Budgeting For A Tour

Budgeting is absolutely one of the most important things an artist or band can do to make a tour successful and profitable. By doing some simple planning and a little bit of math, you can figure out an estimated cost per day for you or your band on the road.

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Figuring these numbers out will help guide you on your route and will inform you about how much you should be spending and saving while on the road.

There are tools online and apps that can help you figure out what your expenses will be. Of course, each tour will call for different expenses and will earn a varying amount depending on shows, cities, and timing.

For example, here are some variables that will affect your math:

•How many travelers there are with you

•How big of a car you’re driving and whether you’re pulling a trailer or not

•If you have to rent equipment

•If you’ll be staying with friends or at hotels

A lot of venues with kitchens/bars will feed bands who are playing.

Sometimes they will specify in the booking process, but sometimes you have to ask. Ask beforehand to be sure! This can save you a lot of money if you can find venues that will feed you, even if it’s something small.

A lot of hotels and motels will offer a free breakfast, take advantage of this where you can! A lot of times they have a lot of options and you can take stuff to go as well, like fruit or cereal that will last the whole day or longer.

When you begin to budget your upcoming tour expenses, figure out how many meals you’ll need per day. Then subtract the amount of dinners that venues will be feeding you and breakfasts you’ll get from the hotels you’ll stay at. Set an amount you are able to pay for the rest of your meals, and stick to it. For example, each meal that has to be bought, you could limit yourself to $10. Then you can multiply this number by however many meals you’ll have to buy, and you’ll arrive at your full expense for food for your tour. (Per-diems per day are different for every individual, but suggest $10 - $20 a day). This price/meal isn’t unreasonable at most places you’ll find.

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You can also consider stocking up on healthy non-perishable items from the grocery store for snacks (also see our blog entry on eating healthy on the road). Even if you’re on a long drive, consider stopping at a grocery store in the morning before leaving town and purchasing some healthy food at a low cost that will last you until your show.

Another thing to account for in your budgeting is car tune-ups and oil changes ($15-35). If you’re on the road for a while you will need to service your car after every 3,000 miles or so.

Tip: Jiffy Lube often gives discount coupons through their website!

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Once you figure out how much you’ll be spending on food, gas, tolls, lodgings, car servicing, etc., you can see if your guarantees will help cut away at these costs. It is a good idea to try to make more than you will be spending! Some of these numbers might be hard to find if you’re just starting out (you may just get door deals or bar %)... if you are - we suggest you have some money saved up before venturing out. Also, if you are leaving your regular job for a couple weeks to tour, consider saving up some extra money before you venture out for when you return home.

Having merchandise to sell and having earning goals for yourself will help a lot. Merch will save you! If it’s a slow night and no locals brought people out, but you sell three T-Shirts and two CDs to anyone who is at the venue, it could pay for a hotel and gas to get there!

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Tips:

•Figure out how far it is from city to city by using Google Maps (http://maps.google.com) and this gas calculator https://www.fueleconomy.gov/trip/ to guesstimate how much you’ll be spending on gas with the specific car you will be driving.

•Don’t forget about tolls, some online calculators will also factor in toll roads and estimate a cost for you.

•Don’t be afraid to hustle and ask people to buy your merch - you will be relying on this money.

•When you choose food, don’t just go to 7-11s and buy as many cheap things you can find under $10 for a meal. Quality over quantity still applies here!

•It is better to know before venturing out if the tour will be a financial win or loss - although there will be variables that can always change and surprise you, having an idea of what to expect will make being on the road all that easier

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Eating Healthy on the Road

Sometimes it can be a challenge staying healthy on the road with late nights, small budgets (when you’re building as a artist or band), long days in the car, not a lot of time to stop between lengthy drives or unknown cities, small towns and at times, limited choices for food. Plus with fast food places everywhere and little amounts of time to kill between shows and drives, it can be tempting to stop and grab something quick and easy.

These things can be hard navigating but it doesn’t have to be. With a little planning, a positive mind, eyes on your musical goal and care for your health  - your well being can remain in top shape while on the road!

 (Photo from https://rebelrd.com/)

 (Photo from https://rebelrd.com/)

Below are some recommendations and suggestions:

- Look at your tour, shows & route. Where and which dates will you be getting fed by a venue? See where you’ll be needing to buy food.

