Bandhive

You’ve seen that friend who does nothing but complain on social media… We all have one. They just endlessly post sob stories about how terrible their life is, and they keep doing it because their posts get engagement.

The downside of this is anyone seeing those posts starts to form a negative mental image of that person - no one wants to hang out with someone who’s constantly bringing the mood down.

The same goes for bands. If a band, or band member, is constantly whining about life (or the music business) being difficult, that artist is less likely to achieve any meaningful form of success because people won’t want to work with them.

It’s easy to be someone people enjoy working with, just by having a positive attitude. Listen now to learn how you can avoid becoming a “woe is me” artist!

What you’ll learn:

• Avoiding toxic trait of being constantly negative on social media
• Why the artists who “make it” aren’t the complainers
• How to make money without trying to sell CDs
• The band who alienated their entire fanbase with one Facebook post
• The pros of staying positive during bad times
• Two examples of bands doing it right
• The mental roadblocks of negative thought

For full show notes, visit https://bandhive.rocks/135

You’ve realized that it takes effort to grow your fanbase, and decided you want to give direct outreach a try…

The issue is, what do you write? How do you turn strangers on the internet into fans, without being annoying or needy?

It’s pretty simple: don’t be like the band I throw under the bus in this episode. Listen now to learn how you can practice effective direct outreach to get new fans!

What you’ll learn:

• Growing your key fanbase
• Why direct outreach is one of the most effective methods for a new band to grow their audience
• How not to practice direct outreach
• The biggest mistake you could make: being rude when reaching out to potential fans
• The worst direct outreach message I’ve ever read
• How to strike up a mutually beneficial conversation
• Why spamming won’t get you anywhere
• Balancing the different social media platforms

For full show notes, visit https://bandhive.rocks/134

So you've decided to start a band. Congrats! But now what? Most band’s debuts are forgotten by everyone except the musicians on stage. How do you make your band's debut show stand out from all the other crappy local bands? 

Most artists play their first show at a dive bar or small local club. You might have fun playing the show, but it won’t make any big splashes or lifelong fans.

By standing out at shows, you can make your debut show blow the other acts out of the water and set yourself up for long-term success. Listen now to learn how!

What you’ll learn:

• Why your first show should showcase your best effort
• How to prepare for your band’s live debut
• Using movement to bring more energy to your show
• Why a mic stand is not home base (looking at you, vocalists)
• How small shows can beat the energy of arenas
• Practicing and rehearsing to play a killer first show
• How to build the perfect lineup for your debut show
• Why you should never focus on production hiccups during a performance

For full show notes, visit https://bandhive.rocks/133

You're getting ready for your band's next tour. You have a solid plan in place, friend’s couches to crash on, but the night before you leave you realize… You're not sure what to pack!

Touring can be a ton of work. You have to worry about booking shows, transportation, making sure your equipment is all packed up and ready to go, and more.

Listen now to learn what you’ll need on your next tour. From clothes and toiletries to the gear that may just save the day, I cover the essentials that should be in your luggage and backpack.

What you’ll learn:

• How I approach packing for tour
• Why I keep personal and gear separate (for the most part)
• Packing for winter tours vs. summer tours
• The gear to pack for every tour
• A towel is the most important item a touring person can carry
• How to sell merch the easy way with an iPad
• Flashlights and earplugs: a touring artist’s best friend
• The best tape ever made
• Keeping your documents and ID safe
• Why you are your own tour manager

For full show notes, visit https://bandhive.rocks/132

It's hard to keep your band organized and on track, especially when everyone is busy with their own lives. 

You're not alone! Most bands struggle with inconsistent releases and a lack of organization, leading to thoughts like, “how did we do this last time?” and, “what’s the next step?”

In this episode I explain how you can make consistency a priority for your band, resulting in less work and faster release schedules, which will keep your fans happy!

What you’ll learn:

• Why people like predictable schedules
• How to create consistency for your band
• Social media algorithms: they love consistency, too
• How to grow your band’s TikTok audience
• Building processes to create consistency
• Making your life as an artist easier by using Standard Operating Procedures
• Unlocking flow state as an artist
• Setting up your band to run itself while you’re on vacation

For full show notes, visit https://bandhive.rocks/131

Most people think that the best way to become a better musician is to buy more gear. 

