New Industry Tips

12 Steps To Promote A Successful Concert or Show!

September 18, 2012 by Nick 24 Comments

STEP 1: Choose Your Headlining Artist

When picking your headliner, a few things to keep in mind are:

a) Make sure the artist is popular in the city that you are holding the show. You can do this by going online and checking the popular radio station play-lists as well as asking other promoters.

b) Make sure the artist that you’re booking hasn’t been to that city within the last 3 months;.

c) If it’s within the budget, try to book an artist who’s performance fee is in the $8,000 range or above. Artist within this range tend to be consistently more profitable, thus the reason they charges this much. If it’s not in the budget, get an artist within your means.

d) Negotiate an all-in fee with the artist’s manager or agent. This simply means that you will pay the artist one flat fee and the artist is responsible for their hotel and transportation.

e) When you are booking an artist, sometimes the manager or agent will ask you for an Offer Sheet I have example of what that looks like for you. (see sample Offer Sheet).

STEP 2: Find A Venue

When securing a venue, here are some things you will need to know;

a) Find a place with a capacity over 1,000.

b) When negotiating with the club owner, make sure that the price includes; security – Event Security Costs, insurance and that you will keep 100% of the door. Some owners will allow you to keep a % of the bar sales (make sure you ask).

c) Make sure the artist has an area to wait in before the performance time.

STEP 3: Hire A Promoter

What to look for in a promoter:

a) Ask local club owners to find the best promoter in town.

b) Make sure the promoter has thrown successful events before in your area;

c) Negotiate a flat fee that includes flyers, poster and radio.

STEP 4: Book A Date

Book a Friday or Saturday to ensure a decent crowd.

STEP 5: Secure the Venue, the Artist and the Promoter

Once negotiations are completed for the club, the artist and the promoter, put down deposits and lock it in!

STEP 6: Hire a DJ/Host for the show

This is DJ will be responsible for each artist’s show sets and times that they perform.

Have someone in charge of all opening acts and make a Master List with the exact show times that each act is performing. Hand that Master List to each act and have it posted on all the walls backstage for all to see.

STEP 7: Promote The Show

You need to oversee everything and everyone involved with your show to make sure it’s a successful show.

a) Make sure the artwork and graphics are really nice and stand out;

b) Make sure your show is being promoted through the social networks via facebook, twitter, myspace etc.;

c) Make sure to have the artist to record a video drop announcing the show.

d) If you have radio as a part of your promotion, create the commercial.

STEP 8: Book Opening Acts

Have you have ever paid a promoter or sold tickets to open up for a well-known artist? Do you know why you had to pay or sell tickets? Well, let me break it down to you. If you’re a new artist looking for a chance to perform live on stage with a well-known artist than you have experienced that you have to “pay to play”. The promoter of that concert will either charge the new artist anywhere from $500-$1,000 to perform a 5-10 minute show to open up for a well known artist or the promoter will give the new artist 30 tickets to sell and bring back the money to perform that 5-10 show. The promoters charge this to the new artist to help offset the promoter’s costs of the concert. It can benefit both parties if done properly.

So, that being said, you are now the promoter and you will need to charge new artists to open up for you and your headliner. We have all been to a show where there are 20 artists performing before the main act performs and we all know how horrible that is. Don’t be greedy, have about 5 acts pay anywhere from $500-$1000 to do a 5 minute show. Offer them a booth to sell merchandise and give them all access passes so they feel like they are a part of the team.

STEP 9: Purchase Wristbands and A Stamp

You will need 3 different wristbands.

a) One All Access wristband. This wristband gives you access to anywhere in the club. People that get this wristband would include the DJ, the Artist, and a hypeman, if they have one (only the people that actually are performing on stage get this wristband) this is important for organization purposes.

b) One Backstage/VIP wristband. This wristband gives you access to anywhere in the club except for on stage. The people that get this wristband would include artist management, Celebrities, photographers, press and camera crews.

c) One VIP wristband. This wristband gives you access to all the designated VIP areas. This is given out to those who paid for VIP and Celebrities.

