The previous few years have seen the music trade give attention to platforms like TikTok and Instagram, in addition to social media normally. It began to really feel like social media following and an artist’s branding was every part. Publish the appropriate TikTok, go viral, and abruptly you’re the following large factor!
Nonetheless, increasingly more artists are realizing that social media doesn’t at all times translate into devoted superfans. An age-old technique is having a critical comeback as music lovers search for a possibility to place their telephones down; that technique is stay exhibits.
Actual individuals. Actual vitality. Actual connections.
Whereas playlisting and streaming are nonetheless key elements of a contemporary launch technique, stay efficiency is the place true long-term followers are made. It’s one factor to get 10,000 streams on a observe, it’s one other to have 20 individuals come as much as you after a efficiency saying, “That music hit me.”
The influence of stay music isn’t nearly efficiency, it’s about presence and connection. When somebody sees you on stage, hears your tales between songs, and feels your music in a room full of individuals, that reminiscence sticks. It’s sticky in a approach a scrollable feed simply… isn’t.
However right here’s the laborious half: how do you really get these exhibits?
The truth is, reserving stay gigs continues to be one of the vital complicated elements of being an unbiased artist. Today it requires a major social buzz or prior tour historical past to get a reserving agent to even look in your path. Brokers need to see proof that you’ve got potential to generate ticket gross sales to allow them to be assured taking a guess on signing you. The choice is doing it your self. Some artists depend on associates. Some cold-email venues. Some ship 100 DMs and by no means hear again. It’s exhausting.
Sadly, most conventional sources on the market, like Pollstar, boards, and reserving databases, are outdated, generic, or simply not constructed for rising artists.
The reality? There’s no one-size-fits-all technique. However there is a greater strategy.
Begin with comparable artists
One of many smartest methods to ebook exhibits proper now could be by reverse-engineering the touring path of artists who’re one step forward of you.
Give it some thought: if there’s an artist in your scene who has 2x your month-to-month listeners, makes comparable music, and has performed 5 exhibits in your area, likelihood is these venues may give you the results you want too.
It’s not about copying, it’s about understanding the panorama. You’re not guessing the place to play. You’re utilizing knowledge to make focused and strategic strikes.
Constructing your reserving community
When you’ve recognized the appropriate venues, it’s all about contact. Not simply emailing “data@venue.com” and hoping for the most effective, however discovering the precise expertise purchaser, promoter, or booker for that area.
Deal with your reserving outreach such as you would with playlist curators: human, respectful, and particular. Point out why you’d be a terrific match. Reference different acts they’ve booked. Preserve it actual.
Relationships matter in reserving simply as a lot as they do in streaming. Expertise patrons are individuals, too. They need to know you’re skilled, ready, and convey one thing their viewers will join with.
Make your outreach depend
Right here’s a fast reserving guidelines:
- Don’t simply mass-email. Curate your pitch primarily based on the venue, metropolis, and different acts they ebook.
- Embody hyperlinks to your greatest stay footage, not simply Spotify.
- Point out any native attracts or earlier exhibits within the space.
- Present that you just’ve finished your homework on the venue or promoter.
- Comply with up (however don’t spam).
And bear in mind: the aim isn’t simply a gig, it’s the appropriate gig. Taking part in the appropriate room in entrance of 40 engaged individuals can do greater than being ignored by 400.
Why stay exhibits nonetheless matter
As a result of on the finish of the day, stay exhibits are the place your superfans are born.
They’re the place strangers change into followers, followers change into ticket patrons, and ticket patrons change into road team-level advocates. They’ll stream every part, purchase merchandise, and convey associates to the following present. And so they’ll bear in mind you.
You’ll be able to’t faux that. You’ll be able to’t automate it. You simply have to indicate up.
One instrument that helps
For those who’re critical about taking part in extra exhibits and need to make that “reverse-engineer different artists’ gigs” technique work, there’s a instrument we’ve been seeing loads of indie artists use these days: Reserving-Agent.io.
It’s principally a real-time search engine that helps you uncover venues, expertise patrons, and occasion promoters primarily based on the place similar-sounding artists have already performed or by a selected metropolis and style. Not a listing, a dynamic, stay instrument that pulls up the information and contacts you really want.
It exhibits venue data like capability, promoter emails, and even has a map view to assist route your tour.
It’s not going to do the give you the results you want. However it is going to prevent hours of digging and provide help to give attention to gigs that make sense to your sound and degree. The remainder is on you.
For those who’re able to cease guessing and begin constructing your stay presence in an actual approach, it’s value trying out.
As a result of it doesn’t matter what occurs with the algorithm this 12 months… there’s nonetheless nothing extra highly effective than being within the room along with your viewers.
Your future followers are on the market, ready to listen to you carry out stay.
