DIY Tour Planning: How to Organize Your Own Shows on a Budget
Touring is an essential part of an indie artist’s career. It’s where you build a deeper connection with your fans, promote your music, and grow your audience. However, without the backing of a major label, organizing a tour can feel daunting. The good news is that a successful tour doesn’t need to break the bank. With careful planning, resourcefulness, and dedication, you can organize a DIY tour that brings your music to new places while keeping costs manageable. Here’s a step-by-step guide to planning your own tour as an independent artist.
1. Determine Your Budget
Before anything else, it’s crucial to set a realistic budget for your tour. Calculate all possible expenses, such as transportation, lodging, food, equipment, and promotional materials. Be mindful of how much you can afford to invest upfront versus how much you’re likely to make from ticket sales and merchandise.
Key Costs to Consider:
Transportation: How will you get from one city to the next? Gas, vehicle rental, flights, or train tickets are major expenses.
Lodging: Consider where you’ll stay—hotels, Airbnb, or even friends' or fans' homes.
Food: Factor in daily meals for yourself and your bandmates.
Equipment Rental/Transport: If you’re bringing gear or need to rent sound equipment at venues, calculate those costs.
Promotion: Flyers, posters, and digital ads can increase awareness, but they also add to your expenses.
Tip: Always build in a little extra for unforeseen expenses. Something unexpected will almost always come up on tour.
2. Choose Your Tour Route
Once you have a budget in mind, it’s time to map out your tour route. As an indie artist, you’ll want to be strategic about where you perform to maximize your audience reach while keeping costs down.
Things to Consider When Planning Your Route:
Choose Cities Where You Have a Fanbase: Look at your streaming data (Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube) to find out where your fans are concentrated.
Start Local: Plan shows in cities or towns near where you live to minimize travel costs and build momentum before expanding.
Cluster Cities Together: Reduce travel expenses by planning shows in cities that are close to one another. This also makes driving easier and gives you more time for rest.
Include Anchor Cities: These are larger cities where you’re likely to draw a bigger crowd. Anchor cities will help balance smaller, less profitable shows along the route.
Tip: Use tools like Google Maps to plan the most efficient route between cities and estimate travel times and costs.
3. Book Your Venues
Booking venues is often the most challenging part of DIY tour planning, but it’s also the most important. Depending on your fanbase, you can perform in a variety of venues—from small clubs and bars to house shows or DIY spaces. Start booking venues at least 3-6 months before your intended tour dates.
How to Find Venues:
Research Similar Artists: Look at where other indie artists in your genre have played in the past. Venues that cater to similar acts are more likely to be interested in booking you.
Reach Out to Local Promoters: Many venues work with local promoters who organize shows. They can help you find a venue that fits your style and ensure there’s a decent crowd.
House Shows and DIY Spaces: If you’re just starting out, house shows and community-run spaces can be great for smaller audiences and offer a more intimate experience.
When Contacting Venues:
Introduce yourself briefly and provide a press kit with links to your music, social media profiles, and a few professional-quality photos.
Include a brief bio that highlights your accomplishments and why your music will resonate with their audience.
Be clear about the dates you’re available and the type of show you’d like to put on (acoustic, full band, etc.).
Tip: It’s easier to book weekday shows in larger cities, as weekends tend to be reserved for bigger acts. Use weekdays to play major cities and weekends for smaller markets where you’re more likely to draw a crowd.
4. Promote Your Tour
Once your dates are locked in, it’s time to get the word out! Promotion is key to making sure people show up to your shows. Utilize both digital and physical marketing strategies to maximize your reach.
Online Promotion:
Social Media: Create an engaging content calendar with countdowns to each show, behind-the-scenes footage, and sneak peeks at setlists. Encourage your followers to share the dates with their friends.
Event Pages: Use platforms like Facebook Events, Bandsintown, and Songkick to create event listings for each city on your tour. Make sure to include details like ticket links, venue information, and showtimes.
Collaborate with Local Acts: If you’re sharing the bill with local artists, make sure they’re also promoting the show. Team up for joint social media posts, and tag each other in your promotions.
Email Lists: If you have a mailing list, send out a dedicated email with all your tour details, including dates, venues, and links to buy tickets.
Physical Promotion:
Flyers and Posters: Design visually appealing flyers and posters for your tour. Share them with local businesses, coffee shops, and record stores in the cities you’ll be performing in.
Local Press: Reach out to local blogs, magazines, and radio stations for coverage. Many cities have indie music publications that are happy to feature upcoming shows from emerging artists.
Tip: Offer early bird tickets or VIP packages to generate buzz and drive early ticket sales.
5. Plan Your Merch Strategy
Merchandise can be a significant source of income during a tour, especially if you plan and execute it well. Selling merch like t-shirts, CDs, posters, and even exclusive items tied to the tour can boost your earnings.
Merch Tips:
Design Tour-Specific Merch: Fans love exclusive items, so create merch that’s unique to the tour (e.g., a special shirt design or limited-edition vinyl).
Offer Bundles: Package tickets with merch items (like a shirt and a signed CD) to encourage higher sales.
Plan Your Inventory Carefully: Don’t overstock merch—bring enough to meet demand, but consider space and transport when planning your inventory.
Tip: Ensure you have a simple and quick way to accept payments, such as using Square or Venmo for mobile transactions.
6. Arrange Transportation and Lodging
Touring often means long hours on the road, so it’s crucial to plan your transportation and lodging well in advance to avoid unnecessary stress.
Transportation Options:
Tour Van/Car: If you’re traveling with a band or crew, renting a van is often the most practical option. Be sure to factor in gas, tolls, and insurance costs.
Public Transportation: For solo artists or smaller acts, trains or buses can be a cost-effective way to travel between cities.
Lodging Options:
Hotels and Airbnb: Use travel apps like Booking.com or Airbnb to find affordable accommodations in advance.
Staying with Friends/Fans: If you’re looking to save on lodging, reach out to friends, fans, or even local musicians in your tour cities for a place to crash.
Tip: Join Facebook groups or online communities for touring musicians where people often offer free or low-cost places to stay while on the road.
7. Prepare for the Unexpected
No matter how meticulously you plan, things can go wrong on tour. Shows might get canceled, equipment might break, or you could encounter unexpected delays. Stay flexible and keep a positive attitude—sometimes the best memories come from overcoming challenges on the road.
What to Do When Things Go Wrong:
Have a Backup Plan: Always have a contingency plan for transportation issues or gear malfunctions. Bring spare equipment, and make sure you have contact info for all venues and promoters in case of last-minute changes.
Stay Organized: Keep all important documents, contracts, and contacts in a digital folder that you can access from your phone or laptop.
Conclusion
DIY touring may require a lot of effort, but the rewards are well worth it. Not only will you connect with new fans and build your presence in different cities, but you’ll also gain invaluable experience in managing the logistics of touring. With careful planning, creativity, and a solid strategy, you can make your tour a success—without needing a big budget.
Are you ready to hit the road? Start planning, and remember, your DIY tour is your chance to show the world your music on your own terms!
