How much do bands REALLY want it?

The other day I wrote a post called “Where are you hiding your band’s email address“. While browsing through the web in search of bands’ email addresses I realized that many unknown or unsigned bands seem to conceal them in the most awkward places on their Myspaces, Facebook pages and websites, not to mention that most of the time their email addresses just aren’t available anywhere.

For some bands who say that they “want it” (as in “some form of success”) , this can seem pretty paradoxal.

One regular reader of our doggy blog posted a rather interesting comment that we felt would constitute a nice little post that goes along the lines of “How much do bands REALLY want it?”

It’s interesting to me, but sometimes I don’t think bands are even eager for promotion. For a while I was doing interviews for unsigned bands that I liked on an unsigned band website. Curiously, some bands would not respond for weeks to a request for an interview. Similarly, after agreeing, sometimes they would not respond to the questions I email them for perhaps months. Often I’d have to follow up with them to ask if they’d gotten a chance to look at the questions. Sometimes I’d have to email the initial questions again.

Arrogant rock star comes to mind, but I don’t think it’s arrogance. I think they’re just clueless half the time. Heck, they’re unsigned nobodies (albeit talented nobodies imho) if I was trying to get in touch with them. I just think they don’t understand that it’s not always about the music, that there’s a promotional element to getting their name out there.

There’s so much good music out there, and it’s so difficult to be heard above the throngs.

Bark?

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The art of promoting gigs – part 1

A few months back, browsing through MySpace as usual, on the look out for an amazing band to post in our daily vids, I encountered this promotion company called Diehardz 4 Diehardz (D4D Entertainment). At the time I felt like I wanted a fresh new post on band promotion or booking – a promoter’s perceptive on the dos-and-not-dos bands should respect in order to get some gigs. So I thought to myself “What the hell. I’m gonna contact these guys, and if they don’t answer like most of the promoter/booker types I had previously sent emails to, I’ll just pass on to the next guy”. Well Rob Escamilla from D4D did respond, and after a couple of emails he sent me the article bellow – a thorough examination of D4D’s inner workings on how they set-up gigs and work them out with their bands.

This article will be separated in two just to make it a little shorter. Today’s post relates how D4D:

• Organize their gigs

And tomorrow’s post will center on how D4D:

• Set-up their bills
• Apply the right ‘formula’ for the line-up
• Cope with band work ethics
• Work out the last details after the gig

Enjoy!

- Organizing the gig -

First things first: venue and date.
Some venues only allow certain types of genres whereas other venues are wide open and accept all genres however will only play certain styles on certain nights.  Also another important thing to mention concerning date: we need to allow enough time to properly plan and promote or “push” the show.  It does no justice for the promoter to take a last minute show and try to rush to fill it.  It also does you no justice to accept it.  Based on these two factors, venue and date, allows us to determine what type of show we can put on.  Luckily we have a large network of various genres to choose from so finding the right “style” for the night is not an issue. Message to bands:  don’t get all bent out of shape if the promoter/booker you are working with will not give you a prime night at any particular venue.  Chances are it’s not in their control.  Or if it is, then that just means you have not “earned it” yet.

How much time in advance do we usually start the promotion process?
This depends on which bands we have booked to perform. If they are local bands then a minimum of 1 month would suffice here in the states. The farther they are you may require a little more time. Also, if we are bringing down a big name which we know will draw a crowd, we may need an extra 2 – 4 weeks. Also depends on how big our show is. As a rule of thumb, you could say that the bigger the venue, the more time we will need to promote. The smaller the venue, the less time.

So now we have a venue and a date locked down, the next thing is expenses.
How much does this specific venue charge the promoter?  Thats right bands, the venues charge the promoters, not the bands.  Expenses may include lights & sound, security and may offer a “bar tab” to the bands which in some cases is picked-up by the promoters.  Once we have established the budget we have to work with, we then start calculating other expenses such as printed tickets, printed fliers, web fliers, design work, event shirts or banners, online or radio commercials.

