Bandhive

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 be on 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