How to Book a Tour Independently

HOW TO BOOK A TOUR INDEPENDENTLY & BE SUCCESSFUL

So you’ve got some songs, maybe played a couple local shows and think you’re ready to get on the road. Now what?!

Well, that’s why I'm here. My name’s Alex Johnson, and I’m not only a touring musician, I’m an artist consultant in Nashville. No, it’s not country, it’s Pop. Last year, my band Drive!Drive! toured across the US successfully and made a profit doing so. The best part…We did it completely independently.

Here’s what you need to know to book a tour successfully:

1. Book 3-4 months out minimum

Venue bookers aren’t even going to look at your email if it’s a month away. It gives you time to actually promote the show.

2. Find the venues

Yelp, google, Instagram, Facebook, and other bands' touring history are all at your disposal for finding the right venue to play at.

3. Find local support

This is by far the most crucial aspect of booking on your own. If you can’t guarantee ticket sales or haven’t played that region before, they won’t even consider you without supplying local acts to help make sure the show is a success. I’d recommend finding 2 and including their names in the subject of the email. (Ex. Drive!Drive! August 17th with John Doe and The Randoms)

4. Make sure those dates are available

Venues are constantly being sent emails. Don’t waste their time.

5. Be specific!

Don’t send generic timeframes. They don’t have time to look at open dates.

6. Set up a touring route

Whether you’re a weekend warrior or attempting a 2-week long excursion, you should have it mapped out to make sure you’re not wasting money. Google Maps is great for this. Use Gas Buddy for calculating how much gas money will be.

7. Set up lodging

It doesn’t have to be the Ritz, but knowing that you have a place to stay makes everything so much less stressful. We’ve slept in the car, friends' couches, hotels. Don’t be above any friendly offers.

8. Promotions

Create flyers and promo materials to send to the venue. They want to see you've invested in helping promote the show. Here's the blank tour poster I created for our Summer Tour:

9. Have an EPK

An EPK (Electronic Press Kit) is your elevator pitch. It is a one-sheet that includes pictures, bio, press, live video. Make it as easy as possible for the booker to know who you are.

10. Send the email around 4-5 PM

Venue bookers are generally the managers, bartenders, part time employees. Most of them probably won’t even be checking their emails until later when they clock in.

11. Be nice but keep it short!

Don’t send a lengthy convoluted email. Get to the point but also say how you’ve love to play at their venue. A compliment goes a LONG WAY.

12. Don’t use a trailer unless you have to

Trailers are the first thing to get broken into. It says, “Hi, all of our really expensive equipment is in the back of this trailer. Please rob me.”

Be as minimal as possible on gear. Do you really need your 12 toms Neal Peart? The answer is no. Sometimes, we communicate with the local bands about back lining the gear we don’t want to bring. 99% of the time they’re always willing because it takes less setup and easier on everyone.

13. Have fun!

If it’s not fun, then it’s not worth it. Touring has broken up bands since the dawn of time. This will be a great experiment for you to see if you have what it takes.

Good luck everyone!!! I'll be posting more tutorials and tips on being an independent artist soon.

Feel free to email me for artist consulting work at [email protected]

You can also check out my band here:

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