How To Use Message Boards To Book Your Band Out Of State
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Booking your own live shows out of town by using message boards.
Estimated Cost: FREE
Estimated Time: 1 hour preparation with results in 1 month.
Indie Guide Categories: Booking Resources, Message Boards
What Do You Need to Do This
- Memberships on message board sites
- An idea of places where you want to tour
Edit What's Needed View History
Directions
1. Create accounts on some popular musician forums.
We recommend becoming active on the Just Plain Folks forums as well as CDBaby's. These two sites in particular serve the needs of independent musicians; you will probably find a lot of artists just like you there. Of course there are a lot more resources out there that can work for your more specific questions. Check out our listing of Musician Forums.
2. Add an avatar and use the same image consistently.
If you do not have an avatar, click here to learn what it is and how to make one. Having an avatar makes your presence on that message board look more official and using it consistently on multiple sites works to strengthen your brand.
3. Figure out cities where you would like to play.
Say you have a gig booked in another city that is out of town. Figure out other cities on the way where it would make sense to stop and play a show. You can turn this one gig into an entire tour by planning out other cities and venues.
4. Communicate on the message boards with other bands.
Become active in conversations about booking with otehr bands. Check out their site and MySpace page to listen to their music and get a feel for their fan base and the types of gigs they play.
5. Reach out to other bands about their upcoming shows.
When you find bands that appear to be on the same page, reach out to them about upcoming gigs. Offer to be their opening act for a show when you will be able to be in town. Creating a double bill will make you more appealing to venues and this cooperation could lead to further gigs and touring possibilities.
6. Avoid promoting your music to musicians.
Since you are posting on musician forums, fans will not be hanging out there and reading your posts. Save the promotion for fan boards and stick to serious gig discussions on the musician forums. You will come off as more professional and respectful.
Next Steps
There is nothing to do after completing this.
References
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