-Ask yourself how many meals you’ll have to buy, with the amount you’re making from shows (you might have to guesstimate depending on guarantee vs door deal & have a merch goal to hit or budget for)

*we recommend a $12-15 budget per day for food for beginning bands & artists

- grocery stores *highly recommended!They often have delis as well as fresh food (vegetables, fruits, healthy packaged food - sandwiches, whole grain bread, peanut butter, rice cakes, energy bars, yogurt, apple sauce, raw nuts as well as pre cut meats & oatmeal to add water to).

*recommended as a great option for all dietary needs & very affordable. You can get lunch, dinner, and even stock up on non perishables.

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- Some hotels will provide breakfast or have hot water & coffee. Check to see if hotels will offer this before booking.

- Get a cooler pack that you can use for the day for any perishable items.

Here’s a list of healthy grocery stores and fast food options around the U.S for people on restricted diets that offer something for everyone:

- Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, Ralph’s, Safeway, HEB, Kroger

- Startbucks  (vegan, gluten free, palo options) They have healthy snacks, sandwiches, salads, yogurt & Oatmeal available. Price range $3-8 a meal

- Chipotle (vegan, gluten free, palo) *Plus they even will sometimes feed bands for free if you call ahead and speak with the manager & tell them you’re on tour. Price range $5-8 a meal

- Pita Pit (vegan, gluten free, great wraps , salads & sides). Price range $5-8 a meal

 - Subway (vegan, gluten free, salads, sandwiches). Price range $5-8 a meal

- Taco Bell (vegan, gluten free, any veggie options & sides, cheap!). Price range $2-6 a meal

- El Pollo Loco (vegan, gluten free, veggie options & sides). Price range $2-6 a meal

- Gas Stations: Sheetz, Cumberland Farms, Wawa, Loves, Kum&Go, Quicktrip - these all carry good grocery products and have a wide selection of healthier foods.

- Dinners & Resturants: Cracker Barrel, Black Bear Diner, Jason's Del, Denny’s, iHop, plus there’s loads of mom & pop diners & cafes around the U.S with affordable selections and healthy options & sides.

Photo: Jenny Bergman

Photo: Jenny Bergman

*we recommend choosing food from the coolers such as pre-made sandwiches (tuna, egg salad, turkey) sometimes they have hard boiled eggs, pickles, fruit, yogurt. Also when buying snacks try to reach for the raw nuts, trail mix, veggie chips, and fruit, instead of Doritos, Cheetos, or candy. You will feel great while driving and have good energy for when it’s time to play the show.

It’s not a bad thing every once in a while to treat yourself to a slightly less nutritious meal or snack while on the road, but be mindful that you may not find time to go to a gym, get much walking in, or work off those calories. In order to feel great while on the road, one must eat great, healthy food. The options vary from city to city, and from town to town, but it’s always possible to find cheap and nutritious meals and snacks wherever you go - you’d be surprised at all the options once you start looking for them!

*Tip: Any chance you get: run, walk, lift some weights (even if it's for 15mins at a hotel gym) and stretch. You'll feel better, even if your tired it will get you re-energized! With healthy eating, life style improvement / changes in combination with exercise you will maximize your musical performance!

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Routing a Tour

When you first go to plan the routing of a tour, it is important to take these factors into consideration and to first ask yourself a few questions to define the tour.

What is the purpose of the tour?

Are you releasing new music? Did you just release a single or record and want to support the new release? Are you playing a great festival or show in the middle of the country or in a big city that’s great exposure and great pay? It might make sense to turn the trip into a tour instead of flying there. Are you just looking to expand and play regionally as well as gain new fans? Or are you just looking to play and get paid gigs? Whatever it is, try and define that first with your band so when it comes to finding venues and cities you are looking in the right place!

(Photo: Jenny Bergman)

(Photo: Jenny Bergman)

What vehicle are you using and how long is your tour?

Is your car or van in good enough shape to take you where you need to go? Is a rental a better option? And if it is, is it in your budget? Sometimes when you’re first starting out touring it might be best to consider just getting your feet wet with a few week-long runs with your band before diving into a full few weeks or month. That way you can build up to something bigger and you won’t go out of pocket too much if you’re just figuring things out! No matter how long you are going out on the road for, make sure that your car has passed inspection and that you can rely on it to get you where you need to go safely!

