Bandhive

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:

1. Good music
2. Effective branding
3. 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