|
 House Concerts:
Be An "American Idol",
One House at a Time
Article by David Nevue - February 2009
Back to Internet Music Promotion 101
You Talk, You Share, You Play...
I'm a big fan of house concerts... when I go out on tour, about half
the concerts I perform are in people's homes. There's nothing quite
like it. I LOVE playing them. You meet so many great people on a
one-to-one basis. You talk, you share, you play... and these folks love
your music. So going in, you have that in common. Makes it easy to
small talk.
Don't Scoff at the Size...
You may scoff at the idea of playing a concert in a
persons home because you are concerned about SIZE. The size of the
audience doesn't matter. In fact, you will likely find, as I did, that
playing a concert to a small audience in a home is much more effective
and financially lucrative than playing in a "typical" venue.
How
much money do you usually command when you play a show in a club? $100
bucks? $200? I typically ask $500 for a house concert. I know musicians
who charge as much as $1500 for an intimate home show. Now, I don't do
that, because personally I want my concerts to be affordable to the
average person. Most people won't and can't justify paying $1500 for a
concert. But if someone is a real fan of your music, they'll find a way
to come up with $500 for a show custom tailored just for them - and
they'll be even more stoked about if it you offer to play their
favorite songs for them in their own home.
And what's even MORE
fantastic about playing house concerts is how easy they are to do. All
you have to do is show up and bring your instrument (if you are a
pianist, as I am, you can play THEIR instrument. In that case, you just
bring the clothes on your back and CDs and merch to sell). Your concert host does
all the promotion, bringing in their friends, family and coworkers to
show off YOUR music - which is among their favorite music - to their
personal network of friends.
So you have no promotion costs to
worry about. Oh, and guess what? The host provides the food too. And
they will probably even invite you stay the night to save you that
hotel bill.
And how are CD sales? Ridiculous. At least, compared to playing a club.
When
you play a club, how many fans are there to see YOU? Or do you play and
do your thing while people mill about talking, eating and drinking and
hardly take notice you? Maybe you sell a CD here and there, but are you
selling DOZENS of them?
At a house concert, you have a totally
attentive audience. You can engage them, telling stories about your
songs, laughing together, crying together, sharing not only your music,
but YOURSELF with them.
And if you're engaging, and if your storytelling and your music touches them, you'll sell CDs like candy.
When
I play a house concert, I generally sell an average of 1 CD per person
in the audience. There are those who don't buy, but those are made up
for by those who buy multiple CDs.
So with one house concert to
say 30 people (about 15 couples), which is about my average, I'll sell
30-40 CDs. Let's say 35. At a $12 per CD average, that's $420. Plus my
$500 fee. That's $920 for 3 hours of playing and hanging out with
people who love my music. Oh, and they provide me a meal and a place to
stay. What's that worth? Another $120 bucks?
So when I play a
house concert I come out ahead by $1,000 bucks a night. If you sell
merchandise as well, you can do even better.
More Than Just Money...
Now that's great
money, and if you're in it for the money, then, well, there you go. But
I'm not in it just for the money. House concerts are also a great way
to develop relationships with your fans. And if your life and music are
faith-based and ministry-based, as mine is, then there is no better way
to connect with people and share your faith and testimony.
It's
about meeting and touching REAL people with REAL lives. Encouraging
people who love your music. Exhorting them. Lifting them up. Helping
them to get back on their feet. Making a difference, one home at a time.
But
back to the money, because I know that's an important factor. We all
have to support our families and our art. None of us want to lose money
on a tour.
I've played to house concert audiences as small as
seven people. Guess what? I still made $500 bucks plus a few CD sales.
On the other side of the spectrum, I've played house concerts to over a
hundred people - and sold well over a hundred CDs at a show. Almost
$2,000 for 3 hours of work? That buys a lot of groceries. My wife loves
that.
And it goes beyond that. ANYTIME I play a house concert, I
see lots of follow up sales through my web site. Fans invite their
friends to the concert, their friends buy a CD, love it, then buy more
music via my web site or iTunes. They tell their friends. They are
excited they saw me live, in person, and actually met me. They are
jazzed. And the next time I come to town, guess what? These new fans
want their OWN concert. And they bring their friends, and now I'm
playing to MORE people. Which leads to...
More OPPORTUNITY. Not only financially, but to build relationships that are lasting.
I talk about setting up house concerts in my book, How to Promote Your Music Successfully on the Internet. If you haven't got that already, you might want to check that out.
In today's connected world, with Twitter, Facebook and MySpace being all the rage, setting up a house concert tour is easier than ever before.
