Bandhive

Artists: we know you’re busy and never have enough time to do any of the things you need to do. The good news is that there’s one time of year that’s great for getting things done. It’s the time of year where everyone bundles up, stays inside, and watches Netflix all night. Take a few of those hours spent watching your favorite show and spend that time improving your business instead. You won’t re...

Over your music career, you’ll play hundreds or even thousands of venues. When you’re just starting out, any show will be tempting to pick up… But over time, you’ll find that your audience seems to react best in certain types of venues. No matter which venue type you end up gravitating towards, it’s good to have a solid understanding of the different kinds of venues you could come across and the p...

Want to increase your SubmitHub success? Get a FREE email course here: https://bandhive.rocks/submithub-guide/ SubmitHub is a wonderful tool to send your music to bloggers, Spotify and YouTube playlisters, social media influencers, and even record labels… But, when you’re sending your music to people who’ve never heard it before, there’s bound to be some rejection... So how can you 1. Prepare your...

Gear Acquisition Syndrome, also known as “GAS” is a real issue for many musicians. Buying that one piece of gear will give you the tone you need, right? Unfortunately, often the gear isn’t the solution – but the time you spend searching for gear can be spent on something that will help you improve your tone. Listen now to learn how to get better sounds from your instrument without spending a fortu...

Touring bands were decimated in 2020 – and even though shows aren’t allowed right now (for good reason), we’re starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Now, do you want to be the band who scrambles to put together a tour when shows are allowed and safe, or do you want to be the band who has all their plans in place and just needs to book the shows when it’s time? The latter band has a b...

2020 isn’t going to be on anyone’s list of favorite years. In ten years it might be “that year we don’t talk about”. But that doesn’t mean we didn’t see some good things happen in 2020. For example, live streams becoming more popular isn’t a bad thing – I remember watching “pro shot” livestreams in 2010 that had awful quality, now anyone can beat that visual quality with an iPhone and some decent...

Everything about rebranding is a hassle. You have to get new graphics, a new website, tell everyone about the change, etc. etc. – the list is literally endless. But even with all that hassle, rebranding can be a highly effective move if you aren’t being recognized using your current name. We’re rebranding to Bandhive so our name is easier to remember and spell, and less outdated-sounding. Matt’s b...

Many musicians have figured out the secret sauce so they’re able to go on tour when they want to without quitting their job entirely. But some jobs are more flexible than others – if you can take 2 to 4 weeks off at a time, or work remotely during that time, that’s great! But if you can only get a long weekend here and there, it’ll be incredibly difficult to grow your music career. If that’s the c...

“Quality over quantity” is a phrase we’ve all heard at one time or another. But what does it really mean? Hearing that saying over and over has caused people to give up on their dreams because not every song they write is great. But really what it means is that you should only release your best work – that doesn’t mean everything you create will be gold. Many major artists write 50-100 songs for e...

Setting goals is an important part of any artists’ path to a healthy career. But you can’t just say, “I want to be as famous as Green Day!” and expect it to happen. Your goals have to be realistic, measured, and clearly defined. So what can you do to set goals for yourself that actually make sense? Listen now to find out what our top tips are to get you on the right path! What you’ll learn : How y...

30 years ago, being in a band with members spread out over multiple states or countries would have meant traveling for almost any group work such as songwriting or demoing. Now, thanks to the internet, it’s possible for bands to exist without ever having met each other in person. That’s not common, but there are bands like that out there. What’s more common are traditional bands with one or two me...

Music is an incredibly personal form of expression. It’s like you’re opening up your soul to your listeners… So when someone says they don’t like a certain part of your music, it can feel like a personal attack that cuts quite deeply. The good news is, most of the time that’s not how it’s intended, unless the person saying those things is a hater. But for the mass majority of people giving you fee...

