Posted on October 18, 2022

How To Throw Awesome Events as a Musician

By John Reynolds
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Have you ever wondered how to throw an awesome event as a musician?

As an independent artist, concerts and events are some of the most important sources of revenue you can come by. More than just cash, events offer you a powerful instance to maximize fan engagement and allow you to broadcast your brand message directly to listeners. That moment where you reach over the crowd, shake a hand at the entrance, or give your 2 cents between a track are the memories fans will hold onto for the rest of their lives, and memories are worth more than gold.

If you’re going to throw an event, here’s a quick guide to help you plan. So long as you consider each element on this checklist, you will have the right perspective moving through the unknown until your special day.

1. Prioritize Your Event Goals and Pick a Theme

Setting reasonable goals is one of the most crucial elements in learning how to prepare for a concert or event. Ask yourself the question; what do you hope to achieve with this concert? Be it brand notoriety or making bank, prioritizing will allow you to pick the nitty-gritty details without any anxiety.

Once you’ve determined this order start working top to bottom from the essentials to the perks. Is having a VIP gift basket more important than a sponsor? Does security need to be at every table or every existence? Does your venue need to be high end or will an industrial space do the trick?

The best live music performances are driven by a concept or subject. Everything at an event—from the audience to the location and other activities—as well as the style of the event’s decorations and merchandise—is influenced by this idea. Once your priority list is aligned, your theme is going to answer most of the remaining questions as to what everything is going to look like, and how it will be experienced by the guests.

Think about the people at your event while choosing a theme and aesthetic. Remember, if you don’t buy it, neither will they. It is not about finding something trendy, it is about finding originality in presenting your brand and an appropriate delivery for your crowd. 

2. Establish a Budget That is Realistic

It can be tempting to calculate your budget by estimating how many people will attend your concert, multiplying that number by the estimated ticket price, and adding the results together.

But that is incorrect. Before anything else, you’ll need a detailed budget plan to ensure that you have enough money to cover costs, account for emergencies, and turn a profit (if that’s one of your goals). Think first out of pocket, second your personal investors, third your sponsors, and finally a producer, as they will surely be expecting a heavy percentage of the overall sales.

Throw an Awesome Event as a Musician
How to Throw an Awesome Event as a Musician

Create a line item for each category and use the remaining items on this list to decide what you’ll need for your event.

Always take into account a slush fund that represents between 10 to 20 percent of your funds dedicated to emergencies and unforeseen costs. This will ensure that you are prepared for everything that may arise.

3. Find a Talented Lineup that Includes Yourself

The ambiance of your event will be largely influenced by the musical talent you invite. Depending on the kind of talent you wish to hire, this can also be one of your key budget lines.

If you’re the headliner of your own party, you will be cutting costs in a pretty efficient way, and inviting your collaborators to join in the fun. If you are inviting a bigger name than yourself to build new relationships, keep in mind that top talent takes top dollar unless you have a convincing or unique type of advantage to offer them via the event. 

Look for talent that complements the theme and goals of your event. There is no point in attempting to showboat your brand if it can’t handle the response and pay for the follow-up. Make sure that their audience and the one you are targeting for the event have a lot in common when picking performers. For instance, the last thing you want is a band performing for a mostly senior citizen-filled gathering while you promote a millennial post-apocalyptic brand, it needs to fit. Even if your performer is the hottest act in town, if it is too far off target you will have created your own PR disaster.

Remember that if you hire talent from outside the area, you’ll probably have to foot the bill for their travel. If you’re not careful, this could push you beyond your budget. Selecting local talent will allow you to cut costs and increase your notoriety in the community so stay local unless it’s really really worth it.

Bringing in top talent is an opportunity to expand your sponsors. If you’re dead set on bringing bigger fish to the table, try and target brands or investors that will come along with the name. But whatever you do, STAY ON TARGET!

4. Pick a Venue That Fits Your Crowd

Numerous locations are prepared for accepting live music, from bars, lounges, and restaurants, to event halls, parks, and stadiums.

If you intend to use an indoor location, confirm that it has a stage and seating arrangement that are appropriate for the style of music you have selected. It should also have expertise in hosting live music because sound engineers or techs are an absolute must.

Outdoor locations can be terrific options if you have a barbecue element and or rustic-styled theme. Despite having greater production expenses and more weather-related unknowns, outdoor locations have a charm that is hard to match with an indoor venue and allows for greater flexibility regarding capacity.

