It’s been a great run, and we couldn’t have done it without you, our listeners. Thank you so much for listening to one episode, 20, or all 215! If you shared an episode with a friend, you get a high five. Aw, fine, make it a hug. For real, without folks listening to the show, we wouldn’t have made it to 215 episodes. We wouldn’t have been able to g…

Last time John Ryan was on the show, we talked about Keep Flying’s relentless touring schedule, fan acquisition methods, and targeting the right demographics. A few months ago, Keep Flying went on their first international tour of the UK. John has been to the UK many times as a tour manager and crew member, but only once before for his own music - …

Matt Bacon is a jack of all trades - but that title isn’t followed by the typical “master of none” caveat. Matt does lots of things, and he does them really well. In the past we’ve talked to Matt about record labels and Facebook ads. This week on the show, we’re talking about artist management. Are you ready to hire a manager for your band? Would a…

Todd Barriage is a regular on the Bandhive Podcast - and for good reason. When Todd first came on the show, we talked about the grind, and how everyone needed to do it. Then our opinions shifted and we both drifted away from the grind. Recently, Todd stopped observing a schedule for his releases and switched entirely to a “when I feel like it” mode…

The internet is in outrage over Spotify’s endless war on independent artists - or, at least, that’s the accusation. But, taking a step back and viewing the change with a lens of reason, it’s clear that this isn’t Spotify trying to rip off smaller artists. In fact, it’s a change that will benefit any artist who puts in even a modicum of effort for t…

We’ve only had a small number of guests on the show multiple times - and I can count three-peats on one hand. This week I’m stoked to welcome back Troy Millette of The Fire Below for his third appearance! This time, we’re going to talk about Troy’s annual holiday benefit concert, Home for the Holidays. He’s been hosting the event for a whopping ele…

For every band, there comes a time when a venue will ask for a stage plot and input list. If you’re lucky, that will be early on - it means you’re progressing to more professional venues quickly! It’s important to have this information available, and not only that, your information should be properly organized and well put together. If it’s not, it…

It’s a question that we’ve gone far too long without answering on the podcast: should you buy a van for your band, or rent one for touring? There’s no easy answer, and it comes down to your touring habits, but in this episode we’ll break down the pros and cons for you so you can make an informed decision. Listen now to learn more about planning you…

When it comes to promoting your music, one of your first thoughts is likely to be “I’ll try SubmitHub!”, or alternatively, “SubmitHub is a scam.” If you’re in the first group, you’ll enjoy hearing about the updates SubmitHub is making to improve the platform - or if you’re in the second, be ready to learn about the core of the platform and what the…

In this episode I’m fired up because, shockingly, I discovered a local musician who has little to no respect for their fellow artists. This episode is a lesson in etiquette when you're invited to play a show. Promotion is key in the world of live music, and not promoting a show you’re playing is a slap in the face to everyone else on the bill, as w…

Being in a band is fun when you have the right group of people around you and you’re playing music that makes you feel alive. That’s how it should be! But as soon as you step off that stage (and before you ever get on it, in fact), the other 90% of running your band’s business kicks in. The time where you have to schedule social posts, book shows, …

Sometimes the best guests are right in front of your nose… I’m ashamed to say it’s taken 204 episodes to get my long time friend Brian LaClair of Better Things on the show. There’s a silver lining, though, because this interview has perfect timing - we dive deep into the creative digital marketing techniques Brian and Better Things are using for th…

When it comes to booking and playing shows, there’s a hidden person who doesn’t get nearly enough of the credit for making the show happen: your promoter. Whether the promoter is independent or working for a company, they are investing hours, even days, of their time into making your show a success. They also happen to be someone who can break up y…

Building a community is something we’ve discussed often on the Bandhive Podcast - but Ky Farrar and Late 9 take a slightly different approach. Instead of funneling all the fans to one platform, they meet their fans where they are - fostering connections on their social media pages rather than behind closed doors. Ky even became friends with Chris M…

We all have that one Facebook friend who constantly whines about the littlest things - everything in their life is awful, and they want the world to know that they’re a victim. In some cases, people really do get dealt a bad hand… But many times, it’s simply a case of victim mentality, where the person feels as if everything is beyond their control…

It’s hard to believe that we’ve made it to 200 episodes over the past four years, but here we are! Even more mind boggling is the fact that the world shut down for two of those four years, yet live music is back and bigger than ever before. Join us for this special episode of the Bandhive Podcast as Matt and I reminisce on our favorite episodes and…

A lot of bands ask me about setting up a basic in-ear monitoring rig so they can hear themselves better, and use… shhh… come closer. Backing tracks (collective gasp). Here’s the thing, even though holier-than-thou amateur musicians scoff at backtracking elements of a live set, when done with taste backing tracks can add impact and power to your set…

