5 Things to Do Before Your Next Tour (That Most Artists Skip)
Touring is exciting but preparation makes the difference between a breakout run and a stressful one. These five steps will set you up for success.
Most artists think about the gigs. Fewer think about what happens between them.
1. Build Your Streaming Presence in Every City First
Before you play a show in a new market, listeners there should already know your name. Submit your music to local curators and playlist makers in each city at least 4 to 6 weeks before you arrive. It turns strangers into warm audiences.
2. Pitch Your Music for Travel and Study Playlists
When people are travelling or working, they listen for hours. If your music is on a popular travel or focus playlist, it is working for you 24 hours a day, in every city on your tour route.
3. Update Your EPK
Your Electronic Press Kit should have current bio text, high-res photos, and links to recent releases. Local press and venue bookers check this. An outdated EPK costs you coverage.
4. Set Up an Email List
Social platforms come and go. An email list is yours. Use a newsletter platform like Beehiiv to collect emails at every show and follow up within 48 hours of each gig while you are still fresh in people's minds.
5. Plan Your Post-Tour Content
Shoot photos and video on the road. A tour with no documentation is a missed marketing opportunity. Even a 30-second clip from each venue gives you weeks of content.
The artists who grow from a tour are the ones who treat it as a campaign, not just a string of shows.