Here’s a rough breakdown of what these expenses may look like:

Venue:
Sound – $100
Security – $10/per hr. each

Promotional Material:
300 printed tickets – $60
Design Art work – $75 100
High gloss printed fliers/Posters – $175
Radio Commericals (15 air plays – 50 seconds each) – $150

Some venues will let us keep the full door, ticket sales and some percentage of liquor sales.  What this means is the promoter is now responsible for having someone run the door, stamp, give change, check I.D’s etc.  Another expense to the promoter.

A note on pre-sale tickets and on how bands usually work it out with the bands on the bill.
This all depends on the budget you have to work with and your total expenses. Don’t let your expenses be a surprise to you! Know exactly what you are willing to spend. This will help you determine what is a “reasonable” cost for people to come out and see your show. You don’t want your price point too high or you’ll scare people away, at the same time, you need to be able to makeyour money back too. At our last show, the pre-sale ticket price was $7, or $10 at the door. We were able to allow the bands to keep $2 from each ticket they sold. As long as we received $5 per ticket, we were happy and the bands were happy to make their own money. We sold out this show with a maximum capacity of 285, we had about 350 people thorugh the door! This is one way to help motivate them to push their show and get heads through the door.

A note on radios.
All radio stations will be glad to take your money to get you and your event broadcasted over the airwaves. One of the DJ’s we work with has a show who showcases a 1 local band each week. If you have anything like this in your area, try and use this as an opportunity to showcase one of the bands on your show plus announce your event! Other than that, you will just have to work out a deal with their sales people on air time.

A note on press releases
The press releases we submit we keep short but informational. Just the details, such as what the event is, who’s performing, whats the date, time, cost for entry. At least 1 – 2 weeks in advance minimum will suffice. You can look into various sites in your area that allow you to post events for free. Sites where people search online for “things to do” in your area are great places to post your event.

And one last note on how we do all this for out-of-town bands.
What I explained above is how we normally work with local bands, however when we work with out-of-town bands or bands with a bigger name (i.e signed to a label who are on tour) the process is different. In that respect, we request a quote from their manager to see how much it’s going to cost us to bring them down to perform. This may include transportation, meals and hotel. Once a verbal agreement has been established, we then draft a contract, send it to them and have them sign it. Once we receive the signed copy back, we then move forward with the show. This is usually handled at least one month in advance.

D4D Entertainment is the biggest and strongest supporters of unsigned, underground music.  We are also your one stop shop for Booking, Promotions, Advertising and Marketing, Radio Commercials, Merchandising, Graphic Design, Printing Services, Music Equipment, Photography, Videos, Studio Recording, CD duplications and the strength of unity for Independent Musicians and bands.  Plus, there’s more.  Our relationships with experts in these various fields allows us to get you the best possible costs.  We are also proud to announce that we are currently working with various sponsors to make all of this a reality. You can visit us at www.myspace.com/d4dentertainment.

I”ll be more than happy to answer any questions you may have.   Also, if you know of a touring band who is passing through California, send them our way.  We are the biggest and hottest spot for live music in between San Francisco and L.A.  Central California Fresno is located just 3hrs south of San Francisco and 3hrs north of Hollywood L.A.

Please take a moment to visit my bands site at www.myspace.com/nativeburnlive

Peace,

Rob Escamilla

Thanks Rob for the great write-up. Tomorrow there’s more so stay tuned.

Mruff!

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Fizzkicks: Another download-card solution for bands and fans

FizzKicks is yet another solution for bands to sell and promote their music via download cards. A couple of key elements differentiate it from other services like DiscRevolt and DropCards.

They are an online music store much like DiscRevolt but they take the idea a bit further. First off their player and profile are very well thought-out (not to say that DiscRevolt’s isn’t but FizzKick’s interface is more complete and ergonomic). Second their card builder (image below) is an excellent tool to customize your graphics. And last but certainly not least is their widget that can be placed anywhere enabling your fans to redeem their credits, buy some songs and check out your profile. The widget comes at a price through. Either you upgrade to a monthly ($9.99) or yearly ($99.9) “ProPlan” subscription to enable it, or you can opt for a “Pay-as-you-Go” subscription where FizzKicks takes a 10% commission off every online sale you make. Click here to see how it works.

