Blog: Musician Tips

FestivalNet

Outdoor events give rising performers strong chances to connect with new crowds. Yet the energy of open spaces can also expose weak points in planning and delivery. Many early struggles stem from simple oversights or minor details that can make huge differences in timing, comfort, and crowd engagement. These mistakes new performers make at outdoor events often reduce the impact of a show, even when the performer has solid talent and strong enthusiasm.

Live shows are about connection. For musicians, they’re also about growth. You want fans to remember your name, follow you online, and tell their friends. But handing out flyers won’t cut it anymore. You need music marketing tools that work. These tools help artists turn in-person energy into long-term loyalty. The right setup gives each show a chance to grow its following, boost sales, and build a recognizable presence.

Branded Photo Ops That Travel Online

People always snap photos at shows, so make those photos work for you. Set up a backdrop near the entrance with your logo, tour name, or sponsor branding. When fans take pictures in front of it, they create ready-made posts for social media that promote your brand. Those images spread across platforms, sharing your name without extra effort from your team. It’s simple, smart exposure that lasts beyond the show.

Festival logistics for musicians require careful planning to avoid stress and ensure a successful performance. You must organize travel, gear, and schedules. Musicians face challenges like travel delays, lost equipment, or tight schedules without preparation. Planning helps avoid these setbacks and lets performers focus on music. Organizing details, such as confirming accommodations, packing, and transporting instruments, simplifies the festival experience. A solid approach when you manage festival logistics ensures you are ready for anything, from last-minute changes to technical issues. With a plan in place, you minimize complications and enjoy a successful performance.

So, if you are ready to start booking gigs, you have:

▫️  Set up a good work space
▫️  Tried and true promo material in place
▫️  A good letter to send to promoters
▫️  Sorted your niche market and are ready to pitch to the right folks

As if booking gigs is not complicated enough, the reality is, each type of venue has it’s own booking time frame depending on who they are and what they do. Keep in mind this is a general rule, but one I have had success with. Here is what I have learned over many years of booking gigs for myself and artist I have represented.

An important rule of thumb:  Quite often, the decision makers will sit down and do all the booking for several months in one or two sittings. If your name is in front of them, and you have contacted them many times (sometimes many, many) through email and phone calls, you stand a better chance of getting hired. Yes leaving messages with gate keepers and bar tenders does help. And when the bookers do sit down (often randomly) to book their shows, your name will be in the pile. Persistence is the key.

Touring as a musician is a dream come true for many, but it comes with unique challenges that can test your physical and mental stamina. The long hours, constant travel, and back-to-back performances can quickly wear you down if you’re not prepared.

This guide offers five essential tips to help you maintain your stamina on tour, ensuring you stay at the top of your game while protecting your health and well-being.

1. Prioritize Sleep and Rest

Sleep is often the first casualty of a hectic touring schedule. Between booking events, travel, soundchecks, and performances, it’s tempting to cut corners on rest to squeeze in socializing or late-night jam sessions. However, sleep is critical for recovery, focus, and energy.

Did you know the percentage of times a festival will call you back is somewhere about 1%. And you only book about 10% of the festivals you pitch? So to get 10 gigs, you need to contact 100 festivals. And if you are not putting the right info out there, that 10% drops even lower! Now more than ever, it is important to be in reality and educate yourself to the strategies successful musicians use to GET A YES.

It is a novice mistake to blame FestivalNet.com if you are not getting booked. FestivalNet.com is a resource only, not a talent agency. And it is a good one. So, take the time and learn the difference.

Start by educating yourself on the different roles people and organizations play, and develop a lexicon of musical terms to understand how things really work (not just what you see on TV and in the movies).

Artist that get booked understand and implement the basic and necessary business strategies and practices to GET A YES. Artist that get booked are willing to make changes to their beliefs and face the realities of the music industry.

Musicians understand that moving musical equipment safely from one venue to another is no small feat. If you're a solo artist, part of a band, or getting booked at music festivals, ensuring your instruments and gear arrive in perfect condition is essential. With the right tips and preparation, you can protect your valuable equipment from damage and make transportation stress-free.

Prioritize Safety: Moving Musical Equipment Safely Begins With the Right Gear

The first step in moving musical equipment safely is selecting the right transportation gear. Professional-grade cases and padded covers are a must for each instrument, no matter how durable they might seem. Hard cases provide the best protection, especially for larger items like drum kits, amplifiers, or keyboards. These cases help absorb the shock of road travel and prevent scratches, dents, or internal damage. For delicate instruments like violins or guitars, padded interiors with secure straps are vital to minimize movement during transportation.

The frustration of your communications being ignored and going unanswered is enough to make some musicians throw in the towel immediately. But there are perfectly legitimate reasons why venues both local and national either simply can't or choose not to reply to every band that reaches out to them (and there's probably a lot of them).

A talent buyer's motivation for not giving one particular email the time of day could depend on a variety of factors — so making an effort to put yourself in their shoes could make the difference in whether you end up getting through. So if you're wondering why venues just don't return your emails, here are just a few common reasons.