It’s not. Better gear can help you sound slightly better, but it's not the most important thing by any means. 

In this episode of the Bandhive Podcast, I explain why gear ISN'T the most important thing for a band. In fact, your gear purchases may just be a form of procrastination or distraction. Listen now to learn more!

What you’ll learn:

• Gear doesn’t matter the way you think it does
• The law of diminishing returns
• Why mid range instruments are typically the best value compared to cost
• When to use studio gear instead of your own
• What you should spend your budget on instead of wasting it on gear
• The simple truth: you don’t need that $5,000 guitar

For full show notes, visit https://bandhive.rocks/130

Touring can be expensive, and it's hard to know where to start when putting together a budget. A lot of artists just skip the budget when they plan a tour, which is never a good idea.

Without a solid tour budget in place, you could easily end up spending way more than you planned on your next tour. That could mean getting stranded on the other side of the country, or having to cancel a tour halfway through - neither is a good option.

In this episode, I go over the basics of a DIY tour budget. By following my tips, you'll be able to save money while touring and stay within your budget. Listen now to learn more!

What you’ll learn:

• How to determine what your daily expenses will be
• Why a tour budget is necessary for your tours
• The advantages of budgeting and tracking expenses
• The eight basic categories of a DIY tour budget
• How long can you tour? Let your budget decide
• What apps to use for tour budgeting

For full show notes, visit https://bandhive.rocks/129

Some venues and promoters use “pay to play”, a shady and exploitative practice of making artists pay to play a show - instead of paying the artist for their performance.

You've probably heard of pay to play, but you may not know exactly what it is. There’s a lot of confusion about which deals are pay to play and which aren’t.

This can be a huge problem because it makes artists miss out on opportunities that would have been worth it for their career.

In this episode, I’ll explain what pay to play is and isn’t, so you can understand which shows to skip and which ones are worth booking.

Whether you're an independent artist who's ready to book shows or you're just curious about this controversial topic, listen in and learn all you need to know about pay to play!

What you’ll learn:

• Why “pay to play” probably isn’t what you think it is
• What is pay to play?
• The benefits of playing pay to play shows
• What types of pay to play deals are most common
• Why selling tickets is not pay to play
• Split deals - and why they’re perfectly normal
• Why renting a venue could be pay to play, but often isn’t
• When is a buy on a good idea?
• Is a buy on the same thing as pay to play?

For full show notes, visit https://bandhive.rocks/128

It can be tough for independent artists to break through and get their music heard by larger audiences. It’s a long, slow process to get to the top of your local scene… And it takes even more work to break out regionally and nationally.

Opening slots for larger, more well-known artists can be a great way for independent artists to get their music out there and start building a fanbase. The problem is most opening slots are gatekept quite tightly, and getting your foot in the door with the right people can be quite elusive.

This episode is all about finding and booking shows opening for other acts, so you can maximize your chances of success. Listen now to learn more!

What you’ll learn:

• How you can get opening slots for bigger shows
• Which gatekeepers are involved when tours come through your market
• Why package deals are the downfall of local openers
• Who to contact for opening slots
• How to track your show history
• The worst thing you could do: over-saturating a market
• Avoiding poisonous attitudes around opening slots
• Why opening slots are beneficial to local artists

For full show notes, visit https://bandhive.rocks/127

You're a great musician, but you don't know how to get your music in front of the right people. 

It's hard enough to make it as a musician without having to worry about booking your own shows. And if you're not working with the venues that best fit your sound and style, you’re not playing to your full potential.

In this episode I dive into three tips that will help you book better shows, at the right venues, so you can grow your audience!

What you’ll learn:

• How to book your first show
• Networking without being sleazy
• Why sending unreleased music to people is ok (in certain situations)
• How to make connections in markets far away
• What to include in a booking email
• How to avoid showing promoters red flags
• Choosing the right venue for your sound
• Why playing the wrong venue is a bad idea

For full show notes, visit https://bandhive.rocks/126