It’s been a great run, and we couldn’t have done it without you, our listeners.

Thank you so much for listening to one episode, 20, or all 215! If you shared an episode with a friend, you get a high five. Aw, fine, make it a hug.

For real, without folks listening to the show, we wouldn’t have made it to 215 episodes. We wouldn’t have been able to get the fantastic guests we’ve had over the last few years. And last, but definitely not least, we wouldn’t have been able to get to know so many of you.

So for the last time (for now), thank you for listening, we won’t be back next Tuesday at 6AM Eastern. Have a great year, stay safe, and of course as always… Keep rockin!

What you’ll learn:

• What we all enjoyed most about the podcast
• Lessons learned from the show
• Coming at our goals with different perspectives
• How we can all learn from each other
• Why you absolutely need to back up your files
• Removing the gatekeepers from the scene
• Embracing failure

For full show notes, visit https://bandhive.rocks/215

Last time John Ryan was on the show, we talked about Keep Flying’s relentless touring schedule, fan acquisition methods, and targeting the right demographics.

A few months ago, Keep Flying went on their first international tour of the UK. John has been to the UK many times as a tour manager and crew member, but only once before for his own music - 15 years ago.

Planning an international tour is quite different from a tour of your homeland, involving acquiring visas, renting/borrowing gear, and countless other factors.

Listen now to learn about international touring as an independent artist from tour manager extraordinaire, John Ryan of Keep Flying!

What you’ll learn:

• Why we love planning tours
• Who Keep Flying is
• Planning and running an international tour as a DIY band
• How a canceled flight turned out to be a good thing for Keep Flying
• It’s time: just do the thing! Whatever it is you want to do, figure it out
• Working with a promoter vs. booking your own shows
• Touring and personal finance
• Getting visas for international touring
• Driving a van in the UK
• Looking towards personal growth in all aspects of your life

For full show notes, visit https://bandhive.rocks/214

Matt Bacon is a jack of all trades - but that title isn’t followed by the typical “master of none” caveat. Matt does lots of things, and he does them really well.

In the past we’ve talked to Matt about record labels and Facebook ads. This week on the show, we’re talking about artist management.

Are you ready to hire a manager for your band? Would a manager even be able to help you?

Listen now to learn about artist management, how to attract a manager, and when you’re truly ready for management!

What you’ll learn:

• Why you already know Matt Bacon
• What an artist manager does for their clients
• The artist/manager hierarchy
• Determining what each artist needs from a manager
• Which tasks an artist needs to focus on if they don’t have a team
• Authenticity as a band
• Putting your audience first
• How to present live photos and content without looking cringe
• Telling stories by constructing a narrative - vs. letting people make their own
• When a legitimate manager will reach out to you
• Working within the vision a manager has for you
• How to get new opportunities for your band

For full show notes, visit https://bandhive.rocks/213

Todd Barriage is a regular on the Bandhive Podcast - and for good reason.

When Todd first came on the show, we talked about the grind, and how everyone needed to do it.

Then our opinions shifted and we both drifted away from the grind. Recently, Todd stopped observing a schedule for his releases and switched entirely to a “when I feel like it” model.

Who could be a more fitting guest to have on when I announce the podcast going on hiatus? I couldn’t think of anyone better!

Listen now to learn how Todd maintains a healthy work/life balance, while keeping his fans and followers happy and engaged!

What you’ll learn:

• Why Todd isn’t afraid to start from scratch on his recordings
• The power of quality over quantity
• The end of the Bandhive Podcast is nigh
• Avoiding burnout to create better art
• Knowing when to take a break
• Keeping funds flowing when you take a break
• Why the latest videos Todd released are outperforming every other video he released
• What’s next for Todd

For full show notes, visit https://bandhive.rocks/212

The internet is in outrage over Spotify’s endless war on independent artists - or, at least, that’s the accusation.

But, taking a step back and viewing the change with a lens of reason, it’s clear that this isn’t Spotify trying to rip off smaller artists.

In fact, it’s a change that will benefit any artist who puts in even a modicum of effort for their music. The cutoff equates to roughly $4 a year, and if you aren’t earning that much I’ll be honest… You aren’t really trying.

Listen now to learn why Spotify’s latest change isn’t going to hurt artists, and how you can be sure to hit the payout threshold consistently!

