Sell Your Music at Shows
Selling your music at shows
You’ve got a strong set list, your live show game is on point; you’re all set to hit the stage. Awesome!
Make sure you’re getting paid for your hard work.
Now, that doesn’t just mean getting the club to pay you – while that’s important, most venues that have live performers are pretty on the ball when it comes to paying their talent – but that’s not where you’re going to make your money.
Your money’s in merch. And the single most important piece is your music.
Think about it; you’re an artist. People have come to hear you perform your music, and you owe it to them, and yourself, to not only make it easy for them to listen to your music later, but to be sure that you’re maximizing the opportunity.
In the modern era, people tend to buy music in three ways:
- Vinyl
- Downloads
- CDs
Let’s take a closer look.
Vinyl Records
While you shouldn’t sleep on vinyl records – especially if you’ve got a hip(ster), millennial audience – they’re never going to be your bread and butter. If you can move it, great, but nobody wants a stack full of unsold vinyls; so make certain you know your audience, and keep your pressing to limited runs.
Digital Downloads
Sure, people like it, and its convenient; but it’s not your best option at a live performance. Scanning a QR code, or giving an artist your email lacks a tangible quality that people are looking for at shows; to say nothing of how tricky it is to autograph a download.
Having said that, including download codes with a physical album is a great “thanks” to your fans,and worth considering.
Compact Discs
The music industry has primarily moved on from CDs, but here’s a little secret:
The concert industry hasn’t.
If you want something tangible, CDs are by far and away your best bet. Even if your fans take them home, drop them in the computer, and immediately turn them into .mp3s – which they will – people like the tangibility of buying something that they can take home. On top of that, they’re ridiculously easy to sign (if you’re not autographing stuff for free at your table, you’re either missing out, or playing stadiums), and still portable enough to fit in a purse or pocket.
When it comes to getting your CDs, mixtapeduplication.com has you more than covered. With runs starting as low as $15 bucks – TOTAL – you’ve really got no excuse for not having discs at your merch booth.
People Want to Buy Your Music
Your fans want to support you; they want to buy your music. Make it easy, make it fun, and it’ll make you money.