Unreadable and uninformative messages

When you contact venues about a show, what you write and how you write it both matter. Nothing says "waste of time" more than an unsolicited email rife with spelling and grammar errors because if you can't be bothered to care about spelling, it sends the message that you don't care about your art, either.

As a musician, booking events and selling merchandise is essential for building a successful and sustainable career. However, competing in a market with limited opportunities and networking challenges can be discouraging. In this article, we’ll guide you through actionable tips and suggestions to increase your chances of booking events, boost your merchandise sales, and establish a professional social media presence to excel your music career. 

Music festivals are a fantastic platform for musicians to showcase their talent, connect with a diverse audience, and gain valuable exposure. However, getting booked to perform at a festival can be a competitive process. In this blog post, we'll share some effective tips and strategies to help musicians increase their chances of getting booked at a music festival. Keep in mind the event does not have to be a music festival per se. Many art fairs and expos also book entertainment and often have decent entertainment budgets.

Getting booked to spin tunes at a music festival is a dream for many DJs. With over 32 million people attending music festivals in the US every year, getting a gig at events like Riot Fest, Bonnaroo, Desert Daze, or at Love-In Music Festival guarantees maximum exposure for DJs, which can lead to more high profile gigs in the future. If you want to share your unique take on music with a diverse audience at a festival, you need more than just passion to do well at this type of event. Knowing how to put on a performance and proper preparation is key for a successful DJ debut. Here's what you need to do before DJing for the first time at a music festival.     

Booking music festivals is a dream come true for many aspiring musicians and bands. The opportunity to perform in front of enthusiastic crowds and gain exposure can be a game-changer for your career. However, with numerous talented artists vying for limited slots, putting your best foot forward is essential. We'll explore valuable strategies and tips to help you successfully book music festivals and increase your chances of being selected.

Crafting an Irresistible Pitch

The first step in securing a music festival slot is creating an irresistible pitch that grabs the attention of the organizers. The pitch should be concise while showcasing your unique sound and what sets you apart from other artists. Here are some tips to help you craft a compelling pitch.

You wouldn't pick just anybody to play in your band. You want the best you can get, someone who adds something to the music you're creating. You should approach hiring artist consultants or music management companies the same way. Chances are, you already know what to look for in a bass player or a producer. But, do you know what to look for in a music management company? Obviously, you need someone you can trust both personally and professionally. But what else should you be looking for in music management companies?

Music festivals are a great way for entertainers to showcase their talent and reach new audiences & potential fans. However, booking a gig at a music festival is often a competitive and challenging process. Using FestivalNet to find music festivals is a great start to help you get ahead of deadlines.  You also want to send professional, personalized emails and follow up with a phone call.  Here are some more tips to help you increase your chances of getting booked for a music festival:

As you plan your digital promotion strategy, one thing to think about is whether contextual content can help connect audiences closer to your music. You can use your own social channels to create a content universe — articles, videos, social posts, and other interactive elements — to drive an emotional connection between your songwriting and your listeners.

Here are a few tips for crafting compelling stories to accompany and provide context for your music, online or otherwise.

Marketing, or rather lack of it, is why many musicians don’t get where they could have otherwise been, and why they struggle to make sales, get gigs, and generally move their music career forward in any meaningful way. The good news, however, is if you’re willing to put in the work, it’s possible to learn how to market your music. But, before learning specific tactics, it’s important you get a good idea of what music marketing is and isn’t.

There are a lot of festivals. There are also a lot of different types of festivals. Your music may not be the right kind for every festival. So before you spend time and money applying to every festival in the world, make sure you narrow down your selections to ones that you stand a chance of being at.

Metal Is Not Edible

We're going to go ahead and get your first restriction out of the way. If you play heavy, dark, and/or depressing music, you've already been axed from a large majority of events. Remember, a lot of festivals are street fairs, city fairs, corporate events, etc. They are generally trying to cater to a crowd full of families, kids, and people shopping at all the vendor booths. They want live music that is "appropriate" for the vibe of the festival.

Make sure you have three bios: a long one, a short one (1 or 2 paragraphs, definitely under 500 words) and an elevator pitch. Make sure every bio includes pronunciation of the name. Your bio should be written in the third person.

Your long and short bios can be on your website. The elevator pitch is not mean to be written anywhere, but just for you to think about.


Your long bio can be structured like this:

A recent survey done by Gallup found that 54% of households have someone that plays a musical instrument or sings. If you're one of those people, you might know that this fun hobby can turn into a real passion and a way of expressing yourself with live music. If you want to start your career in the music industry, then a small music festival could be the ideal informal place to do this. It gives you the opportunity to network with other artists in the music scene. There are a plethora of great venues to choose from. You can book a slot on stage or sign up for an open mic session and start playing to an audience that really appreciates your music. 

Practice and submissions

If you want to get a place on one of the smaller stages at a local festival, you will probably have to make a submission to them online. Choose festivals that are a good fit with your music and you are more likely to get in. Practice your stage routine regularly in its entirety and make a decent video of it.