Bandhive: Recent Episodes
Bandhive
As a DIY musician, you know how hard it can be to plan tours, get booked, fund your next album, or sell your music.
Bandhive is here to help you navigate the music business so you spend less time trying to figure things out and spend more time to write great music, tour, and interact with your fans!
Whether you're a seasoned musician on tour or a new band gearing up for your first shows, the unpredictability of the road looms above your head. From vehicle breakdowns to personal emergencies, the journey is riddled with potential hiccups. Are you prepared?
The key to a smooth tour isn't just about nailing your performances, but also having all your bases covered off the stage.
Planning ahead for emergencies on the road, in the venue, or the human body, is absolutely vital to playing shows - you may think “we don’t need to do that”, but emergencies can happen at any time. When those bad moments happen to you, you’ll thank yourself for thinking ahead!
So, whether you're about to hit the road or just planning your next gig, this episode is your go-to guide for a quick and dirty emergency plan. Listen now to learn how to be truly prepared for the rollercoaster that is a musician's time on the road.
What you’ll learn:
- How you can be prepared for anything on the road
- Setting aside an emergency fund for your band
- Basic vehicle maintenance practices
- Why planning is more important than the plan itself
- Preparing for personal emergencies
- Basic first aid essentials for your van
- Staying charged up in the digital age
For full show notes, visit https://bandhive.rocks/198
Social media is a daunting, massive landscape with few rules for bands to follow - and the rules that we do know about seem to change almost daily.
Unfortunately, careful social media creation and curation is vital to any band’s success these days.
That doesn’t mean you have to be on every platform (go ahead, take that sigh of relief). There are a few key platforms, though, which are not optional - and others that will be best for your band.
Listen now to learn which social media platforms will work best for your band, and how you can grow your fanbase with a digital presence!
What you’ll learn:
- Why paying attention to social media is important for bands
- How to choose your main social media platform
- Which social media platforms are optional - and which are requires
- Preparing yourself for a music career
- Nurturing a connection with your fans via social media
- The differences in content and vibe on various social media platforms
- Why TikTok is so incredibly powerful
- Apps to use to make social media management easier for your band
- The importance of consistent branding across your social media
- Why getting consistent engagement is vital to your success
For full show notes, visit https://bandhive.rocks/196
Spotify pays less than half a cent per stream, on average. That’s incredibly low…
What’s not understood about their payouts, though, is that “doubling the royalty” simply isn’t possible. Not without doubling pricing - which I’m in support of.
Listen now to learn why Spotify can’t just change their royalty payouts, and how you can use Spotify as intended - a powerful promotional tool for your music!
What you’ll learn:
- Why you’re wrong about Spotify
- Why musicians need Spotify
- The math behind a sale vs. the streams needed to break even
- The reason major artists get barely anything from Spotify
- Using Spotify as a free marketing tool
- How Spotify can increase royalty payouts
- Using Spotify to your advantage as an independent musician
- The problem with people who complain about Spotify royalties but won’t pay more
For full show notes, visit https://bandhive.rocks/195
“How can I promote my music?” is a question I’m often asked. Probably one of the most common questions I hear, in fact.
The problem is there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to marketing your music - it all depends on what fits best with your specific target demographic.
I have good news, though: if your audience leans younger, a social media campaign might just hit the spot. That’s why this week we have Tyler Johnson of Don’t Blink Music Group on the show.
Tyler recently worked with In Shallows on an influencer campaign, and the campaign resulted in over 200,000 streams of the band’s latest single, as well as Spotify listener growth from 1,000 per month to over 50,000 per month!
The best part? This promotional push didn’t break the bank.
Listen now to learn more about influencer marketing and what other benefits a publicist can bring in this interview with Tyler from Don’t Blink Music Group!
What you’ll learn:
- Why influencer marketing is valuable for bands
- The results of a successful influencer campaign for an independent band
- Streaming is better for artists than selling CDs
- The pros and cons of record labels
- Getting content to share from micro-influencers
- Why ads to cold audiences are rarely effective
- How retargeting ads can boost your merch sales
- Testing your music via social media marketing
For full show notes, visit https://bandhive.rocks/194
Do you have unhealthy habits? You probably do, because guess what… We all do.
Quitting unhealthy habits can be incredibly difficult to do, but if you instead replace the bad habits with good habits, you’ll have a much better chance of success.
This week on the show, Elijah of Father Before Me joins us to discuss forming healthy habits, using those habits to grow his career as an independent artist and streamer, and how he works to eliminate unhealthy habits.
Listen now to learn more about breaking your habits and forming new, good habits, in this chat with Elijah from Father Before Me!
What you’ll learn:
- How your bad habits in life echo across your passions
- Working towards healthy habits for personal growth
- Staying consistent on social media
- The perks of being a jack of all trades
- Leading indicators vs. lagging indicators
- Why excuses are holding you back
- The cumulative impact of habits
- How to break bad habits
For full show notes, visit https://bandhive.rocks/193
You may be tempted to keep the meanings of your songs to yourself, or you could be tempted to tell the world.
Either way, it’s important to relate to your audience so they can understand where you’re coming from and connect to your music - whether it’s their perception or the meaning you shared with them.
Listen now to learn why a connection to your fans is so important for your career, and how you can build and nurture those relationships!
What you’ll learn:
- Why it’s important to offer relatable lyrics for your fans
- How your passion can connect your audience to your music
- Your job as an artist: manipulating emotions
- The solidarity of a fanbase and what it means for you
- Building and nurturing relationships with your fans
For full show notes, visit https://bandhive.rocks/192
The DIY scene has a lot of gatekeepers - and to be entirely blunt, most of them have no sense of what makes music “good”.
Saying it’s not real music if it wasn’t recorded in one take, live, is something teenage boys do to seem cool.
Over the years, I’ve noticed that independent artists in the punk and alternative scenes in the UK and Australia are much more likely to embrace good production than artists in the US. Conversely, US artists tend to have poorer production quality - and songs - than their international counterparts.
This results in smaller chances of success as only a certain amount of people are willing to forgo “good” music for what they believe to be authenticity.
Listen now to hear my bandmate Joe Aabye and I discuss the benefits of working with a greta producer for your next release!
What you’ll learn:
- Why production value is so important
- When self-producing might be worthwhile (it usually isn’t)
- The definition of DIY in the music world
- The important of trusting your producer
- Using social media to promote your band
- Why artists need to put effort into their craft
- Sloppy noodles vs. true prog bands
- Why some artists are objectively better than others
For full show notes, visit https://bandhive.rocks/191
I’ve talked about planning tours on the podcast before, but never from this angle…
The thing is I discovered that planning a tour for my own band is a different experience than planning a tour for a client. From the initial phases through to completion of the tour, there are changes I’ve picked up on.
Listen now to learn how you can plan your own tours effectively and efficiently to save time and money on the road!
What you’ll learn:
- The difference between planning a tour for yourself vs. for someone else
- How to frame discussions around touring
- The hold system venues use
- The importance of starting the booking process early
- Phases of booking shows
- Considering the venue capabilities before confirming a show
- Renting a van vs. taking your own vehicles
- Budgeting for your tour
- How to make your band more appealing to promoters
For full show notes, visit https://bandhive.rocks/190
Brendan Frey and Hostile Array aren’t your typical DIY band. They’re not afraid to market themselves, or to hire a team to help them on their journey.
Instead, Hostile Array embraces collaboration where necessary, and the band is better off for it.
Brendan discusses the shift from the “Myspace days” to the current situation on social media, harnessing the waterfall method to grow your streaming numbers, and having the confidence to promote your music.
Listen now to learn how you can market your music to grow your streaming numbers and build an engaged audience!
What you’ll learn:
- How the music industry has changed since the “Myspace days”
- Using the internet to promote your music
- Why paying for Spotify placements is a terrible idea
- Using tools like SubmitHub to get placements
- 100 people at your show vs. 100 people online
- Using the Waterfall method to grow plays on your songs
- Why rock artists seem afraid to promote their music
- Staying consistent on social media for your band
- How to run social media ads
- Maintaining your ethos as a DIY band while hiring the right team
For full show notes, visit https://bandhive.rocks/189
Let me tell you now, no one gets excited for a $5 show.
I’d rather play a free show than any show with a $10 (or under) ticket. Playing ridiculously cheap shows just makes a band look bad, as if they are desperate and don’t feel they are worthy of payment.
A free show, on the other hand, can be marketed as a special event, a treat, or even a party. Everyone can imagine having a good time there, while a $3 show will drive people away with the thought “they can’t be any good!”
Listen now to learn why it’s important to pay attention to ticket prices for any show you play, and how you can negotiate with promoters!
What you’ll learn:
- The downfalls of a cheap show
- Why touring bands deserve more than a $5 ticket
- How to frame shows in your mind
- Normalizing higher ticket prices for local shows
- Setting ticket prices the smart way
- Creative ways of increasing revenues
- Finding venues who value your music
- Protecting your band from sketchy promoters
- Varying price points by venue type
- Negotiating ticket prices for your band
For full show notes, visit https://bandhive.rocks/188
It’s not every day I get to have a chat with someone as knowledgeable and experienced as Nick Mishko of 10 and 8 Management. Not only has Mishko worked for “the big guys”, he’s also a well-known artist manager for independent artists.
From finding $85,000 in royalties owed to his clients within a few months of starting, to coaxing artists into using social media, Mishko has a handle on the situation.
Listen now to learn more about the value of social media and promotion, and how you can optimize content creation for your band!
What you’ll learn:
- How Mishko got started in the music industry
- Finding $85,000 in “missing” royalties for clients
- Why TikTok and short-form content are key to your strategy
- Where the name “10 and 8” came from
- When to block people on social media
- Staying on top of current trends to promote your music
- Why social media is not optional for musicians
- The mind-boggling marketing practices in K-pop
- Being nice to everyone pays off
- The importance of having fun
For full show notes, visit https://bandhive.rocks/187
Summer tours come with some of my best memories - as well as flashbacks of sunburns, busses exploding, heat stroke, you name it. Even if it hasn’t happened directly to me, I know someone who it’s happened to.
As much fun as a summer tour can be, if you dive in head first without any preparation, chances are it won’t go well. That’s why in this episode, Matt and I discuss what we’ve learned over our years on Warped Tour and other summer tours.
Listen now to learn how you and your band can survive and thrive on summer tours, so you can enjoy every tour to its fullest potential!
What you’ll learn:
- What to consider when booking and playing summer shows
- The dangers of summer touring
- Keeping an eye out for the safety of your fans
- How to avoid getting dehydrated - without flushing your electrolytes
- What to eat and when
- The value of a plan B for when your gear overheats
- Safety first: don’t be afraid to walk away!
- Using rain to your advantage
- Getting your needed rest and space during a summer tour
- Pacing yourself to make it through the entire summer
For full show notes, visit https://bandhive.rocks/186
We’ve all seen a band getting raked over the coals on social media for an “insanely priced” VIP package, right?
Well, it’s time for you to be that band - but without the negative reaction.
Ultimately, what makes a VIP package “worth it” depends on the level of the band, what the offer contains, and how exclusive it is.
Paying $1,000 to meet a local band for a photo? No way. Justin Bieber? Take my money!
On the other hand, sitting down with your favorite regional band for dinner, at a $100 price point? Many people might consider that worthwhile, especially if a merch bundle is included as well.
Realistically, you’re likely barely breaking even on a deal like that… But what you do get is a closer connection to one of your top fans. It’s well worth a shot.
Listen now to learn why even DIY bands should consider offering VIP packages to their audience, and how to handle it without facing backlash.
What you’ll learn:
- Why small acts should consider VIP packages
- What major artists offer to VIP customers
- How to make VIP worth it to your fans
- Offering a premium package as a smaller artist
- The challenges - and solutions - of a VIP experience as a diy band
- Activities to share with your fans
- Marketing and planning your VIP experience
- Considerations for your VIP packages
For full show notes, visit https://bandhive.rocks/185
Every business needs systems and processes to stay healthy - it’s part of managing your business effectively without wasting time on simple tasks that a trained monkey could do.
Bands are no different - by using tools to make your life easier, you’ll be able to spend more time on the things you love, like writing and performing music.
In this episode I dive into six categories of tools you can use in your band to save time, earn money, and make running your band less of a headache!
What you’ll learn:
- The best tools to save time running your business
- How to stay consistent posting on social media
- Building your main online presence and merch store
- Selling merch online
- How branded communication help your band
- Effective filesharing tools
- How not to use merchandising apps
- The ideal way to stay organized on tour
- Why these tools are incredibly important to your band
For full show notes, visit https://bandhive.rocks/157
Last month, I saw the most energetic live show I’ve ever seen a band put on in a room that holds fewer than 100 people.
That’s when I asked John James Ryan of Keep Flying to come on the Bandhive Podcast - not realizing at the time that he’s also worked with some of the biggest names in the scene.
Listen now to hear all the wisdom nuggets John shares about touring in a post-pandemic world, growing your fanbase, and much, much more!
What you’ll learn:
- Why tours have gotten shorter after the pandemic
- Keeping your bandmates happy by being flexible
- Saving money on your tours by sharing gear
- How to grow a fanbase in markets that are starved for art
- Handling criticism from attendees
- Which demographics to target
- Why playing live is the #1 way to grow your fanbase
- The mental health aspects of playing music
- Why waiting is almost always a mistake
For full show notes, visit https://bandhive.rocks/156
A ton of artists are already working on their spring and summer 2023 tours. If you want to hit the road, now is the time to start planning!
There are two very important steps to take before you start reaching out to venues and promoters…
Don’t skip them, or you will regret it later. You could end up broke, on the opposite side of the country, or worse in debt for who knows how much.
Listen now to learn about planning a tour and the two most important steps to take before booking any shows!
What you’ll learn:
- When to start planning your next tour
- Why getting a head start on touring plans is vital to your budget
- The financial pitfalls of booking your tour too late
- How to absolutely destroy your tour budget
- A profitable DIY tour… Exists?
- Don’t make one venue pay for that crazy long drive, average it out!
- How to plan a successful tour
For full show notes, visit https://bandhive.rocks/155
So you’ve started implementing the Setlist Sandwich in your live shows… That’s great!
But what about keeping your audience engaged leading up to a release?
There’s a similar strategy you can use for your singles before dropping an EP or album.
I won’t go so far as to call it the Single Release Sandwich, but it’s absolutely worth considering.
Listen now to learn what order will get the best bang for your buck when releasing singles before an album or EP!
What you’ll learn:
- Why your lead single shouldn’t be the best song on the release
- Setting expectations so your release isn’t a disappointment
- The ebb and flow of the Single Release Sandwich
- Keeping momentum leading up to your release
- Why not every song is a good single
- The logic behind the order of tracks on your album or EP
- Creating mystery for your fans
For full show notes, visit https://bandhive.rocks/154
When you get an opportunity to open a show for a national act, you might start jumping up and down. After all, playing a show with one of your favorite bands is a thrilling experience!
If you want to play more big shows, it’s important to not screw this up!
The process starts long before the show, with professional communication and proper rehearsal of every aspect of your show.
It doesn’t end when the show is over, either. Leaving a lasting impression after the show is extremely easy, but most artists don’t bother.
Listen now to learn how you can make the most of any opening slot so your band can grow to new heights!
What you’ll learn:
- The three key phases to opening a show
- Why rehearsing your set up/tear down is as important as rehearsing your set
- How to ask questions without being annoying
- Earning money (and fans) as an opening band
- How you can hook the audience - and why you need to
- The vital trait to building relationships: being flexible and easy to work with
- Walking the walk instead of just talking the talk
- Showing basic respect for the other artists on the bill
- How you can get invited to play the venue again every time
For full show notes, visit https://bandhive.rocks/153
Running any business, including a band, means tons of communication with other people and companies. That’s just part of the deal.
You probably like working with people who are pleasant and easy to communicate with, right?
That’s how other people feel, too - which means you need to communicate as effectively as you possibly can. Otherwise, you might be labeled as difficult to work with, or if you’re rude enough, even get blocked from certain opportunities.
Listen now to learn how you can make yourself easier to work with, and how to avoid burning bridges with stakeholders in your scene!
What you’ll learn:
- The basics of communication outside your band
- Three examples of how not to behave
- Why proper communication is important to your overall success as an artist
- How certain artists end their career before they even know it by being rude
- When it’s time to give up on music
- Eight tips for great communication skills
- Why “rockstars” can get away with being rude but you can’t
For full show notes, visit https://bandhive.rocks/152
You’ve probably seen a band play a set and thought, “what on earth are they doing?”
Not because the band was bad, but because their set was just a mess. Maybe they started with a bland, boring song. Or perhaps they ended on a low note, with a more melancholy deep cut.
No matter what, it’s important to recognize that as an entertainer you are in charge of keeping your audience entertained and engaged. That means you need to build the perfect setlist sandwich for every show you play!
Listen now to learn what ingredients go into your setlist sandwich and how you can manage the energy of your performance to hook the audience!
What you’ll learn:
- Building the perfect setlist sandwich
- Energy management to rule your audience
- The ingredients of a perfect setlist
- Four ways to increase a crowd’s energy
- When to play covers in your set
- The perfect way to close your band’s set
For full show notes, visit https://bandhive.rocks/151
It’s a common question: “how much will it cost to go on tour?”
There’s no real answer to this. There are practically infinite factors that go into planning a tour - but the good news is I can share a rough baseline of the costs with you.
Join me in breaking down a basic budget for a one-week DIY tour so you can have a better understanding of the investment you’ll need to make to hit the road. Listen now to learn more!
What you’ll learn:
- The answer to “how much does touring cost?”
- The basic categories of a tour budget
- Calculating gas expenses for your tour
- What a “per diem” is
- How much you should invest in marketing shows
- What affects a DIY band’s touring budget
- The biggest costs you’ll face on the road
- What you need to make a tour profitable
- How to break even on tour
For full show notes, visit https://bandhive.rocks/150
When an artist’s tour manager settles a show, they do accounting and collect payment.
As a part of the process, they crunch the numbers for that night. If it doesn’t match what the promoter rep has in their own accounting, the promoter and TM work together to find the problem.
It’s not typically adversarial - instead it’s two parties who want to verify that everything is accounted for properly. Trust but verify.
Listen now to learn what other situations are worthy of trust but verify - there are a lot of them - so you don’t miss out on money your band rightfully earned!