If you do decide on an outside setting, be sure to prepare a backup plan in case of weather, including rain, snow, wind, heat, cold, and other environmental factors. Big tents can only solve so much, your gear needs to be properly weatherproofed or at least organized in a way to minimize any kind of backlash.

The crowd will have an impact on the energy of your show, and the size of your venue will have a significant impact on the crowd. It’s usually preferable to choose a somewhat smaller venue that you’re confident you can fill because the crowd’s energy will be affected greatly by the space.

As soon as you’ve agreed on that crucial piece of the jigsaw, the rest of the event’s elements will start to fall into place, so you should book your venue as soon as possible. Your relationship with the venue is an important factor to consider in your progress, don’t piss them off, and don’t oversell your hand, make a promise and deliver.

5. Event Permits and Liability Insurance

You might need to obtain permission for alcohol, food, music, and even sometimes the event itself depending on the venue you choose and the city you are in.

To determine what you need for your circumstance, check with your venue and the relevant municipal authorities. Regulatory elements may divert some thematic factors of the event but overall, unless you are throwing a bush rave, you will have to work through them or risk facing legal penalties.

Purchasing insurance for your event is another smart move. A lot of events will have security, medical and damages covered by a daily insurance contract, usually costing a per-person amount so your numbers should be well evaluated prior to meeting a broker. Many common accidents will be covered, and your venue might even insist on it,

MPT Agency Event Tip: don’t cheap out on security find more sponsors and pay to have things on lockdown

6. Set the Time and Date in Stone

Your target audience and the nature of your event will determine the best day and time. A nighttime environment, where you need lighting and backdrops to build the mood and tone, works better for some themes but is not a rule of thumb.

Other ideas and settings, especially those outdoors, will be more manageable logistically for daytime parties and may cost less in logistical setups.

Remember that your audience will have times that are most convenient for them as well. To choose the optimum day and time for your concert, consider factors like school, work, and holiday calendars. A lot of events have been botched because the artist chose something that was appropriate for them but had a more powerful cultural instance at the same time.

Once it is analyzed and decided to avoid changing it at all costs, a canceled event or altered time that was caused by an unpredictable event is forgivable, everything else demonstrates a lack of preparedness.

7. Identify the equipment that is required when you are about to throw an awesome event as a musician

Determine what equipment you’ll need for the performance and whether the venue can provide any of it or not. By speaking with your musical talent and the location you can easily get a checklist and evaluate if the venue or even the act will be worth it. A stage, speakers, microphones, a sound system, lighting, and other audio/visual gear may be included with the venue, but specialized equipment is seldom found for live music.

Find out from your musical talent what gear they will be bringing themselves and what you are in charge of. Consider the acoustics of your venue, if the musical performance will require any amplification, the best seating arrangements, and the space’s dead zones.

Make sure you have a plan in place to shield the equipment from the elements if your venue is outside. Ask how long setup and breakdown will take, as well as whether they require access to electricity, a loading dock, or any other special access, as you consult with vendors, performers, and the venue to establish your equipment needs.

You must include these specifics in your plan if you want to prevent costly blunders.

8. Construct a Cozy Atmosphere

Establishing or equipping a backstage area will keep your talent at ease and aid in their preparation. Any semi-private or private section in your venue can serve as this location, but it must be conveniently located near the restrooms and the stage.

By giving your musical talent access to water, soft drinks, snacks, and other modest essentials, you can make the backstage area comfortable and double it down as a VIP.

If they require space to change, warm up, or rest in between sets, let them know in advance. The ease of use for your audience will depend on where they can find restrooms, drinks, and comfortable seats. If your site is outdoors, ensure there is adequate protection from the elements or have a backup plan in case of bad weather. Make sure to include a plan for everyone’s safety as well.

In accordance with the size of your audience and the available space, you should have enough security, medical support, and event assistants each with dedicated zones covering their needs.

9. Start the Ticket Sales Early

You’ll need to sell tickets if you want to profit from the show.

To provide printed or digital tickets for your event, you can collaborate with a ticketing provider but ultimately a spreadsheet and a clipboard will do the trick.

Some ticketing platforms let you use your own branding on the tickets, accept several payment options, and have different price tiers. Many will also come with a website for tickets and social media account integration. The concert’s time and date should be properly displayed on the ticket, along with information about where to sit and a clear return/refund policy.