What is your target market?

Once some of your goals are defined, decide who you are playing for. Which cities do you think your music will go over well and where do you want to start to build a fanbase?

Music scenes all over the U.S. grow and change on a regular basis, but it’s important to keep in mind which part of the country you’ll be playing to and what type of music is mostly focused on in an area or venue. It will vary all over, but you can research the cities you’d like to play in and see what’s going on at the local music venues through the venues’ facebook page calendars or websites. You could also look up bands or artists you feel are similar to you and see the venues they play. Also consider asking other friends’ bands or artists who tour what experiences they have had.

*Make sure that if you’re focused on playing a specific bigger city that you aim to play there on a Friday or Saturday night as these are the peak show times! Try to keep larger cities on the weekends and the smaller towns in between.

*TIP: http://indieonthemove.com is a fantastic database of venues by city and state. You can also define the search by seeing the music genres that the venues host.

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What is your budget and have you set a target amount that you will be getting paid or making per show?

Sometimes when you’re first starting out, you won’t get a guarantee from the venue. In some cases you will have to play a market a few times, and show consistent promotion for a door cut, bar %, or tips to gain fans. At times you will have to rely on merch sales when you are starting out! This can be such a great savior! Your two CDs and three t-shirts sold will pay for gas and food in a new place. Sometimes coffeehouses, bars, restaurants, and breweries will pay more and give bigger guarantees than a venue in a big city. The smaller town markets between the bigger cities can sometimes be overlooked, but will often host music, be a perfect stop in between two major cities, and can really help bring in larger amounts of money than a show in the big well-known cities would. This is often because they may have a budget for giving artists a guarantee or a good bar %, and you won’t be relying on bringing in fans for a cut of the door.

When you’re first starting to tour, it’s good to establish the worth of your performance. How much do you get on a regular basis when playing your hometown? How many people are in the band and how much will you need to get to the next city? It’s important not to undersell yourself but not to charge too much either. If you are new to a market, just know you will have to play the city a few times to help establish. Consider it an investment if you plan to tour a lot. If you’re basically beginning in a new place and can coordinate with the booker, always ask and see what they can offer you as far as a bar %, door %, guarantee, food/drinks, lodgings, etc. Often venues will feed touring artists too! So always check.

(photo: kribbean at 'Roll & Roll Hotel' via TripAdvisor)

(photo: kribbean at 'Roll & Roll Hotel' via TripAdvisor)

Will you be staying with friends/family or at hotels?

If you are traveling to a place where you have friends or family, see if it’s possible for you or your band to crash with them for a night. More likely than not, they’ll be excited you’re in town and will want to come see the show and let you crash if they have the space. Offer them some merch or a guest list spot in return! If you’re staying at hotels, a lot of them offer deals and express deals through http://Priceline.com. It’s possible to get a motel or a hotel for as cheap as $25 a night in some cities!

(Photo: Vanessa Silberman on tour with Jimmy Dias of The Love Dimension)

(Photo: Vanessa Silberman on tour with Jimmy Dias of The Love Dimension)

What is the distance between cities/states you are traveling?

It is helpful to look on a map when routing a tour, and to keep in mind the lengths of your drives and the distances between your shows.

*TIP: find out who in your band will be sharing the driving duties and calculate how many hours the band can do on a gig day (ex. 4-5 hours plus gas stops/food breaks/bathroom stops. Also consider cushioning a little time for traffic in bigger cities or any time changes to get you on time for load in and sound check).

It can be a challenge sometimes finding great gigs on weekday nights rather than weekends, but it IS possible!! Many venues around the U.S. book music seven days a week, and some that only book on weekends will sometimes make exceptions for touring artists. The closer you can get to a straight line or a circle without retracing steps and driving extra miles is going to be the most effective way to map out a tour and to make the most profit!

(Photo: Jenny Bergman)

(Photo: Jenny Bergman)

Do you have enough time for preparation and booking?

Make sure you consider starting the planning of a tour 3-6 months prior to the first night of tour. It’s going to take time to align it so it is linear and so you can fill in all the gaps accordingly. If there are any gaps, say on a Monday that you just couldn’t find a venue for, try hitting up a local show and meeting some bands if you’ve got the day off. You could visit some open mics as well as record stores to see if they’ll put your music on consignment.