What you’ll learn:
- Why double checking any agreements, accounting, etc. is important for your band
- What could happen if you miss something
- Even big artists (and their teams) make mistakes
- I’m not perfect, and neither are you! Double check your own work :)
- Cascading mistakes in spreadsheets
- When you need an entertainment lawyer
- Being open with your bandmates and team
For full show notes, visit https://bandhive.rocks/149
Last month a friend of mine came to me with a dilemma: they had been removed from their band for “not doing enough” even though the band leader had constantly reassured my friend that they were doing everything they should be doing.
Unfortunately, I see this too often: band leaders have no idea how to properly “lead”, won’t communicate with their bandmates, and eventually end up poisoning the band with a toxic attitude - then they blame everyone but themselves.
Listen now to learn how you can avoid tearing apart your band by following these five key tips!
What you’ll learn:
- How to maintain a healthy band dynamic
- The key to a long-lived band
- Making sacrifices for your bandmates
- Constructive communication in a band
- The pitfalls of a passive-aggressive band “leader”
- Working together to continue a project after major life events
- The importance of “fun time” in your band
For full show notes, visit https://bandhive.rocks/148
A big part of flight training is learning how to respond to situations you hope will never happen to you. The idea is that when (not if) they do happen, you’re prepared to handle them.
Bands can do the same thing, so when disaster strikes you 1. Aren’t scrambling for a solution and 2. Can handle the situation in a calm, collected manner.
Why is this important? Well, the less downtime your band has after any problems, the more time you can spend focusing on your touring, writing, etc. not to mention if it’s something safety related, you could be saving lives!
Listen now to hear the story of my first ever inflight emergency and why it’s an important lesson for each of us to learn from.
What you’ll learn:
- Staying calm in stressful situations
- Being prepared for the worst
- How training yourself could save the day
- Observing other bands to know what you can prepare for
- Avoiding panic through preparation
- The benefits of planning ahead
- Coordinating with your bandmates for a unified solution
For full show notes, visit https://bandhive.rocks/147
Everyone hates hall fees. Well, almost everyone. Venues seem to love taking money from artists selling their merch at shows.
Recently we’ve seen artists openly bashing venues for taking a cut of merch sales, and in some cases those complaints are justified.
It’s not as cut and dry as artists make it seem, so this week I’m diving in on what a hall fee is, why venues started charging them, and how you can pay the venue less with smart accounting and negotiation. Listen now to learn more!
What you’ll learn:
- Why venues want to take part of your merch earnings
- What the venues should be providing if they charge a hall fee
- How to get out of paying a hall fee (or greatly reduce it)
- The most important terms to any agreement including a hall fee
- Using smart math to pay the venue less ;)
- The difference between taking a fair cut and outright stealing from artists
- Sneaky methods to avoid hall fees entirely
- The ultimate answer to hall fees: negotiation
For full show notes, visit https://bandhive.rocks/146
Humans are naturally wired to fear being a social outcast - living in groups kept us safe for thousands of years.
That fear of rejection is still present for most of us, no matter how well liked we are.
If we don’t “make the ask” by reaching out to someone new in the music world, whether it’s to book a show or ask a potential new fan to listen to our music, we miss out on countless opportunities.
Overcoming the fear of rejection takes time, practice, and patience. Don’t get me wrong, it can be nerve-wracking. It’s something that every successful artist has to do.
In this episode I explain how you can defeat your fear of rejection and why it's important. Listen now to learn more!
What you’ll learn:
- One of the most useful skills in the music industry
- Overcoming your fear of making the ask
- Why artists who go for the long shot are more successful
- Approaching industry insiders
- How to make a good first impression
- Why you should make the ask even if it seems like a definite “no”
- Growing your network to gain new friends and opportunities
- Being fearless and getting amazing results
- Practice makes perfect - ask and ask again!
For full show notes, visit https://bandhive.rocks/145
“There aren’t any shortcuts in the music business”.
Tons of people say that, and in my opinion they are wrong.
See, there is a shortcut in the music business. Instead of wasting years grinding away on the road, doing a few key things first will make your career easier.
I’m not saying that your career will be handed to you on a silver platter… But it will be just a bit easier for you.
Listen now to learn about the biggest shortcut you can take in your music career!
What you’ll learn:
- How to grow your fanbase quickly
- What it takes to grow organically in your fanbase
- The advantage of a tight-knit fanbase and community
- Making your fans lives better makes your life better
- How to create lifelong fans
- Writing and releasing impactful music
- Using this shortcut in the music industry - and why it’s still a challenge
For full show notes, visit https://bandhive.rocks/144
Every band faces the debate at some point: what can we sell at our merch table?
Aside from black t-shirts, the options are practically endless. There’s a “standard fare” of sorts that many artists choose, but you can also get creative with the items you offer your fans.
Listen now to learn some of the common items you could sell at your merch table, and how you can sell things you’d normally throw in a dumpster!
What you’ll learn:
- Which merch items you could sell
- Why you need merch at every show you play
- Novelty items that work well for some artists
- Bundles and fan club packages
- Merch quality and comfort
- Premium items vs. freebies and cheaper stock
- Upcycling your used gear for profit
- Quality over quantity at the merch table
- Freebies in exchange for email addresses
For full show notes, visit https://bandhive.rocks/143
What’s your morning routine?
It’s probably something like this:
- Open your eyes
- Roll over and pick up your phone
- Scroll for a while (too long) until you need to get up or you’ll be late
Does that sound right?
Cutting out your early morning scroll will set you up for a much better day - and help you more effectively manage your time.
That’s just one thing you can do - there are many other ways to manage your time, reclaim “wasted” time, and use your time wisely. Listen now to learn how!
What you’ll learn:
- How to use your time effectively
- Making time for your band
- Methods to reduce wasted time
- Why your phone and social media are the enemy of productivity
- Focusing on your music instead of distractions
- How to have enough time for your music
- Why “relaxing” while scrolling through social media is just wasting time
- Using a calendar to manage your time
It can be tough deciding which areas to play - you only have so much time to go play shows (whether a one off, a weekend tour, or a week+ tour). How do you choose the best possible markets to play?
Aside from good old trial and error, which you’ll definitely use, there are two main methods: analyzing your data and asking the right people.
Listen now to learn how you can get the best possible info to make an informed decision when you’re putting together your band’s routing!
What you’ll learn:
- Where to play shows
- Why you might want to skip the nearest market and travel further
- Researching the best markets to play
- How far to travel for a single show
- Using analytics to determine the best markets to play
- Why you need to get out there and book shows!
For full show notes, visit https://bandhive.rocks/141
SubmitHub is one of the most divisive topics among musicians… Some love it, some are ambivalent, and others hate it.
I happen to fall on the “love it” side - not only because I recognize its value as a promotional tool in any artist's toolbelt, but also because I understand how to use the platform and can often get above-average results when running a SubmitHub campaign.
Most artists who dislike SubmitHub are unhappy because their music was rejected. Fortunately, that’s typically not SubmitHub’s fault. It’s a classic case of shooting the messenger.
You see, if these artists took the time to learn how to use the tool that is SubmitHub, they would experience better results on their campaigns.
If you want to improve your SubmitHub results, this episode is for you. Listen now to learn how to get higher approval rates on your next submission!
What you’ll learn:
- How the new changes to SubmitHub affect your submissions
- Why you aren’t getting approved on SubmitHub
- The most common mistakes artists make on SubmitHub
- Choosing the right blogs and playlists to submit to
- The right way to handle feedback on SubmitHub
- How to submit on SubmitHub
- How to get more SubmitHub approvals
- Standard vs. premium credits on SubmitHub
For full show notes, visit https://bandhive.rocks/140
Every band fears something going wrong on tour… From promoters screwing you over to a van crash, there are lots of things that can throw a wrench in the works.
Thankfully, most tours only have one major hiccup, if any.
That wasn’t the case for fellow Vermonters, Saving Vice. Not only did their headliner (a rapper) bail on the tour after Saving Vice and their tour-mates Dropout Kings had driven halfway across the country, Saving Vice also had to replace the transmission in their van twice.
Nonetheless, the band stayed positive with their public explanations of what was going on, ran a successful GoFundMe campaign, and salvaged roughly half the tour so they could keep playing the shows as planned once they were back on the road.
Listen now to hear the incredible story from Robbie Litchfield, founding member and guitarist of Saving Vice. This is one you don’t want to miss!
What you’ll learn:
- The value of staying (publicly) calm when disaster strikes
- How to handle difficult situations on tour
- Working hard to live by “the show must go on”
- Why planning for an emergency fund is vital to your survival
- Restoring faith in a band’s brand after a streak of canceled shows
- Why renting a van isn’t always a smart move if your main vehicle is down for the count
- How to recover from a tour that doesn’t go as planned
- The importance of planning and being ready for those plans to go off the wall
- What to look for in the future from Saving Vice
For full show notes, visit https://bandhive.rocks/139
Almost every independent artist struggles to fill even the smallest of venues… Yes, some artists seem to have it all figured out, and sell out their local and hometown shows.
You’re probably wondering how they do this? They must be industry plants of some sort. Right?
Wrong! They likely have a combination of factors including great music, an approachable personality, and solid work ethic. Thankfully this is all something you can learn, too.
Listen now to learn how you can increase your band’s draw to fill venues, sell more merch, and start playing better shows outside your hometown!
What you’ll learn:
- How to bring fans to your shows
- What excuses really mean
- Why you shouldn’t play your hometown too often
- What to practice at your band’s rehearsals
- How to reach out to your friends and fans via DMs
- It’s 2022 - flyers still matter
- Picking the right bands to play with
- How to grow your fanbase outside your hometown
- Making your dedicated fans feel special
- Presenting the right energy at your shows
For full show notes, visit https://bandhive.rocks/138
Are you fed up with tiny, hole in the wall venues asking you to bring your own PA system?
If you aren’t, you should be. It’s an exploitative practice that small venues use to avoid buying their own PA system.
This happens at the largest venues too, but for an entirely different reason - and artists are reimbursed for bringing their equipment.
So how can you get paid for providing a PA system at these hole in the wall venues? Listen now to find out!
What you’ll learn:
- How you can earn extra money at your shows
- The basic elements of a PA system
- Why massive venues and tiny venues are the ones who don’t provide a PA
- Avoiding the unpleasant surprises of small, crappy venues
- How to save on cables (without going cheap)
- Structuring payment for sound/production rentals
- Why your audio gear is not included in the band’s fee
- The advantages of bringing your own engineer
- Why you should never bring a PA system for free
For full show notes, visit https://bandhive.rocks/137
You have the perfect song idea, you’re just missing that one final bit before it’s finished…
It’s been days or weeks and as much as you try, it’s just not quite coming together the way you want it to.
You’re in a writers’ block rut. So what now?
Listen to this episode of the Bandhive Podcast to learn how you should take your mind off of music to come back refreshed and finish the projects you’re working on!
What you’ll learn:
- How to avoid getting in a “rut” with your music
- Why we shouldn’t let “musician” be our whole life
- The solution to writers’ block
- The positive effect hobbies have on your music career
- Why you might consider multiple hobbies
- The key to avoiding burnout
For full show notes, visit https://bandhive.rocks/136
You’ve seen that friend who does nothing but complain on social media… We all have one. They just endlessly post sob stories about how terrible their life is, and they keep doing it because their posts get engagement.
The downside of this is anyone seeing those posts starts to form a negative mental image of that person - no one wants to hang out with someone who’s constantly bringing the mood down.
The same goes for bands. If a band, or band member, is constantly whining about life (or the music business) being difficult, that artist is less likely to achieve any meaningful form of success because people won’t want to work with them.
It’s easy to be someone people enjoy working with, just by having a positive attitude. Listen now to learn how you can avoid becoming a “woe is me” artist!
What you’ll learn:
- Avoiding toxic trait of being constantly negative on social media
- Why the artists who “make it” aren’t the complainers
- How to make money without trying to sell CDs
- The band who alienated their entire fanbase with one Facebook post
- The pros of staying positive during bad times
- Two examples of bands doing it right
- The mental roadblocks of negative thought
For full show notes, visit https://bandhive.rocks/135
You’ve realized that it takes effort to grow your fanbase, and decided you want to give direct outreach a try…
The issue is, what do you write? How do you turn strangers on the internet into fans, without being annoying or needy?
It’s pretty simple: don’t be like the band I throw under the bus in this episode. Listen now to learn how you can practice effective direct outreach to get new fans!
What you’ll learn:
- Growing your key fanbase
- Why direct outreach is one of the most effective methods for a new band to grow their audience
- How not to practice direct outreach
- The biggest mistake you could make: being rude when reaching out to potential fans
- The worst direct outreach message I’ve ever read
- How to strike up a mutually beneficial conversation
- Why spamming won’t get you anywhere
- Balancing the different social media platforms
For full show notes, visit https://bandhive.rocks/134
So you've decided to start a band. Congrats! But now what? Most band’s debuts are forgotten by everyone except the musicians on stage. How do you make your band's debut show stand out from all the other crappy local bands?
Most artists play their first show at a dive bar or small local club. You might have fun playing the show, but it won’t make any big splashes or lifelong fans.
By standing out at shows, you can make your debut show blow the other acts out of the water and set yourself up for long-term success. Listen now to learn how!
What you’ll learn:
- Why your first show should showcase your best effort
- How to prepare for your band’s live debut
- Using movement to bring more energy to your show
- Why a mic stand is not home base (looking at you, vocalists)
- How small shows can beat the energy of arenas
- Practicing and rehearsing to play a killer first show
- How to build the perfect lineup for your debut show
- Why you should never focus on production hiccups during a performance
For full show notes, visit https://bandhive.rocks/133
You're getting ready for your band's next tour. You have a solid plan in place, friend’s couches to crash on, but the night before you leave you realize… You're not sure what to pack!
Touring can be a ton of work. You have to worry about booking shows, transportation, making sure your equipment is all packed up and ready to go, and more.
Listen now to learn what you’ll need on your next tour. From clothes and toiletries to the gear that may just save the day, I cover the essentials that should be in your luggage and backpack.
What you’ll learn:
- How I approach packing for tour
- Why I keep personal and gear separate (for the most part)
- Packing for winter tours vs. summer tours
- The gear to pack for every tour
- A towel is the most important item a touring person can carry
- How to sell merch the easy way with an iPad
- Flashlights and earplugs: a touring artist’s best friend
- The best tape ever made
- Keeping your documents and ID safe
- Why you are your own tour manager
For full show notes, visit https://bandhive.rocks/132
It's hard to keep your band organized and on track, especially when everyone is busy with their own lives.
You're not alone! Most bands struggle with inconsistent releases and a lack of organization, leading to thoughts like, “how did we do this last time?” and, “what’s the next step?”
In this episode I explain how you can make consistency a priority for your band, resulting in less work and faster release schedules, which will keep your fans happy!
What you’ll learn:
- Why people like predictable schedules
- How to create consistency for your band
- Social media algorithms: they love consistency, too
- How to grow your band’s TikTok audience
- Building processes to create consistency
- Making your life as an artist easier by using Standard Operating Procedures
- Unlocking flow state as an artist
- Setting up your band to run itself while you’re on vacation
For full show notes, visit https://bandhive.rocks/131
Most people think that the best way to become a better musician is to buy more gear.
It’s not. Better gear can help you sound slightly better, but it's not the most important thing by any means.
In this episode of the Bandhive Podcast, I explain why gear ISN'T the most important thing for a band. In fact, your gear purchases may just be a form of procrastination or distraction. Listen now to learn more!
What you’ll learn:
- Gear doesn’t matter the way you think it does
- The law of diminishing returns
- Why mid range instruments are typically the best value compared to cost
- When to use studio gear instead of your own
- What you should spend your budget on instead of wasting it on gear
- The simple truth: you don’t need that $5,000 guitar
For full show notes, visit https://bandhive.rocks/130
Touring can be expensive, and it's hard to know where to start when putting together a budget. A lot of artists just skip the budget when they plan a tour, which is never a good idea.
Without a solid tour budget in place, you could easily end up spending way more than you planned on your next tour. That could mean getting stranded on the other side of the country, or having to cancel a tour halfway through - neither is a good option.
In this episode, I go over the basics of a DIY tour budget. By following my tips, you'll be able to save money while touring and stay within your budget. Listen now to learn more!
What you’ll learn:
- How to determine what your daily expenses will be
- Why a tour budget is necessary for your tours
- The advantages of budgeting and tracking expenses
- The eight basic categories of a DIY tour budget
- How long can you tour? Let your budget decide
- What apps to use for tour budgeting
For full show notes, visit https://bandhive.rocks/129
Some venues and promoters use “pay to play”, a shady and exploitative practice of making artists pay to play a show - instead of paying the artist for their performance.
You've probably heard of pay to play, but you may not know exactly what it is. There’s a lot of confusion about which deals are pay to play and which aren’t.
This can be a huge problem because it makes artists miss out on opportunities that would have been worth it for their career.
In this episode, I’ll explain what pay to play is and isn’t, so you can understand which shows to skip and which ones are worth booking.
Whether you're an independent artist who's ready to book shows or you're just curious about this controversial topic, listen in and learn all you need to know about pay to play!
What you’ll learn:
- Why “pay to play” probably isn’t what you think it is
- What is pay to play?
- The benefits of playing pay to play shows
- What types of pay to play deals are most common
- Why selling tickets is not pay to play
- Split deals - and why they’re perfectly normal
- Why renting a venue could be pay to play, but often isn’t
- When is a buy on a good idea?
- Is a buy on the same thing as pay to play?
For full show notes, visit https://bandhive.rocks/128
It can be tough for independent artists to break through and get their music heard by larger audiences. It’s a long, slow process to get to the top of your local scene… And it takes even more work to break out regionally and nationally.
Opening slots for larger, more well-known artists can be a great way for independent artists to get their music out there and start building a fanbase. The problem is most opening slots are gatekept quite tightly, and getting your foot in the door with the right people can be quite elusive.
This episode is all about finding and booking shows opening for other acts, so you can maximize your chances of success. Listen now to learn more!
What you’ll learn:
- How you can get opening slots for bigger shows
- Which gatekeepers are involved when tours come through your market
- Why package deals are the downfall of local openers
- Who to contact for opening slots
- How to track your show history
- The worst thing you could do: over-saturating a market
- Avoiding poisonous attitudes around opening slots
- Why opening slots are beneficial to local artists
For full show notes, visit https://bandhive.rocks/127
You're a great musician, but you don't know how to get your music in front of the right people.
It's hard enough to make it as a musician without having to worry about booking your own shows. And if you're not working with the venues that best fit your sound and style, you’re not playing to your full potential.
In this episode I dive into three tips that will help you book better shows, at the right venues, so you can grow your audience!