MPT Agency Event Tip: Have a return policy that makes sense with your budget, don’t feel obliged if you are working on a tight ship, your fans may be loyal but it is a public event.

10. The Promo Cycle

The success of your concert will be directly correlated to how well it is promoted. Just like any other event. You’ll need a marketing strategy that considers your event’s concept, target market, and the musical talent you’ve enlisted.

Make sure to focus more on a single channel to vector your fan base and give them information about the event. When collaborating with other talents to spread the word, your artistic assets like posters & flyers need to be adaptable so they can use it where ever their niche may be. With the aid of event partners, you may broaden your audience and communicate your message more effectively. Your event can benefit from the support of sponsors, vendors, concert promoters, ticket dealers, and the venue. Get everyone on board with the idea and objectives of the event, and make it simple for them to promote.

By offering social media, email, and print assets that they can share, you can get everyone on the same page about the idea and objectives of the event and make it simple for them to promote it. Don’t forget to take pictures and videos both before and during the event. When you follow up on the event, these will become marketing gold, and they could be really helpful if you’re thinking about turning it into a series or repeating it the following year.

MPT Agency’s How to Throw an Awesome Event as a Musician

In MusicPromoToday’s marketing catalog the event world is a key focus, as this is where our artists can strut their stuff. Without your promo amounting to a concert or super event, you are only displaying a fragment of your talent. Be bold, believe, and if you have stage fright get over that as soon as you can, this key element in your artist toolbox cannot be ignored or substituted for anything else.

To find out what other services can enhance your musical career, make sure you check our blog regularly and follow us on Instagram for more music marketing-related updates.


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    Posted on August 29, 2022

    Eight Challenges You’ll Face While on Tour

    By Barbara Drews
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    Touring and performing live may be incredible experiences.

    On fantastic evenings, when everything is going well, you get to enjoy the rush of singing your music in front of an appreciative audience.

    Yes, outstanding concerts may result in new fans, merchandise sales, more gigs, and positive publicity.

    But, no matter how prepared you are, there are always SOME parts of performing live that are beyond your control. What if THOSE things don’t go as planned?

    Here are 8 challenges most touring artists will face:

    Sound Issues

    Perhaps the PA is malfunctioning. Maybe you arrive and learn you have to run sound yourself. There are insufficient inputs. There is just one monitor available. The microphones are gone. Perhaps the sound engineer is simply dialing it in.

    On tour, you will experience sound problems at some time. 

    Can you persevere and yet put on an excellent show?

    Venue Problems

    Staff who are rude. Regulars who are hostile. The acoustics are terrible. There is no green room. “You can’t obtain your drink tickets until after your show ends at 1 am,” says the bartender.

    Every musician has experienced walking into a new setting and instantly thinking, “Oh, this isn’t good.” Can you still put on a good show?

    Tiredness and grumpiness

    Touring is physically and mentally demanding. Long days on the road. Sleep deprivation due to late nights. Every day, for weeks on end, I’m in close quarters with the same folks.

    Can you find space, rest, and maintain communication clear and healthy in the meantime?

    Outdoor concerts take place… outside

    Excessive heat or humidity. Frozen fingers. Computers and effects that do not function. You can’t see the LEDs. Listeners might be found in a park or plaza. The sound is leaking into the outside air.

    Outdoor performances are terrible. Can you get through it without sucking?

    Wildcard performers on the bill

    The other act might be critical and cliquish. If you want to impress them, you may feel intimidated. After the first set, all of their supporters were free to depart. The band may rage at each other onstage, scold the crowd, and then split up in the parking lot (true story).

    The other performers might have a significant influence on the overall vibe of your performance. Can you still deliver?

    Gear failure

    Your in-ear monitors do not pick up on the click. A beloved synth fails in the middle of the concert. During a solo, your guitar string snaps.

    Your tools will fail. Can you continue with the show?

    Vehicle failures

    It’s not just about your instruments. Your car or van may also fail you. Your flight or train may be delayed or canceled. Anyone who has traveled knows that you can’t always get from one place to another on time. If you break down in a small town on Sunday, you’ll be much more delayed.

    Can you keep your cool and solve the challenge as soon as possible?

    The “stage” does not exist

    Of course, this is part of the venue issues, but it deserves its own area. When you arrive, you see the stage is an 8×8 piece of plywood. The band will not fit. The performing space is partially obscured by a massive pillar. 