Whether you're a seasoned musician on tour or a new band gearing up for your first shows, the unpredictability of the road looms above your head. From vehicle breakdowns to personal emergencies, the journey is riddled with potential hiccups. Are you prepared? The key to a smooth tour isn't just about nailing your performances, but also having all y…

Today on Bandhive, we dive into one of the most transformative aspects of music: guest features and collaborations. Every artist big or small can benefit from joining forces with another artist for their next release, including you! Through these connections, both artists can tap into new audiences, create amazing connections, and foster a network …

Social media is a daunting, massive landscape with few rules for bands to follow - and the rules that we do know about seem to change almost daily. Unfortunately, careful social media creation and curation is vital to any band’s success these days. That doesn’t mean you have to be on every platform (go ahead, take that sigh of relief). There are a …

Spotify pays less than half a cent per stream, on average. That’s incredibly low… What’s not understood about their payouts, though, is that “doubling the royalty” simply isn’t possible. Not without doubling pricing - which I’m in support of. Listen now to learn why Spotify can’t just change their royalty payouts, and how you can use Spotify as int…

“How can I promote my music?” is a question I’m often asked. Probably one of the most common questions I hear, in fact. The problem is there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to marketing your music - it all depends on what fits best with your specific target demographic. I have good news, though: if your audience leans younger, a social media campai…

Do you have unhealthy habits? You probably do, because guess what… We all do. Quitting unhealthy habits can be incredibly difficult to do, but if you instead replace the bad habits with good habits, you’ll have a much better chance of success. This week on the show, Elijah of Father Before Me joins us to discuss forming healthy habits, using those …

You may be tempted to keep the meanings of your songs to yourself, or you could be tempted to tell the world. Either way, it’s important to relate to your audience so they can understand where you’re coming from and connect to your music - whether it’s their perception or the meaning you shared with them. Listen now to learn why a connection to you…

The DIY scene has a lot of gatekeepers - and to be entirely blunt, most of them have no sense of what makes music “good”. Saying it’s not real music if it wasn’t recorded in one take, live, is something teenage boys do to seem cool. Over the years, I’ve noticed that independent artists in the punk and alternative scenes in the UK and Australia are …

I’ve talked about planning tours on the podcast before, but never from this angle… The thing is I discovered that planning a tour for my own band is a different experience than planning a tour for a client. From the initial phases through to completion of the tour, there are changes I’ve picked up on. Listen now to learn how you can plan your own t…

Brendan Frey and Hostile Array aren’t your typical DIY band. They’re not afraid to market themselves, or to hire a team to help them on their journey. Instead, Hostile Array embraces collaboration where necessary, and the band is better off for it. Brendan discusses the shift from the “Myspace days” to the current situation on social media, harness…

Let me tell you now, no one gets excited for a $5 show. I’d rather play a free show than any show with a $10 (or under) ticket. Playing ridiculously cheap shows just makes a band look bad, as if they are desperate and don’t feel they are worthy of payment. A free show, on the other hand, can be marketed as a special event, a treat, or even a party.…

It’s not every day I get to have a chat with someone as knowledgeable and experienced as Nick Mishko of 10 and 8 Management. Not only has Mishko worked for “the big guys”, he’s also a well-known artist manager for independent artists. From finding $85,000 in royalties owed to his clients within a few months of starting, to coaxing artists into usin…

Summer tours come with some of my best memories - as well as flashbacks of sunburns, busses exploding, heat stroke, you name it. Even if it hasn’t happened directly to me, I know someone who it’s happened to. As much fun as a summer tour can be, if you dive in head first without any preparation, chances are it won’t go well. That’s why in this epis…

We’ve all seen a band getting raked over the coals on social media for an “insanely priced” VIP package, right? Well, it’s time for you to be that band - but without the negative reaction. Ultimately, what makes a VIP package “worth it” depends on the level of the band, what the offer contains, and how exclusive it is. Paying $1,000 to meet a local…

Ticket fees are a divisive subject, and with good reason: they’re often excessive, equal to nearly 50% of the face value of a ticket. Reasonable ticket fees are justified though, as they keep money in the artist’s pocket - money that the artist would be spending if ticket fees were built into the price of tickets. Listen now to learn when fees are …

When it comes to playing shows, you’d think it’s all about just showing up and playing the set, right? Wrong! There’s so much more that goes into playing a show, and it’s important to follow proper etiquette every step of the way - otherwise you might not get a chance to play that venue again. Listen now to learn how you can make the most of every …

