Playing Live

Your first concert is exciting - and terrifying! Although butterflies are normal and rather unavoidable, there are things you can to make sure the whole event isn't just left to chance. Put these actions on your pre-show to-do list and start ruling the live circuit.

It's easy to get the wrong idea about the world of live music, if you're a musician trying to break into the live circuit. Misinformation abound, and they can unrail you big time. Browse this list of common music industry myths about concerts and see if you've got some misconceptions you can put to rest.

You need to play music out of town - but you don't have an agent to make that happen. Should you wait around until a booking agent picks you up, or should you tackle the touring beast alone? Find out the pros and cons of booking your own concert tour.

If you want to be a musician, you can't spend the whole time playing music for your practice space walls. The stage is where you belong, so you've got to get out there. Not convinced you should take your show on the road? Consider these five reasons you should book a show, pronto.

Booking agents are hard to come by, so it's important to always put yourself in the best light when trying to convince one to come on board. If you're trying to get an agent to book shows for you, put these four steps into action to help sweeten the pot.

Tour merchandise deals can help you make the merch you need without footing the bill for the manufacturing yourself, but they can get complicated. Learn more about the clauses usually seen in touch merch deals and find out how to get a fair shake.

Is tour support a must for musicians? Find out what tour support is and whether it is a good deal - from both the perspective of the musician and of the label.

A booking agent can help you plan a tour, and some will be able to get you some concerts you couldn't get on your own, but should you hire a booking agent? That depends on where you are in your music career. Find out if you should hire a booking agent.

When you book a concert, who is in charge of making the music show flyers? Find out who should make gig flyers when you promote a concert.

A showcase gig may give you the chance to show off your music in front of some people who could open doors for you, but should you play just any showcase gig that comes along? Learn more about whether it is good to play music showcase concerts.

Should your record label pay tour support if you are hitting the road to support a new release? Find out if record labels have to pay support and how a tour support deal affects you.

If you are booking a tour, what should you expect the concert promoter to pay for? Does a concert promoter have to pay for accommodation? Do they have to pay for food? Do they have to pay for your gear rental? Find out what the gig promoter should pay for and what should come out of your pocket.

So, you've decided to book a music tour, but how do you decide which cities you should target for a gig? Find out how to decide where to play your gigs when you are booking your own concert tour.

Deciding to do music full time is a big decision. When is time to give up the day job and play music full time? Find out what it takes to make it as a full time musician.

Are you worried about what will happen on the night of your first gig? Here's everything you need to know about how concerts run behind the scenes, so you have one less thing to worry about before your first show.

Many bands get their start as opening acts. How much should you make when you play, and what kind of deal should you avoid?

Is it the bands responsibility to pay to promote their own shows, or does the promoter have to foot the bill? Learn how the cost of shows should be distributed.

When you're trying to book shows, you may come across promoters who offer to put on a show for you, if you pay a fee to play. Is this a good idea? Is it ever OK for a promoter to charge you money to play? Find out.

The gig has been booked and you've been looking forward to it, but now you need to suddenly cancel your concert. Find out what to do if you need to cancel your show, from how to cancel a show with a promoter, how to cancel a show with a club or larger venue and what you need to do for your fans if you cancel a show.

Think tour merch means having your friend sit at a table while you play? Think again. The world of tour merch can get pretty complicated, but it's an important thing to understand. Learn how these deals work and what to expect if someone buys the rights to your merch.

Is it time to book your first show? As a musician, you gotta get on that stage, but when should your first foray into the live music world come? If you've got these things in place, you're ready for the bright lights. Learn more.