What you’ll learn:
- How to book your first show
- Networking without being sleazy
- Why sending unreleased music to people is ok (in certain situations)
- How to make connections in markets far away
- What to include in a booking email
- How to avoid showing promoters red flags
- Choosing the right venue for your sound
- Why playing the wrong venue is a bad idea
For full show notes, visit https://bandhive.rocks/126
As a band, making decisions can be tough. You want to make the best choice for your music, but sometimes there are multiple acceptable solutions.
How do you know which option is the best? Is there even such a thing as a "best" solution?
In this episode of Bandhive Podcast, I discuss why most problems have multiple acceptable solutions. While there may be a "best" solution, that's not always the case – and the situation itself will be a major factor in which option to choose.
Listen now to learn more about making effective decisions as a band, and how you can take failure and turn it into a positive experience!
For full show notes, visit https://bandhive.rocks/125
Being on time is incredibly important in the live music world. There’s a good reason behind the saying, “If you’re 15 minutes early, you’re on time. If you’re on time, you’re late. If you’re late, you’re fired.
Unfortunately, being punctual is not always easy. There are a lot of things that can go wrong and cause you to be late. Some things like flat tires happen unexpectedly, which can often be excused… But others, such as work or other events planned and scheduled in advance, are never acceptable excuses.
Listen now to learn why it’s important to always be on time, how to plan ahead properly to avoid being late, and what you can do to put on the best show possible!
What you’ll learn:
- The pros of being early or on time
- The cons of being late
- How to plan ahead and be on time
- A lesson in burning bridges
- Why being unreliable limits your opportunities in the music industry
- How to keep a good reputation
For full show notes, visit https://bandhive.rocks/124
It's hard to get people to care about your music. Even if they follow you on social media, it doesn't mean they're going to buy your music or come to your shows.
Most bands settle for just having social media followers. But that doesn’t always work…
You need to turn social media followers and casual fans into superfans who will buy your music, come to your shows, and tell their friends about you.
Our guest cohost David Ryan Olson is the founder of Evergreen Records and an expert in converting social media followers into fans of your band.
Listen now to learn more about moving your followers up the hierarchy of leads so they become superfans of your band!
What you’ll learn:
- Why followers are not the same thing as fans
- How to tell if you have an audience that cares
- Why social media isn’t the only road to success
- What marketing means for your band
- How to market your music without being scummy
- Using TikTok to get fans for your band
- How to convert casual fans into superfans
- Why awareness and interest are both important for your band
- How to pick the right platform for your band
For full show notes, visit https://bandhive.rocks/123
Going on tour can be a daunting task. You have to plan the tour, book the shows, and then scrape together your budget to make the tour happen… And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
Many DIY bands never go on tour because they don't know where to start. They get overwhelmed by the amount of information available and never tour on a sustainable level.
In this episode, we cover three important tips you need to know before your next tour. Listen now to learn what they are!
What you’ll learn:
- How to mentally prepare yourself for changes on tour
- Why no one likes working with divas
- The importance of a flexible mindset
- How to learn from your experiences on tour
- Why every detail matters on the road
- Making connections while touring
- How to always have a positive attitude
- 2 tools to reduce stress on tour
- Why you need to “offload” tasks to an app
- Where to learn more
For full show notes, visit https://bandhive.rocks/122
You've just released your album or EP and you're feeling pretty good about it. You worked hard on the music, the artwork, and the videos – now it's time to sit back and watch as the world discovers your genius. Right?
WRONG! Just because your music is out there doesn't mean you can sit back and relax. In fact, the hard work has just begun. You have to keep promoting your music after the release so you don’t lose the momentum you’ve spent months building up.
Listen now to learn how to keep that momentum going after your release by building up your content reservoir ahead of time and strategically posting during the release cycle.
What you’ll learn:
- How to create content for your band
- Why posting content as soon as you get it is a bad idea
- How to get your fans to create content for you
- The power of reposting stories you’re tagged in
- Always be creating: why you need to record everything
- How to harness a technique the major labels use
- Never run out of content in your reservoir
- How to promote your band’s album, EP, or single
For full show notes, visit https://bandhive.rocks/121
We've all seen that band who plays well, but is just mind-numbingly boring because they don't move around on stage…
They don't engage with their audience…
Those bands are nothing more than bland robots who can play an instrument.
On the other hand, you might have seen a band that's absolutely fantastic live.
A band who blew you away by putting on a true performance, rather than just playing music. A band whose show you talk about a decade later, because it was that good.
Listen now to learn how you can make small, DIY shows, just as energetic and exciting as the best arena shows with a few simple changes to your set!
What you’ll learn:
- How to make a small show just as impressive as an arena show
- Why rehearsals matter for your shows
- From solo acts to full bands: engaging with your audience
- Breakdancing to keep your set fresh
- Crowd interaction and your appeal to potential fans
- Movement on stage: if you look bored, your audience is bored
For full show notes, visit https://bandhive.rocks/120
You've put in the time and effort to write great music, hone your skills, and build a following, but you're still not getting booked for good shows.
You’re probably thinking, “what's going on?”
Chances are, with a few small tweaks to your process, you’ll start getting those dream shows sooner rather than later.
In this week’s episode, I go over five reasons you aren't getting booked, and the solutions to those five problems. Listen now to start booking more shows for your band!
What you’ll learn:
- Why you aren’t getting booked for shows
- Finding the right promoters and venues to work with
- How to avoid playing with flaky bands
- Making sure your fans have a good experience at every venue you play
- Why you should never book the “show of last resort”
- The biggest cause of missing out on the best shows and how to avoid it and how to avoid it
For full show notes, visit https://bandhive.rocks/119
You love making music, but you're not sure if production matters. What kind of an effect does good (or bad) production have on your career?
It takes a lot of effort and money to work with skilled engineers and producers… Deciding whether it’s worth it is ultimately up to you. Your goals as an artist absolutely need to be considered, because what you want from your music directly impacts the product you need to deliver to your fans.
Listen now to learn about the production bell curve and why it’s important for bands seeking mainstream success to invest in proper production for their music!
What you’ll learn:
- When production matters (and when it doesn’t)
- How to get more fans
- Why most people will tell you they don’t care about production
- Keeping your DIY ethos while hiring outsiders for production
- How your genre dictates your production needs
- The difference between “good lofi” vs “bad lofi”
For full show notes, visit https://bandhive.rocks/118
It's tough to be an artist and create an original, unique sound. With the current music scene, it's incredibly easy to just clone whatever is popular and hope that fans will like your music too.
This might get you some fans in the short term, but in the long run you won’t see the same results as artists who take the time to develop their own unique sound.
By releasing music with an original sound, you can make your music more appealing to an audience that truly belongs to you, rather than ripping off famous acts. You can drop music that is influenced by your favorite artists without directly copying their style.
By doing this, fans of the original artist will appreciate your tribute, while new fans will be drawn in by your fresh take on music.
Listen now to learn more about copying vs. being influenced by, and how you can position yourself to grow your fanbase through original music!
What you’ll learn:
- Why you aren’t gaining fans by emulating popular sounds
- The difference between being inspired by an artist and copying an artist
- Making amazing music on a shoestring budget
- How to get fans to choose your music
- The pattern of major artists: starting with a unique sound, then blending in once they’re established
- Why originality matters, especially for a DIY band
For full show notes, visit https://bandhive.rocks/117
It's hard to keep in touch with your fans via social media. Half the time, the algorithm doesn’t even show your post to your fans… Or when it does, your fans are scrolling through their feed at lightspeed and don’t even notice your post.
Without a way to contact your fans directly, you're at risk of losing them forever. Social media platforms can be shut down (goodbye, Vine) or remove your account without warning. But don’t lose hope: your email list is always yours.
Listen now to learn how to start building your band’s email list and what tools you need to succeed!
What you’ll learn:
- Why email marketing is necessary
- The deathtrap of relying on social media
- Protecting your social media accounts
- Getting real fans from social media
- How to harness the power of email marketing to reach your core fanbase
- Why email marketing isn’t spam if you do it right
- Email marketing is still relevant
- Getting started with email marketing for your band
- Three reasons you need an email list
For full show notes, visit https://bandhive.rocks/116
It can be tough to know where to start with your songs. Once you’ve started, there may still be parts you get stuck on.
Many people think that they need to have a special talent or be born with natural ability in order to write songs… But that's just not the case!
Songwriting is a skill that can be learned, and Connor Frost is here to show you how.
In this episode of the Bandhive Podcast, Connor discusses some of the most common roadblocks songwriters face and offers his advice on how to overcome them.
Listen now to hear Connor’s recommendations for songwriters who are struggling to complete their songs!
What you’ll learn:
- Getting past writer’s block
- How to create good transitions in your songs
- Why the soul of the song comes first
- Overwriting to ensure quality via quantity
- Setting goals to work towards
- Riding the creative wave vs. getting distracted by new ideas
- Why habit is better than motivation
- Confidence makes you a better songwriter
- Why perfection is overrated
- How to get clarity for your songwriting
For full show notes, visit https://bandhive.rocks/115
Choosing a band name is no walk in the park. You want something that's going to make you stand out, easy to find when fans search your name online, and above all yours and yours alone.
There are so many names already taken on the internet that it can feel impossible to find one that isn't in use by another band or company.
We have seven steps we follow when choosing a band name, and they've worked great for us. Listen now to learn what they are!
What you’ll learn:
- Why Ghost was known as Ghost BC for several years
- How to avoid stealing another band’s name
- Choosing a band name that fits your brand
- Why a unique stage name is important
- What to look for in a band name
- Why you should (probably) avoid misspelled names
- How to check if you can use the band name you want to choose
- Get the .com for your band name!
For full show notes, visit https://bandhive.rocks/114
You’ve probably submitted to Spotify playlisters to promote your band, and with good reason: it’s one of the most effective ways to grow your fanbase.
But have you considered running a Spotify playlist to grow your band as well as others in the scene?
Not only does this give you an outlet for your music, it lets you grow an amazing network within your musical circle and boosts those around you. Remember, a rising tide raises all ships.
Listen now to learn how Brandon Ossont of The Maguas harnesses the power of Spotify playlists, and how you can do the same!
What you’ll learn:
- Getting started with online marketing for your band
- How to stand out in an oversaturated market
- Why you need to create a detailed plan for your band
- Using Spotify to grow your band – and your friends’ bands
- Why you need to focus on putting other people first
- How to handle Spotify playlist submissions easily
- Why you should research a playlist before submitting your music
- How to grow your network organically
For full show notes, visit https://bandhive.rocks/113
Intellectual property is a large, complicated topic. Many attorneys spend years studying patent, trademark, and copyright law to fully understand the laws and their implications.
The good news is that musicians don’t need to understand every aspect of the law to protect their own works.
Listen now to learn the basics of trademark and copyright and how they apply to musicians and bands, so you know how to protect yourself – and don’t step on anyone’s toes in the process!
Disclaimer: we aren’t attorneys and this isn’t legal advice. If you have questions about IP law, please email us and we can put you in touch with an IP attorney who is also a musician.
What you’ll learn:
- What intellectual property terms matter for musicians
- How to copyright your music
- The difference between trademark and copyright
- How long copyright lasts
- Why “poor man’s copyright” is not an option
- How music publishing royalties are split
- Mechanical royalties for songwriters
- The difference between a composition copyright and a sound recording copyright
For full show notes, visit https://bandhive.rocks/112
Touring is a ton of work. You have to book the shows, figure out lodging and transportation, prepare for travel, etc... And that's just scratching the surface!
If you want to have a good time on tour, you need to be stress free.
If you want to be stress-free, you need to be organized.
A project management tool is the solution you need: It'll help with every aspect of planning a successful tour. From booking shows to tracking your overall status of the tour, project management will keep you sane on the road.
With Trello, you can organize everything related to running your band…
Listen now to learn how you can use Trello for your band’s next tour, single/album release, or songwriting. Trello is an incredibly versatile tool, and the possibilities are endless!
For full show notes, visit https://bandhive.rocks/111
The DIY music scene has evolved a lot on this side of the millennium. Social media has changed how bands promote themselves, and starting a band today is very different from how it was in the 90s or early 2000s.
Standing out from the crowd takes three things:
- Good music
- Effective branding
- A passion for what you do
Emilio Menze has all three of those things – and with the experience Emilio has as both a guitarist and the frontman of Dark Ride, he has quite a bit of knowledge to share.
Listen now to learn what Emilio has discovered during his 15+ years as a musician, from playing in a small niche to starting a new band during the pandemic!
What you’ll learn:
- What it’s like to transition from guitarist to frontman
- Starting a band during the pandemic
- Why you need to make music your fans enjoy
- How the life of a DIY artist has changed in the past 15 years
- The Spotify problem
- Creating social media content for your band
- Keeping up with the treadmill of social media content
- Why you should get out of your comfort zone
- Cohesive branding and its impact on your band
For full show notes, visit https://bandhive.rocks/110
You have a band and you want to grow your following. But, you don't know how.
Maybe you've tried Instagram or Facebook but haven't gotten the results you wanted.
TikTok is an emerging social media platform that's perfect for musicians because it allows for short videos with music in them. It's super visual and easy to use, so anyone can create great content quickly!
Brandon Cunningham from Kawaii AF joins us this week to share his experiences using TikTok as part of his marketing strategy. He'll share tips on how he used TikTok to build their audience to over 100,000 followers and get discovered by more fans - all while having fun doing it!
Listen now to learn how you can make some of the same moves Brandon and Kawaii AF are, so you can grow your own band’s presence on TikTok!
What you’ll learn:
- Why now is the time to start your TikTok account
- How Kawaii AF grew their TikTok to over 100k followers
- Capitalizing on current TikTok trends
- Keeping your momentum up so your TikTok account doesn't stall
- Using a production schedule to stay consistent with your content
- Why TikTok is better for bands than other social platforms right now
- How new artists are using TikTok to be discovered
- Be genuine: TikTok users filter out fake content
For full show notes, visit https://bandhive.rocks/109
Sponsorship deals are one of the most sought-after parts of being in a band.
Unfortunately, in most cases, it doesn't mean unlimited free gear... But it can mean discounts, cash towards promoting a show, or more.
Ty Christian, aka Fang VonWrathenstein, has been performing with his band Lords of the Trident for almost 15 years and has had experience with sponsorships at every level - from local to national.
In this episode he shares his knowledge about how to get sponsorship deals when you're starting out as well as what happens when your band grows beyond that point.
Listen now to learn more from Ty Christian as we dive into the depths of sponsorship and endorsement deals!
What you’ll learn:
- Finding your first band sponsorship
- Why major brands don’t care about DIY artists
- Setting expectations for sponsorships
- Getting your foot in the door with local sponsors
- Scaling your sponsorship deals to bigger companies
- The domino effect of sponsorships
- Band sponsorships and their relationship to your brand
- How not to lose your sponsorship
- What brands to consider as potential sponsors
- When it might be time to turn down a sponsorship offer
For full show notes, visit https://bandhive.rocks/108
Tour managers are often overlooked and under-appreciated. They make a massive impact on the success of a tour, by keeping everything on track and preventing the tour from crumbling under pressure.
If you want to go to the next level and play larger shows, turn a profit (or at least break even), you need to learn how to tour manage yourself properly.
Jack McCutcheon is an experienced tour manager with over 13 years on the road. He joins us to share his insights about what it takes to be a great tour manager in today's music industry. Listen now to learn more about tour management for your DIY band!
What you’ll learn:
- How the pandemic has affected up and coming artists
- Getting ready for your first tour
- Growing relationships with headlining artists
- The tour manager’s job description
- When to start planning your tour
- How to budget for touring income
- Tour routing tools and strategies
- Why playing smaller venues is better than playing larger venues
- Giving 110% – even if there are only a few people in the venue
For full show notes, visit https://bandhive.rocks/107
Facebook Ads are a great way to reach your fans, but they can be incredibly challenging to get right. There's so much information out there about how to use Facebook Ads that it’s difficult to know where to start or who you should listen to.
Matt Bacon joins us this week to share his top tips for artists new to Facebook Ads. This isn't just theory – Matt has worked with many labels from small DIY setups to major labels that are household names, and his clients include bands such as Apocalyptica and Killswitch Engage.
Listen now to find out how you can get your feet wet with Facebook Ads and harness their power to grow your fanbase to new heights!
What you’ll learn:
- How you can start using Facebook Ads for your band
- Why you never lose with Facebook ads
- What tools you can use to set up and optimize your ads
- How to decide if your ads are worth it
- Why video is king for (most) ads
- Why you need to test everything in your business
For full show notes, visit https://bandhive.rocks/106
Touring is a huge part of the music industry, but it's also notoriously difficult to make money. Most DIY bands lose their shirts when they go on their first tour.
The Writhers were able to do something most DIY artists dream of: go on a profitable tour. They were able to not only cover all of their costs, but actually turn a profit by being smart with their money. This week they joined us on the show and discussed their tour so you can do the same thing four your band!
You don't have to be famous or sell thousands of albums before you go on your first tour - listen now to learn more!
What you’ll learn:
- How The Writhers went on an 11-day DIY tour and turned a profit
- Why some cities just don’t work (but others do)
- What goes into deciding to tour
- Comparing yourself to the right bands
- How to choose the cities and venues you want to return to in the future
- Strategies for collecting emails at your shows
- What could go wrong on tour – and lessons learned
- Preparing food for your tour
- Finding reliable promoters
- What you need to know before touring
For full show notes, visit https://bandhive.rocks/105
As a musician, it's important to network with other musicians and build genuine connections with them. But how do you go about “networking” without coming across as slimy, rude finance bro?
Get ready to navigate the tricky waters of networking with other musicians and come out looking like a pro so you can find the right band members, book more shows, and become respected in your community.
Listen now to learn how to make the right connections the right way so you can boost your music career!
What you’ll learn:
- Why networking isn’t what most people think it is
- How you can grow your network by building genuine connections
- How your network makes you more powerful
- Where to find great musicians for your band
- How being a good influence in the scene pays off
- How to book shows in cities you haven’t played before
- Where you can search for other bands to connect with
- Why respect goes a long way in any relationship
- What to look for in a relationship
For full show notes, visit https://bandhive.rocks/104
Runescape and life may seem entirely disparate, but at a base level they are one and the same.
We have a finite amount of time to do what we need to do if we want to have a successful music career.
In music, this means honing the skills you’re best at and leaving other skills to people who have more practice and experience in.
It’s the same in Runescape, where it’s incredibly difficult to max out your levels in every single skill.
