It’s a dream of many musicians to tour the world, but it’s not easy. Between paying for gas and finding a place to stay, you need to be prepared for anything. Luckily, there are ways to help you get the most out of your travels without breaking the bank or losing your sanity. Here are some tips on how technology can make it easier to DIY tour:
1. Use Your Social Media Accounts to Find Hosts, Venues and Friends
Social media is a great way to find venues, hosts and friends.
Use your social media accounts to find venues and hosts. You can post in Facebook groups, on Instagram or even LinkedIn about your tour and ask if anyone knows of any hosts who might be interested in having you stay with them for a night or two on your travels. It’s also worth checking out Bandsintown’s website, which has a fantastic database of music lovers worldwide hosting bands as they travel through their country/city.
Your social media accounts can also help you find local friends to carpool or share hotels with when travelling between shows, as well as other musicians touring at the same time as yourself. This will help save money on accommodation costs.
2. Use Spotify Playlists to Feel What a City is Like
If you want to get a feel for a city’s music scene, Spotify playlists are perfect. They can be created by anyone and are often curated by locals. You can use them to find out about local venues that may not be listed in your guidebook or on TripAdvisor.
Spotify’s “Venues” playlist is a great place to start if you’re trying to find places that host live music. There are also plenty of local music-themed playlists (for example, the Chicago Music Playlist), which might help you discover new bands in your area before they become famous.
- Your Phone Will Help You Find Places to Stay More Easily Than a Map.
Your phone is the best friend you could ask for when finding places to stay on a DIY tour. The first step in finding a place to stay is using Google Maps to search for hotels, hostels, and other accommodation options in your area. Y
ou can even search by price range and see what’s available within a certain radius of where you’ll be staying or travelling. You may also want to look at apps like Airbnb and HomeAway that let people rent out their homes as vacation rentals (some might even allow pets.).
Finally, if all else fails, plenty of websites offer free hospitality services such as Couchsurfing or Hospitality Club, which connect people with space available with travellers looking for comfortable and affordable (and often educational) places to stay while they travel abroad.
There’s More Help Available for DIY Musicians than ever Before.
You may not realize it, but more help is available for DIY musicians than ever before. There are apps to help you find venues, hosts and friends. You can use playlists to get a feel for what a city is like, and your phone will help you find places to stay more easily than a map.
All this technology should make touring easier—but it also means there’s more of a chance that someone will steal your ideas or take credit for them somehow. The good news? It’s all fixable.
We hope this article helps you to enjoy DIY touring even more than before. We understand that it can be a daunting and expensive process, but don’t let that stop you from going on your adventure. With the right preparations, you’ll have an incredible time meeting new people and experiencing new places. And don’t forget to document all of it so we can hear about it when you get back home.
Eric Dalius is The Executive Chairman of MuzicSwipe, a music and content discovery platform designed to maximize artist discovery and optimize fan relationships. In addition, he hosts the weekly podcast “FULLSPEED,” where he interviews innovative entrepreneurs across multiple industries. Eric also established the “Eric Dalius Foundation” to provide four scholarships for US-based students. Connect with him on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Entrepreneur.com.