STEP 10: Sell Tickets

I prefer to sell tickets online and at the door only. This eliminates people from copying your tickets and you losing money.

a) Pre-sale tickets: I would suggest $20 depending on the area that you are in and the artist that is headlining.

b) Tickets at the door: Usually $5 dollars more expensive than pre-sale ticket prices, but use your judgement.

STEP 11: The Day of the Show

a) Follow up call to Headliner;

b) Confirm all opening acts, send them the show times, have them arrive eaarly and make sure they have their show CD;

c) Confirm the Dj/Host;

d) Map out the club and rope off designated areas, such as backstage and VIP. Speak with all of the security and have them do a trial walkthrough of the route they will have the headliner going when the headliner arrives at the club.

e) Stand and the door and collect the money!!

STEP 12: Do it All Over Again!

Written by:

Flossy

CEO/Owner

www.AskFlossy.com

Making Money With Your Music!

President of Hoo Bangin Records

Www.HooBangin.net

Additional Resources:

EXPENSE SHEET

EXPENSES

Venue Rental (Fee includes security for event): $1,500
Insurance: $1,000
Artist Fee (Includes travel and hotel): $8,000
Flyers/Posters/Artwork $250
Radio (if needed): $1,500
Dj/Host $500
Promoter: $300
Wristbands; $15

Total Expenses: -$12,515

REVENUE FROM TICKET SALES

Ticket Sales (Average of all tickets) $30
Venue Capacity: 1,000
% of Tickets Sold (conservative #) 75%
- Gross Ticket Sales: +$22,500

ADDITIONAL REVENUE

Opening Acts (5 Acts $500 each) $2,500
Merchandise ($5 Item, average 15% of tickets sold) $600
Sponsors $2,000
- Additional Revenue +$5,100

INVESTORS RETURN ON INVESTMENT (ROI)

Total Gross Revenue $27,600

Total Gross Expense -$12,515

TOTAL RETURN ON INVESTMENT $16,115

OFFER SHEET

Date of Engagement: October 31, 2012

Artist: Artist Name

Offer: $8,000 (All Inclusive)

Venue: Show Palace

Address: San Diego, CA

Contact at Venue: (800)555-1212

Event: Ladies Night Out

Capacity: 1000

Age restrictions: All Ages

Ticket Price: $15 – $25

Type of Event: Concert

Performance Time: Midnight

Sound Check: 6pm

Presenting Radio Station: KIIS

Contracting Company Name: Your Company Name Here

Contact: Your Name Here

Address: Your Address Here

Phone: Your #

Email: Your Email here

Filed Under: Artist Opportunities, Artist Tips, Ask An Expert, Branding, DJs, Documents, Entertainment Industry, Event Marketing, Featured, Major Features, Paperwork/Contracts Tagged With: all access wristband, all in fee, all in offer, artwork, bar sales, book a date, book an artist, booking fee, booking offer sheet, concert, concert venue, Event Marketing, graphics, headline artist, headliner, headlining artist, hire a dj, hire a host, how to promote a concert, master list, offer sheet, opening acts, performance fee, promote, promote a show, promote the show, promoter, radio stations, secure venue, sell tickets, throw a concert, venue, venue capacity

Find your niche and exploit it!

March 26, 2011 by industryworks 1 Comment

Today’s market is wide open for the indie artist and label. Majors are no longer interested in spins and social media numbers for a deal. They no longer rely on BDS, Mediabase, Soundscan to make a deal sweeter. They must see real numbers that translate to sales. If your hype is built on false pretense, then your career will only be full of hot air.

Be your focus DJing, rapping, singing, spoken word or even comedy, your brand awareness is the key. Are you exploiting your brand to the fullest in order to generate sales? Artists and labels must learn this part of the business and not just focus on the creative and performance side. Understanding your brand and that your music has a value is the foundation of your business. This is what the focus must be, the bottom line!