Which character will you choose in life: the Jack of all trades or the expert? One has a clear advantage over the other - listen now to learn more!
What you’ll learn:
- How Runescape relates to your skills in the real world
- Why being a Jack of all trades has benefits and pitfalls
- How to choose which real-life skills to focus on
- Why it’s important to focus on your core skills
- Why specialists are the people who get hired
- How to set goals for the skills you want to learn
- Why “skill levels” and goals are one and the same
- How to learn non-priority skills without wasting time
For full show notes, visit https://bandhive.rocks/103
Do you release a new song every month, all year long? Probably not.
We’ve all heard that’s what an artist has to do to become “successful” these days, but so few end up following through and actually releasing music that frequently.
But some artists take it to the next level – Todd Barriage of Theatria, who we spoke with on episode 81, has been releasing songs weekly for the past four months.
Listen now to learn how you can shift into the right mindset to forge ahead to release a new song at least once a month!
What you’ll learn:
- How to give a concise and clear explanation of what you do
- How you can record a great sounding track in two days
- What to do when the universe sucker punches you in the face
- When it’s ok to release “YouTube quality” music
- Where you can find inspiration in non-traditional sources
- Why it’s important to push forward quickly, before fear sets in
- How to balance quality and quantity
- How you can write a song in four hours
- Why your “aesthetic” doesn’t always matter
For full show notes, visit https://bandhive.rocks/102
The unfortunate truth about being a DIY artist is that most band members need to have a day job. This can create scheduling tensions and drama within the band...
But, not all day jobs are created equal.
British prog rock band Giant Walker have harnessed their creative power to build successful careers: each of the band's four members teach their instruments and make a full-time living from it.
Not only does teaching music help the members constantly improve their skills and knowledge, it also gives them the flexible schedule needed to be in an active band.
Listen now to learn how you can work a day job that supports your lifestyle and lets you have the flexibility to hit the road!
What you’ll learn:
- Why rebranding might be the right move after a lineup change
- How to choose your band name
- How Giant Walker create the freedom needed to play in a serious band
- Why relationships are more important than sales
- How to schedule band practice, shows, and meetings
- What should be prioritized if you’re committed to the band
- How to build a modular life so you can focus on music
- When being comfortable shouldn’t be the goal
- How the band kept teaching during the pandemic
- What goes into a well-planned single release
For full show notes, visit https://bandhive.rocks/101
Usually I’d write something about challenges and solutions, blah blah blah, here…
But today I just want to say thank you. Thank you to everyone who has listened to the Bandhive Podcast, shared it with their friends, or been a guest on the show. You all rock!
Join us for this special episode where Matt and I talk about our favorite music – we hope you’ll find some new favorites of your own.
We also want to hear what your favorites are, so let us know! There’ll be a post for episode 100 in our Facebook group where you can share your favorite albums in a comment.
Thanks again, and keep rockin!
James
What you’ll learn:
- Matt and James are über music nerds and made 250+ references in one hour
- Love for a band is subjective, but appreciation for music is universal
- Matt and James both have guilty pleasures
- We managed to record this whole episode without a single Rick Astley reference
For full show notes, visit https://bandhive.rocks/100
Songwriters are often confused about how they can make money from their music – thankfully selling your own CDs or getting streamed are not the only way to earn money from writing!
There are five different income streams for songs, and it’s up to you and your publisher to decide which of these streams to pursue – one, two, or all of them.
Listen now to learn more about the five income streams songwriters can take advantage of to earn royalties!
What you’ll learn:
- How you can earn money from songwriting’s five income streams
- What songwriters get paid when their song is used in a recording
- What five income streams you need to be aware of
- How to get paid every time your songs are played in public (whether live or recorded)
- Why some venues don’t allow covers – and how those venues are cheating you out of royalties
- How to take advantage of sync licensing
- Why you shouldn’t block fans from sharing tabs online
- How international licensing works
- Why it’s important to track your setlists for every show you play
- How basic publishing deals work
For full show notes, visit https://bandhive.rocks/99
Touring is a huge part of the music industry, but it can be one of the most expensive aspects of your career. If you're not careful with your money and don’t have a budget in place, you could find yourself losing thousands on a tour that could have been profitable.
You've probably seen someone lose their shirt on an unprofitable tour before. It's sad to see people who are passionate about music throw away so much hard work and money because they didn't know how to manage their finances as musicians.
Listen now to learn how you can create a realistic tour budget for a successful run so you don’t end up with massive losses like Pomplamoose did!
What you’ll learn:
- How not to run your tour
- What to plan for in your tour budget
- Why it’s important to know how much you spent… And earned
- How to handle crew expenses
- Where to draw the line between personal expenses and tour expenses
- Why buying a tour vehicle might be better than renting
- Which expenses are way too easy to underestimate
- How to make sure you have a profitable tour
- Why the people who have systems, budgets, and a plan are those who succeed
- How to get the big picture for your next tour
For full show notes, visit https://bandhive.rocks/98
Get the Bandhive Tour Sheet now! https://bandhive.rocks/tourbudget
Most bands are missing out on money. A lot of money.
How? Too many artists make arbitrary decisions based on gut impulse or what they see other artists doing and don’t take the time to test their methods and collect data to see what works best for your specific project.
Everything in your band is sales, and that means you need to test everything. Not all at once – in fact, never more than one element at a time. But, over time you will find that you’re able to sell more tickets, music, and merch, by following just a few basic business principles.
Listen now to learn about testing each aspect of your band’s business so you can get more fans, sell more music, and have a healthy career!
What you’ll learn:
- How to improve your sales rate… Without more fans
- Why the tried and true method isn’t always the best way to do things
- What you can do to optimize your live shows
- How to calculate your merch “per head”
- Why only ska bands are allowed to wear cargo shorts
- How to find out what merch sells best
- How to create an experience for your fans
- Why you should experiment with different pricing
- Why it’s important to remember that everything is sales
- How to ignore flukes and anomalies in your data
For full show notes, visit https://bandhive.rocks/97
Learning a new skill can be difficult, frustrating, and sometimes even painful… We all know that.
But it doesn't have to be.
You've probably heard that it takes 10,000 hours to become an expert at something... What does that really mean? Well, we know it doesn’t mean you need 10,000 hours to become good at your new skill.
Listen now to hear us discuss the 20 hour rule showing that you can learn just about anything to a passable level in 20 hours!
What you’ll learn:
- Why the 10,000 hour rule doesn’t apply to you
- How to learn a new skill quickly
- Why you shouldn’t focus on becoming a specialist (yet)
- How to break down a skill to learn the fundamentals
- Where to find the right resources to learn your next skill
- How to eliminate distractions and focus on learning
- Why learning too much is bad
- How to break down your goals into bite-sized pieces to avoid overwhelm
- How you can become the greatest ____ in the world
- Why tracking your progress is important to staying motivated and
For full show notes, visit https://bandhive.rocks/96
Whether you're hitting the road for a weekend or going on-two month tour, packing the right things is important.
Especially if it’s your first tour, you might not know what to bring. That’s why on this week’s episode of the podcast we go through our tour essentials, as well as tips shared by our listeners.
Don’t go into your next tour blind: listen now to find out what you should pack so you have (almost) all the comforts of home while on the road.
What you’ll learn:
- What to pack for your next tour
- Why it’s good to have a pen and paper in your backpack
- How to protect your hearing on the cheap
- How to create lasting memories for your fans
- How to instantly feel better on tour
- Why you should only use cheap towels on tour
- Which snacks travel well – and which ones don’t
- How to stay focused on long drives
- What our listeners recommend you pack
- Which essentials should be in your van to keep you on the road
For full show notes, visit https://bandhive.rocks/95
Keeping track of your gear isn’t easy.
Even with checklists to make sure you don’t forget anything, you need to know the difference between potentially identical cases, so you don’t mix up your gear with someone else’s.
It happens more often than you think, luggage gets switched at the airport or your guitar case gets swapped with someone else’s at the gig. No harm meant, but a frustrating experience for all.
Or, even worse, your gear might be stolen. Thieves can take off labels on the outside of your gear… But will they think to look everywhere before pawning it or listing it on Craigslist?
Listen now to learn how to protect yourself from mistakes or malicious acts so you can keep track of your gear easily, and have a claim when it’s discovered where it shouldn’t be!
What you’ll learn:
- Why you should keep track of your gear effectively
- How to sell more merch at shows
- How accountability keeps your gear safe
- What simple system you can use to track your gear
- Why sometimes it’s good not to be famous
- How to avoid confusing two pieces of gear
- Why stage managers always seem mean (they aren’t)
- How to label your gear in a way that thieves won’t find
For full show notes, visit https://bandhive.rocks/94
Most musicians are perfectionists – it’s unavoidable. When we expose our souls via songwriting, we want every single aspect to be impeccable.
But if perfection is your goal, you’ll never get there… Perfection is virtually impossible. Don’t get stuck on tiny details, instead focus on the big picture.
Just remember, the artist who creates a song a month and gets those songs 95% of the way there will become a much more skilled musician than the artist who writes one song a year, but considers it “perfect”.
Listen now to learn why “done is better than perfect” applies to everything you do in music, so you can become the best version of yourself!
What you’ll learn:
- How to prevent wasting your time
- Why finishing your music quickly is important
- How to write better music
- Why trying and failing is not failure – it’s a learning experience
- When “perfection” might be appropriate… But it usually isn’t
- Why it’s vital to pick a sound and stick to it
- How to know when your song is finished
- Why you need to play a show ASAP
- How you can jump into the deep end
For full show notes, visit https://bandhive.rocks/93
Keys, wallet, phone.
Do you have a mental checklist when you leave the house? Probably…
But once you have more than a few items to remember, it can be tough to keep track of everything you need to check.
That’s where checklists come in. Checklists make sure that you never forget an item that’s part of a repeatable task. They’re part of the Standard Operating Procedures for most major companies, including every airline.
Listen now to learn how checklists will help you and your band stay safe, never lose gear, and most importantly, keep track of your bass player!
What you’ll learn:
- How to make sure you don’t leave your bass player two states back
- Why it’s important to follow checklists for every repeatable element of your business
- How to increase your chances of getting stolen gear returned to you
- How you can create effective checklists
- When to use digital checklists
- Why checklists make your process faster rather than slower
- What tasks you can use checklists for
- How to create your checklists
- Why this shouldn’t be optional
- When it’s time for checklists
For full show notes, visit https://bandhive.rocks/92
Many bands want to be appealing to a record label, but don’t know how to get their foot in the door with the right gatekeepers.
The answer is simple, the execution is not: take your business seriously. By really putting in the effort to take your business to new heights, you will naturally catch the attention of label execs and other music industry insiders.
In this episode, Adam Fiasco of The Fiasco joins us to discuss what artists can do to make their band stand out from the crowd and get opportunities that the average act doesn’t. Listen now to learn more!
What you’ll learn:
- How learning piano at a young age helped Adam become a better musician
- What successful artists have in common – and what labels look for
- How you can grow your audience
- Why it’s ok not to appeal to everyone
- How to see if Facebook ads are right for your band
- How you can get the best ROI for advertising spend
- Why you should look to other artists for examples on how to interact with fans
- How to make your merch table an experience for your audience
- How cold outreach can be done tactfully
- Why you need to reply to every social media comment
For full show notes, visit https://bandhive.rocks/91
As a DIY artist, at some point you'll want to release a music video. Unfortunately, it's not as simple as hiring a videographer and showing up on the day of the shoot... A lot of prep work goes into shooting a music video.
If you don’t have a plan, nothing will go in your favor. Your entire crew will be frustrated if they don't know what shots are coming next or where they need to be standing when the camera rolls.
Thankfully, the principles of planning out a music video shoot are pretty straight forward. Listen now to hear our tips for a flawless music video experience!
What you’ll learn:
- How a solid plan can make or break your music video
- How to harness the power of branding in your music video
- Why you need a treatment for your music video
- How to budget for a music video shoot
- Why planning in advance is key to a painless music video shoot
- How to schedule your video shoot
- Why you need checklists for your shoots (and any other time you travel)
- How being prepared ensures you can roll with the punches
- How to decide what direction your music video should go
For full show notes, visit https://bandhive.rocks/90
For some people, going into the studio is all they dream about – other people dread the thought of stepping foot into a studio due to anxiety or fear.
Whether you’re in the first group, the second, or somewhere in between, going into the studio with the right mindset and ideas is make or break for your music.
Listen now to hear how you can increase your productivity, keep bandmates happy, and leave the studio with the best finished product that you can get!
What you’ll learn:
- How you cope with anxiety in the studio
- Why working with a producer gives you an enormous advantage
- How attitude matters for your recording
- Why you shouldn’t be afraid to mess up loud
- How trusting outside opinions boosts your confidence – and results
- Why every note matters
- Why a producer making you redo takes isn’t being mean
- How giving constructive criticism is a gamechanger
- How to give each band member an ideal studio experience
For full show notes, visit https://bandhive.rocks/89
People often think that being a musician is a great way to get rich. The truth is, it's hard work and most musicians fail at making money from their music.
Most musicians dream of the big time when they should be focusing on smaller things like getting gigs in front of small audiences and perfecting their live show and branding so they can stand out.
Listen now to hear Jon from Memorist describe how to use business principles to become a more successful musician and artist!
What you’ll learn:
- How the driving force to make music affects your career
- Why business skills are important for musicians and creatives
- How to understand marketing and give your band an advantage
- Why putting your album on Bandcamp and making one post on social media isn’t enough
- How to craft your band’s brand identity
- When to start your fan club
- How to use calls to action sparingly and effectively
- Why you should upsell at your merch table
- Why you never want to sell bad merch
- What’s in store for Jon and Memorist
For full show notes, visit https://bandhive.rocks/88
Many musicians want to make a living from their music, but are falling short of that goal.
For lots of artists, having a full time income from their own music is not achievable in the short term – but in the long term it could be.
In the meantime, an often overlooked income stream is being a musician who plays with other artists, both live or in the studio… This helps build your name, and can give you the income to leave your boring day job.
Listen now to hear Ryan Stevenson discuss his career and share advice for artists who want to branch out into new revenue streams!
What you’ll learn:
- How you can become a “hired gun” working for artists who need touring musicians
- Why knowing about the music business protects you from scammers
- How to understand the relationship between artist and manager
- Why drive and commitment are important for a music career
- What artists can learn from baseball players
- How to motivate collaborators to share your music
- How you can stay active on social media
- Why staying top of mind is important
- How to curate your social media presence
- Why appreciating your fans is one of the best ways to grow your following
For full show notes, visit https://bandhive.rocks/87
The music industry is a mess right now, and it's hard to know what the right way to go about things is. The last 18 months have wreaked havoc on artists worldwide.
David Ryan Olson joins us on this episode of the Bandhive Podcast as we talk through six important takeaways from the last 18 months.
Listen now to learn how you can shore up your band so you’re able to keep the lights on during unprecedented times and be stronger at the end of it.
Be sure to listen to part 2 of the episode on the Music Business Mindset Podcast!
What you’ll learn:
- Why you shouldn’t focus on just one income stream
- How (some) venues diversified their income streams, and why they’re the venues that are still operating
- Why it’s never too early for merch
- How to categorize your fans for a better understanding of your business
- What you can do to turn casual fans into superfans
- Why replying to every social media comment is vital to your success
- How to add value to your fans’ lives without playing shows
- What kind of content fans want to see
- Why confidence in your performance matters
- Why just do it is great advice for all artists
For full show notes, visit https://bandhive.rocks/86
You want to get back on the road, but you're not sure if it's a good time.
The music industry is changing and there are more opportunities than ever before for musicians to make money from their art… But each slice of the pie seems to get smaller and smaller.
In this episode of the Bandhive Podcast, Adam Loellke of Pickwick Commons and Dynamic Talent International shares his thoughts on the return of shows and touring. Listen now to learn more!
What you’ll learn:
- Why Adam works two jobs in addition to his work with Pickwick Commons
- Why Pickwick Commons decided to push ahead with new content during 2020
- How the timing of a “punk goes pop” cover matters
- Why bad local shows now will reduce attendance at future local shows
- Why many promoters are starting small as shows open back up
- How you can take advantage of your position now – instead of waiting until 2022
- What safety precautions venues are taking for shows in 2021
- How you can find out what “caveman mathcore” is
For full show notes, visit https://bandhive.rocks/85
Being a full time artist can be exhausting, demoralizing, and detrimental to your health. It’s something that no one ever wants to face, but most artists do at one point or another.
Andy Wilson-Taylor made it through a dark time in his life and came out stronger, wiser, and with a brand new goal: turning an abandoned farmhouse in Southern France into a fully functional destination studio for artists around the world.
Because of Andy’s willingness to learn new skills, never say no, and pure willpower, that conversion is almost complete! His first project in the new studio was his own band, Midgar, whose album Unity was released just a few weeks ago.
Listen now to learn more about Andy Wilson-Taylor of Midgar, and what you can learn from his life and career!
What you’ll learn:
- How to start working as a composer for film and TV
- Why Andy pivoted from music to restoring a French farmhouse and turning it into a bed and breakfast
- How the film and TV composition business runs
- Why “yes” is the right answer when opportunities present themselves
- Why stories matter for every release
- How Andy sets himself apart from the crowd by being open to learning new skills
- How being open to new opportunities leads to leaps and bounds in your career
- Why Andy has a drive for knowledge – and you should, too
For full show notes, visit https://bandhive.rocks/84
Being a one-man-show can be difficult. Now throw in a band where you’re the only one running the business, and things get even more complicated.
But, it’s not impossible – that’s exactly what Troy Millette is doing with his band, The Fire Below.
Not only did the band play almost 200 shows in 2019, they played 50 live streams and socially distanced shows in the past year… More shows than many DIY artists play in a “regular” year.
Listen now to hear how Troy does it, all while keeping his cool and being a positive influence on the music industry!
What you’ll learn:
- How Troy’s band moved from a modular band to a solid act
- What Troy did to stay relevant during the pandemic
- How to handle a mountain of emails
- Why a tight-knit community is a benefit for artists
- How booking shows has changed since before the pandemic
- Why Van Halen’s infamous “no brown M&Ms” clause was a good idea
- How Troy stays organized when playing 50 to 200 shows a year
- Why having a shared band calendar is vital to your business
- How to keep your audience’s attention between songs
- Why the energy of a live show is vital to your career
- How to avoid burnout as an artist
For full show notes, visit https://bandhive.rocks/83
A lot of artists aren’t convinced that using Patreon is the right way to go. They think their fans won’t be willing to support them financially.