What you’ll learn:

• Why Spotify’s royalty change doesn’t matter
• How the royalty redistribution helps legitimate artists
• Promoting your song to get traction and plays
• Using playlists to boost your song and train Spotify’s algorithm
• Spending time on the things that matter, rather than complaining
• How to get legitimate plays on Spotify

For full show notes, visit https://bandhive.rocks/211

We’ve only had a small number of guests on the show multiple times - and I can count three-peats on one hand. This week I’m stoked to welcome back Troy Millette of The Fire Below for his third appearance!

This time, we’re going to talk about Troy’s annual holiday benefit concert, Home for the Holidays. He’s been hosting the event for a whopping eleven years, showing that giving back is a huge part of who he is.

Are you eager to make a difference in your own community? Listen now to learn how you can launch and grow a benefit concert or series of your own!

What you’ll learn:

• Building a benefit concert series as part of your artist brand
• Scaling your events over a decade to create continuing growth
• How Troy is going to The Good Place with one good deed per year
• Treating others in the music scene with respect and care
• Earning your opportunities - and not screwing them up
• Why promoting the shows you play is incredibly important
• Supporting small venues by marketing your shows effectively
• How to start your own benefit series!

For full show notes, visit https://bandhive.rocks/210

For every band, there comes a time when a venue will ask for a stage plot and input list.

If you’re lucky, that will be early on - it means you’re progressing to more professional venues quickly!

It’s important to have this information available, and not only that, your information should be properly organized and well put together. If it’s not, it might be worse than not having any at all!

Listen now to learn more about stage plots, input lists, and why they’re important to have on hand for any show you play!

What you’ll learn:

• Why you need to have a stage plot and input list prepared for your band
• The importance of tech rehearsals for your shows
• Being prepared - pro artists vs. amateur artists
• Stage directions and stage plots
• How being prepared for a show helps build relationships with venues
• Putting on your best show by having good production

For full show notes, visit https://bandhive.rocks/209

It’s a question that we’ve gone far too long without answering on the podcast: should you buy a van for your band, or rent one for touring?

There’s no easy answer, and it comes down to your touring habits, but in this episode we’ll break down the pros and cons for you so you can make an informed decision.

Listen now to learn more about planning your tour transportation, including whether or not you should rent or buy!

What you’ll learn:

• The pros and cons of owning a van vs. renting one for your tours
• Why getting the rental insurance is always a good idea
• Monetizing your owned van(s)
• Which is cheaper, renting or buying a van?
• What do you do with a van you own when you’re not touring?
• Why borrowing a van can be risky
• What to consider when deciding to rent or buy a van

For full show notes, visit https://bandhive.rocks/208

When it comes to promoting your music, one of your first thoughts is likely to be “I’ll try SubmitHub!”, or alternatively, “SubmitHub is a scam.”

If you’re in the first group, you’ll enjoy hearing about the updates SubmitHub is making to improve the platform - or if you’re in the second, be ready to learn about the core of the platform and what the real goal of the site is.

Listen now to hear from Jason Grishkoff, founder of SubmitHub, on how and why artists should use the platform and the big changes that have taken place on SubmitHub recently.

What you’ll learn:

• Why Jason started SubmitHub
• Building the core of SubmitHub to solve a specific problem
• What’s new at SubmitHub
• Advantages of using the new SubmitHub Marketplace
• How SubmitHub is improving the experience of their users
• Why premium submissions are worth it
• The long tail of playlisting
• How the wrong playlists can mess up your Spotify profile
• Harnessing the power of internet marketing to grow your career
• Why SubmitHub is the best in the game

For full show notes, visit https://bandhive.rocks/207

In this episode I’m fired up because, shockingly, I discovered a local musician who has little to no respect for their fellow artists.

This episode is a lesson in etiquette when you're invited to play a show.

Promotion is key in the world of live music, and not promoting a show you’re playing is a slap in the face to everyone else on the bill, as well as the venue.

What happens when you decide to ignore this advice? Well, you burn bridges.

That’s because the value of music is subjective. In the context of live music, the value is in how many people you bring, not how good your music is.

Listen now to learn how you can avoid burning bridges and take steps to protect yourself from lazy, rude locals who don’t care about your show!

P.S. enjoy my Glenn Fricker impression…

What you’ll learn:

• What to do when someone asks you to play their show
• How to promote your shows
• Why you need to promote every show you play
• Bad behavior burns bridges
• Adding value to the shows you play
• Why your music is not valuable in the context of live music
• Making openers agree to a radius clause for any show you play
• Who this episode is about
• Protecting yourself from the artists who don’t care about etiquette

For full show notes, visit https://bandhive.rocks/206