    Worse, there is no stage at all. You’re in the corner of the room, and some drunk is certain to knock the mike into your teeth.

    Can you handle it?

    These are just a few of the things that are guaranteed to go wrong on tour. You won’t always be able to “fix” these problems, but you should be prepared to work around them.

    Know that if you put on a terrific show, the audience will have a great time.

    Make sure you check our blog regularly and follow us on Instagram for more music marketing-related updates.


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      Posted on August 8, 2022

      Ape Rave Club Performed At Tomorrowland Music Fest: What Does This Mean For Web3?

      By Yvonne Martin
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      Tomorrowland; one of the biggest EDM festivals on the planet, welcomed the first-ever NFT artist to perform at this festival. Ape Rave Club captured the attention of the global dance-music community, which was seen by over half a million fans. 

      The exciting and groundbreaking performance was the first of its kind, and a one-of-a-kind visual spectacle as Ape Rave Club bridges the physical world with the metaverse. 

      Steve Aoki also made a presence! He wore a jacket with the image of a bored ape on the back.

      nft now posted a picture on Instagram saying: “@aperaveclub made its debut today on the main stage of Belgium’s @tomorrowland, one of the biggest dance music festivals in the world. 🙌 Which festival will NFTs take over next?”

      View this post on Instagram

      A post shared by nft now 💭 (@nftnow)

      According to reports, the concert was headed by an “NFT Artist.” 

      Ape Rave Club released photos of the performance on their Twitter account, showing an artist wearing a BAYC NFT mask performing music with the caption “A @BoredApeYC on the @tomorrowland main stage. We are just getting started! 🍌🔊”

      Tomorrowland and NFTs

      Tomorrowland, a well-known music event, has been being held for the last 17 years. However, Tomorrowland is now entering the NFT arena with its Medallion of Memoria collection, which will grant unique admission to its events, according to a recent blog on its website.

      So what does this mean for Web3?

      Tomorrowland and Ape Rave Club collaborating might be seen as a minor step toward Web 3.0. It remains to be seen if this will signal a dramatic change in entertainment toward a “decentralized internet.” 

      For the time being, the wider cryptocurrency and NFT industry are in a highly restrained phase, with asset values falling drastically. 

      Only time will tell if Ape Rave Club’s NFT artist status will have a long-term impact.

      About Ape Rave Club

      Ape Rave Club is one of the world’s first blockchain artists. The idea of Bored Ape Yacht Club, one of the most popular NFT communities in the world, with members including Steph Curry, Mark Cuban, Justin Beiber, and Paris Hilton. They join Wuki’s Wobblebug as one of the world’s first decentralized artists, with intentions to distribute original music via NFT platforms.

      Ape Rave Club is here to introduce a new generation of musicians to the world of electronic music. They are delighted to define the future of music on web3 with the support of some of the most interesting producers and creatives in dance music and NFTs.

      Tomorrowland’s website indicates that Ape Rave Club is tied to the iconic BAYC (Bored Ape Yacht Club) NFT project, which is established on the Ethereum blockchain. According to Tomorrowland’s blog, BAYC #9184 is also behind the Ape Rave Club. Ape Rave Club has made headlines following a recent performance on Tomorrowland’s stage.

      In other news…

      Ape Rave Club also released a new single “Dance Alone”

      Ape Rave Club showcases a clean-cut modern production approach with distorted vocals that create a mesmerizing trance while a rhythmic kick keeps a solid tech-house beat, as one would expect from a rising generation artist.

      While the first intriguing build collapses into jackin’ electronic bursts with strong basslines, Ape Rave Club surprises with vibrant keys that pay homage to early dance music traditions.

      Ape Rave Club is an artist to keep an eye on, with the possibility of NFT drops with real-world utilities, extraordinary experiences, and an entirely new method to combine the music business with blockchain technology.

      With Ape Rave Club’s appearance on Tomorrowland’s stage, he just made history, and many more will follow in the artist’s footsteps as he raises the bar.
      Make sure you check our blog regularly and follow us on Instagram for more NFT and music marketing-related updates.


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        Posted on August 5, 2022

        How And Why Billie Eilish Won Glastonbury

        By John Reynolds
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        Glastonbury returned to tremendous excitement following a pandemic-induced hiatus, making it the first one since 2019. Since then, the music industry has evolved dramatically, with streaming becoming more popular than ever and TikTok firmly established as a cornerstone of the industry. 