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FanCorps: Interview with a co-owner of the street-team website

A couple of months back we posted a topic on FanCorps.com, an online street team management service. Here is a 10 minute interview with G.I. Sanders, co-owner of Fancorps.com who also takes care of client relations and marketing. He basically explains what the site is about and the reasons behind the needs of such a service hinting the lessons about entrepreneurship he learned while founding the company. Some interesting insights on the current state of affairs keeping in mind this is a co-owners and PR person of an up-and-coming online music promotional service surfing on the wave of the declining record industry. Having managed bands and street teams, he knows what he’s talking about. Check it out.

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Mozes: promote your gigs through text-messages

Mozes developed a way for bands to mass message their fans through mobile phones. The company aims to create an online community for bands that fans can join by entering their phone numbers in widgets placed on the band’s websites or MySpace page.  The numbers are then stored in a centralized data-base that the bands can access and use to send out tons of text and voice messages promoting their upcoming gigs or latest CD releases. With Mozes bands can also send out different media like ringtones, wallpapers, polls, quizzes and then analyze their mobile activity with reports. Fans can reply to their bands in the same ways making the service a powerful networking tool.

Mozes is a very big company that caters to major artists such as Nickelback and Usher, but they’re set out to help the indie community as well as more then 4000 bands market through the service. There are two subscription options, basic and platinum, one corresponding more to indie bands and the other to big established artists who need to launch big-scale moblie marketing campaigns. It’s a great concept to stay in touch with your fans on a regular basis and keep them posted on what you’re up to. Combined with solid online networking you’re bound to consolidate your fan base.

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Why busking could be a good option to get your band some gigs, new fans … and CD sales

For those of you who don’t know Bob Baker, he’s a very respected figure in the music industry. His website is full of resources for bands that wish to boost their online marketing skills. Here, he interviews Terry Prince, a busker in Santa Monica who sold 15,000 CDs in a little over a year, playing only part-time.

If you can easily get a permit in your home town, why not give it shot and see how the public reacts to your songs (or covers). In Santa Monica the annual fee is only $40 bucks. In Montreal it’s $200 – and it’s not necessarily only for solitary musicians either: busking with your whole band is a pretty common practice in Tokyo (as well as in other cities) – check it out (some cool jazz towards the end):

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How street teams help bands promote gigs

The basics

A street team is a group of individuals who are dedicated to promoting a band or a gig / event for a band. Most of the time street teams are made up of friends of band members who go out and publicize or advertise for the band in return for a “shout out” at a gig.

On a more professional level.

And by professional i mean better funded, bands have a section of their web page dedicated to the street team. In this section the members will find information about upcoming shows, cd release dates, whats going on in the studio, when the new merchandise is scheduled to hit the streets etc….basic insider information about the immediate to not so distant future plans of the band. They will use this information to create a buzz about the band in the weeks prior to the upcoming event. In return the street team members not only get all the news before anyone else, they also get first crack at hearing new material. For example if a band is unsure about something in the song and records two versions of it he can allow the street team to give input as to what the liked or didn’t like about the various versions.

Some things a street team does:

• promote upcoming shows or event
• hands out fliers about the band in the weeks prior to a major show
• sell advance tickets to shows
• sell advance copies of the new cd
• post on bulletin boards about the band

Pretty much anything they can do to promote the band in a “grass roots” type manner.
It is not uncommon for an up and coming band to set up street teams in each city they plan to hit on a tour in order to get the hype going in the weeks prior to their arrival. Its actually a VERY vital part of touring.

Some things a street team member can receive in return for his help:

• special section for street team members only in the band’s website (that’s where bands usually interact with them)

If you have a street team you might also want to read this article on FanCorps, an online stree-team management system.

