Bandhive

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