Read the story of solo bassist Steve Lawson. You'll find his blog posting about his own house concert tour experience at http://www.stevelawson.net/wordpress/2009/02/real-life-touring-a-social-media-fuelled-tale/ . It's well worth reading.
Also recommended: Concerts in Your Home.
Fill Those Empty Nights...
So
the next time you're on tour and want to fill up those empty nights on
your calendar, start talking with your fans in the area. Offer to play
in their homes. You can ask your fee or even just ask for donations
from the crowd. You might not make as much in donations, but playing a
show in someone's home and making $200 from donations plus any CD sales
you do is better than sitting at a hotel all by your lonesome eating
pizza and watching American Idol.
Play house concerts and you can BE an American Idol, one house at a time.
David Nevue
The Music Biz Academy
http://www.musicbizacademy.com
http://www.twitter.com/davidnevue
http://www.davidnevue.com
-----
David Nevue
is the founder of The
Music Biz Academy
and Whisperings:
Solo Piano Radio. He is also a professional pianist,
recording artist, full-time Internet musician, and author of the book, "How to Promote Your Music Successfully on the Internet."
|
|
|
Submit An Article for Consideration!
Would you like to submit an article for publication at MusicBizAcademy.com? If you have music-related expertise
you'd like to share with other musicians including career tips, how to's, or general music business-related articles,
please feel free to send them our way. We'll be glad to consider them. Submit your article! |
|
|
|
untitled
|
Follow The
Music Biz Academy
on Twitter. Get instant notifcation of new music promotion tips tips, music business articles, resources and news. It's all business, all the time.
Subscribe FREE...
to the Music Biz Academy newsletter! Music promotion tips, articles, site recommendations, and industry news will be delivered
to your inbox. Details Here.
How to Promote Your Music Successfully on the Internet
This easy-to-read guide to music promotion teaches you how to effectively sell your music online! Learn what works
and what doesn't from a musician who's now promoting music on the Internet full time! More....
Get Educated...
Master the Music Biz!
Online Courses. Many Programs. Learn Day or Night.
Details Here.
Our Top 20 Articles
21
Songwriting Tips
How
to Write an Artist Bio
Mastering
Your Music
Improve
Your Press Kit
Sell
Your CDs Online
Performance
Contracts
What's
a Record Deal About?
Inside
Record Labels
A
Legal Checklist
How
to Write a Press Release
Record
Distribution: 25 Tips
Guerrilla
Marketing Tips
How to Make a Living w/ Music
Internship
Do's & Don'ts
Starting a Music Business
Reasons
Demos Are Rejected
Artist/Band
Interview Form
Facts
About Music Licensing
Planning
A Radio Campaign
Tax
Tips for Musicians
Lots
More Articles...
The Complete Guide to Starting
a Record Company
This
wonderful book guides you step
by
step through the process of starting up your own independent record label.
It
includes vital advice on how to retain lawyers and accountants, construct budgets, sign artists, navigate
artist contracts, find a distributor and how to develop and
execute an effective marketing plan.
More...
MySpace
Music Marketing
With tens of millions of registered
users, MySpace.com has become a
godsend for countless independent artists. If you're not promoting your music on MySpace yet, you
need to start - right away. Everything
you need to know, including tips
and tricks, interviews with successful
MySpace bands, and how to fine-tune
your MySpace profile for maximum
punch. The perfect "how to"
guide for MySpace beginners, especially!
More...
Music Is Your Business
Christopher Knab and Bartley F. Day's expanded edition of "Music Is Your Business" is filled
with more insights into the business side of being a successful
musician or band. Included are chapters on both Internet and traditional
music marketing methods. The essential legal issues you need to
know are explained as are music contract tips, how to license your
music, attract
distributors, get radio airplay and create a
demand for your music. More...
How to Be Your Own Booking Agent
Jeri
Goldstein’s award-winning
resource for artists and musicians is artfully organized into 510 pages
of savvy advice, realistic methods and action plans for the performing
artist. The book is a step-by-step guide through virtually all aspects
of the music business. It's a fantastic resource, a MUST-READ and a
favorite here at the Music Biz Academy. One of the best, most in-depth
books written about how to run your own music business. More...
Guerrilla Music Marketing Handbook
This is your guide to independent music success secrets, featuring over 175 ways to thrive and prosper with your
own band or record label. Goal setting, networking, lists of distribution channels, offbeat promotional ideas.
It's all here! More....
The Indie Bible
With 350 pages containing over 10,000 contacts, including music reviewers and radio stations, The Indie Bible
is a resource for songwriters and musicians who wish to have their music heard, reviewed, or considered for radio
play. More....
All Content © 1996-2009
Midnight Rain Productions.
All Rights Reserved.
Privacy Policy |
|
