by 2 people |
For Small, Professional Acts with Great Songs and Friendly Personalities
Sure, anyone can do a house concert, but to be successful at it you should wait until you've honed a strong, unplugged show, with a repertoire of at least 15-20 great songs.
This lens is for artists who want to make inroads into this vital and growing community of listening rooms.
You don't have to be a member of ConcertsInYourHome.com to benefit from these tips, but we hope you'll consider joining the site to gain some even better tools to succeed in finding new opportunities for your music.
This lens is for artists who want to make inroads into this vital and growing community of listening rooms.
You don't have to be a member of ConcertsInYourHome.com to benefit from these tips, but we hope you'll consider joining the site to gain some even better tools to succeed in finding new opportunities for your music.
1. Make Sure You Understand What House Concerts Are
Learn what they are, and the different variations on the house concert theme. Most often, a house concert is a small (solo/duo) act performing in the living room of a house, for two 40 minute sets, compensated by donations of $10-20 per guest, food, and a place to sleep for the night. These events are semi-private, mostly promoted by the host and artist through emails and personal invitations.There are many varieties of house concerts, but you should be aware of the basics, and the expectations.
2. Attend Some House Concerts if at All Possible
Search the ConcertsInYourHome calendars (and even Google) for upcoming house concerts in your area. Even if you've been to one before, attending a few house concerts can help you:
1. study how another artist makes the most of the experience
2. study what makes one house concert presenter more effective than another, so you can recommend or use the same tactics when promoting your events.
3. meet a host and possibly (in a very low pressure way) interest them in your music. Do not try to corner the artist or the host on the day of an event - they are busy and not likely to be very receptive at that moment. However, a quick, friendly introduction is always appreciated, and could lay the groundwork for a more direct (yet friendly) follow up later on.
4. Take a friend along, and you might inspire them to host a show for you!
1. study how another artist makes the most of the experience
2. study what makes one house concert presenter more effective than another, so you can recommend or use the same tactics when promoting your events.
3. meet a host and possibly (in a very low pressure way) interest them in your music. Do not try to corner the artist or the host on the day of an event - they are busy and not likely to be very receptive at that moment. However, a quick, friendly introduction is always appreciated, and could lay the groundwork for a more direct (yet friendly) follow up later on.
4. Take a friend along, and you might inspire them to host a show for you!
3. Create a House Concert Webpage
If you are serious about booking and performing more house concerts, you should create a web-page devoted to that goal. This page should:
- promote your act as a "great fit" for intimate performances. (with audio/text/video/pictures)
- educate your fans/visitors about the basics and appeal of house concerts.
- invite them to contact you to ask questions or schedule an event.
- link to a place where they can find out more, like ConcertsInYourHome. Or embed these videos.
CIYH Advantage: A quick web-page for your act.
Your artist listing is created easily, in a familiar format, and made available in the biggest and most active house concert website on the web. House concert hosts can find you by searching different criteria,
House Concert How-To Channel
powered by Youtube
4. Banner Up All Your Sites/Pages
Available for you: A free selection of banners to advertise that you do house concerts.
I consistently hear from artists who have landed house concerts simply by putting up a banner on their website, and having a fan respond to it. Here are several banners to choose from.Here's a post about Wayne Gratz, and the quick success he had from posting a banner on his website.
5. Create a House Concert (series)
It is not counter-productive to help other people. Even if you think your space is too small, it's usually possible to team up with another artist, or a friend/neighbor/fan to introduce the concept in your local area. One house concert that you host can often lead to several more (that will be hosted by someone else.) 6. Prepare a House Concert Pitch to Use from the Stage.
You can recruit new house concert hosts from other types of venues when you play. Make an announcement like this a key part of every set you play.
"Thanks for coming out to our show this evening. If you'd like to experience our music in a very personal way, please visit our merchandise table and pick up some free information about our house concerts. All we need is your living room, a pizza, and a few dozen of your friends kicking in a donation. Please ask us about this - it's a LOT of fun!"
"Thanks for coming out to our show this evening. If you'd like to experience our music in a very personal way, please visit our merchandise table and pick up some free information about our house concerts. All we need is your living room, a pizza, and a few dozen of your friends kicking in a donation. Please ask us about this - it's a LOT of fun!"
7. Create a Postcard or Flyer
It's a great way to promote house concerts to your audiences and fans.
Mail, post it, or display it on your merchandise table at your shows. Make sure anyone who buys your CD gets one!
We have some pre-made postcards which you can use, and add your information on the back with a sticker.
8. Adjust Your Mailing List Form to Recruit Future Hosts
... because your fans are your best source of leads!
