Musicians Checklist How to Promote Your Band [Infographic]

Musicians Checklist How to Promote Your Band [Infographic] Megan L. Congrats on getting the big gig! Whether youre preparing for your bands first show or your album-release party, these tips will help you learn how to promote your band, make your best impression on stage, and get invited back to the venue to do it all again. Share this Image On Your Site pstrongPlease include attribution to TakeLessons with this graphic./strong/pbr /br /br /br / pa href=/blog/how-to-promote-your-band-infographic-z01img src=/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Musicians-Checklist-Gigging-Tips.png alt=Musicians Checklist: 23 Little Things That Will Help You Nail Your Next Gig width=710px border=0 //a/pbr /br /br /br / p At Least One Week Before Put up posters around town. Dont rely completely on social media and the Internet to promote your band. An eye-catching flyer or poster is another great way to grab attention and bring people out to your show. Step up promotion on social media. Share and re-share your Facebook event and a digital image of your flyer or poster, and make sure youve invited all your local friends and followers. Contact local bloggers, radio personalities, and alt weekly writers. If you can get a little media coverage for your gig, youll be able to reach new fans. Plus you can share the coverage you get on social media to keep your current fans engaged and excited. Look for people who specialize in covering local music or music in your genre to help you out. Send an email to your local fans. Maybe youve noticed that its hard to reach all your fans on Facebook? For that reason, its a great idea to have an email list, as well. When you have a big show coming up, you can be sure your fans will get your email. The same cant be said for your Facebook posts. Confirm advance information with the venue. Make sure you know what time you need to set up, how long your set is, and the terms for payment have been agreed upon. The Day Before Double-check your gear. Do all your cables work? Do you need new strings? Better to take care of those things now than have an equipment issue on stage. Pack your gig bag. I like to bring a bottle of water, a couple protein bars, a roll of duct tape, extra ear plugs, sharpies, spare guitar strings, a handful of guitar picks, a bottle of hand sanitizer, and a small notebook with me to each show. Pack your bag the day before to get it out of the way and reduce stress the day of the show. Print or write copies of your set list. Dont wing it on stage. Make sure youve planned your set and practiced it before your show. Plan your outfit. Figure out what you want to wear and lay it out somewhere. Dont add stress  by scrambling to find the right stage look  at the very last minute.  If youre in a band or ensemble, talk about what youre going to wear with the group so you can present a cohesive image. Get a good nights sleep. Youll perform better when youre rested, and youll have more fun. The Day Of Banish your stagefright with a calming activity. Get into a good mindset by reading a book, meditating, exercising, or watching your favorite show. Figure out what calms you and helps you prepare to play like the rockstar you are. Eat a light meal two to three hours before you perform.  When youre on stage, you dont want to feel heavy and sleepy like youve just eaten five Thanksgiving dinners, but you also dont want to get hungry and lightheaded. Have a healthy meal so youll be on top of your game. At the Gig Be there on time. Being punctual shows the venue that you respect their time, appreciate the opportunity youve been given to perform, and that youre professional. Seriously, if you dont follow any of these other tips, you must at least show up on time. Always be polite and professional. Save your complaints about the crowd, venue, or other bands for the privacy of your rehearsal space. When youre at the gig, be positive and kind. You never know whos watching, and you want to make a great impression. Say hi to the sound person, and remember their  name. The sound guy or gal is the person who has the biggest impact on how youll sound in the audience. Be nice to them, and always remember to thank them for the  help. Make friends with the other bands. Hang out and watch their sets, and theyll want to stay for yours, too. If youre lucky, the other bands will  like you and offer you another great gig. Dont forget to bring merch. One of the best ways to make money at a gig is to have something for sale. Additionally, people will remember you better if they have something to take with them. Whether youve got stickers and CDs or vinyl records and t-shirts, dont play a show without putting something on the merch table. Always thank the venue, the fans, and the other bands during your set. Be gracious, and spread the love. Being likable will help you get further in your local music scene than just talent alone. Have fun on stage!!! Enjoy your time in the spotlight. Your audience will feel the vibes and have a great time, too. The Next Day Post thank yous on social media to your fans, the other bands, and the venue. Keep the good times rolling by thanking everyone again. They  will notice and appreciate it. Re-post the photos that your  fans shared at the gig. If someone captured a really great live shot of you, show other people what they missed out on by sharing it. You can generate buzz for your next show by sharing how much fun your show was last night. Update the upcoming gigs list on your website. Make sure your concert listings stay current by updating your site the next day. Or, if remembering to update your list is too hard, sign up for  Songkick  and their widget will update for you when the gig has passed.  All you have to do is enter your performance dates, and Songkick will display them on your website, Facebook, SoundCloud, and other sites. Once  the gig has come and gone, remember that the most important thing is the music. Keep practicing and working on your craft, whether you have a show coming up or not. You can always  improve musically, and youll likely find you get better with every gig you play. Rock on, and good luck! Do you teach music lessons? Teaching music lessons is a great way for musicians to earn more on the side. Create a TakeLessons profile today to help you grow and manage your private teaching business! Photo by  Kmeron Interested in Private Lessons? Search thousands of teachers for local and live, online lessons. Sign up for convenient, affordable private lessons today! Search for Your Teacher