Even though most people get into the music industry because it’s their passion, it’s pretty safe to say that everybody’s got to make a living. This is exactly why I can be heard/read daily pounding in the necessity of looking at your band or orchestra like a for-profit business. Think of yourself as a “Lifestyle Company” –in that you’re providing music events, CD/mp3 audio, and merchandise to a clientèle. Changing your perspective on this is crucial to your survival and growth. Through this new perspective you should see yourself having several different “customers” besides the standard musician-audience relationship.

•  Okay… obviously you have your audience
• Every concert hall, club, bar and out-door venue belongs to someone that is not you. They’re here to make money, and you’re there to help them do that.
• Event promoters, other bands, booking agents, etc… ditto
• If you belong to an indie label or are affiliated with anything similar… again… ditto.

(The list can go on and on if you get creative and put some thought into it.)

Okay… so how do you make more money and get more gigs?  Well… it’s easy.  It just takes a little leg work, some though, and ultimately it goes back to the fundamental question any business owner (and musician) should ask: Who is my target market, and what do they want?

All the above “ditto-ing” (which is against the law in some states) refers to the point that all of your non-audience customers want to pack their venue. Whether they make money from door sales, liquor, donations and endowments, or public tax money for the arts, they all have one thing in common… they need YOUR listeners to make their money.

The best way for you to get more exposure and make more money is to, in turn, help them make more money. 

I recommend that you create a “One Sheet” (A summary sheet that provides the “who, what, when, where, why” info about your group at a glance –different from a press release) with all the standard information; however I strongly encourage you to use it as a sales tool, which is the original intent behind it.  A lot of bands fall into the “I guess I need a one-sheet” mentality and then slop one together that is hard to read and doesn’t convey much.

Because you’re trying create an argument for why you should play for certain venues/promoters/other musicians, you should include the following:

• How many friends do you have on various social networking sites?
• How many hits does your website get each month or leading up to a show?
• How many people do you have on your mailing list (extra awesome if it’s a double opt-in list)?
• How many people come out to see you? How old are they? What mix of male/female? How much booze do they buy/money will they spend?
• How many CDs have you sold?

This is important to venue owners and event producers because it helps them quantify the amount of money they can make off of you… and if you have impressive stats, you can use them to make a good case as to why you should get a bigger cut of the door or a percentage of bar sales. Following this thought process will separate you from the rest because such a small percentage of people, if any, ever do this.

Tell a story with the numbers. Tell them how much extra advertising exposure they will get from your Myspace bulletins, e-mailings, website page views, etc. by partnering with you. Tell them how many people you will bring with you. Tell them how much people will spend at the door or at the bar.

This is a guaranteed way to get more play dates and a great reason to say, “hey, you should pay me more than other bands.”

Tip: If you use this strategy, and you should, please please please paint an honest picture. Don’t say “we played to 10,000 people” because someone hooked you up with an opening slot on a second stage at a festival, when your normal pull is 25 people.