This site can tell you how much a route will cost in gas and tolls and also how far you’ll travel in miles according to your vehicle. It’s great for figuring out a budget plan and a route! https://tollguru.com/trip-calculator

With just a little bit of planning ahead and time you can route a great tour!

​Booking & Setting Up a Show

A lot goes into booking a show for an artist or band from start to finish. From rehearsing and coordinating to online and grassroots promotion, and from negotiating and communicating about availability to confirming other acts for the bill (whether you or your band puts the bill together or booker does - someone does the work).

The terminology regarding shows can sometimes be confusing for someone just starting out (words like: hold, load in, line check, draw, room cap, cover etc.). Bookers will often ask questions like “what’s your market history?” and “what’s your draw?” or “how many people can you bring out to the show?”

Here’s a brief overview of some terms:

Hold - Sometimes artists or agents will put a “hold” on a date when their working on routing / booking a tour and waiting for other dates to confirm so in that case venues will put you on “hold” if they have other acts who have reached out before you for the specific date you reached out for. Sometimes the booker will tell you have a second or third hold, and if the other bands who have that date reserved end up cancelling it, the night will go to you or your band.

Load-in: The booker will give you a load-in time for the show, this will vary from venue to venue, but will generally be about an hour before doors open. This is the time you bring your gear in and set it near the stage or onstage before the show.

Line-check: This is another word for “soundcheck” but it’s more of a quicker one right before the band plays. Rather than doing a full 20 minute or hour long soundcheck before the crowd gets there, often for headliners, the opening bands will just do a line-check and check their levels minutes before their set.

Draw: A draw is how many people you can bring to a show. A booker or venue will ask this so they can figure how many people will likely be there buying drinks, cheering you on, and paying the cover to get in. This could also determine a guarantee you’ll be paid, bar % or door deal you’ll get. Bars and venues rely on this draw sometimes to cover their expenses for the night (security, sound people, door people, bar tenders). They want to know that hosting you is going to benefit them.

Room cap: “Room Capacity” This is how many people the room/venue holds according to fire safety laws.

Cover: Door price /  Ticket price / How much it costs to get in.

A lot of people are involved in a live show. In addition to your band and the audience, there is usually a few other people involved: The promoter &/or booker, a sound person, a door person, other acts (that a promoter, band or you will have added to the bill) and the people who work at the venue.

First, the booker is who you’ll have to reach out to for a potential gig. This e-mail is usually listed on a venue’s website contact form.

Helpful Tips:

- If there are two different booker contact e-mails: local & national - email the most appropriate one

- Address the booker by their name if you see there’s a particular person

- Introduce yourself, your act or bands name (if you are one)with a brief paragraph & include a short description of your band / comparisons and that you’re looking to book a show

- Pick a few dates to send as options for booker (prior if you’re in a band make sure all members could do these days as possible options, some people may need to get off work or change their schedules)

- Include a link to any CURRENT single or album & some live video if you have available.

- Include you or your bands career highlights (like if you have been featured on any blogs, news papers, magazines or on any radio, tv) & where you have played in the area (list a few venues & locals acts you have played with)

- Include your contact info & social media links

The booker will ideally get back to you (usually within a few days but sometimes a couple weeks, if not, try e-mailing again/follow up. Try following up a week-10 days later) and let you know if the date is available or sometimes they will recommend other venues that may be a better fit or other possible dates if the one requested is already taken. If the date is open and your band is given the gig, the booker may ask you to find other locals acts to support the night. Local bands will help bring in a bigger crowd especially if you’re not from the area. If you’re booking a show outside of your hometown, it’s integral to get local supporting bands. You can find other bands on sites such as http://reverberation.com, facebook music groups, local music blogs to the specific city, venue website’s show calendars, and fliers other artists have hung up at venues or coffeeshops nearby. Also google searches can be helpful by looking up city names, band & genres tags. Sometimes bookers will also have a recommendation band list, so always ask incase they do!

Reaching out to other bands is similar to reaching out to the booker: be specific, be respectful, and include all the info in a clear and concise way!

