family, and you may feel uncomfortable talking about money and the expenses. To help your group start the conversation, here is a Band Partnership Fact Sheet and a Band Partnership Checklist from the Australian Music Industry Network.
It covers all the key topics, including:
A band member agreement protects everybody from unknown events that can happen in the future.
Without a written contract, it becomes a “he said/she said” argument. It is often impossible to prove what was said months or years before.
Another critical reason to get it in writing is when other people get involved with the band. For example, if the group, or a member, acquires a new manager, you can avoid the “I didn’t know, so it doesn’t apply to me” argument. The contract will guide everyone’s decisions.
The bottom line is to avoid messy disputes as you grow. Insist on a band member contract for a healthy relationship.
Consider this blog post for your reference and guideline only. You should consult an attorney who understands entertainment law for any legal principles. Never sign an agreement that has not been reviewed and blessed by your attorney.
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