Bandhive

It’s been a great run, and we couldn’t have done it without you, our listeners. Thank you so much for listening to one episode, 20, or all 215! If you shared an episode with a friend, you get a high five. Aw, fine, make it a hug. For real, without folks listening to the show, we wouldn’t have made it to 215 episodes. We wouldn’t have been able to get the fantastic guests we’ve had over the last fe...

Last time John Ryan was on the show, we talked about Keep Flying’s relentless touring schedule, fan acquisition methods, and targeting the right demographics. A few months ago, Keep Flying went on their first international tour of the UK. John has been to the UK many times as a tour manager and crew member, but only once before for his own music - 15 years ago. Planning an international tour is qu...

Matt Bacon is a jack of all trades - but that title isn’t followed by the typical “master of none” caveat. Matt does lots of things, and he does them really well . In the past we’ve talked to Matt about record labels and Facebook ads. This week on the show, we’re talking about artist management. Are you ready to hire a manager for your band? Would a manager even be able to help you? Listen now to...

Todd Barriage is a regular on the Bandhive Podcast - and for good reason. When Todd first came on the show, we talked about the grind, and how everyone needed to do it. Then our opinions shifted and we both drifted away from the grind. Recently, Todd stopped observing a schedule for his releases and switched entirely to a “when I feel like it” model. Who could be a more fitting guest to have on wh...

The internet is in outrage over Spotify’s endless war on independent artists - or, at least, that’s the accusation. But, taking a step back and viewing the change with a lens of reason, it’s clear that this isn’t Spotify trying to rip off smaller artists. In fact, it’s a change that will benefit any artist who puts in even a modicum of effort for their music. The cutoff equates to roughly $4 a yea...

We’ve only had a small number of guests on the show multiple times - and I can count three-peats on one hand. This week I’m stoked to welcome back Troy Millette of The Fire Below for his third appearance! This time, we’re going to talk about Troy’s annual holiday benefit concert, Home for the Holidays . He’s been hosting the event for a whopping eleven years , showing that giving back is a huge pa...

For every band, there comes a time when a venue will ask for a stage plot and input list. If you’re lucky, that will be early on - it means you’re progressing to more professional venues quickly! It’s important to have this information available, and not only that, your information should be properly organized and well put together. If it’s not, it might be worse than not having any at all! Listen...

It’s a question that we’ve gone far too long without answering on the podcast: should you buy a van for your band, or rent one for touring? There’s no easy answer, and it comes down to your touring habits, but in this episode we’ll break down the pros and cons for you so you can make an informed decision. Listen now to learn more about planning your tour transportation, including whether or not yo...

When it comes to promoting your music, one of your first thoughts is likely to be “I’ll try SubmitHub!”, or alternatively, “SubmitHub is a scam.” If you’re in the first group, you’ll enjoy hearing about the updates SubmitHub is making to improve the platform - or if you’re in the second, be ready to learn about the core of the platform and what the real goal of the site is. Listen now to hear from...

In this episode I’m fired up because, shockingly, I discovered a local musician who has little to no respect for their fellow artists. This episode is a lesson in etiquette when you're invited to play a show. Promotion is key in the world of live music, and not promoting a show you’re playing is a slap in the face to everyone else on the bill, as well as the venue. What happens when you decide to...

Being in a band is fun when you have the right group of people around you and you’re playing music that makes you feel alive. That’s how it should be! But as soon as you step off that stage (and before you ever get on it, in fact), the other 90% of running your band’s business kicks in. The time where you have to schedule social posts, book shows, review agreements, network with other artists, etc...

Sometimes the best guests are right in front of your nose… I’m ashamed to say it’s taken 204 episodes to get my long time friend Brian LaClair of Better Things on the show. There’s a silver lining, though, because this interview has perfect timing - we dive deep into the creative digital marketing techniques Brian and Better Things are using for their long-awaited reunion show. Listen now to learn...

When it comes to booking and playing shows, there’s a hidden person who doesn’t get nearly enough of the credit for making the show happen: your promoter. Whether the promoter is independent or working for a company, they are investing hours, even days, of their time into making your show a success. They also happen to be someone who can break up your band if you make them mad… Take a listen to fi...

Building a community is something we’ve discussed often on the Bandhive Podcast - but Ky Farrar and Late 9 take a slightly different approach. Instead of funneling all the fans to one platform, they meet their fans where they are - fostering connections on their social media pages rather than behind closed doors. Ky even became friends with Chris Motionless, and got to perform on stage with Motion...

We all have that one Facebook friend who constantly whines about the littlest things - everything in their life is awful, and they want the world to know that they’re a victim. In some cases, people really do get dealt a bad hand… But many times, it’s simply a case of victim mentality, where the person feels as if everything is beyond their control and life is out to get them. The bad news is, vic...

It’s hard to believe that we’ve made it to 200 episodes over the past four years, but here we are! Even more mind boggling is the fact that the world shut down for two of those four years, yet live music is back and bigger than ever before. Join us for this special episode of the Bandhive Podcast as Matt and I reminisce on our favorite episodes and industry-changing news over the last four years!...

A lot of bands ask me about setting up a basic in-ear monitoring rig so they can hear themselves better, and use… shhh… come closer. Backing tracks (collective gasp). Here’s the thing, even though holier-than-thou amateur musicians scoff at backtracking elements of a live set, when done with taste backing tracks can add impact and power to your set, without making a show “less live” ! The key is n...

Whether you're a seasoned musician on tour or a new band gearing up for your first shows, the unpredictability of the road looms above your head. From vehicle breakdowns to personal emergencies, the journey is riddled with potential hiccups . Are you prepared? The key to a smooth tour isn't just about nailing your performances, but also having all your bases covered off the stage.  Planning ahead...

Today on Bandhive, we dive into one of the most transformative aspects of music : guest features and collaborations. Every artist big or small can benefit from joining forces with another artist for their next release, including you! Through these connections, both artists can tap into new audiences, create amazing connections, and foster a network of genuine relationships . But collaborations are...

Social media is a daunting, massive landscape with few rules for bands to follow - and the rules that we do know about seem to change almost daily. Unfortunately, careful social media creation and curation is vital to any band’s success these days. That doesn’t mean you have to be on every platform (go ahead, take that sigh of relief). There are a few key platforms, though, which are not optional...

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...

“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 w...

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...

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 yo...

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 a...