Sometimes and ideally, a promoter or venue of a show or venue will help push this newly booked show out to online outlets and upcoming show listings. There won’t always be a promoter, but even when there is, it’s important to do your own promotion. There are many simple ways of getting your friends, family, and soon-to-be fans to your gigs. Sometimes venues, bars, coffeeshops, or houses that host events will have a built-in crowd but you can’t rely on this. That’s where online promotion and grassroots promotion come in! Once your show is booked and you’ve found other fitting acts to join the bill, make a flier and an event page on facebook and push it out to everyone you can! Give yourself a good month to promote and remind people, in person, and on social media.

Also ask the booker if they have a press list. Often they do! This can be helpful as they may have good contacts at local radio stations, blogs, and news outlets who you can email/reach out to help promote your show. Invite them to your show or ask if they can feature you, do an interview or live in-studio performance (radio) before the show to help get people out :)

Once you’re at your show, it’s important to know the door person’s and the sound person’s role.

The door person will sometimes tally how many people come into the venue and take the cover from anyone entering the show. The sound person will do the soundcheck/line check for bands, and ask you what your set up is. *Sometimes when booking (depending on venue, a booker will request you send an input list & stage plot for production so they know what to expect as far as your setup ahead of time).  They will want to know what you need on stage as far as instruments, microphones, and necessary cables, etc. to get the best sound. You can tell this person how high you want the levels in your monitors, and if you’re singing - whether you want reverb added to your voice or not. Don’t expect them to read your mind! They’re there to make it sound the best it possibly can.

At whatever level you are at, it doesn’t matter, you have to start somewhere! If you are just starting out just know even bigger artists who have been playing for years also have their own booking or show / touring struggles. So regardless of the level, hopefully this post and some of these suggested steps and tips might help making booking easier!

Additional Tips:

- http://www.indieonthemove.com is a great database for bands and musicians starting out looking to book their next gig. There are listings on this site of music venues all over the country, and they will even tell you how many people fit in the room, what genres they host, and who to contact to book a show. We would highly recommend checking this site out and becoming a member! It will help you locally as well as country-wide once you’re ready to take your act on the road! The benefits of this site are great examples of what you need in order to book shows.

Photo: Samuel Bendix  

Photo: Samuel Bendix  

Tales From the Road Part 2 (with tips)

The First Night of my First Tour

The first night of my first ever tour was in Burlington, VT. My band set out for our first show of a small week-long run around New England with all our gear in our Ford Escape. It was a great show in Burlington, we played late, made some friends, sold some merch, and the college town downtown was hopping. We loaded our gear back into the car and went back into the venue to watch the headlining performer. We locked the doors - from what we recall - and loaded everything safely into the vehicle around 12:30am. We finish watching the show and about an hour later we headed back to the car to find the door wide open and the inside lights on! Unfortunately, while unattended and while we were inside enjoying the show, someone found a way in the car. The intruder rummaged through our belongings and took my bass and my bass amp from our vehicle. I couldn’t believe it. The first night of my first tour, someone stole my bass. We notified police and the venue owner and we drove around town until the sun came up hoping to find it laying in someone’s yard or on the street. No luck, and we were beginning to feel delirious from being up for so long. We headed to the hotel and were trying to figure out how the rest of the tour was going to work without a bass. After a very long restless night I accepted that my bass was gone forever and we headed to Western MA for our next show. Thankfully a kind member of the first band let me borrow his gear and we were able to play our set. That night we were staying in Western MA (next day’s show was NYC) we were still trying to sort out what to do about the missing bass scenario. Unexpectedly after the show we got a call from the venue owner back in Burlington about a call they received from a mother reporting her son, who had stolen a bass and an amp from a band at the venue. The bartender answered this call and unfortunately did not get any info, so the call went untraceable. We knew it was our equipment the mother was reporting so we began to feel hopeful that we’d get it back! Early the next morning instead of heading to NYC we drove back to VT to see what we could do about the bass. No one called or knew how to retrace that mother’s phone call. We went and waited at the venue for a few hours but had to eventually leave to get to our show which was now about a five hour drive away. We left, again accepting we wouldn’t get the bass back, and headed for our show in NYC. We decided to do a stripped down version of the songs that night and had a great acoustic show on St. Mark’s St. There were only a handful of shows left - but we managed to do them all without a bass or by borrowing gracious bassists’ equipment at the shows. The kindness of strangers can sometimes come out of nowhere and mean so much!

