How Bands Grow Fanbases Without Touring: The Unstoppable Booking Strategy

the quick and dirty strategy for growing your band's regional draw and opening up a world of opportunities

For a while, I’ve been writing about embodying your artist message and giving your fans something incredible to believe in. And I’m so proud of the work you all have been doing to offer increasingly brave, authentic, and electrifying music.

But now, let’s get you some fans.

I’ve been working in the music industry for 20 years. I’ve worked as a publicist, radio promoter, manager, I’ve worked alongside labels and social media marketers of all kinds and I am flatly convinced that the strategy I’m about to outline is the fastest, easiest, most effective way to get fans and make money playing music. And it’s completely unspectacular. There’s no algorithm. It requires no additional content. It’s free, and best of all, nobody can stop you from doing it.

It’s all about playing the right shows at the right times in the right places.

The method I lay out below will afford you all the benefits of heavy touring without ever having to take time off work. Also I just want to mention that I’ve worked with a hand full of artists who have put this strategy in motion and executed consistently and their growth has just been incredible to watch.

So here it is. Quick and dirty.

What’s A Fan?

First, let’s define what kind of fans we’re aiming to attract.

Easily accessible people who go to your shows and/or buy merch.

Good, now that that’s out of the way, let’s talk strategy.

Cyclical Regional Touring

The fastest way to build your audience of fans (see above) is through a thing I’ve come to call cyclical regional touring. I didn’t invent it, but I did invent calling it that.

Developing a strong regional draw is THE hurdle 99% of artists never make it over. After you develop a regional draw, suddenly your competition drops way off and you become an undeniable candidate for a myriad of excellent opportunities.

Here’s how it works:

1. Hometown Shows

   Only play in your hometown 3-4 times each year. Make sure you’re always opening for larger acts. This will increase your draw in two ways. First it will introduce scarcity, encouraging your local fans actually show up. Second, you’ll gain more fans in your local market as you open for bigger acts, winning over their fans.

2. Nearby Market

   Now pick a nearby town that’s 1-3 hours away. Far enough away that you won’t compete with your hometown draw, but close enough that you can drive back home after the show and not worry about lodging. College towns are great for this. Commit to playing that town on a weekend night 4 times a year. Build relationships with bands and venues in that town just like you would in your own market. Build your email list in that town.

3. More Nearby Markets

   After you establish yourself as a regular band playing in that town, add another nearby town to your rotation. And another, and another.

4. Play Weekends

   Always aim to be playing on weekend nights. This way, you’re free to work 9-5 jobs and you’ll get the most bang for your buck in terms of draw. This might not be possible as you’re playing your first couple of shows in a new town, but that’s the goal.

5. Return Often

   While you’re a developing artist, it’s never worth your while to play in a market you can’t make it back to in the next 3 months. Read that back. Don’t play anywhere you won’t make it back to. It’s not worth the investment of time or money.

6. Promote Town By Town

   Keep track of your email list by town. That way you can hit people up directly about shows that they can actually attend, rather than blasting them with random tour announcements.

Here’s what a cyclical regional touring schedule might look like for a band in the Bay Area.

Week 1: San Francisco

Week 2: San Jose

Week 3: Santa Cruz

Week 4: Sacramento

Week 5: Davis

Week 6: Bolinas

Week 7: Petaluma

Week 8: Stockton

Weeks 9-12: Off - record, regroup, work on booking, etc.

Repeat.

Oh, and remember last week when I said this incendiary thing?

But if you can’t make a room full of 20 people lose their fucking minds, you’re just not good enough yet.

Putting in the hours like this will do wonders toward helping you become a truly memorable live act.

I would describe everything I laid out so far as Phase 1. It could take between six months and a year to establish this kind of thing if you really commit to it. This is farther than almost any band ever gets. But once you get this locked down, you get to move to Phase 2, which is a truly rad place to be.

Phase 2

More Markets

After you can draw 50-100 people in each of these markets, you’ll likely be able to secure some decent guarantees and you’ll probably have places to stay in each given market. Once that’s in place, you can tack on a second farther away market and start going out for two night runs each week or as often as it makes sense. So for example, on Friday night you play Sacramento, maybe you stay the night and then you can justify going on to Reno Saturday night to start building in that market too.

More Opportunities

Also, if you’re a band that can actually draw 50+ people in 8 distinct markets, your opportunities begin to open way up. You’ve got enough of a proven track record that most booking agencies would be stoked to at least have a conversation with you and help you expand your operation further.

500 is kind of the minimum viable quantity for pressing 12-inch vinyl. So most record labels are hoping to sign bands they think can sell through at least that many. If you’re able to consistently build draw in 8+ markets, you’d be hard pressed to find a label who isn’t at least interested in checking out what you’re doing.

Disclaimer

There are some markets where this strategy simply won’t work. Salt Lake City, for example is about 10 hours away from the next closest market. I love you, Salt Lake. You’re worth the drive.

Also this advice is completely US-based. I’ve never helped bands begin touring in other countries so I have no idea if or how any of this applies.

Parts of this might also not work for you depending on mobility, family, your genre or what kind of shows you want to play. Your musical journey is unique. Take what resonates and leave the rest.

If you want more details about how to book these shows, find bands to play with, talk to venues, open for bigger touring bands, and otherwise pull this off, please check out my 9-page workbook. It’s ugly as sin. It’s $15. And it’ll completely change the way your band does business.

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Thanks for reading, everyone!

May you find yourself on stage with friends,

Cass