Latest numbers are showing that 1% of all records released are generating 82% of the revenue in the industry (digitalmusicnews.com). This is a multi-billion dollar industry, so that means there is plenty of money out there for the EARNING. Indies today must use various avenues to generate multiple revenue streams. Your brand can sell anything from T-shirts to lighters to condoms, bottle openers, memory sticks, and key chains. No just downloads and CDs. The more outlets you have to build a brand, the more money and business you are able to generate. Unfortunately in our genre, we look at the money as a way out verses a way to build.

Each of you has a focus or gimmick to your brand and an image that must be promoted to the masses. You will spend time and money creating, producing, developing, marketing and advertising your products. You must promote hard for others to learn, associate and like what you do. You believe in your niche enough that when others attempt to knock you down, you get back up and keep moving forward. Believing in your Niche allows you to push harder in the exploitation process. If you use social media, google ads, websites, posters, flyers, radio, and strong consumer marketing, you have created a plan and purpose. All of it must make sense and generate revenue. In today’s market, we do not have to wait for product to be available to consumers as we did in the past. Back in “those days” we would have a four to six month set up of a CD release so that product was sitting on the shelves at retail. Today we MUST still take the same preparations. And those preparations still take a minimum of 120 days.

Taking the time to set a plan to exploit your niche is of the utmost importance. Below are items that should be included in your plan. This is not a guide or a checklist, but only an introduction.

Graphics – Photos, image, clothing, hair, makeup, ect – Must look professional and unique to you.
Bio – make sure your biography sells you. Tell your story and make it interesting.
Grass roots marketing – flyers, posters, stickers, T-shirts, ect
Viral Marketing – Social Networks, viral videos, blogs, website and online magazines
Publicity – Print, radio interviews, T.V. interviews
Tour – Promo runs – schools, lifestyle, car washes, rim shops. Beauty/barber shops, ect
DJ’s /Coalitions/Pools– email blasts, meet and greets, mp3 servicing, retreats, conventions
Mixtapes – physic al and digital placement

As you can see, NO WHERE in this list does radio play exists. During your set up stages, you do not need radio you need a story. To create and build your story it will take you no less than six months of grind and hard work. But in the end you will have created your niche and people will begin to look for it. Don’t get frustrated when you have to come back again with a second or third record. Keep up the work and you will find it will consistently build a fan base. Fans buy brands and music. All you have to do is give them something worth their time and money. Make them believe your Brand is worth their …time and money!

Janie Jennings

industryworks@gmail.com

@industryworks

Filed Under: Artist Tips, Ask An Expert, Basics, Featured, IndustryWorks, Keys to Success, Marketing Tagged With: bio, brand, DJs, graphics, grass roots, grass roots marketing, image, indie artists, market, mds, mediabase, mixtapes, niche, publicity, radio, record pools, revenue streams, sales, social media, soundscan, spings, t shirs, tour, viral, viral marketing

Official PSDs – Stock Images + More

December 2, 2009 by Nick Leave a Comment

The Official PSDS site is great for the aspiring graphic artist or the average musician looking for some great graphic ideas. The community style environment allows the sharing of everything imaginable in high quality photoshop images and makes them available for anyone to use. Get full quality cut out images of celebrities, props, musicians, models and more! Be careful what you use and the copyrights that are involved as some serious repercussions can result from the use of images without permission, however most of these image are so commonly shared that it would be hard to stop most anything.

In the music industry images is everything so it is important to have great graphics and designers as well! Check out our official designer, MEF Designs, on his website to get a great idea how a real professional is able to take full advantage of great stock images like the following. It is important to pay top dollar for top quality designs when you want to be the best. We have always taken artwork seriously and it has paid off more than most of you could imagine…artwork is a key part of the music industry that is often overlooked, and a great designer can be worth their weight in gold!

Get yourself some great stock artwork for your next CD, Mixtape, Flyer, Myspace or anything else! Check out the examples below.