Unexpectedly on the second to last day of tour we got another call from the venue in VT saying the bass and amp arrived safe and sound and would be driven to my house in MA by the end of the week. I really couldn’t believe it. I felt so grateful that somehow someone connected to the person who took the bass decided to do the right thing! Not only that but a performer who was playing that night while on tour was passing through my town the next day, and dropped it off for me to pick up the day I returned from tour. I went my whole first tour without my bass, or amp, but through the kindness of strangers, a little luck, and a miracle, it was all okay. Now at shows I am sure not to leave gear unattended, or in a car that I may or may not have locked! Lessons learned!

Tips:

- Keep an eye on your equipment at all times.

- Double check that you locked the car, hotel room door or anywhere else where equipment is left.

- Consider not loading all of your expensive gear into your car until you’re leaving the venue.

- Try to always be aware of your surroundings and if you’re in a place you don’t know.

- Travel as lightly as you can - the less you carry the less you have to misplace or worry about.

- There are great people in every town who are there to help. Don’t be afraid to ask for help.

- If there’s ever a scenario to help another band out with sharing backline do it! The kindness can go so far!

- If you can, always stay to see the headliner, even if it’s past your bedtime to support the whole show and other bands

- Support your bandmates on tour - you are a unit and should be there for one another through the thick and thin.

- Unexpected things can happen on the road, like anywhere, and sometimes you’re not prepared. Try to go with the flow if you can. Remember there is a solution for everything! There is always some type of work around!

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Tales From the Road Part 1. (With Tips)

The first longest drive & journey on my first U.S. Tour 2005 (PT. 1)

I was on a tour with my band at the time and another L.A. band (there were about 10 of us in a 10 passager van) and we had to get from Olympia, Washington to Salt Lake City, Utah for a show the next night. It was just about midnight when we left Olympia and drove into the night. We had just played a house show in someone’s side-yard (pretty much adjacent to the street with no fence) and the cops were called because of the noise. I think the other band only got three songs into their set when it ended. I remember having a sore throat, a cough, and was very much not looking forward to driving nonstop until our next show but still extremely excited about being on tour. I spent half the night literally rolled up under a seat bench (so I could somehow try and stretch my legs out and sleep), wrapped in a hoodie with clothes around me, listening to my CD player with a record on repeat (over the big bumps it would skip). But as sick as I felt as we drove, there was an incredible feeling and experience I got from it and was able to share it with these people. There’s a feeling you can’t quite explain...a weird love/dislike. Almost a strange addiction that develops from being on the road and especially the moments of the feeling of being half asleep in a seat and waking up to the sunrise somewhere (it was Idaho)… Seeing nothing but a beaming sun hitting the window slowly coming up, the heat of summer slowly rising in the car, yellow grass fields for miles, the hum of the van radio and some people quietly talking in the front seats - either trying to keep the driver awake or just plain wired up on Coffee. From all of it there’s a kind of comfort and calm feeling.

By the time we got to SLC it was about 6pm and my throat glands were about the size of golf balls and this had been the most painful sore throat I had ever gotten. I had been slowly loosing my voice and ended up having to go straight to the hospital as soon as we got there so I could get medicine for it.

Unfortunately I had to cancel this show. To this date it marks the only show I’ve ever had to cancel for health reasons and aside from this show I have only ever cancelled one other show (that was agreed upon by a booker) to date.

(…To be continued)

Tips:

- Drive times, lining up dates, routing:

When planning a tour, if you’re first starting out, I’d suggest to try and route tour dates to not have to drive more than 6 hours on a show date.

Here’s why: depending on how many people you’re on tour with, you most likely went to bed after 1am and usually the latest check out time of a hotel or motel is about 11am or noon. Even if you're stay with friends, family or other bands lot of people have work the next morning...so odds is you'll need to get in the morning and leave enough time for everyone to get ready. By the time you get ready, stop for gas, grab coffee and food - an hour will go by. Then when you add the gas, bathroom and food stops (at least add another hour). Then add another hour if there’s traffic or a time change (of course there are exceptions!) but this brings you to 7 or 8pm which is a typical load-in time. Everyone has their own way of doing things and sometimes you make things work (the radio show at 10am, driving a few hours after your show to cut down on drive time). Planning ahead of around 6 hours drive time like this could be less stressful especially as you get into long tours, sleep will become very important as well as having enough time for everything with bigger groups of people.

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