But Patreon isn’t just a platform to earn money. It’s also a platform that lets you build a closer relationship with your fans and followers – it’s a mutually beneficial relationship.
Lords of the Trident has been using Patreon for four years and now has over 300 patrons supporting them on this platform every month. Ty Christian, vocalist and founding member of Lords Of The Trident, joins us today to share his experience and advice with you!
What you’ll learn:
- How the band got their entrepreneurial spirit
- Why the band launched their own festival
- Why merch quality matters
- How you can get started on Patreon
- Who should have a Patreon for their band
- Why every band should be on Patreon
- How your Patreon grows and changes over time
- What Patreon rewards are valuable to fans
- How to create content for your Patreon page
- How to get advice for setting up your Patreon
For full show notes, visit https://bandhive.rocks/82
Self-producing is a tricky minefield to navigate – if you don’t do it just right, your end result won’t be great.
But, self-producing is also an avenue to becoming a full-time producer and making a living from creativity, which is exactly what Todd Barriage of Theatria is on the show to talk about.
Not only does Todd self-produce Theatria’s music, he also works with artists from all over Canada (and the rest of the world) to craft stellar-sounding music that artists can be proud of.
Listen now to learn how you can become a better producer for your own music, as well as go full time in a creative field!
What you’ll learn:
- How being a producer is a benefit for songwriting
- Why self-awareness is key to being a modern artist
- How to become a full-time creative and ditch your day job
- Why you need to dive in 100% and do the thing
- How to learn production techniques without spending a ton of money
- How to get more video videos for your band
- Why creative merch ideas gain traction
- How self-producing affects band dynamics
- How you can stay relevant on social media
- What you can do to make recording sessions as productive as possible
For full show notes visit https://bandhive.rocks/81
How do you know if your music career is going in the right direction?
Do you have a plan of action that outlines what you want to accomplish over the next few years?
Are you constantly refining and tweaking that plan as time goes on?
If not, then it's possible that your goals for your music career are either too vague or non-existent.
Connor Frost of Dizzy Bats joins us this week to talk about overcoming your fears and setting effective goals. Listen now to learn what steps you should take to plan your career!
What you’ll learn:
- Why learning experiences are important to a career
- How to make your band appealing to a manager or label
- How to reach your goals consistently
- Why DIY doesn’t mean “do it yourself, always”
- How to overcome your fears of releasing music
- How to define good goals
- Why time-management is a loaded term
- How to become a better artist by constantly learning
- Why coaching might be the right fit for you
For full show notes visit https://bandhive.rocks/80
For artists who want a more organic, raw sound for their commercial releases it can be difficult to find the right producer.
Sometimes, that means self-producing is the right choice – though it all depends on the experience you have with self-recording and producing.
Many incredibly famous albums by artists like Billie Eilish, Bruce Springsteen, and more were recorded at home… But they all had one thing in common: professional mixing and mastering engineers.
Greg Lloyd joins us to discuss his work as a mastering engineer and how you can make great music while self-producing. Listen now to learn more!
What you’ll learn:
- Why you shouldn’t be afraid of “competition”
- How being open to change can positively affect your career
- Common mistakes not to make when self-producing your music
- How many artists adapt the “lofi-hifi” method to successful commercial albums
- What goes into a good lofi release
- Why putting time and effort into your release is important – even for a lofi release
- How to make your music interesting and appealing
- How choosing the right producer boosts your creative success
- Why production matters to your fans
For full show notes visit https://bandhive.rocks/79
Many artists who play in a band think that being in a band is the way to make a name for themselves – and while that’s definitely one route you can take, it’s not the only way.
Of course there’s the solo singer/songwriter path… But that isn’t what we’re talking about today.
Today, Chad Kowal joins us to talk about his path from playing in a rock band to writing and performing vocals for well-known DJs around the world. It’s called toplining and it’s a bigger industry than you may expect.
Listen now to learn how you can add to your band’s income with toplining, while growing your own name in the process!
What you’ll learn:
- How singers and songwriters can earn money to supplement band income
- What the pros and cons of toplining are
- What you can expect if you become a topliner
- How music changes over the years, and why you need to keep up
- What you can take inspiration from when songwriting
- How to stand out in your scene
- What it takes to “make it” as an artist
- How you can grow your fanbase
- Why you don’t need to fit in to your scene
- How to get started with toplining
For full show notes visit https://bandhive.rocks/78
You’re a DIY musician who's tired of the major label system… We feel your pain.
Or maybe you do want to get signed – in which case you should pay close attention.
Brian Mazzaferri and his band I Fight Dragons have been on both sides of the major label fence, and they've seen firsthand how hard it is for artists to get their work out there without being tied down by a label.
But, there’s good news as well.
There are methods that will allow you to keep your independence while still getting your music heard by millions of people all over the world!
Listen now to hear Brian Mazzaferri of I Fight Dragon describe how you can use creative techniques to keep your band afloat and make music that your fans will love, without paying out of pocket!
What you’ll learn:
- How the 1,000 true fans model has become more viable over the past decade
- Why having the right manager (not just a manager) is important to your career
- How I Fight Dragons was able to negotiate out of a major label deal
- What opportunity cost is and how it affects your career
- How to use creative fundraising techniques for your band
- Why unique, limited edition collectibles are a value-add for your fans
- Why targeting fans of big bands isn’t the right way to grow your fanbase
- What you can do to adapt Patreon to your needs
- Why you need to shift from what you want to what your fans want
- How hustling grows your fanbase
For full show notes visit https://bandhive.rocks/77
Getting your music onto blogs isn’t as simple as writing an email that says “here’s my song, please review it.”
Ultimately, that’s what your email will say… But that’s not what the words will be.
To stand out from the crowd of all the desperate artists, mixed with professional publicists, you need to write an email that doesn’t waste time but does catch the attention of anyone you send it to.
The press release is becoming a lost art among DIY musicians, but it’s a non-negotiable element of your marketing campaign for each single, video, or album you release.
Listen now to learn what goes into a good press release, and what to avoid so you don’t make a mistake that burns bridges before they’re even built!
What you’ll learn:
- How to structure a press release
- What goes into a good press release
- Who you should send press releases to
- How to set up your SubmitHub profile
- How to choose the right publicist or PR firm
- Why it’s important to reply to any press contacts immediately
- How you can catch attention for your press release
- Why a first impression is so important
- Why triple-checking everything is more important than you could ever imagine
- How a simple “thank you” can vastly improve your results
For full show notes visit https://bandhive.rocks/76
Going into the studio can be expensive and time consuming, but ultimately if you want the best release you can get it’s absolutely the best option. After all, you get what you pay for.
But, that doesn’t mean you can’t save tons of time and money by being properly prepared for your studio time.
How exactly can you do that, you ask? Simple: record good demos, so your songs are finished and all the parts to be recorded are known in advance – this will give you a massive time advantage when you get to the studio.
Listen now to hear from Vadim Kharaz of the DIY Recording Guys about recording your home demos so you are fully prepared to go into a studio!
What you’ll learn:
- How you can record good home demos
- Why gear isn’t always the solution for all your problems
- How demos can save you time and money in the studio
- How you can go from amateur to professional with one simple technique
- Why there’s no such thing as “wrong” art
- Why demos are useful for arrangement decisions
- How you can start recording home demos
- What decisions go into recording a demo
- Why each member needs to learn to keep their ego in check
- What three resources go into recording your music
For full show notes visit https://bandhive.rocks/75
Copywriting is incredibly important to every business – yet it’s one of the most overlooked aspects for many small businesses, including bands.
It’s possible that many people haven’t even heard the term “copy” before.
Copy is just marketing text! You probably read some every day. This episode description is copy.
Not all copy is created equal – good copy is engaging, and gives the readers something to relate to.
If you’re a musician, you need your artist bio to get people to relate to you. That’s what creates a dedicated fanbase!
Want to learn more about writing great copy for your band’s bio? Listen now to find out what you need to know!
What you’ll learn:
- How to tell your band’s story
- Why you need to know what your songs are about
- How to write a bio for your band
- Why your bio is important for your band
- The keys to writing a good bio
- How to relate to your band’s fans
- How to update your branding consistently
- Why words matter
- How you can massively improve your social media bio for under $20
For full show notes visit https://bandhive.rocks/74
Imagine you’re playing the biggest show of the year in your hometown – you feel great and the crowd is really into your set.
Then, all of a sudden, the guitar drops out entirely. You rush to find the problem, but everything you do seems to be pointless.
After a while, you realize that it was the simplest issue possible… But it’s too late, the vibe is gone and the audience is ready for your set to be over.
How could you have avoided this mistake? Listen now to learn what pitfalls to avoid so you can be prepared for every show you play.
What you’ll learn:
- Why a basic understanding of your gear is key to a flawless performance
- What parts of your gear you don’t need to understand
- How basic gear maintenance skills will help you
- Why you absolutely have to know the common issues your instrument will have
- Why you should only trust techs and engineers who know what they’re doing with your show
- Why backups are not optional for a live show
- How you can be prepared for anything that gets thrown at you
For full show notes visit https://bandhive.rocks/73
As a business owner, issuing refunds is never fun – it hurts the wallet, and can sting your ego as well.
But offering a generous refund policy and great customer service is not only a good idea, it’s necessary for a successful business.
Put yourself in your fans’ shoes: who would you rather buy from, a store with amazing customer service, or the store with non-existent customer service?
We bet the answer is the store with amazing customer service, and that’s definitely the answer your fans would give.
Listen now to learn how you can increase your merch sales by 25% with great customer service and a solid refund policy!
What you’ll learn:
- Why offering refunds is a smart business move
- How you can instill faith in your customers
- Why “all sales final” scares customers away
- How your merch table is a relationship builder
- Why going the extra mile for your fans inspires loyalty
- How repurposing “damaged” merch can earn
- Why offering free shipping is not optional
- How your choice of shipping providers affects your customers
- Why you shouldn’t worry about customers taking advantage of your refund policy
For full show notes visit https://bandhive.rocks/72
The music industry is full of people with varied backgrounds and experiences, and our guest this week is no exception.
With 20 years of experience under his belt as an artist in a touring band, as the tour manager for an artist opening for KISS, and as a mixing engineer and educator, Mike Indovina has tons of knowledge to share.
If you want to learn how to sell more merch at shows or how to make solid connections within your network, this is an episode you don’t want to miss.
Listen now to learn more about Mike and how his two decades of experience can benefit your band!
What you’ll learn:
- How you can sell more merch at your shows with one simple change
- Why treating other artists’ tour crew well pays off
- How outside the box thinking will advance your career
- How to break through the barrier between “pro” bands and local bands
- Why buying on to a tour needs to be strategic if you ever do
- How to get your name out there to achieve great results
- Why music alone isn’t enough for a career in music
- How to improve your live shows
- How to get opening slots on tours
- Why there’s no room for ego in a healthy band
For full show notes visit https://bandhive.rocks/71
I was having a conversation with my friend Matt Bacon the other day, and it made me realize something: bands should not only be setting goals, but also telling their fans about some of those goals.
Why?
Because if fans are part of reaching your goal, they are part of your crew.
Essentially that is how Kickstarter, Indiegogo, Patreon, etc. all work – fans help you, and in return they become a member of the “insiders club”. Your insiders club's members are your biggest fans, and you should treat them like VIPs.
Listen now to discover how you can turn fans into die-hard supporters of your band.
What you’ll learn:
- How you can benefit from setting public goals
- Why public goals give your fans a reason to support you
- Why some goals aren’t appropriate to be shared with your audience
- How to frame goals for your audience
- How to make your fans feel like VIPs
- Why stretch goals are important to keep your goals growing
- How fans can “make” your band
- Why adding scarcity and urgency is important for your preorders and merch sales
- How you can sell exclusive memorabilia to increase your merch sales
For full show notes visit https://bandhive.rocks/70
Spotify is demonized by artists and fans alike for their low per-stream payouts… Rightfully so, some would argue.
We’ll be the first to admit that Spotify should pay more, but for that to happen there need to be a few strategic moves that the public has to accept before royalties can be increased.
Additionally, Spotify’s numbers aren’t as bad as many make them seem – especially when compared to certain other streaming platforms.
But, they’re far from the best…
Listen now to learn more about how Spotify royalties work, and why you shouldn’t be so quick to judge them!
What you’ll learn:
- Why Spotify and streaming could help you to earn more than you think
- How Spotify’s payouts are calculated (and why it’s impossible for them to double their royalty rates)
- How music streaming providers can do more to support songwriters and artists
- Why you shouldn’t be afraid to charge for your shows and merch
- How music streaming and movie/TV streaming differ
- Why Spotify is one of the most powerful marketing tools you have access to
- How music streaming lets you multiply yourself
- Why the most popular streaming service in the world is the absolute worst streaming service for rightsholders (and it’s not Spotify)
For full show notes visit https://bandhive.rocks/69
When you’re working on new music, you face a lot of choices that can vastly affect the popularity of your release.
It all starts with your production team – the producer, engineers, and musicians who you’ll work with. The importance of picking the right team for your music cannot be understated.
After all, if you’re playing hardcore punk, it probably wouldn’t make sense to work with a country producer… Even if he or she is a grammy award winning producer.
Listen now to find out what you should consider when building the best production team for your band!
What you’ll learn:
- Why specialists are often better than a jack of all trades
- How to get honest feedback on your music
- Why quality production is key to your success
- Why a team is important to your band
- How to build a team to create a quality product
- What types of teams you could work with
- Why most one stop shops are not the best choice for recording and production
- Why hiring other instrumentalists can be useful
- How choosing the right producer can be make or break for your release
For full show notes visit https://bandhive.rocks/68
If I asked you what you think the #1 mistake artists make when working on a new release, what would you say?
I have the feeling that you wouldn’t say what I’m thinking of – and you might have done this very thing at one point.
It can be truly make or break for a successful release, so listen now to find out how you can avoid this common mistake!
What you’ll learn:
- How much of your budget you set aside for marketing
- Why you need to create a budget before you start the recording process
- How to pay for your band’s next album
- How to get a quality end product
- Why you shouldn’t stretch your budget
- How to reach your ideal fans
- Why you should never cut corners on your recording budget
- How to harness a marketing budget so people actually hear your music
For full show notes visit https://bandhive.rocks/67
A few weeks ago, Steve Martin of Ascending Everest shared his insights as an artist using SubmitHub to get his songs shared by curators around the world…
This week, SubmitHub founder Jason Grishkoff dives into how and why he launched SubmitHub back in 2015 – and the reason may surprise you.
Over the years, Jason has turned a one-man operation into a business that’s used by thousands of artists, publicists, labels, and of course curators.
Listen now to learn more about the history of SubmitHub, where it’s headed in the future, and how you can get creative to make your submissions stand out!
What you’ll learn:
- Why Jason launched SubmitHub – and how that affects the direction of the site
- How SubmitHub maintains the balance between artists and curators
- Why setting expectations is a key part of SubmitHub’s model
- How word of mouth keeps artists’ expectations of SubmitHub realistic
- Why curators and influencers have different goals for sharing your music
- What the future holds for SubmitHub
- Why Jason prefers a small team over a large company
- How Jason went from working for Google, to losing $180,000, to launching SubmitHub
- Why Jason almost approved a creative and unique submission, even though he didn’t like the song
- How to get started on SubmitHub
For full show notes visit https://bandhive.rocks/66
Artists: we know you’re busy and never have enough time to do any of the things you need to do.
The good news is that there’s one time of year that’s great for getting things done. It’s the time of year where everyone bundles up, stays inside, and watches Netflix all night.
Take a few of those hours spent watching your favorite show and spend that time improving your business instead. You won’t regret it.
Listen now to learn what you can do for yourself and your business during your winter downtime so you’re prepared for the rest of the year!
What you’ll learn:
- Why you should have a plan for the forced downtime winter brings to the music business
- How practicing during winter will prepare you for the rest of the year
- Why honing your songwriting skills is a high priority for your career
- Why a website is not optional for any serious band
- How to keep yourself from getting distracted by Facebook
- Why social media content needs to be tailored to the platform
- How to use your winter downtime to grow your network
- What gear maintenance you should take care of during winter
- How to make people understand that music is your #1 passion
For full show notes visit https://bandhive.rocks/65
Over your music career, you’ll play hundreds or even thousands of venues.
When you’re just starting out, any show will be tempting to pick up… But over time, you’ll find that your audience seems to react best in certain types of venues.
No matter which venue type you end up gravitating towards, it’s good to have a solid understanding of the different kinds of venues you could come across and the pros and cons of each type.
On top of that, it’s always useful to know who you should talk to at the venue for each question that comes up.
Listen now to learn more about the advantages and disadvantages of certain venue types and what venue staff you’ll be interacting with.
What you’ll learn:
- What types of venues a DIY artist needs to be familiar with
- How coffeehouse shows have a hidden trick up their sleeve
- What pros and cons to keep in mind when choosing what type of venue to play
- Who you will end up working with at venues
- Why it’s vital to not cross the stage manager
- How to know who you should talk to at a venue for different questions
- Why respecting venue staff is not optional
- How to get answers to your most important questions
For full show notes visit https://bandhive.rocks/64
Want to increase your SubmitHub success? Get a FREE email course here: https://bandhive.rocks/submithub-guide/
SubmitHub is a wonderful tool to send your music to bloggers, Spotify and YouTube playlisters, social media influencers, and even record labels…
But, when you’re sending your music to people who’ve never heard it before, there’s bound to be some rejection...
So how can you 1. Prepare yourself for that rejection and 2. Increase your odds of being approved?
In this episode of the Bandhive Podcast, hear Steve Martin (Ascending Everest) discuss his top tips for a successful SubmitHub campaign!
What you’ll learn:
- How SubmitHub helps artists connect with curators and influencers
- What you can do to get better results from SubmitHub campaigns
- How you can select the proper blogs, playlists, or influencers to submit to
- Why you should start your campaigns small, and then expand from there
- How SubmitHub should tie into your broader marketing strategy
- How to choose which tracks should be submitted
- How a quick pitch affects your submissions
- Why having a properly set up profile is important to submissions
- How one simple trick will let you target your submissions more effectively
- What top mistakes users make on SubmitHub – and how you can avoid them
For full show notes visit https://bandhive.rocks/63
Gear Acquisition Syndrome, also known as “GAS” is a real issue for many musicians.
Buying that one piece of gear will give you the tone you need, right?
Unfortunately, often the gear isn’t the solution – but the time you spend searching for gear can be spent on something that will help you improve your tone.
