Bandhive

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