So lately we've been finding that our biggest hold back as a band is we can't afford things we need...
Like Studio time, cd replication, mastering, touring, new equipment, press kits, pictures, etc, etc, etc……. the list goes on forever! So how does your band afford it because our 50 to 100 bucks (if we’re lucky) a show just isn’t paying the bills!

We sell a decent amount of merch at almost every show and we usually strive to score paying gigs but that’s not even a fraction of what we need to run a band. Please help us, tell me your secret to obtaining the almighty dollar.

We’re not looking to quit our day jobs I just want to know what other bands do.
Does everyone in you band just pitch in?
Does someone in your band have a rich parent?

All the money we make for shows goes to CD making. Everyone's responsible for their own gear. Press kits and images you can do on the cheap with help from friends. Glossy photos of bands get tossed by almost every paper I've ever worked at. Large digital copeis of images are easier to work with. These days, it's also more frugal to record your own work with some simple gear and a computer.

I guess it depends on your goals. If you want to have fun and play shows, maybe getting moderate press for your tour, you should definitely be able to do that using the methods above. If you plan on being the next big thing in the music industry, I've got nothing for you.

All money from shows goes towards booze that night. And if, for some reason, there is anything left over, that goes towards booze the following night.

quote:

Originally posted by DaveFame:
All money from shows goes towards booze that night. And if, for some reason, there is anything left over, that goes towards booze the following night.

haha! YES!


We pay out-of-pocket for recording, cd replication, etc. If we play enough shows though, we usually can save up quite a bit of money for when we're ready for the expensive stuff to spend it on. We recently paid for new t-shirts with just band money, so that was cool. Plus, we figure we'll get a good return on new merch, which in turn pays for gas on road trips, helps out with recording costs, even pays for a meal here and there.

The fact of the matter is, we all chose an expensive hobby.

We sell drugs to children.

No... not really. We just save money from shows. Takes awhile but with a couple good-paying gigs it adds up REALLY fast.

yeah, save what you can. work with your friends that do good work but will also cut you a deal. split everything else. studio time = work with friends, or do it yourself. cd replication = split it up, or get a credit card. mastering = work with friends, split it up, or get a credit card. touring = peanut butter and jelly. sleep in the van or on floors. new equipment = every man for himself. press kits = diy. pictures = work with friends or diy. you can get some seriously awesome results and still cut costs.

We do porn on the side. For our most recent release, Rocking the Wanker, please Click Here

We don't have a band pa, and we don't really ever plan on buying one, so there's one big expense we won't have (I know it's good to have one, but we'll just borrow one if we ever need to). We also don't spend band money on equipment. As far as I see it, the band shouldn't pay for it if I want a new cymbal or if my guitarist wants a new amp. We're all pretty gear-savvy and particular about what we play, so it works better this way anyhow. All the money we make goes into a band pool which goes toward recording, trips, etc. You just need to accept the fact that being in a band is a losing venture. Even many "signed" bands have day jobs or jobs when they're home from touring. You just gotta pay for some things out of pocket as a band. But, I believe they should be things that benefit everyone in the band, not just one person (ie personal equipment).

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bit of money for when we're ready for the expensive stuff to spend it on. We recently paid for new t-shirts with just band

send your CDs to Sweden where kids actually like fucking rock n roll

no seriously, open a band bank account and have every member chip in $50-a-month and put all money from gigs/merch in there.

You'd be suprised how fast it grows

Also, NEVER use band funds to buy drugs or booze

oops. I hit "edit" instead of reply, gio... sorry! I messed up your post...

dammit Levi! Abuse of power!!!