Listen now to learn how to get better sounds from your instrument without spending a fortune on the most expensive gear you can find.
What you’ll learn:
- Why you should avoid being a “Buster”
- How the law of diminishing returns affects your gear
- Why gear does matter (to an extent)
- Why all gear has pros and cons
- How cheap gear can be better than expensive gear in some cases
- Why many artists have expensive gear for the studio and “beater” gear for shows
- How continuously improving your craft will do more than buying gear ever will
For full show notes visit https://bandhive.rocks/62
Touring bands were decimated in 2020 – and even though shows aren’t allowed right now (for good reason), we’re starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Now, do you want to be the band who scrambles to put together a tour when shows are allowed and safe, or do you want to be the band who has all their plans in place and just needs to book the shows when it’s time?
The latter band has a big leg up in this situation so we think the choice is clear.
Listen now to learn how you and your band can prepare for the return of shows so you aren’t caught sleeping on the job.
What you’ll learn:
- Why you need to start planning tours now
- How easing into touring is vital to longevity as a band
- What questions to ask yourself before planning your tour
- How to choose which venues to play
- How tours can change from what you’ve planned
- Why drafting a plan now is great for booking shows later
- How to plan for emergencies away from home
- Why prioritizing your bandmates is important
- Why now is the time to start growing relationships with promoters and talent buyers
For full show notes visit https://bandhive.rocks/61
2020 isn’t going to beon anyone’s list of favorite years. In ten years it might be “that year we don’t talk about”.
But that doesn’t mean we didn’t see some good things happen in 2020. For example, live streams becoming more popular isn’t a bad thing – I remember watching “pro shot” livestreams in 2010 that had awful quality, now anyone can beat that visual quality with an iPhone and some decent lighting.
So what do we want to see from DIY artists in 2021? Listen now to find out what our ideal 2021 looks like for the music community!
What you’ll learn:
- How artists can capture momentum to grow in 2021
- Why you need to have merchandise available for your fans in 2021
- Why “we don’t have enough fans for merch” is wrong
- How you could adapt existing software to bring new income streams to your band
- Why it’s important to embrace systems and technology if you want a music career
- Why you should invest in yourself (both financially and with your time) during 2021
- Why now is the time to build relationships with other artists, promoters, and stakeholders in the music world
- How you’re hurting your chances of success by not creating content
For full show notes visit https://bandhive.rocks/60
Everything about rebranding is a hassle. You have to get new graphics, a new website, tell everyone about the change, etc. etc. – the list is literally endless.
But even with all that hassle, rebranding can be a highly effective move if you aren’t being recognized using your current name.
We’re rebranding to Bandhive so our name is easier to remember and spell, and less outdated-sounding.
Matt’s band Alive In Barcelona used to be called “The Persevering Promise” but they had a problem – people couldn’t read their name without thinking “The Preserving Promise”, let alone remember the name.
In the first six months after changing the name to Alive In Barcelona, Matt and his bandmates made more progress than in six years as The Persevering Promise.
If your name doesn’t seem to be catching on, it might be time for a change. Listen to this episode of the Bandhive Podcast now to learn more!
What you’ll learn:
- What our name change means for the Bandhive community
- Why branding matters for you as much as it does for us
- Why we decided to change our name to Bandhive
- How you can learn from all the guests who have joined the podcast
- How Matt’s band, Alive In Barcelona, took advantage of rebranding
- Why rebranding to Alive In Barcelona was the right choice for Matt’s band
- How being objective helps you make hard decisions
- How rebranding lead to more progress in six months than the previous six years for Alive In Barcelona
For full show notes visit https://bandhive.rocks/59
Many musicians have figured out the secret sauce so they’re able to go on tour when they want to without quitting their job entirely.
But some jobs are more flexible than others – if you can take 2 to 4 weeks off at a time, or work remotely during that time, that’s great!
But if you can only get a long weekend here and there, it’ll be incredibly difficult to grow your music career. If that’s the case, it may be time for some changes so you can hit the road once shows and touring are safe again.
Listen now to ditch the golden handcuffs and become more invested in your music career so you can achieve your dreams!
What you’ll learn:
- How you can make a living before music is your primary income
- Why working a flexible job is important for growing a music career
- How musicians can harness the power of the gig economy
- Why being your own boss is helpful when you’re in a touring band
- How you can grow your own business relying on the network you’ve built around your band
- What kind of remote work opportunities exist for traveling musicians
- Why this is a move you need to make if you were born to create
For full show notes visit https://bandhive.rocks/58
“Quality over quantity” is a phrase we’ve all heard at one time or another. But what does it really mean?
Hearing that saying over and over has caused people to give up on their dreams because not every song they write is great.
But really what it means is that you should only release your best work – that doesn’t mean everything you create will be gold. Many major artists write 50-100 songs for every album they release, working out which songs are the best and letting the world hear those.
Listen now to dive deep into the myths and truths of “quality over quantity” so you can put out better products, get (and keep) more fans, and feel confident in your work!
What you’ll learn:
- Why creating a great first impression is key for your long-term success
- How you can catch a listeners’ attention by starting your singles the right way
- Why guitarists like Slash and Synyster Gates are more well-known than guitar legends John Pettruci, Steve Vai, or Yngwie Malmsteen
- Why you shouldn’t have a guitar solo in every song
- Why cutting corners on your products is bad for your band
- How quality vs. quantity plays into your merch sales
- Why unique merch is easy to sell
- Why quantity is key when writing songs
- Why even when you’ve written thousands of songs, there will still be songs you scrap
For full show notes visit https://bandhive.rocks/57
Setting goals is an important part of any artists’ path to a healthy career.
But you can’t just say, “I want to be as famous as Green Day!” and expect it to happen.
Your goals have to be realistic, measured, and clearly defined.
So what can you do to set goals for yourself that actually make sense? Listen now to find out what our top tips are to get you on the right path!
What you’ll learn:
- How you can boost your growth by setting goals
- How to get a million Spotify plays
- Why you should have easy, repeatable goals as well as big goals
- Why building relationships is key to growth
- How to achieve your big picture goals
- Why marketing that doesn’t result in much is not wasted money
- How having an emergency fund can be your most important goal
For full show notes visit https://bandhive.rocks/56
30 years ago, being in a band with members spread out over multiple states or countries would have meant traveling for almost any group work such as songwriting or demoing.
Now, thanks to the internet, it’s possible for bands to exist without ever having met each other in person.
That’s not common, but there are bands like that out there.
What’s more common are traditional bands with one or two members living further away due to a move or other change in life circumstances.
That doesn’t mean the music has to stop – there are many opportunities to keep the show on the road.
Listen now to learn how you can become more effective and efficient in managing a long-distance DIY band!
What you’ll learn:
- Why each member of your band needs assigned roles
- How to pick fitting roles for the various bandmembers
- What you can do to nurture effective communication
- How you can stay in touch with everyone in your network
- Why having backups is extremely important, especially when working remotely
- How personal accountability plays into a long-distance band
- Why you should practice at home, and rehearse before tour
- How to have continued growth
For full show notes visit https://bandhive.rocks/55
Music is an incredibly personal form of expression. It’s like you’re opening up your soul to your listeners… So when someone says they don’t like a certain part of your music, it can feel like a personal attack that cuts quite deeply.
The good news is, most of the time that’s not how it’s intended, unless the person saying those things is a hater.
But for the mass majority of people giving you feedback, the ones who aren’t haters, they likely have your best interests at heart. Responding kindly to them will help you seem more reasonable, and give them a positive interaction with you – which you can grow into a long-term relationship with them as your fan.
So how can you harness criticism to create better music and grow your fanbase at the same time? Listen now to learn more!
What you’ll learn:
- Why criticism is a good thing
- The difference between an amateur artist and a professional artist when it comes to handling criticism
- How handling criticism poorly can burn bridges (directly or indirectly)
- How to use criticism to create a better product
- Why telling someone they “don’t understand art” is a terrible response to criticism
- How you can turn a hater into a fan
- Why songwriters like Max Martin are incredibly successful
- Why not liking a song isn’t a personal attack
- How blaming your fans for your failures is a highway to failure
- Why constantly learning and improving isn’t a sign that you’re bad at what you do… It’s a sign that you’re great at what you do!
For full show notes visit https://bandhive.rocks/54
For many artists, getting signed is a dream come true.
Record deals aren’t one size fits all, but there are a few basic types that are most common.
If you’re one of the thousands of artists hoping to get a record deal, do you know what kind of arrangement you want?
Matt Bacon of Dropout Media was kind enough to hop on a call and outline the three types of deal that you’re most likely to come across.
Listen now to hear Matt discuss the basics of record label deals so you’re able to scout out potential labels that fit your band’s needs!
What you’ll learn:
- How Matt Bacon got his foot into the door of the music industry
- Why you should be cautious of “new” types of record deals
- What the most advantageous type of record deal is for a DIY artist
- How you can sign a record deal with the least amount of drama
- How the relationship between artists and labels is changing
- Why not recouping your advance typically isn’t the end of the world
- Why you you need to find the right lawyer for your business
- How to avoid getting taken advantage of by a label
- How Matt Hoos and his band escaped a bad record contract
For full show notes visit https://bandhive.rocks/53
It can be scary to think about letting a stranger work on your music. What if they don’t share your vision? What about losing the feeling of accomplishment that you did all the work yourself?
Those are valid concerns – but that doesn’t mean they should stop you.
Building your creative team shouldn't be taken lightly, you need to do proper research and find people who will work well with you and understand how you want the project to turn out.
Ultimately, it's up to you to think “big picture” while letting experts do their job so your song or album comes out better than it would if you do everything alone.
Listen now to hear more about the advantages of hiring a team to work on your next project, so it can be your best release to date!
What you’ll learn:
- Why you need to learn how to relinquish some control if you want to have the best product possible
- Why teamwork makes the dream work
- How pacing yourself lets you keep the mental bandwidth to complete your projects
- How having a team working on your projects gives you a larger audience
- Why segmenting your project into separate parts (with different people working on each part) results in a better end product
- How you provide the ingredients, and a producer is the chef
- Why your fans could be let down by poor quality products
- How you can create your own graphic designs easily… But why it’s not always the right choice
- How to be the best musician you can be
For full show notes visit https://bandhive.rocks/52
Branding is often the last thing that musicians have on their mind…
But it’s actually one of the most important aspects of your business!
Having good branding not only sets career musicians apart from hobbyists, it also gives your fans a cohesive experience with you.
Some might say it shouldn’t matter for music, and that’s likely true… But that doesn’t matter, because there’s no changing it: without good branding, your chances of success are extremely low.
So what does branding even mean? What does it involve? In a way, many little things that add up. Listen now to learn how you can create a brand for your band!
What you’ll learn:
- How you can grow your band’s fanbase by having good branding
- Why having a mood/vibe on your social media is important
- How your performance ties into your branding
- What you can do to make your appearance fit your image and brand
- How you should approach your color palette
- How your sound is also part of your branding
- Why top bands put on a theatrical performance instead of a musical performance
- Why embracing your band’s backstory and history can be a good thing
- Why consistency is the key to good branding
- How to avoid major mistakes on your printed CDs and merch
For full show notes visit https://bandhive.rocks/51
A lot has changed in the music industry over the last decade – we’ve learned a lot in that time, and whether it’s due to the changing environment or just plain old experience, hindsight is 20/20.
For the 50th episode of the Bandhive Podcast, Matt (Alive in Barcelona) and Aaron (Suburban Samurai) each came up with three things they would’ve done differently when starting their band if they had the knowledge and experience they have now.
Join us as we reflect on the early days of starting a band, and learn what pitfalls you should avoid so you don’t have the same regrets five to ten years down the road!
For full show notes visit https://bandhive.rocks/50
It’s November 2020, and you haven’t played a show in over half a year.
That also means you haven’t sold merch at a show in that same amount of time.
Over the last few years, sales have been moving online – but the pandemic is forcing everyone’s hand to make the jump now.
There’s a reason Amazon is doing more business than ever before.
Are you going to take advantage of this shift and start growing your online merch empire by promoting it on your social media, during your live streams, and to your email list?
Or, are you going to sit idly by thinking, “I don’t need to do this… It’s too much work”?
There’s a clear winner here, and it’s the artist who sells their merch online.
Listen now to learn more about why you need to sell merch online in 2020 and beyond, and how you can increase sales in your existing store!
What you’ll learn:
- How you’re shooting yourself in the foot if you don’t sell merch online
- Why it’s good to have merch sources all over the country
- Why you should never underestimate the power of merch
- How the pandemic has forced online merch sales to become a necessity
- Why every store needs to have a free shipping offer
- How you can increase your sales with two simple techniques
- What adding value in your customers’ orders does for your business
- How you can sell more merch by understanding your fans’ needs
- Why you need to eliminate objections on your site
- Why sales are sometimes the worst thing you can use to get more orders
For full show notes visit https://bandhive.rocks/49
It’s not often that a band celebrates their 25th anniversary – it’s a special milestone for any business, but especially in the music world it’s truly incredible.
Ballyhoo! is one of the lucky few that has made it to this milestone, and they’ve done it based on the commitment, sacrifices, and pure drive of their members.
Howi Spangler, singer and guitarist of Ballyhoo!, joins us on today’s episode to discuss the band’s longevity, adapting to COVID-19, and how they have managed to make a living as creatives.
Listen now to learn more about Howi and Ballyhoo! and find out what you can do to grow your own business into a great career!
What you’ll learn:
- What Ballyhoo! did to adapt to live streaming when the pandemic began
- Why Ballyhoo! started hosting an annual Hoolloween show
- How adaptation is one of the keys of Howi and Ballyhoo!’s long-term success
- How you can monetize your band’s live streams
- Why you should build a community for your fans
- What Howi attribute’s to the longevity of his career
- Why taking risks within reason is necessary for your business
- Why changing your sound needs to be natural – but you shouldn’t be afraid of losing fans
- How to become a successful artist or creative
- Why you should just do it – start planning a live stream for your band today!
For full show notes visit https://bandhive.rocks/48
You’ve probably heard of major artists pulling their music from streaming platforms, selling only one unique copy of an album, or some other creative stunt.
These are great ideas for major artists. But if you, as an independent artist, decide to withhold your music from Spotify you’re shooting yourself in the foot.
Don’t do that!
We always like to say DIY musicians should watch major artists closely and learn from what they do, but today we’re presenting four things you should not copy from the major acts (yet).
That being said...
Major acts do some things you should focus on before turning to big marketing stunts.
Intrigued? Listen now to learn more!
What you’ll learn:
- Why many great marketing ideas are not the right marketing move for your band
- How Taylor Swift earned platinum status faster than any other artist in 2017
- How Dr. Dre built his empire and kept his music exclusive to Apple Music
- Why some rappers are the smartest acts in the game
- How having human qualities boosts a person’s goodwill in the public eye
- Why quality relationships with your fans are a key to long-term success
- Why being a go-giver is the path to lasting relationships
For full show notes visit https://bandhive.rocks/47
Releasing a single is a big moment for any artist.
Whether you’re the artist who is building up to an EP or full-length album, the content creator who releases singles every month, or you’re releasing a one-off single just to get some music out there, there’s one common thread:
To truly take advantage of the boost a single could give you, there needs to be a solid plan around the release.
Not only for the long-term, but also for the short term.
What can you do to give your single a fighting chance in the world of attention marketing?
Listen now to find out!
What you’ll learn:
- How the internet has changed the way artists need to market their music
- Why creating a moment is the way to a fan’s heart
- How you could harness a single to grow your email list
- Why your single release needs to be part of a bigger plan
- How to increase your long-term success by giving fans something to be nostalgic about
- How you can grow your fanbase by investing into your audience
- Why community is so important for a fanbase
- Why you are not done once you finish your songs
- How the music industry has become compartmentalized
For full show notes visit https://bandhive.rocks/46
In 30 seconds, you have to walk out onto a stage with hundreds of people in the audience.
Your palms are sweaty, and your heart is pounding.
It may feel like you’re the only one in the world who experiences the feeling of performance anxiety, also known as stage fright…
But you’re not alone.
From the artist who plays more than 800 takes of the same part trying to get the perfect one, to the singer who gets sick before walking on stage, thousands of people deal with stage fright every day.
Listen now if you want to learn how to cope with stage fright in front of live audiences as well as in a studio setting, so you can put on the best performance possible.
What you’ll learn:
- You’re not alone: everyone faces stage fright to some extent
- How to grow relationships with your fans by being genuine
- Why PMA is a major player in defeating performance anxiety
- How to avoid recording 800 takes of the same part
- How you can go into the studio with confidence
- Why dressing for success isn’t limited to the white-collar business world
- How backup plans can reduce performance anxiety
- The number one thing to do to ensure good mental health
For full show notes visit https://bandhive.rocks/45
In a time when music seems to become more and more of a commodity, one group is fighting back.
Led by Aaron Zimmer, Leesta Vall Sound Recordings works with artists to create one of a kind, lathe cut records for fans.
The records capture a unique moment in time, created specifically for each person who ordered a copy.
Selling a copy of a song that only one person will ever have might seem counterintuitive, but look at it this way: you’re nurturing your relationships with fans who are willing to spend money on a physical copy of a single song.
These are your most valuable fans, so anything you can do to grow that relationship is a leap in the right direction.
Learn more about nurturing your relationship with your fans and how you can create one of a kind records as a unique piece of memorabilia for your fans!
What you’ll learn:
- How you can capture a unique moment in time for your fans
- What Aaron and his team are doing to help artists during lockdown
- How to release one of a kind records for your fans (without buying a lathe and cutting 5,000 practice records)
- Why your music shouldn’t be your main selling point
- What the two most important habits are for an artist
- Why Leesta Vall considers artists their customers, instead of the fans who purchase records
- How creating memorabilia for your fans helps you grow a relationship with them
For full show notes visit https://bandhive.rocks/44
Typically when we hear about habits, it’s in the context of breaking bad habits.
But there are good habits, too – habits that improve your life, business, and skills.
The key to this is relying on habits rather than motivation.
Motivation means you’ll end up doing things when you really need to, but only sporadically.
Habits let you get into a groove so it’s not a question of if you’re going to do something today – it’s when.
Start forming good habits today. Listen now to hear some examples of what you can and should work into your daily routine!
What you’ll learn:
- Why you should practice your instrument every single day
- How to keep learning by watching artists who inspire you
- Why it’s good to post content on a daily basis
- Why you need to work on your business every day
- How to stay up to date on music news
- How you can find practically every new mention of your band on the internet
- Why giving yourself time to do things you want to do is vital
- How habits keep you going even if you’re facing burnout
For full show notes visit https://bandhive.rocks/43
When it comes to being in a band, one thing matters above all else: your audience.