The Bandhive Podcast may be focused on business most of the time… But, sometimes, we need to have a little fun, too! That’s why this week, we’ll dissect what you can learn from the music video for "The Rock Show" and Blink-182's musical journey. Listen now as we explore the genius behind Blink-182's brand and help you understand how to apply these …

In this episode, we're diving deep into the world of communication. From using the right tools for efficient group chats to maintaining an empathetic tone with your bandmates, you’ll learn best our practices. We'll share valuable advice to help your band streamline communication, ensuring that everyone is on the same page and miscommunication is ke…

Hey, we all know live sound engineers can get a little cranky… Or sometimes very cranky. Well, it's my turn to vent a bit - I'm spilling the beans on 16 ways you can annoy the sound engineer at your shows, and how that could totally mess up your night. At best, they won't put much effort into mixing your sound, and at worst, they might even make yo…

You know what’s super awkward? When a band plays a show and afterwards asks to get paid - even though payment was never discussed before the event. Yeah, not getting paid sucks, but why would you expect pay if nothing was offered in advance? If the talent buyer doesn’t make a clear offer, then it’s your responsibility to ask about payment terms bef…

When you’re playing shows, there is one key element that sets the amateurs apart from the pros: the advance. Amateurs will show up entirely unprepared, sometimes even clueless, as to what is being requested if the venue asks for a stage plot and input list. Professionals will proactively send the necessary information and more to the promoter, venu…

Let’s say you’re about to head out on your first real tour. Are you using a cohesive, well-branded promotional campaign, or is your tour branding a messy mix of random posters created by the locals in every market? To really make a dent and turn heads, having a well-defined brand is not an option. That’s why Saving Vice plans out all of their asset…

Want to make it big as a musician in the 21st century? It's all about being easy to find online! Your band name and song titles play a massive role in your discoverability. Let's face it - if people can't find your music on streaming services, they're not gonna listen to them. It's that simple! Tune in now to learn the secrets of picking killer son…

It takes a lot to keep one project going for over a decade - and even more to do so while being known as one of the nicest people in the music scene. Troy Millette has managed to both. Not only has he made amazing friends along the way, he’s become known as one of Vermont’s leading artists. He even played 143 shows during 2022, that’s 2.75 shows pe…

Chad Kowal has been in bands. He’s been a professional topliner. But there’s something new in Chad’s life, too… He’s now a solo artist performing under his own name. Navigating the change from band to solo act isn’t easy, but it becomes a lot more palatable if you build a good team around yourself, and that’s exactly what Chad has done. Listen now …

A long time ago, in a land far, far away, we interviewed Todd Barriage about the work he was putting into growing his fledgling YouTube channel. Ok, it wasn’t that long. It took about two years of grinding away before Todd realized he needed a break - and that’s what we’re here to talk about today. You see, if we stay on the grind too long we’ll be…

Connor Frost’s band Dizzy Bats spent two weeks in January on the road, traveling from city to city to bring their music to fans across the country. Along the way, they faced challenges such as amps blowing up as they navigate life on the road. But it's not all hard work - we'll also see some of the fun and exciting moments that make touring with Di…

You’ve heard it a billion times by now: merch is where touring artists make their money. That’s truer than ever, because according to the 2022 atVenu merch report, merch income is up over 40% compared to 2019. Great news for artists - if you know how to harness the power of your merch table! Listen now to hear us dig into the 2022 atVenu merch repo…

Mental health is often swept under the rug in the music world - only noticed when a celebrity has a public meltdown or takes their own life. The good news is that the stigma surrounding mental health has been eroding over the past two decades, making it more acceptable to seek help and discuss mental health openly. Going to a therapist can seem dau…

Bandhive is all about teaching you how to run your DIY band as a business… But we always say that DIY does not mean do everything yourself. Instead, it’s decide it yourself - making informed decisions about your business while harnessing the power of a team. For some of you, that might include working with a label, so we’re stoked to have Jason Dav…

Are you an extrovert or an introvert? For extroverts, making friends and maintaining relationships can seem easy… But you need to heed the introvert. Introverts often need space, and if an extrovert comes on too strong they will retreat back into their shell. That doesn’t change the fact that musicians need to build relationships with each other an…

This week on the Bandhive Podcast, I’m speaking with Ryan Camuto of Royal Hearts. At first glance, Royal Hearts may seem like any other regional band… But that’s where you’d be wrong. You see, not only can Royal Hearts bring 50 people to a show, Ryan does it (almost) alone as the rest of the band lives several hours away and can’t offer “boots on t…

Are you a musician who's feeling overwhelmed and exhausted from the demands of your band? Are you struggling to balance a crazy schedule and a busy personal life while creating content, booking shows, and creating music? If so, this episode is for you. In it, we'll look at how to effectively manage life as a musician and avoid burnout. We’ll discus…