Getting Started Touring

Musician Life - REAL TALK: with David Shanhun

Today we're talking about Getting Started Touring as a musician, and in particular as an indie or unsigned artist. I'm adding a few things in the show notes as I missed one thing in particular relating to your budgeting and how you receive money when touring.

Mostly - take a breath (I should have possibly paid attention to this mid podcast), and maybe grab a pen and paper to jot down any useful ideas that you can use! There's a lot and it'll be up to you to grab and use what is useful to you.

Basic 3 steps to get you on the road:

1. Book your calender out with 'on tour'
2. Research similar artists and their tour posters and venues they've played at.
3. Email those venues saying you'll be on tour and want to know if they're available on 'x' date, and what their usual setup is.

From there you can tweak and improve how your touring goes, how hectic or relaxed it is, and we talk about managing marketing, accomodation, PA and sound requirements, as well as planning some R&R, and budgeting and merch. It's a lot to pack into a short podcast!

Here's what I missed out with touring and budgeting:

You usually pay for a whole lot upfront, and then receive money after the shows. That is - you'll usually pay for venue hire, ordering merch, advertising etc all before you receive any income from the shows. If this feels like a lot - plan a mini tour to get used to it to get things started. Maybe 3-4 shows. Treat it a little bit like learning a new skill, and realise that you'll be a beginner the first time around. That's ok, and it can still go great - it will likely just feel like a lot more effort the first time, than it will the 2nd and 3rd and 4th times around!

Wrapping up - there's so much joy that comes from putting it all together and then going out and playing your shows on tour, and I wish you all the joy of doing it! ...also not going to sugarcoat it - it does require a lot of work!

Happy planning!

xoxo

David