Unfortunately, growing your audience isn’t easy.
Keeping that audience engaged is even more difficult, but just as important as having the audience in the first place.
An unengaged audience isn’t much more than numbers on a screen, but a highly engaged audience is pure profit – financially as well as for your soul.
Listen now to learn how you can nurture your audience into a massive, engaged social media following and turn your business into a well-oiled machine.
What you’ll learn:
- How to harness the power of the largest marketing platform in the world
- Why an artist needs to have multiple products (aside from music)
- How to build a relationship with your audience
- Why you need to have a platform for fan discussions
- How to nurture discussion
- Why hashtags are incredibly important – and how to use them
- Why you are not better than your fans
- How you can become more relatable to your audience
- What steps to take to grow your Instagram following
For full show notes visit https://bandhive.rocks/42
Christian James of James and the Giant Sleep is a multi-talented songwriter, musician, and videographer on a mission.
Christian’s passion lies in creating a lasting legacy with their music… But video is the key to making that happen.
It’s important to have your priorities set straight, and that’s one of the many things Christian understands – and you should, too.
Listen now to hear from Christian how you can focus on your career, create videos on a budget, and set your priorities realistically.
What you’ll learn:
- How Christian learned their music and video skills – and you can too!
- How to tell when your music is ready for release
- Why it’s important to focus on what other artists are doing
- How DIY artists can create a high-production-value video
- What you should expect as a realistic music video budget
- Why you need to invest in yourself and your business
- How to set your priorities for success
- How you control your own trajectory in the music industry
For full show notes visit https://bandhive.rocks/41
Finding an amazing cover of a song is always a highlight of my day when it happens.
Hearing a new, unique twist on a song I already enjoy just carries a special meaning to it somehow.
But, even though lots of artists release covers only a small handful of them become successful…
It can be really tough because not only do you have to compete with other artists, you have to compete with the original version of the song.
Listen now to learn more about releasing covers so you can harness their power to grow your audience!
What you’ll learn:
- How to harness the power of covers to grow your band
- Why you should only release covers if you can do the song justice
- Why original covers beat carbon copies every time
- How live or acoustic covers differ from studio releases
- How some artists build their entire careers on covers
- How to release cover songs legally
- What potential pitfalls releasing a cover can run into
- Why expecting a song not to go viral is the worst attitude to have
- Where you can find an entertainment lawyer
For full show notes visit https://bandhive.rocks/40
If you’re just starting your musical career, it can be overwhelming to get out there.
In fact, you’re probably being pulled in a million different directions.
“Do I release a song? Play a show? Start a mailing list? Set up a website?”
Let us help you make that a bit easier for you: in this episode we’re talking about booking a show as well as red flags to look out for when dealing with venue talent buyers, promoters, and others.
The best part is, most of what we’re discussing applies to live streams too, so even during the pandemic this episode will be helpful to you!
Listen now to learn how you can find a show that’s a great fit for your music and the audience so you blend right in, while avoiding common rookie mistakes.
What you’ll learn:
- How you can get your first show booking
- What makes talent buyers want to book your band
- Why you should focus on a few shows rather than taking any show you can get
- What to look out for when working with venues and promoters
- Why you should have the money talk before confirming a show (even if you’re playing for $0)
- How live show principles apply to live streaming during the pandemic (and anytime)
- Why you need to promote shows and live streams to build your audience
For full show notes visit https://bandhive.rocks/39
Technology is a beautiful thing.
It allows us to complete work and communicate from thousands of miles away, as if we are in the same room.
Even in the past ten years, technology has come a long way from where it was.
Unfortunately, a lot of artists are still doing things the hard way: scheduling social media posts manually, communicating on many different platforms and letting messages slip through the cracks, or making merch sales manually via PayPal.
There are tons of apps out there to help businesses grow and succeed, and there are even quite a few designed specifically for artists.
Listen now to learn about nine types of app every band should have a grasp of, and how you can get started with easy to use digital tools.
What you’ll learn:
- What areas every artist should invest into to be taken seriously
- How you can make your social media management 10x easier
- Why mailing lists are vital to a band’s business, even in 2020
- How you can reliably sell merch online
- Why you should consider several different distribution channels before choosing one
- How to get a branded band email for just $6/month
- Why using multiple systems for file transfer is a terrible idea
- What tools you can use to effectively communicate with your band and third parties
For full show notes visit https://bandhive.rocks/38
Everyone loves life hacks.
They’re convenient, MacGyver-like solutions to common problems.
The music industry has its own, unique set of life hacks. Anything from increasing comfort and saving money while on tour, to growing your email list or selling more music.
The possibilities are practically endless – what will you come up with as the next life hack for artists?
What you’ll learn:
- How creative innovation can change the music business
- Why thinking outside the box is vital to long-term success
- What you can do to earn more during shows and livestreams, even if fans don’t have enough money to buy merch
- Why spreading the word about your music shouldn’t be seen as annoying
- What bands can do to add value to their fans while selling more music
- How to take these ideas and come up with something even better
For full show notes visit https://bandhive.rocks/37
Making your band appealing to a record label in the effort of getting signed isn’t easy.
There’s no guarantee that it’ll work, either.
The good news is that the same things that make you appealing to a record label will make your band more successful in general.
Listen now to learn how you and your band can boost your careers in a few key areas, and become more successful whether you want to get signed or not.
What you’ll learn:
- How to get five record deal offers by the end of next week
- Why your manager should be independent of a record label
- How you can spot one common trick labels use to burn an artist
- Why connections are one of the main things that a band should invest in
- What work you should outsource to experts before anything else
- What systems you need to have in place before signing a record deal
- How bands who are terrible live still sell out venues
- How to grow your network effectively without being a “punisher”
- What types of relationships you and your band should invest in to grow
- Why it’s vital to understand every aspect of your business
For full show notes visit https://bandhive.rocks/36
Many artists dream of getting signed – then they’ve officially “made it” and have everything they need for a successful career.
Other artists don’t want to be signed. It all comes down to weighing the pros and cons of a record deal.
But, for those who do want a deal: do you know what to do to get an offer?
Here’s a hint: it’s not just playing shows and getting noticed. Unlike in the movies, the label doesn’t just hear your song through a magical coincidence and say “here’s a million bucks, kid.”
There’s a lot more to it unless you’re one of the lucky few.
Listen now to find out why you should think about signing a record deal, and how you can become appealing to a label!
What you’ll learn:
- Why many bands want a record deal
- Why you need to understand your own business
- How a band should manage their manager
- What benefits record labels should provide to the artists on their roster
- How to look for a good deal
- Why a big advance is great, but should be approached with caution
- How to consider pros and cons of label offers
- How record labels can give you great connections
For full show notes visit https://bandhive.rocks/35
Tens of thousands of artists worldwide have started streaming during the global lockdown.
Millions of people watched those streams. But they’re getting burned out.
They’re burned out by low quality, crappy sounding streams put on by people who don’t know how to set up a camera.
They’re burned out by artists who stream every day, with no advanced notice or real purpose for the stream.
So what can you do to make your live stream not suck? Listen now to find out how Ryan Cohen of Robot Dog Studio has helped artists put on dozens of live streams since the pandemic hit.
What you’ll learn:
- How Ryan got started with live streaming for bands
- How outsourcing and delegation make streaming easier
- Why interaction during a stream is important
- What steps bands should take for a successful live stream
- How Ryan markets his live streams
- Why Facebook crossposting is an important tool in your arsenal
- How to harness Ryan’s #1 tip for live streaming
For full show notes visit https://bandhive.rocks/34
All too often, artists say their goal is to “be famous” and on the cover of Rolling Stone or another magazine.
When really, what the artist wants at heart is to make music for the rest of their life without working a day job that sucks their soul.
You don’t need to be famous to meet reasonable goals in music.
If you can convince just 1000 fans to pay you $5 a month for your content, you’ll be earning $60,000 per year! Obviously, that doesn’t factor in business expenses but it’s a great figure to start with.
Listen now to learn more about the lie of fame, as well as four other detrimental lies that are commonly spread in the music community.
What you’ll learn:
- Why “famous” isn’t a goal for a band
- How to ride the long tail of the industry to make a living without being a superstar
- Why pay to play isn’t (always) evil
- How to harness pay to play to grow your band
- Why anyone who says filing for copyright doesn’t matter is wrong
- Why there’s no right or wrong way to do anything in music
- How to make sure the people running your band care about your success
For full show notes visit https://bandhive.rocks/33
It’s easy to become exhausted as an artist.
Not only do you have to work on your creative side, you also have to run a business.
Splitting your time between what is essentially two different jobs on opposite sides of your brain can be draining.
All that really means, though, is that artists need to take time off.
There’s no shame in having weekends off (or any two day of your choosing during the week).
There’s no shame in taking a much-needed vacation and setting up an email autoresponder.
Listen now to find out why it’s vital to your career that you avoid burnout and separate yourself from your music. You are more than just your art. Act like it!
What you’ll learn:
- Why you need to be a person outside of your music
- How burnout negatively affects your creativity
- How to recharge your mojo
- Why everyone should have a do not do list
- How to add time to your day
- Why communication is key to lasting relationships
- Why you should never release a song that isn’t great
- What’s wrong with, “eh, good enough.”
For full show notes visit https://bandhive.rocks/32
So you have a great idea…
You spend months thinking about how to execute your idea. Maybe even years.
But you never actually start working on it.
Does that sound like you?
Probably, because it’s something that happens to nearly everyone: the Law of Diminishing Intent kicked in.
To overcome the law, there are some basic steps that help to keep you on track.
Listen now to find out how you can overcome the Law of Diminishing Intent and stay accountable so you actually meet your goals this year!
What you’ll learn:
- Why you won’t start working on ideas if you didn’t start right when you thought of them
- How to avoid getting bogged down in planning
- Why prioritizing your to do list is vital to success
- How to get good feedback from your peers
- How associating with negative people can destroy your creativity
- How to set realistic goals
- What the difference between lagging indicators and leading indicators is
- How to grow a long-term relationship with a sponsor
- How to stay accountable so you don’t succumb to the law of diminishing intent
For full show notes visit https://bandhive.rocks/31
A few weeks ago, I saw an amazing Facebook post that really struck me.
Not because it was funny, or drama-filled, or anything like that. It wasn’t a “normal” Facebook post.
It was Brandon Cunningham’s post about being a black man who likes rock music.
It made me realize that, as much as systemic racism is an issue, it’s almost ignored in the rock world.
Many bands are making statements that they are allies, and that’s great – but how many BIPOC are in rock bands? We’re talking about a genre that was created by black artists. Yet now black artists are almost non-existent in the rock world.
Listen now to hear Brandon’s thoughts about bringing change in the rock scene and beyond, and how allies can help bring change to the world.
What you’ll learn:
- Why Generation Z is the generation who will create change
- How the police force is rooted in systemic racism
- How white artists (and the music industry) stole rock music from black artists
- What contributed to the best show Kawaii AF has ever played
- How a group started to help people was turned into a gang by the government
- Why we should not make a spectacle of black artists in the rock world (instead, normalize their presence)
- Why hip hop won’t be the next genre stolen from its creators
- How people have reacted to Brandon’s presence in the rock scene
- How the next generation of black artists can overcome limitations imposed on them
- Why we should never stop learning
For full show notes visit https://bandhive.rocks/30
Everyone makes mistakes. It’s part of life, and there’s nothing wrong with that.
But, sometimes it’s easier to learn from the mistakes someone else made rather than finding out the hard way on your own. Right?
Listen now to find out about nine common mistakes that most bands will make at some point during their career!
What you’ll learn:
- How to avoid 9 major mistakes too many artists make
- Why you need to release some music
- How to book shows without shooting yourself in the foot
- What to do when someone in the band is angry about a situation
- How to take care of your gear
- Why you and your band should be on the same page at all times
- How to avoid burnout in a band
- How to pick the right band members (hint: it’s not purely by musical ability)
For full show notes visit https://bandhive.rocks/29
In 2020, image is everything. The most famous people in the world are famous because of their Instagram posts and or Tweets that make the stock market go crazy.
Through all of this, one thing is consistent: branding.
Whether it’s the Instagram model who only posts photos showing off designer clothing, the eccentric billionaire who builds “bullet proof” trucks, or the leader of the free world with his incoherent messaging, each of these people has an image.
This image is their brand.
If Elon Musk posted a photo of a “great turnout” with 5 people in attendance, people would think he’s a loser with no influence.
But if he posts a photo of himself speaking to thousands of people, he has instant credibility.
So why on earth would any band in their right mind post a photo of a local show with only the other bands in attendance?
The business-savvy ones won’t.
Listen now to learn how you can improve your branding and harness a new technique called trigger marketing in combination with your branding to grow your listener base!
What you’ll learn:
- How to make it seem like you have huge audiences at your live shows
- Why people want what other people like
- How rumors can cause things to happen
- How you can harness visual branding to grow your following
- Why annoying marketers use clickbait
- How to portray yourself to the public so you fit the image you want
- What you can do to get plays on a weekly basis
- Why you shouldn’t ignore what other artists do to build their brand
For full show notes visit https://bandhive.rocks/28
With more and more artists starting to perform online, competition is fiercer than ever.
But there’s a great way to help spread the word about your music that doesn’t involve paying Facebook or Google to run ads.
In fact, it’s much more effective than advertising.
Not only does it benefit your band, it also benefits your fans.
A street team will help you grow your fanbase, while breeding loyalty in your fans, resulting in a win/win scenario.
Listen now to learn how you can build a healthy, effective street team that will boost your success in the coming weeks, months, and years!
What you’ll learn:
- How you can grow your fanbase organically and efficiently
- Why a great fan community is very healthy for your band’s career
- How you can benefit from having a street team for your band
- How making the investment into a street team sets you apart
- What basic marketing strategies you can use to benefit from having a street team
- How to engage your street team so they feel appreciated
- Why street teams are a powerful tool that shouldn’t be overlooked
For full show notes visit https://bandhive.rocks/27
With face to face communication a thing of the past (at least for now), it may be time to review your band’s communication practices.
Whether it’s internal discussions and planning, working with other bands, or with third parties such as promoters, venues, and others in the industry, having solid communication skills is vital to long, lasting relationships.
So what can you do to make sure everyone stays on the same page?
Listen now to find out how you can give your communication TEETH: Teamwork, Efficiency, Effectiveness, Total accountability, Health and safety.
What you’ll learn:
- Why communication is incredibly important to your business
- How to communicate important information in a professional manner
- What the best thing to do in a tough situation is
- Why Van Halen didn’t like brown M&Ms
- What tools you can use to have effective and efficient communication
- How to choose the best communication tool for your situation
- Why templates are key to collaboration
- How to stay organized when communicating
- Why important conversations should never be in an informal chat such as Facebook or Instagram
For full show notes visit https://bandhive.rocks/26
If you heard last week’s episode about staying top of mind during the COVID crisis, you’re probably wondering, “but what next?”
The good news is that we cover that today. Educating yourself and ensuring that you are 100% to hit the ground running once shows resume will put you miles ahead of other artists who did nothing except watch Netflix these past few months.
So, what does that mean for you?
Listen now to learn how you can ensure that your band doesn’t just outlast COVID-19, but that you’re ready to blow away your peers with incredible preparation.
For full show notes visit https://bandhive.rocks/25
Coronavirus has affected every single musician across the globe.
But, while some musicians are giving up and sticking their head in the sand, others are quickly recognizing the need to stay current and provide value for their fans during these tough times.
By adapting to the current situation, those artists are much more likely to succeed and come out of this crisis ready to hit the road.
What about the artists who did nothing? They might not be around anymore this time next year.
Listen now to learn how you can stand out from the crowd and earn some money with high-quality livestreams, online merch sales, and more!
What you’ll learn:
- Why you need to step up your online presence
- How you can multiply your content to have more unique social media posts
- How to harness your livestream audience to earn more money
- Why your livestreams should be well produced
- How scarcity helps you sell
- Why doing giveaways is a great way to increase engagement
- Why adapting to the environment is vital to your success
- Why now is not the time to give up
For full show notes visit https://bandhive.rocks/24
Musicians around the globe are itching to get back on the road once it’s safe to do so.
The question everyone wants to know is when?
Unfortunately, we don’t have the answer – but we do have some advice to help you put together the best tour possible as soon as we can get back on the road.
Listen now to find out what you should do to create a killer tour routing and save a ton of money and time for your band!
What you’ll learn:
- How you can effectively plan your tour routing for post-COVID shows
- Why tour routing is important to manage your band
- How to overcome challenges in tour routing
- What you should take into account when planning your tour routing
- Which questions you need to ask yourself to start planning your tour
For full show notes visit https://bandhive.rocks/23
While we’re all sacrificing during the current pandemic, touring musicians across the globe will continue to sacrifice once live music picks up again…
The sacrifices will be different, but still potentially painful. The touring industry has long been known for the long days, isolation, and all too often, low pay.
It’s part of the “dream” artists are sold. In the long run, those sacrifices do pay off – but even at top levels of touring, artists are away from their loved ones. They miss family events. They aren’t home half the year.
Listen now to find out how you can be prepared for the inevitable sacrifices any touring artist needs to make to have a successful business.
Note: this episode was recorded before the pandemic reached Europe or the US in full force. Please take that into consideration, and use this episode to prepare for a return to life as we know it.
What you’ll learn:
- Why touring isn’t for everyone… But those who love it, love it
- How being on the road can give unique experiences
- Why you need to be flexible when it comes to touring plans
- How sacrifices made for the tour can strengthen friendships
- Why you should reach out for help if you need it
- How to overcome inequity in treatment by a promoter
- Why standing up for yourself is the right thing to do
For full show notes visit https://bandhive.rocks/22
Right now, we’re all stuck at home (or working in an essential job – stay safe!)
No one is playing shows, so what can we do during downtime?
Maybe it’s time to review your merch setup and see what you can do to boost your merch sales at shows.
Listen now to learn how you can boost your on-site merch sales and improve inventory tracking as well as sales efficiency!
Note: this episode was recorded before the COVID-19 crisis hit the US, but we are confident that the advice presented in the episode will apply once the pandemic is under control.
