If you’re a musician or a band looking to build a sustainable career, one crucial element often overlooked by many is the concept of tour history. For independent musicians, especially those navigating the early stages of their careers, knowing how to track and present your tour history can make a world of difference when it comes to booking gigs and scaling your career.
In this blog post, we will explore what tour history is, why it’s vital for your success, and how to leverage this data when booking gigs and connecting with promoters. With the help of Anyone Can Book a Gig, an online course and comprehensive resource for independent musicians, we’ll break down how you can use your tour history to level up your music business game.
What is Tour History?
Tour history refers to the detailed record of your past live performances—essentially, the data behind your gigs. When booking agents, promoters, and venue owners want to assess your ability to draw a crowd, they’ll look at your previous shows to gauge how successful you’ve been in the past.
Key Elements of Tour History
So, what should you include in your tour history?
- Date and City: Where did you play? This helps establish your geographical reach.
- Venue: The size of the venue can speak to your drawing power.
- Ticket Sales: How many tickets did you sell? This shows your ability to attract fans and generate income.
- Headlining or Supporting: Were you the main act or did you open for someone else? This can give a sense of your status in the music scene.
- Revenue: How much money did you make? This is an important metric that reflects your market value.
- Other Relevant Data: Things like audience response, press coverage, or collaborations with other artists also add value to your history.
As you can see, tour history is more than just a list of cities or venues. It’s a powerful tool that provides insight into your drawing potential, your ability to engage with audiences, and your professionalism as an artist. For independent musicians, having this data at your fingertips is crucial for building relationships with booking agents and promoters who need proof that you’re capable of filling venues and building a fanbase.
Why is Tour History Important for Independent Musicians?
1. Proving Your Marketability
The music industry is competitive, especially for independent artists. Booking agents and promoters often have to make quick decisions about which acts they should work with, and one of the most important factors in that decision-making process is how many tickets you can sell. Tour history is the data that will help you prove your ability to draw a crowd.
If you’ve previously sold out smaller venues or consistently drawn large crowds in specific cities, that shows promoters that you have the potential to bring in a crowd wherever you go. By presenting raw data, such as ticket sales and revenue figures, you give them the confidence to invest in your future bookings.
2. Building Professional Credibility
Tour history is a demonstration of your professionalism. When you track your performances in an organized way, it shows that you are committed to your career and serious about treating your music business like a business. In fact, many booking agents and promoters will see an artist with a well-documented tour history as someone who is proactive, prepared, and reliable—traits that are highly valued in the industry.
When you submit a list of your tour dates, don’t just include the cities; also give them numbers and stats that clearly show your growth as an artist. Are you seeing a rise in ticket sales from one tour to the next? Are you moving from small venues to larger ones? This shows you’re building momentum, and that’s something people in the music industry want to be a part of.
3. Attracting Bigger Gigs
As your career progresses, having a strong tour history can open doors to bigger and more prestigious venues. If you’ve successfully headlined shows at mid-sized venues, that can help you land a spot at larger venues or even support slots with bigger acts. Tour history serves as evidence of your progression and potential.
It’s worth noting that you don’t have to be at the top of your game to start tracking your tour history. Even early performances, like small local gigs, provide valuable data that can show your growth over time. Whether you’re playing a coffee shop or an arena, every gig adds to your story and strengthens your brand as an artist.
4. Negotiating Better Deals
Booking agents and promoters want to know that they’re making a wise investment when they book your band. Tour history can serve as a bargaining chip in negotiations for better pay, larger venues, or more favorable conditions. If you’ve consistently sold out shows or demonstrated strong ticket sales, you can use that data to justify a higher asking price or a bigger stage.
Your tour history allows you to negotiate from a place of strength, rather than relying on guesswork or empty promises. The more you can back up your claims with real data, the easier it will be to land better deals and secure more lucrative gigs.
How to Build Your Tour History as an Independent Musician
If you’re just getting started, you might be wondering how to begin tracking your tour history. The good news is that it’s never too late to start. Here’s how you can begin building your own tour history:
1. Create a Spreadsheet
A simple Google Sheet or Excel document can serve as your tour history tracker. Here’s what to include in your spreadsheet:
- Date of the show
- City and venue
- Number of tickets sold
- Gross revenue
- Whether you were the headliner or support act
- Any press or media coverage
- Additional notes (e.g., the response from the crowd, if the promoter was happy with the turnout, etc.)
Even if you’re just starting to track your data, include as much information as you can. The more you document now, the easier it will be to reference it in the future.
2. Collect Data from Every Show
Whether you’re playing for 10 people or 500, track every gig you play. It doesn’t matter if it’s a local dive bar or a national tour—each show is an important step in building your career. Collect data on the number of tickets sold, the venue capacity, and any other relevant metrics. Over time, you’ll start to see patterns and trends that can help guide your future bookings.
3. Keep Records for the Long Term
Tour history isn’t just a short-term tool. You’ll want to keep records from all of your past shows, no matter how small. This will not only help you in negotiations but also give you a comprehensive view of your career’s trajectory over time.
4. Leverage Your Tour History with Anyone Can Book a Gig
With the Anyone Can Book a Gig online course, you can learn how to use your tour history effectively when booking gigs for yourself. We provide practical lessons and tools for independent musicians to streamline the booking process, optimize your reach, and negotiate better deals. Whether you’re looking to expand to new cities or improve your local presence, our course will show you how to use your tour history to make strategic decisions.
By understanding how to present your past shows and ticket sales, you’ll be able to approach promoters with confidence and prove your value as an artist.
Why Your Tour History is Your Most Valuable Asset
In the world of independent music, tour history is one of the most valuable assets you can have. It’s not just about the numbers—it’s about showcasing your potential and demonstrating that you’re serious about your career. By keeping track of your shows and building a solid record of your performances, you can position yourself for success in the music industry.
At Anyone Can Book a Gig, we believe that independent musicians can succeed by being strategic and proactive. Your tour history is a vital tool in that strategy. Start tracking your shows today and use that data to unlock more opportunities for your music career.
If you’re ready to take your career to the next level, don’t wait! Sign up for our online course to learn the ins and outs of booking your own gigs, mastering your tour history, and making strategic decisions that will help you grow your fanbase and earn more revenue. Alternatively, grab a copy of our comprehensive textbook to dive deep into the process of navigating the music business as an independent artist.
Take control of your career and start booking gigs with confidence today! We’re here to help you every step of the way.