Bandhive

SubmitHub is one of the most divisive topics among musicians… Some love it, some are ambivalent, and others hate it. I happen to fall on the “love it” side - not only because I recognize its value as a promotional tool in any artist's toolbelt, but also because I understand how to use the platform and can often get above-average results when running a SubmitHub campaign. Most artists who dislike S...

Every band fears something going wrong on tour… From promoters screwing you over to a van crash, there are lots of things that can throw a wrench in the works. Thankfully, most tours only have one major hiccup, if any. That wasn’t the case for fellow Vermonters, Saving Vice. Not only did their headliner (a rapper) bail on the tour after Saving Vice and their tour-mates Dropout Kings had driven hal...

Almost every independent artist struggles to fill even the smallest of venues… Yes, some artists seem to have it all figured out, and sell out their local and hometown shows. You’re probably wondering how they do this? They must be industry plants of some sort. Right? Wrong ! They likely have a combination of factors including great music, an approachable personality, and solid work ethic. Thankfu...

Are you fed up with tiny, hole in the wall venues asking you to bring your own PA system? If you aren’t, you should be. It’s an exploitative practice that small venues use to avoid buying their own PA system. This happens at the largest venues too, but for an entirely different reason - and artists are reimbursed for bringing their equipment. So how can you get paid for providing a PA system at th...

You have the perfect song idea, you’re just missing that one final bit before it’s finished… It’s been days or weeks and as much as you try, it’s just not quite coming together the way you want it to. You’re in a writers’ block rut. So what now? Listen to this episode of the Bandhive Podcast to learn how you should take your mind off of music to come back refreshed and finish the projects you’re w...

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 do...

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...

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...

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...

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 fast...

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 lea...

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 halfwa...

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 opportu...

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...

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 ri...

As a band, making decisions can be tough. You want to make the best choice for your music, but sometimes there are multiple acceptable solutions.  How do you know which option is the best? Is there even such a thing as a "best" solution? In this episode of Bandhive Podcast, I discuss why most problems have multiple acceptable solutions. While there may be a "best" solution, that's not always the c...

Being on time is incredibly important in the live music world. There’s a good reason behind the saying, “If you’re 15 minutes early, you’re on time. If you’re on time, you’re late. If you’re late, you’re fired. Unfortunately, being punctual is not always easy. There are a lot of things that can go wrong and cause you to be late. Some things like flat tires happen unexpectedly, which can often be e...

It's hard to get people to care about your music. Even if they follow you on social media, it doesn't mean they're going to buy your music or come to your shows.  Most bands settle for just having social media followers. But that doesn’t always work… You need to turn social media followers and casual fans into superfans who will buy your music, come to your shows, and tell their friends about you....

Going on tour can be a daunting task. You have to plan the tour, book the shows, and then scrape together your budget to make the tour happen… And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Many DIY bands never go on tour because they don't know where to start. They get overwhelmed by the amount of information available and never tour on a sustainable level. In this episode, we cover three important tips...

You've just released your album or EP and you're feeling pretty good about it. You worked hard on the music, the artwork, and the videos – now it's time to sit back and watch as the world discovers your genius. Right? WRONG! Just because your music is out there doesn't mean you can sit back and relax. In fact, the hard work has just begun. You have to keep promoting your music after the release so...

We've all seen that band who plays well, but is just mind-numbingly boring because they don't move around on stage… They don't engage with their audience… Those bands are nothing more than bland robots who can play an instrument.  On the other hand, you might have seen a band that's absolutely fantastic live. A band who blew you away by putting on a true performance, rather than just playing music...

You've put in the time and effort to write great music, hone your skills, and build a following, but you're still not getting booked for good shows. You’re probably thinking, “what's going on?” Chances are, with a few small tweaks to your process, you’ll start getting those dream shows sooner rather than later. In this week’s episode, I go over five reasons you aren't getting booked , and the solu...

You love making music, but you're not sure if production matters. What kind of an effect does good (or bad) production have on your career? It takes a lot of effort and money to work with skilled engineers and producers… Deciding whether it’s worth it is ultimately up to you. Your goals as an artist absolutely need to be considered, because what you want from your music directly impacts the produc...

It's tough to be an artist and create an original, unique sound. With the current music scene, it's incredibly easy to just clone whatever is popular and hope that fans will like your music too.  This might get you some fans in the short term, but in the long run you won’t see the same results as artists who take the time to develop their own unique sound. By releasing music with an original sound...

It's hard to keep in touch with your fans via social media. Half the time, the algorithm doesn’t even show your post to your fans… Or when it does, your fans are scrolling through their feed at lightspeed and don’t even notice your post. Without a way to contact your fans directly, you're at risk of losing them forever. Social media platforms can be shut down (goodbye, Vine) or remove your account...