What you’ll learn:
- Why you need to have at least one black t-shirt in your offering
- How focusing on a small set of items rather than having tons of options can benefit your merch experience
- How you can optimize your merchandise sales by looking to high-volume retail stores
- Why the CD is dead and how you can replace it at the merch table
- Why download cards with vinyl records aren’t optional
- How you can increase your Soundscan music sales
- Why you should have a price tag on each item on display
- Why selling merchandise is an investment
- How having an outgoing merch seller can increase your sales
For full show notes visit https://bandhive.rocks/21
So let’s say you started your own business that lets you work from home. You have a flexible schedule that lets you work on music whenever you want to.
Not only that, but you did all of this before the coronavirus pandemic hit the globe.
That puts you in a better position than 95% of people in the US.
That’s what Josh Nachbar did – and now that the world is grinding to a halt, it’s time for you to consider what skills you can turn into a business from home, too.
Listen now to find out some of the key things about starting your own business, and how they apply to a band as well!
Note: the information in this episode is not to be taken as legal advice, and we are not attorneys, accountants, or experts. Please consult with a professional before making any business decisions.
What you’ll learn:
- How Josh leveraged his skills to start his own company, which lets him focus on music whenever he wants to
- What steps you could take to potentially protect yourself from liability
- What a day in Josh’s life looks like
- Why having a tax strategy (and good CPA) is vital
- Why you need to report all income on your tax returns (and no, not just because it’s legally required)
- How to work a non-traditional job but still make a living
- Why you need to understand that accepting money isn’t a bad thing
For full show notes visit https://bandhive.rocks/20
Releasing an album or EP is one of the biggest moments in a band’s career. Many successful artists release ten to twenty albums over their career, while others release a handful or less.
Some bands, like Rammstein, may go over a decade without releasing new music… Yet others seem to release an album practically every year or two.
What all established artists have in common, though, is that they have a well thought out marketing plan for their music to ensure it performs as well as it possibly can.
Not only that, but they probably didn’t post about being in the studio when they were actually in the studio.
Instead, they held onto that content and shared it at the right time to give their release a proper push.
This is exactly what Infinite Signal did to promote their new EP, Love Me Not, and the results have already paid for themselves.
Listen now to find out how you can follow in Infinite Signal’s footsteps and have a successful DIY album launch!
What you’ll learn:
- How Infinite Signal was able to pull off a professional marketing campaign with a DIY budget
- How being prepared going into the studio allowed Infinite Signal to come in under budget
- Why cutting 90% of the songs you write is necessary for a great release
- What consistency does to create momentum for your release
- Why you should not consider DIY to mean do everything yourself
- How setting reasonable sales goals for merch and tickets helped Infinite Signal plan their budget
- How having lighting for their show allowed Infinite Signal to attract more attention
- Why Infinite Signal created a process with set steps to ensure an efficient and timely setup
- What’s next for the band and why they are keeping up with their promotional efforts
- What the most important thing for releasing an album is
For full show notes visit https://bandhive.rocks/19
As the music industry continues to shift away from music sales while streaming becomes ever more popular, many have said, “there’s no money in music.”
But those people are wrong!
By learning how to sell you could make thousands of dollars per day selling your merchandise at music festivals, shows, and online.
Listen now to find out how you can start making money with your band’s brand!
What you’ll learn:
- Why sales is easier if you love people
- How the Girl Scouts recently made a genius move in their cookie sales business model
- What you can do to make a great first impression on people you want to sell to
- How body language can affect the outcome of your sales pitch
- Why the products you’re trying to sell should enrich your customers’ lives
- Why showing you’re “one of the gang” can make your sale 10x easier
- How you can sell your music to random strangers on the street
- Why you need to avoid looking spammy online
- How you can sell more by painting a mental picture in your target’s mind
- What the pros do to sell music
For full show notes visit https://bandhive.rocks/18
It can be uncomfortable or downright anxiety-inducing to get up on stage. Where do you think the term “stage fright” came from?
There are many factors that go into good (or bad) stage presence, and no one-size-fits-all solution…
But, we can help!
Listen now to learn eight tips to begin improving your band’s stage presence.
What you’ll learn:
- Why you should avoid making inside jokes when you’re on stage
- How you can use your own personality to improve your stage presence
- Why drummers can use their unique challenges to create great stage presence
- What you can do to avoid being the band who just stands still on stage
- How bands in lower-energy genres can create an exciting stage show
- Why you should structure your setlist into sections
- How being tactful with your stage persona can help avoid mistakes
- Why you need to consider how you dress as part of your stage presence
- How presenting a cohesive image is key to most stage shows
- How you can increase merch sales by having great stage presence
For full show notes visit https://bandhive.rocks/17
Recording an album can be an extensive (and expensive) process...
It can also be incredibly stressful, especially when you can’t nail your takes and get frustrated.
But there’s a solution: songwriting and pre-production.
Artists who have done a great job preparing for the studio can get better results in a day than others could get in a week.
Listen now to find out how you could save thousands of dollars by not wasting time in the studio and preparing your songs for the big time!
What you’ll learn:
- What the most important part of any release is
- What you need to do if you want to get on the radio
- How you can leverage Spotify’s payment calculations to get paid more
- What questions you should ask yourself when writing a song
- How you can solidify your ideas by using free apps
- What you need to consider when creating your final product
- Why pre-production is one of the most important things you need to do
- Why you should always have every part of the song written, arranged, and practiced before going into the studio
- How you can bring your music to life
For full show notes visit https://bandhive.rocks/16
We all know that one person… Their entire life, at least according to their social media posts, is a dumpster fire.
They may be a perfectly nice human being in person, but online they whine, whine, and whine.
Whether it’s about how bad their life is, politics, or something else, they are doing the opposite of what they should be doing.
By nurturing relationships and building your personal brand, you will be able to boost your career and watch your band’s success skyrocket.
So, don’t be that guy on social media… Consider your pages an extension of the band’s presence, and work hard to build long-lasting relationships with your family, friends, and fans.
Listen now to find out how you can pull this off like a natural!
What you’ll learn:
- Why you should avoid ranting on social media… Whether it’s the band’s page or your own
- How you can avoid destroying relationships with your fans (and friends/family)
- Why politics on social media is a very dangerous topic when you are an artist
- Why having a good personal brand is great for the band’s brand and vice versa
- Why nurturing relationships with people is incredibly important to a successful career
- What you can do to boost your local music scene
- Why you should always be sincere
- How you can boost your relationship with someone by being a go-giver
- Why you should do favors without expecting anything in return
- Why hard work and smart work lose out to honest work
For full show notes visit https://bandhive.rocks/15
There are lots of different elements that go into running a successful band… Way too many for any one person to handle, unless it’s their full time job!
So how can you effectively manage your DIY band without going insane?
Listen now to find out how you can make your life easier by dividing band roles and responsibilities in a logical, thought out manner that focuses on the natural strengths you and your bandmates possess.
What you’ll learn:
- Why you need to have “aces in their places”
- How not assigning roles could hurt your band
- Why tracking your expenses will save money in the long run
- How negotiating your contracts carefully can save thousands of dollars by avoiding a bad deal
- What you can do to find your bandmates natural talents to give them the right duties
- Why choosing these roles wisely can protect you from one of the worst things to happen to a band: van crashes
- How planning for the unexpected events of tour life can mean not missing shows you would’ve missed if you didn’t plan ahead
- Why you need to “beat” Murphy’s Law
- What goes into the logistics of running a tour, and why you always need a backup plan
For full show notes visit https://bandhive.rocks/14
When you’re touring, or even playing local shows, there are a lot of moving parts.
Who’s supplying the sound system if the venue doesn’t have their own?
Are the bands sharing backline?
Can we bring our own lights?
These are just a sample of the questions you might need to ask… Ultimately, it’s up to you to have a list of questions to go over with the venues that you are going to play.
Listen now to find out more about advancing your shows to make sure they go as smoothly as possible!
What you’ll learn:
- Why advancing shows is important for any production
- What could go wrong if you don’t have backup plans
- How you can learn a lesson from Santa Claus when it comes to touring
- What you should know before you start the advance process
- Why you need a stage plot
- Why Van Halen really asked for brown M&Ms to be removed from their catering
- How taking safety seriously can literally save your life
- Why you need to be aware of the venue you’re playing and adjust your production accordingly
- How having the right conversations can make your show better than ever
For full show notes visit https://bandhive.rocks/13
There are thousands of artists out there… Why should people listen to your music over everyone else?
By adding value to the lives of your fans, you create a personal connection with them and nurture your relationship.
Listen now to find out how you can make people feel great about connecting with you!
What you’ll learn:
- Why you should always express your gratitude and appreciation
- How nurturing relationships plays into the longevity of your career
- What being a good person can do for you
- Why supporting your community is a great way to become known
- What you can do to add value to the lives of your fans and even other bands
- Why giving away free merch could be great or could be awful
- How making memories is one of the best ways to add value
For full show notes visit https://bandhive.rocks/12
When you’re in a band, finances can be one of the last thing you want to deal with.
Tracking data can be a pain, and seem pointless… But, whether it’s finance, your experience, or another seemingly useless note tracking as much data as possible will help you boost your chances of booking shows.
How is that, you ask?
Listen now to find out what minor changes you can make in your habits to have a major advantage over many other DIY bands.
What you’ll learn:
- Why tracking data from each show you play is vital
- How much time you might end up spending on planning a tour vs executing a tour
- What data you should track
- Why you should always ask about payment
- How you can leverage the data you collect to get more shows, higher pay, and better deals
- Why you should record data as soon as possible
- How additional info like objective and subjective experience can influence your future tours
- Why touring the northeast can be easier than touring other areas of the country
- Why you should revisit the data you recorded on tours every time you plan a new tour
For full show notes visit https://bandhive.rocks/11
Recording and releasing an album is a massive undertaking… If you do it right.
But this is your music, your passion, your life work. Why wouldn’t you want to do it right?
To find out how much you realistically might need to release an album without skimping out, listen to episode ten of the Bandhive Podcast now!
What you’ll learn:
- Why most bands’ releases fade into obscurity quickly
- How you can have your music taken seriously
- What you can do to get the experience of a producer… without hiring a producer
- How collaboration can boost an artist’s career
- Why “making it” doesn’t always involve getting signed
- How you can get the best possible sound for your album
- How creative and unique marketing can benefit you
- Why spending the bare minimum on your album is a bad idea
- How to save money on your album’s mixing without skimping on quality
- Why you need to understand when to hire people to help create your album
For full show notes visit https://bandhive.rocks/10
Staying healthy and happy while you’re constantly driving from city to city, venue to venue, can be challenging…
The challenge alone can be mentally draining, but it also takes a physical toll on you – especially if you eat fast food every day (road warriors: we’ve all been there at some point).
Listen now to learn how you can become, and stay, healthier and happier while you’re away from home!
What you’ll learn:
- How you can the road and stay in good mental and physical shape
- Why fast food is the worst choice for a touring band
- How you can save money with healthy snacks
- Why indie/acoustic acts are more likely to get free food from the venues they play
- What you can do to improve your van lifestyle
- Why energy drinks should be avoided when possible
- How you can keep your body active during tours
- Why you should get a gym membership (it isn’t just to work out)
- How to stay active during long drives
For full show notes visit https://bandhive.rocks/9
As the internet becomes more and more cluttered, it gets more difficult to stand out from the crowd…
But standing out is one of the only ways you can make your band shine above the rest.
Lots of bands go straight to paid advertising… But there’s a better way to start before you jump into paid advertising.
Listen now to discover how you can get your music heard without paying for ads in 2020!
What you’ll learn:
- How digital marketing can boost your streams and sales beyond what you ever imagined
- Why not being present online closes doors (opportunities) in your face
- How music can sustain your lifestyle
- Why you need to have an online store
- How being visible online (and having the numbers to prove it) can help you get shows
- Why you should emulate large businesses who sell online
- How to market directly to your fans online
- Why picking an SEO-friendly band name is vital in 2020 and beyond
- How you can improve your social media game by focusing on one platform
For full show notes visit https://bandhive.rocks/8
Please give a welcome to the third and final co-host of The Bandhive Podcast… Matt Hoos of Alive In Barcelona!
After nearly a decade following the Vans Warped Tour, Matt and his bandmates built up a following of over 25,000 fans and made thousands of dollars in sales… All without being an official part of the tour.
Listen now to find out how you can follow in Matt’s footsteps at other festivals around the world.
What you’ll learn:
- How Matt and his bandmates realized that selling CDs and merch outside Warped Tour was a massive opportunity for their band.
- Why grinding every single day is one of the keys to creating a successful band
- How falling asleep in a mall is dangerous when blessthefall is nearby
- How you can sell CDs and merch to random people on the road
- How networking and putting in effort can lead to future job opportunities – even years later
- Why taking risks is one of the things bands often need to do (as with any business)
- How building relationships over time helped grow Alive In Barcelona’s following
- Why Less Than Jake is a great example for DIY artists to look up to
- Why you should promote your music at festivals
For full show notes visit https://bandhive.rocks/7
How many times have you thought, “I wish I had more time”?
The good news is there’s something you can do about it…
But only if you decide against wasting hours doing something that someone else can do better (in an hour or less).
Too many times we get caught up in do it yourself and don’t apply the mindset of decide it yourself – we need to have the self-awareness to understand when hiring a third party is the best option to get things done right.
Listen now to find out when it might be time to hire some help for your band!
What you’ll learn:
- How you can find more time in your schedule after you’ve already cut out any wasted time
- What opportunity cost means for your business (aka your band)
- Why letting someone else handle tasks for you can save you time and money
- Why you need to recognize what you can do and what others should do for you
- Why practicing on lots of projects is better than fixating on the details of one project to make it “perfect”
- Why accounting is one of the most important things you should hire an outsider for
- How saving $200 but wasting 12 hours could be the wrong move
- Why you should hire an entertainment lawyer to look over any major deal you’re offered
- Why a publicist is a waste of money for most bands
- How the staff you take on tour can affect the outcome of the tour
For full show notes visit https://bandhive.rocks/6
As a band who is either just starting out, or trying to expand the areas they play in, it can be difficult to find shows in new cities.
Obviously the more you build up your network and establish your name, the easier it gets…
But what if you have virtually zero presence in a city?
Listen now to out how you can harness a few techniques to get shows in cities you’ve never been to, and how you can make sure people will come to the show as well!
What you’ll learn:
- What you need to understand about planning your first tour
- What steps you can take to build your fanbase in new markets
- Why you shouldn’t play an area too often
- How to find venues and artists that are a good fit for you
- Why DMing someone on Instagram is not a good way to bail on a show
- How you can get media opportunities for your band
- How you can increase day of show ticket sales
- What makes your band stand out to venues once a show is booked
- How you can earn an extra $100+ per show
- What the long term benefits of paying out other bands are
- Why you should take in information, and then figure out what works for you and what doesn’t
For full show notes visit https://bandhive.rocks/5
Winter touring can be fun, but it can also be dangerous.
As a musician, no doubt you know someone – or know of someone – who has had an accident driving between shows on snowy or icy roads.
Two of our podcast co-hosts living in Vermont means we know a thing or two about surviving the winter…
Listen now to find out how you can have a safe winter tour, and enjoy it too!
What you’ll learn:
- How you can tour safely in winter so you don’t need to take half the year off from touring
- How you can prepare for sleeping in the van if you can’t afford a cheap motel
- Why you should avoid get-there-itis if you want to stay safe on the road
- Why sometimes canceling a show is the least-worst option
- What the benefits of a force-majeure clause are
- Why an emergency kit is vital for any tour, especially winter tours
- What supplies and equipment you should have during a winter tour
- Why you should plan out your van or trailer pack
For full show notes visit https://bandhive.rocks/4
Almost everyone has experienced that band. The jerks… The entitled, aloof, rude, lazy, not-nice-to-be-around bands.
But chances are, they don’t even realize that they’re coming across that way.
Most people don’t intend to be bad people!
So how can you be the most respectful band out there, an example of being the good band that everyone likes?
Just follow five simple rules when interacting with people.
As to why you should follow these five rules?
Because if people enjoy working with you, they’re more likely to:
- Want to work with you again
- Recommend you to friends or colleagues
- Be nice to you
- Give you money (aka PAY you)
- Help you out when you have a flat tire or need a place to crash
- And more
As far as what the rules are, you’ll just have to listen to find out!
What you’ll learn:
- How being prepared helps you avoid unexpected surprises in a multitude of situations
- Why you should adapt your live show to the space you’re playing
- How considering yourself a guest of any venue staff or owners can put things in perspective
- Why creating a respectful environment can only benefit your band
- How you can speed up getting on and off stage to keep other bands happy
- Why you should never judge a book by its cover
- Why you should never complain while you’re on stage
- How prepping your gear properly before a show could save you major headaches
- Why it’s important to stay for every band on a local bill if you’re playing the show
For full show notes visit https://bandhive.rocks/3
DIY artists come from many different backgrounds…
Some of us have extensive backgrounds in the music business and are trying to launch our own music careers.
Others no experience at all, just raw talent from years of practicing their instruments.
But there’s room in the music business for everyone!
Join Aaron and James as they discuss their beginnings in the music business and some tips for artists to build a successful band.
What you’ll learn:
- What motivated Aaron to begin his journey in music
- Why bands should work hard and persevere rather than expecting overnight success
- How mental bandwidth and personal sacrifice can be vital to managing your own band
- Why having a positive outlook can boost your band
- How James got his start in the music business
- Why taking over someone’s job duties can lead to great opportunities
- Why priorities changed for both hosts during their studies
- Why marketing is important, and why it isn’t the only thing you should focus on
- How Bandhive is designed to help you
- Why the “1,000 true fans” model could change your career
For full show notes visit https://bandhive.rocks/2
As a DIY artist, you may have been on the road for half your life or you may be a total rookie…
Either way, there’s a lot you can learn to make your life easier on the road!
While it might not end up being as comfortable as the rockstars are on private tour buses, #vanlife can still be made a lot better by following some tips and not making mistakes others have made.
Join us as we chat about the true meaning of life on the road, from small DIY tours to the big bus tours you dream of playing!
What you’ll learn:
- What to expect when you hit the road for the first time
- How you can avoid many mistakes that DIY bands tend to make
- What differences there are between “pro” touring and DIY touring
- What your goals should be when you plan a tour
- Why you should be aware of priorities other people have when touring
- Why you can never let your emotions get away from you when dealing with people in the industry
- What you might not expect to learn about touring
- Why you need to be realistic with your touring performance
- What mental or physical tolls touring can have no you
- Why you should always be prepared for unexpected events
- How you can be mentally prepared for a day on the road
For full show notes visit https://bandhive.rocks/1