For many artists, getting signed is a dream come true. Record deals aren’t one size fits all, but there are a few basic types that are most common. If you’re one of the thousands of artists hoping to get a record deal, do you know what kind of arrangement you want? Matt Bacon of Dropout Media was kind enough to hop on a call and outline the three types of deal that you’re most likely to come acros...

It can be scary to think about letting a stranger work on your music. What if they don’t share your vision? What about losing the feeling of accomplishment that you did all the work yourself? Those are valid concerns – but that doesn’t mean they should stop you. Building your creative team shouldn't be taken lightly, you need to do proper research and find people who will work well with you and un...

Branding is often the last thing that musicians have on their mind… But it’s actually one of the most important aspects of your business! Having good branding not only sets career musicians apart from hobbyists, it also gives your fans a cohesive experience with you. Some might say it shouldn’t matter for music, and that’s likely true… But that doesn’t matter, because there’s no changing it: witho...

A lot has changed in the music industry over the last decade – we’ve learned a lot in that time, and whether it’s due to the changing environment or just plain old experience, hindsight is 20/20. For the 50th episode of the Bandhive Podcast, Matt (Alive in Barcelona) and Aaron (Suburban Samurai) each came up with three things they would’ve done differently when starting their band if they had the...

It’s November 2020, and you haven’t played a show in over half a year. That also means you haven’t sold merch at a show in that same amount of time. Over the last few years, sales have been moving online – but the pandemic is forcing everyone’s hand to make the jump now . There’s a reason Amazon is doing more business than ever before. Are you going to take advantage of this shift and start growin...

It’s not often that a band celebrates their 25th anniversary – it’s a special milestone for any business, but especially in the music world it’s truly incredible. Ballyhoo! is one of the lucky few that has made it to this milestone, and they’ve done it based on the commitment, sacrifices, and pure drive of their members. Howi Spangler, singer and guitarist of Ballyhoo!, joins us on today’s episode...

You’ve probably heard of major artists pulling their music from streaming platforms, selling only one unique copy of an album, or some other creative stunt. These are great ideas for major artists . But if you, as an independent artist, decide to withhold your music from Spotify you’re shooting yourself in the foot. Don’t do that! We always like to say DIY musicians should watch major artists clos...

Releasing a single is a big moment for any artist. Whether you’re the artist who is building up to an EP or full-length album, the content creator who releases singles every month, or you’re releasing a one-off single just to get some music out there, there’s one common thread:  To truly take advantage of the boost a single could give you, there needs to be a solid plan around the release. Not onl...

In 30 seconds, you have to walk out onto a stage with hundreds of people in the audience. Your palms are sweaty, and your heart is pounding. It may feel like you’re the only one in the world who experiences the feeling of performance anxiety, also known as stage fright… But you’re not alone. From the artist who plays more than 800 takes of the same part trying to get the perfect one, to the singer...

In a time when music seems to become more and more of a commodity, one group is fighting back. Led by Aaron Zimmer, Leesta Vall Sound Recordings works with artists to create one of a kind, lathe cut records for fans. The records capture a unique moment in time, created specifically for each person who ordered a copy. Selling a copy of a song that only one person will ever have might seem counterin...

Typically when we hear about habits, it’s in the context of breaking bad habits. But there are good habits, too – habits that improve your life, business, and skills. The key to this is relying on habits rather than motivation. Motivation means you’ll end up doing things when you really need to, but only sporadically. Habits let you get into a groove so it’s not a question of if you’re going to do...

When it comes to being in a band, one thing matters above all else : your audience. Unfortunately, growing your audience isn’t easy. Keeping that audience engaged is even more difficult, but just as important as having the audience in the first place. An unengaged audience isn’t much more than numbers on a screen, but a highly engaged audience is pure profit – financially as well as for your soul....

Christian James of James and the Giant Sleep is a multi-talented songwriter, musician, and videographer on a mission. Christian’s passion lies in creating a lasting legacy with their music… But video is the key to making that happen. It’s important to have your priorities set straight, and that’s one of the many things Christian understands – and you should, too. Listen now to hear from Christian...