GEAR: We all maintain our own instrument gear out of our own pocket except for new gear purchases that we can all use like synths, keyboards etc.
RECORDING: We have our own studio setup. It can get ridiculously expensive but nowadays you can get quality results on 2k worth of stuff & a PC/Mac, is cost effective, and totally worth it. Money for some of the upgrades on that stuff comes out of the band fund.
TOURING: Band Members pay their way. Tour proceeds go towards gas, then whatever is left over trickles down through the bandfund to merch, CD duplication, P space rent, website fees etc.
PROMOTION/PICS Promotion, is a bitch especially on tour because you're really at the mercy of the promoter on the other end (ie: tour stop) and whether or not they're really going to promote the show to any real degree. Promotion can be anything from a flyer on their front window to a myspace bulletin to a newspaper/radio ad etc- it's an incredibly vague term. Pictures are easy - get a nice digital camera and shoot some pics (no wall photos) for press kits. Get some local press, burn some small demo cds and drop em into envelopes for snail-mail oldschool press kits. Do the same but keep it digital for the modern internet saavy venues that prefer clutter reducing 100% digital format.
Being in a band is a losing proposition monitraily speaking. You can reduce the amount of financial drain by having 1 trusted person do all the finances/books and keep spending on a tight leash so you dont piss away your bandfund ... and its there for when your band really needs it. Play alot of shows and push merch - merch is the #1 way to make decent cash at local shows because venue pay most likely wont go much beyond 50-100 bucks for your average local show. Also, as your sound spreads an internet presence becomes increasibly important because you can tap into an international market, selling CDs and shirts/merch to fans in different countries.

First off I know all equipment is every man for them selves, it would be a freaking miracle if any band made enough money to pay for the members equipment. But my point is it’s still a huge out of pocket expense.

I love the DIY outlook on band stuff as long as it works but some times DYI = Cheesy, yeah DIY is a money saver but the more pro looking the better. No matter what your over all band goals are.

Every time we’ve toured we’ve broken even, merch sales on the road are usually pretty good as long as we make sure we plan stops around places where we know some people or have some sort of “fan” base (using the term “fan” loosely)

I think Super Giants idea is pretty good, like monthly fee’s. I think that would help, we’ve also considered opening credit cards or some other sort of loan. But at the same time the burden of paying off a loan would suck.

I like all the ideas keep them coming,

We all have jobs. Even the drummer and singer are employed.

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Originally posted by dr.thunda:
We all have jobs. Even the drummer and singer are employed.

fuckin' show-off...!

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Originally posted by mc:
We don't have a band pa, and we don't really ever plan on buying one

any kind of PA? How do you practice?

Anyway, on the money front: it helps our band that one of us has a merch concern and another has a music equipment store. Our overhead is very low. Also, having a record label: Socyermom isn't paying-for-tours-huge, it's still pretty DIY (and we like it that way), but having someone able to help you get low prices, good deals, better credit, bulk shit, recording and producing, and doing legwork so you don't have to quit your day job is supernice.

Dont do a loan. It gets complicated and complicating the financial obligations of bandmembers is the last thing you want to do. Doing that also can get the IRS's attention if you approach it as a buisness loan because then you'll need a buisness licsense for your band and then before you know it you're getting taxed beyond your individual taxes. A CC blows because it's tied to one person (maybe two) and then they're the only people financially responsible for the bills of the entire band and that just isnt fair regardless of the signers and bands good intent.

As far as everyone dropping cash into a pot every month, I would say that's a good way to get started and can be a useful tool to breach small financial gaps where you have 90% of the money for CD manufacturing/recording etc. but once you're established and have a decent band fund, you should think up and use the BAND as a way to self sustain it's own needs or get it as close as possible to self sustaining. Again, a band is a money pit from the get go, so beyond start up cashflow, I for one would not want to continually drop cash into a pot for the entire duration of the band. That's what writing/playing/recording good music and designing/making/selling cool merch is for.

**Plug for Levi - Awesome resource for merch and a easy guy to work with.

Shit, if we tried to finance everything with the money we made playing out, we'd never get anything done.

I've always wondered how some of the bands that pass through here over and over manage to stay on the road for so long.

quote:

Originally posted by dr.thunda:
We all have jobs. Even the drummer and singer are employed.

Doesn't mean that they contribute!!