Before we get started, I’ve got a freebie. If you’re interested in planning a tour and don’t know where to start, download our free Tour Planning Checklist. It will give you a list of items you need to do to get your tour off to a great start.
Click here to download the free Tour Planning Checklist.My first tour was a short weekend in Tennessee and Mississippi. I had booked one convention gig and I booked a few other gigs to fill out the weekend. It was super short and by some accounts it might not have been an actual tour, but you couldn’t tell me I wasn’t a touring artist. It was invigorating to be on the road traveling to a destination where people are expecting you to come play for them. If you’re an artist needing encouragement to go on tour or have been waiting for something to happen first, wait no longer. Now is the time! Here are 5 benefits to touring as an independent artist…
#1 Touring Increases Your Income
You can earn fast money by touring. Your music is a cash cow, which is a business, investment, or product that provides a steady income. If you need to earn extra cash, take a short weekend tour and go get your money. That’s the beauty of being an independent artist! You can determine how much money you need ahead of time and book shows that will help you achieve that. I know this can feel like it’s easier said than done and it can seem impossible when you’re first starting out. But persevere. If you don’t know how to book gigs for yourself, take this 4-Day e-Course on How to Book Gigs. It will show you the best practices and tactics for a successful booking on your own. If your music and presentation are decent, you will find out that booking gigs are more like a numbers game. When I started booking shows for myself, I realized that I had a close rate. For every number of venues reached out to, there was a corresponding average number of responses I would get, and out of those responses, there was an average number of offers I would get. I used this formula to book all my tours and I had a really good success rate in filling dates on my tour. As time goes on, booking will become a lot easier and you will start to see your offers increasing in volume and quality.
Touring is not only just for fast money. You can support yourself and even a family just by consistent touring. This kind of lifestyle will take time to achieve because you will have to build up good contacts and a support base, but you have to start somewhere. That’s why now is the time. The sooner you start, the sooner you can achieve goals.
A Lesson On Goal Setting – How to Actually Achieve Goals
#2 You’ll have more opportunities
There are only so many opportunities you can have in your hometown. Sooner or later you will be over-saturated in your home market and performance opportunities will come to a plateau. Touring offers a way to branch out with more venues to play and new fans to meet. You can also connect with other artists and do show trades in neighboring cities. You will eventually connect with fans who might be willing to host house concerts or even hire you for private engagements.
#3 Build a Broader Fanbase
Touring offers the best way to meet new fans and grow your fanbase. People in cities other than yours are very appreciative that you came to their town and often a lot more welcoming. In a lot of cases, people in other cities are more eager to connect with you than people in your own town. Somehow in their minds, you have more credibility if you are a touring artist than if you are a local artist. Be sure to collect contact information and stay in contact with those that you meet. If you don’t have their information, there’s no way for you to keep the connection and grow your fanbase.
How I Get Subscribers on my Mailing List
[bctt tweet=”Being able to stop at a waterpark while on the road is a privilege. I love touring.” username=”IndieArtistsDIY”]
#4 You Get to Travel & Experience the World
This goes without saying but a big benefit to touring is getting to travel. Being able to stop and take a tour of a cave or stop at a waterpark on the way back home is a privilege people with ‘day jobs’ aren’t able to do on a regular basis. That’s one of the perks of being a full-time independent artist. You show up to perform for a couple of hours, get paid, and then you’re off again going to the next town. Your music can bring you around the world. Let it. You can book a tour pretty much anywhere you want to go. Music can give you a reason to visit places you never dreamed of visiting, even foreign countries.
#4 Build a Hosting Network
I met an artist while on tour once and he said he goes on tour every year, visiting mostly the same venues. He books his tours easily because he has a network of contacts probably on speed dial. It took him a while to build his network, but it pays off in dividends every year. Once you start traveling and connecting with people, you will start to build your network too. Your network can take you to higher levels in your career. Music is all about who you know.
If you’re considering touring but haven’t made the jump, stop messing around and get your butt on the road. You’re missing out on a lot of benefits by not touring. I just listed 5 of them. Just do it.
Did you like this article? Check out the Tour Series:
How to Book a Tour
A Sample Tour Budgeting Spreadsheet (Free Download)
A Tour Planning Checklist
The Fool-Proof Guide to Filling Empty Tour Dates
How to Break Even or Turn a Profit on Your Tour
