How To Book Your Own Tour

House Shows
If you’re a singer/songwriter then playing living room, backyard, basement, house concerts should be a part of every tour. All it takes is one fan in a city to be extremely excited about you. Organize the show at their place (typically has to be a weekend) and require a minimum guaranteed payment (I usually set it at $350). Ask them to charge their guests around $15 and explain that if they get enough people in there to cover your minimum payment then they get a free concert. Possibly give them a percentage of the income after the minimum to cover snacks and a reward for hosting it.

I’ve had some of my favorite (and most profitable) shows in people’s homes. You don’t need to promote these (as it’s the host’s responsibility) and you’ll sell a lot of merch. People love the personal connection. Schedule these on nights where you haven’t been able to book a club or in cities where you really don’t think you’ll have a draw.

Colleges
Colleges were my bread and butter for awhile. I’ve played over 70 colleges in the past 5 years. Colleges pay extremely well. I recommend getting a college booking agent, but if you can’t then ask around to see if you know anyone at any college who is on the music committee. Once you find that person, pitch them on your price (more on that below) with a video and some accolades. They don’t typically route with your schedule (they have dates throughout the semester to fill) and they typically book 6-18 months in advance. Start planning this tour a year out and if you can route AROUND the college shows then you will relieve many of the financial burdens of the tour. Just so you have a frame of reference, most colleges pay an average of $1200 for an unknown singer/songwriter and $1800 for an unknown band for a one hour set and they cover food and lodging and sometimes travel costs. I’ll wait while you pick up your jaw and wipe away the drool.

Lodging
So, once the tour is completely routed and confirmed you’ll want to start figuring out sleeping arrangements. For your first few tours this will mean finding friends in each city with couches or floor space (invest in an air mattress and sleeping bag). Try to figure this out before the day of the show, but as a last resort you can announce on stage that you’re looking for a place to crash that night. More times than not this works. Not very rockstar – but neither is sleeping in your van.

Closing
If you’ve made it this far then by god you might be dedicated and serious enough to actually embark on a full tour!

If you have a little bit of a budget and want me to help guide you through the next phase of your career or setting up a tour, hit me up (contact below) and we’ll setup a Get Specific program.