Bandhive

Spotify pays less than half a cent per stream, on average. That’s incredibly low…

What’s not understood about their payouts, though, is that “doubling the royalty” simply isn’t possible. Not without doubling pricing - which I’m in support of.

Listen now to learn why Spotify can’t just change their royalty payouts, and how you can use Spotify as intended - a powerful promotional tool for your music!

What you’ll learn:

• Why you’re wrong about Spotify
• Why musicians need Spotify
• The math behind a sale vs. the streams needed to break even
• The reason major artists get barely anything from Spotify
• Using Spotify as a free marketing tool
• How Spotify can increase royalty payouts
• Using Spotify to your advantage as an independent musician
• The problem with people who complain about Spotify royalties but won’t pay more

For full show notes, visit https://bandhive.rocks/195

“How can I promote my music?” is a question I’m often asked. Probably one of the most common questions I hear, in fact.

The problem is there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to marketing your music - it all depends on what fits best with your specific target demographic.

I have good news, though: if your audience leans younger, a social media campaign might just hit the spot. That’s why this week we have Tyler Johnson of Don’t Blink Music Group on the show.

Tyler recently worked with In Shallows on an influencer campaign, and the campaign resulted in over 200,000 streams of the band’s latest single, as well as Spotify listener growth from 1,000 per month to over 50,000 per month!

The best part? This promotional push didn’t break the bank.

Listen now to learn more about influencer marketing and what other benefits a publicist can bring in this interview with Tyler from Don’t Blink Music Group!

What you’ll learn:

• Why influencer marketing is valuable for bands
• The results of a successful influencer campaign for an independent band
• Streaming is better for artists than selling CDs
• The pros and cons of record labels
• Getting content to share from micro-influencers
• Why ads to cold audiences are rarely effective
• How retargeting ads can boost your merch sales
• Testing your music via social media marketing

For full show notes, visit https://bandhive.rocks/194

Do you have unhealthy habits? You probably do, because guess what… We all do.

Quitting unhealthy habits can be incredibly difficult to do, but if you instead replace the bad habits with good habits, you’ll have a much better chance of success.

This week on the show, Elijah of Father Before Me joins us to discuss forming healthy habits, using those habits to grow his career as an independent artist and streamer, and how he works to eliminate unhealthy habits.

Listen now to learn more about breaking your habits and forming new, good habits, in this chat with Elijah from Father Before Me!

What you’ll learn:

• How your bad habits in life echo across your passions
• Working towards healthy habits for personal growth
• Staying consistent on social media
• The perks of being a jack of all trades
• Leading indicators vs. lagging indicators
• Why excuses are holding you back
• The cumulative impact of habits
• How to break bad habits

For full show notes, visit https://bandhive.rocks/193

You may be tempted to keep the meanings of your songs to yourself, or you could be tempted to tell the world.

Either way, it’s important to relate to your audience so they can understand where you’re coming from and connect to your music - whether it’s their perception or the meaning you shared with them.

Listen now to learn why a connection to your fans is so important for your career, and how you can build and nurture those relationships!

What you’ll learn:

• Why it’s important to offer relatable lyrics for your fans
• How your passion can connect your audience to your music
• Your job as an artist: manipulating emotions
• The solidarity of a fanbase and what it means for you
• Building and nurturing relationships with your fans

For full show notes, visit https://bandhive.rocks/192

The DIY scene has a lot of gatekeepers - and to be entirely blunt, most of them have no sense of what makes music “good”.

Saying it’s not real music if it wasn’t recorded in one take, live, is something teenage boys do to seem cool.

Over the years, I’ve noticed that independent artists in the punk and alternative scenes in the UK and Australia are much more likely to embrace good production than artists in the US. Conversely, US artists tend to have poorer production quality - and songs - than their international counterparts.

This results in smaller chances of success as only a certain amount of people are willing to forgo “good” music for what they believe to be authenticity.

Listen now to hear my bandmate Joe Aabye and I discuss the benefits of working with a greta producer for your next release!

What you’ll learn:

• Why production value is so important
• When self-producing might be worthwhile (it usually isn’t)
• The definition of DIY in the music world
• The important of trusting your producer
• Using social media to promote your band
• Why artists need to put effort into their craft
• Sloppy noodles vs. true prog bands
• Why some artists are objectively better than others

For full show notes, visit https://bandhive.rocks/191

I’ve talked about planning tours on the podcast before, but never from this angle…

The thing is I discovered that planning a tour for my own band is a different experience than planning a tour for a client. From the initial phases through to completion of the tour, there are changes I’ve picked up on.

