For the love of music - playing your sound to your ideal audience

As a musician and with a band you need to decide what it is you’re wanting to achieve, what are your dreams and goals with music.  Are you wanting to become a Rock Star or just be able to perform live for the love of it or some extra money? These decisions will shape how you proceed with selection of songs, where you want to play, performing covers, originals or both.

If you’re depending on gigs for you sole income then you may have to adjust accordingly to what your local community is wanting to hear. It can be a more challenging road when you only play originals and aren’t well known to get gigs where local venues are looking mostly for cover bands.  Sometimes its a balance between the two, playing mostly covers and mixing in some original songs to see how they’re received. Playing to your audience and the venue or person who booked you is key, reading the crowd and vibe of the venue. You could be playing more softer music and notice the listeners are wanting to dance, developing your set list is important here.  Knowing when to slow things down and when to pick things up.

If you’ve been established as a cover band, or are a niche genre this is most likely what the venue and audience is expecting from you. Be cautious how you want to be perceived and what songs you add or take out of your repertoire. This all of course will be a learning process along the way. If you’re an original act, you may be looking at venues that promote original artists or contact other original bands that may be interested in playing a show together.  Another good way to test out your set list, added tunes or original songs is to attend local open jams where anyone can take a turn on stage. This is a great opportunity to meet other musicians and see how the audience reacts.

Whether this is your business or a passion project, remember your love of music and keep in mind who’s listening. Make sure to clearly define your sound and make sure your profile on bookAVE reflects this so people know exactly what you enjoy performing and what they can expect if they book you for their next event.

Jared Hancock 

co - founder