• free or discounted tickets to shows and merchandise
• all expenses for promotion paid for
• free band swag ( posters, bumper stickers, autographed photo etc…)

Its basically a chance for fans to feel like they did something to help the band, and in return the band gets more butts in the seats.

Dez Rockbeddor – www.muzikmogal.blogspot.com

If you have a street team you might want to read this article on FanCorps, a street-team management website.

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How bands can get creative while leaking their own music

Great initiative by Deerhoof. The rock band of a most experimental nature decided to leak their new single in the form of a music sheet instead of a mp3. The band encourages anyone to download a copy, record a version and link it back on their site. Grab a hold of it here and follow instructions if you want to participate. Already 7 covers have been submitted.

It came to my attention that Deerhoof was not the first established band to have come up with the idea. Alkaline Trio leaked their single “Love Love Kiss Kiss” just a couple of months ago in the same way asking their fans to video tape covers and upload them to a youtube channel.

For whatever reason Deerhoof’s leak caught much more attention. How viraly genius is this on a promotional level? Shame on me to point out the lucrative outcome here but it is worth mentioning. The story spread through the web like wild-fire and will most certainly encourage others to act upon the same idea. Funny thing how going back to the very first ‘musical format’ as to speak and leaking it would create such buzz. I wonder how releasing a piano-roll sheet would do.

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Discrevolt: How bands can promote their digital sales with download cards

In one of our merchandise topics, we had suggested that distributing songs in a digital format at shows could have some potential but the process was most likely hazardous since you would need a laptop handy and ask your fans to bring USB sticks. The idea is far-fetched but one company found the solution to spin it in the right direction.

Discrevolt is an online music store that offers a very cool distribution method for bands who want to level the field for their digital sales. They manufacture unique download cards that bands can sell at their shows, or simply give away for promotional purposes. This makes sense in the current state of affairs as CDs aren’t as viable these days. Digital music formats are making major head-way sales-wise but due to their intangible nature the product is not easily promotable in the offline world. These cards sort of make up for that as they are customizable. Bands can create and submit their own designs and have them printed. This encourages a new form of collectible items fans can relate to. When bands meet and greet with their fans after the show they could hand away these cards creating healthy post-gig buzz.

I find this to be a great solution bands should consider. Mp3s are rising very high but CDs are not dead and vinyls are still in the loop. People need to see and feel their product so cutting the cake in two gives you download cards. They very well may become the next big thing

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FanCorps: How bands can manage their street teams online (1)

For all you bands who have very dedicated fans, dedicated enough to help you promote you shows, your releases and be part of your street team, here is a website you might want to look into.

FanCorps.com is an online street-team management system. Although there are other websites out there that offer street team features (i.e. Reverb Nation or Trafficonline), FanCorps is the first I’ve come across that really incorporates elements of social network, and makes you feel part of a team.

Fancorps offers management and communication tools to help bands centralize their street team tasks and activities. Fans can choose to-do tasks from a list of “orders” and earn points, redeemable for t-shirts, concert tickets etc.. The army theme is just over the top for me, but many people love that kind of stuff.  The “orders” depends entirely on the band, and can include putting up posters, distributing flyers or contacting radio station.

For print-promo related activities,  the band uploads all the artwork, leaving the responsibility of actually creating the flyers/posters to the fans. And if the fan is clueless and doesn’t know where to start giving out those fliers, he/she can consult the ‘Intel’ section, where FanCorps lists places where you could actively promote (locations of record stores, pubs and clubs, book stores, radio stations). Check out their promotional video to get a better idea of what they offer.

Membership for bands starts at $50/month,  which allows you to manage 250 street team members. Centralizing your fans’ activities can greatly increase your exposure, but does the service really pay-off? I think it’s pretty expensive seeing how Fancorps doesn’t actually take care of any of the logistics (other than messaging and task delegation): you still have to do all the work you would normally do with a street team, however if you already have an established and dedicated street-team, managing their activities through FanCorps might make your life easier.

Howl.

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