Listen now to learn how you can plan your own tours effectively and efficiently to save time and money on the road!

What you’ll learn:

• The difference between planning a tour for yourself vs. for someone else
• How to frame discussions around touring
• The hold system venues use
• The importance of starting the booking process early
• Phases of booking shows
• Considering the venue capabilities before confirming a show
• Renting a van vs. taking your own vehicles
• Budgeting for your tour
• How to make your band more appealing to promoters

For full show notes, visit https://bandhive.rocks/190

Brendan Frey and Hostile Array aren’t your typical DIY band. They’re not afraid to market themselves, or to hire a team to help them on their journey.

Instead, Hostile Array embraces collaboration where necessary, and the band is better off for it.

Brendan discusses the shift from the “Myspace days” to the current situation on social media, harnessing the waterfall method to grow your streaming numbers, and having the confidence to promote your music.

Listen now to learn how you can market your music to grow your streaming numbers and build an engaged audience!

What you’ll learn:

• How the music industry has changed since the “Myspace days”
• Using the internet to promote your music
• Why paying for Spotify placements is a terrible idea
• Using tools like SubmitHub to get placements
• 100 people at your show vs. 100 people online
• Using the Waterfall method to grow plays on your songs
• Why rock artists seem afraid to promote their music
• Staying consistent on social media for your band
• How to run social media ads
• Maintaining your ethos as a DIY band while hiring the right team

For full show notes, visit https://bandhive.rocks/189

Let me tell you now, no one gets excited for a $5 show.

I’d rather play a free show than any show with a $10 (or under) ticket. Playing ridiculously cheap shows just makes a band look bad, as if they are desperate and don’t feel they are worthy of payment.

A free show, on the other hand, can be marketed as a special event, a treat, or even a party. Everyone can imagine having a good time there, while a $3 show will drive people away with the thought “they can’t be any good!”

Listen now to learn why it’s important to pay attention to ticket prices for any show you play, and how you can negotiate with promoters!

What you’ll learn:

• The downfalls of a cheap show
• Why touring bands deserve more than a $5 ticket
• How to frame shows in your mind
• Normalizing higher ticket prices for local shows
• Setting ticket prices the smart way
• Creative ways of increasing revenues
• Finding venues who value your music
• Protecting your band from sketchy promoters
• Varying price points by venue type
• Negotiating ticket prices for your band

For full show notes, visit https://bandhive.rocks/188

It’s not every day I get to have a chat with someone as knowledgeable and experienced as Nick Mishko of 10 and 8 Management. Not only has Mishko worked for “the big guys”, he’s also a well-known artist manager for independent artists.

From finding $85,000 in royalties owed to his clients within a few months of starting, to coaxing artists into using social media, Mishko has a handle on the situation.

Listen now to learn more about the value of social media and promotion, and how you can optimize content creation for your band!

What you’ll learn:

• How Mishko got started in the music industry
• Finding $85,000 in “missing” royalties for clients
• Why TikTok and short-form content are key to your strategy
• Where the name “10 and 8” came from
• When to block people on social media
• Staying on top of current trends to promote your music
• Why social media is not optional for musicians
• The mind-boggling marketing practices in K-pop
• Being nice to everyone pays off
• The importance of having fun

For full show notes, visit https://bandhive.rocks/187

Summer tours come with some of my best memories - as well as flashbacks of sunburns, busses exploding, heat stroke, you name it. Even if it hasn’t happened directly to me, I know someone who it’s happened to.

As much fun as a summer tour can be, if you dive in head first without any preparation, chances are it won’t go well. That’s why in this episode, Matt and I discuss what we’ve learned over our years on Warped Tour and other summer tours.

Listen now to learn how you and your band can survive and thrive on summer tours, so you can enjoy every tour to its fullest potential!

What you’ll learn:

• What to consider when booking and playing summer shows
• The dangers of summer touring
• Keeping an eye out for the safety of your fans
• How to avoid getting dehydrated - without flushing your electrolytes
• What to eat and when
• The value of a plan B for when your gear overheats
• Safety first: don’t be afraid to walk away!
• Using rain to your advantage
• Getting your needed rest and space during a summer tour
• Pacing yourself to make it through the entire summer

For full show notes, visit https://bandhive.rocks/186