Everyone who takes the time to fill out your mailing list form should have the opportunity to let you know if they'd like to host a house concert.
Try this.
Then, email each one individually, like this.
Try this.
Then, email each one individually, like this.
9. Blog About House Concerts
Inspire people in your own way.
If you have a blog (there's one on your myspace/facebook), write a paragraph or two that explains the basics to your fans. You can even embed our videos and one of our banners. Be sure to link to the front page of CIYH, so they can get a great feel for how this is a growing movement, and not some weird thing you made up. 8^) CIYH Advantage: Finding the Right Hosts Quickly
There are some major challenges for artists who search for house concert hosts on the web.
1. Much of the information is out of date or inaccurate.
2. Many of the sites are hard to read, missing key information, and filled with unnecessary content that makes it hard to find the important stuff.
10. Email Your Fans (every 6 weeks)
Your fans are your best resource of potential house concert hosts. They need to be educated, inspired, and reminded on a regular basis.Here's are a few great posts and sample emails you can use.
concertsinyourhome.com/blog/archives/180
concertsinyourhome.com/blog/archives/107
concertsinyourhome.com/blog/archives/24
11. Record a Video
If you want someone to invest their time, money, and reputation by booking you for a house concert, you have to make it easy, and find a way to give them confidence.
Short of seeing you live, or a strong recommendation by someone they trust, VIDEO is the most powerful tool to show a host what they can expect.
It's not hard to record one of your best songs in your living room. It's not even hard to get 5 or 6 friends to come over and be the audience. More on this here.
Short of seeing you live, or a strong recommendation by someone they trust, VIDEO is the most powerful tool to show a host what they can expect.
It's not hard to record one of your best songs in your living room. It's not even hard to get 5 or 6 friends to come over and be the audience. More on this here.
12. Search and Contact the Appropriate Hosts
O.K. - If you've attended one, or done plenty of reading and video viewing to understand what you're getting into, it's time to prospect for hosts.The easiest and most productive way is to join ConcertsInYourHome.com, which has hundreds of hosts that are searchable by a variety of criteria. Hosts on this site make it very clear if they are open to artist submissions. No wasted time!
However, if you don't mind the dead-ends and extra time, many house concerts have their own websites and/or myspace pages. Google "house concerts" with other keywords like state names, or genres, and see what turns up.
Also, you can check the schedules of successful artists and look for house concerts in their schedules. Good luck!
Contacting Hosts
1. Be selective. Not everyone is a good prospect for what you do.
2. Be brief.
3. Be personal.
4. Be polite and patient.
5. Be your best. Give a link to your best page, which features your best songs, and hopefully a relevant video.
Join ConcertsInYourHome as an Artist/Act
CIYH is the best investment you can make to find new opportunities, save time, and connect with the right hosts, the way they want to be contacted.
Learn more here.
13. Get Some House Concert Gear
Make People Ask YOU About House Concerts!
For only a few bucks, you can get a nice T-shirt, bumper stickers, and postcards to promote house concerts everywhere you go.
We've actually had new house concert hosts sign up simply because they saw a CIYH sticker on the bumper of a car... it works!!
We've even had artists book shows when a fan asked about their CIYH T-shirt. You don't have to be a member to take advantage of this.
We've actually had new house concert hosts sign up simply because they saw a CIYH sticker on the bumper of a car... it works!!
We've even had artists book shows when a fan asked about their CIYH T-shirt. You don't have to be a member to take advantage of this.
CIYH 1sided Long Slv T 1
Show your support of house concerts with this shirt design by concertsinyourhome.com.
Price: 23.99
House Concert Cap 1
Show your support of house concerts with this cap design by concertsinyourhome.com.
Price: 17.99
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- Robin Ralston Robin Ralston Nov 10, 2008 @ 12:47 pm
- Amen to Bob LeDrew. Also be forewarned, that as hard as the presenter might try, there may occasionally be a glitch (such as the guy who promised would work sound not showing up) I am capable of setting up my system, but not great at troubleshooting if there is a problem. Keep in mind there is no paid staff and we do the absolute best we can.
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- Bobledrew Bobledrew Nov 10, 2008 @ 11:21 am
- One other thing: If you have a manger or booker, please educate them about house concerts as well. Treating us just like any other gig doesn't work well. We do this for love, not money, and deposits, guarantees, etc. come directly out of our pocket. Trust in your presenters' track record and reputation, and if you can't see how a concert would work for you, then politely decline. Don't ask for hundreds of dollars as a guarantee when you're already getting 100% of the cash.
by drivinman
I'm a singer-songwriter based in Lawrence, KS. I tour as a solo act, and sound like Sting or Duncan Sheik with a bit more sense of humor. http://frans... (more)
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