        Back in 2019, the typical practice was to examine how much Glastonbury increased streaming statistics for artists on the bill, but in today’s climate, the influence on an artist’s fans is perhaps more essential.

        The BBC and Glastonbury partnership is a fandom engine room

        Glastonbury is significant because it is aired (on TV and radio) and streamed in the UK by BBC, which is unusual in today’s on-demand world: it is a cultural event.

        Cultural moments in music have mostly vanished as a result of cultural splintering and fanbase fragmentation, being replaced by the asynchronous paradigm enabled by streaming. Summers used to be soundtracked by classics that everyone recognized; now, thanks to algorithms and personalization, everyone gets their summer hit.

        Meanwhile, streaming has transformed music into a utility, more of a background soundtrack to our everyday lives than a cultural touchstone. If streaming has transformed music into the water, we now require cups to sip it from. 

        In the United Kingdom, Glastonbury provides a counterweight to that dynamic, offering a few days for everyone, from casual viewers to die-hard music enthusiasts, to witness amazing music – music that is, significantly, frequently outside of what they would normally listen to.

        This is significant because streaming algorithms give more of what we enjoy, narrowing our cultural breadth. Glastonbury’s curated and diversified lineup, augmented by the experienced curation and programming of a national broadcaster, frees music lovers from the algorithm cage. 

        There aren’t many algorithms that would show Wolf Alice next to Diana Ross. Thus, the Glastonbury/BBC collaboration provides real-world evidence of how true discovery may be reintroduced into music. It is enhancing rather than replacing streaming.

        Finding new audiences

        So much for the consumer case; what about the artist? What an artist (and labels) want is a long-term increase in fanbases, not simply a transient spike in streaming. Big streaming counts are a terrific calling card, but they do not stack up for most artists unless they are massive. 

        A weekend increase is only valuable if it lays the groundwork for a longer-term fandom rise. So, what is truly important is how a one-time event fosters fanbase growth. But how does that work? It just so happens that MIDiA is presently developing a fanbase assessment tool called Music Index.

        Let’s look at some MIDiA Index data to see how big of an impact Glastonbury has already had on the musicians that played there.

        Index creates artist cohorts to permit comparisons among comparable artists, with the best performing artist in each category indexed as 100 and the others against that basis. So we created a Glastonbury cohort to measure these artists’ fanbase and engagement impact. Looking at the top five artists in our ‘engagement’ metric (a hybrid measure that incorporates streaming, YouTube, and so on), Kendrick Lamar was the obvious victor, with AJ Tracey a close second and Wet Leg a close third. These three artists made the most money during and after Glasto.

        Because the great majority of established musicians do not rely on streaming as their primary source of revenue, gauging engagement is merely one piece of the puzzle. That gets us to our next statistic, ‘fandom,’ a hybrid metric that encompasses a wide range of fandom and social behaviors. 

        The rankings are significantly different, with Billie Eilish, who was not even in the top five for ‘engagement,’ not only coming out on top but much ahead of the rest. In comparison to engagement, the distance to second and third place is substantially greater. Regardless, Kendrick Lamar takes another podium slot and had a bigger uplift than Megan Thee Stallion, who was already more highly regarded before Glasto and continues to lead.

        Wikipedia is a crucial input for MIDiA’s Music Index. It is a significantly underappreciated artist measure that is top of mind for music marketers. Wikipedia is so helpful since it reflects a customer’s desire to learn more about the artist. It’s a fandom engagement metric. A Wikipedia perspective is the first step towards a higher degree of fandom, but a Google search may merely be aimed at going and finding music.

        Taken as a whole, the Glastonbury effect is as follows:

        • Kendrick Lamar may have seen the greatest increase in consumption, but Billie Eilish is likely to have seen the greatest long-term increase in her fanbase.
        • The Glastonbury/BBC partnership makes a compelling case for the power of expanding artist reach to wider audiences through tentpole, live performances broadcast, and online.

        Just ask Sam Fender how Glastonbury can produce career-defining cultural events for artists in the UK. However, the case should be made less about Glastonbury and more about how the live/broadcast/stream paradigm gives a worldwide use case for reinvigorating cultural events in an era of divided culture.
        Make sure you check our blog regularly and follow us on Instagram for more music marketing-related updates.


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