Learn how to book shows, rehearse, and record better with these articles on band management. To learn more, check out Soundfly’s free course Building a Better Band.
The sound guy/gal: The final piece between the killer show you have been rehearsing for for months, bringing down the house… or going up in smoke. The thing is though, sometimes they’re tired (they often work days and nights), or still irritated about the band last night who got too drunk and spilled beer all over the DI…
Reaching a large audience is a pretty tough undertaking, so it’s important to find ways to maximize your project’s online presence. In this video taken from our free course, “Touring on a Shoestring”, Jeremy Young walks us through some helpful tips for doing just that. Share your music online. One of the most important steps toward enhancing…
Congrats on getting the big gig! Whether you’re preparing for your band’s first show or your album-release party, these tips will help you learn how to promote your band, make your best impression on stage, and get invited back to the venue to do it all again. At Least One Week Before Put up posters…
This last January, some very good friends of mine in the Arizona band Sundressed woke up in Salt Lake City to their trailer stolen. It was later found but all the gear was emptied and they were out almost $10,000. On top of that, their tourmates, Papertowns., had their van break down in California and…
Whether we are firing up the van for a coast-to-coast tour or showing up for our first open mic, we as performing musicians must hold ourselves to professional standards. Of course, we will still maintain our DIY-punk aesthetic onstage, and in our day to day lives. But when it comes to our bands, we take things…
One of the worst things about being an independent musician is the feeling of stasis: when you have no shows coming up, or you just put out an album, but you still feel like you’re going nowhere. You feel powerless against the forces of the music industry and the insane number of other people just…
During a live gig, the relationship between the artist and audience is beyond that of simply performer and observer. Physically and emotionally, there’s little separation between both parties and a huge deal of direct interaction, both explicit and subliminal. Self-assurance is essential and, as with so much in life, confidence is the key. If a…
Most of us have a few horror stories involving raised voices, fallen tears, or temper tantrums. There was a time when I thought bad rehearsals were just one of the growing pains every band has to go through — as though a group wasn’t legit until someone kicked over a music stand. Thankfully, I have since…
After the breakup of seminal emo band, The Get Up Kids, frontman Matt Pryor said he found himself at a confusing spot within the work environment. Since he had been on tour for so many years, it seemed to be all he knew. He soon realized that being in a small but successful rock band taught…
By Sammy Wags Making a power trio, rock quartet, or any standard instrumental formation stand out in an ever growing crowd of great bands can be tough. Adding some subtle flavors and outside influences into the mix can be a great way to spice things up and give listeners something else to latch on to throughout…
