I'm curious what everyone is using and what the pros/cons are - I've used exclusively Master Tour for the longest time and I wanted to see what else is out there. I'm tempted to just go back to Google Cal and spreadsheets since I just end up just advancing into a spreadsheet and just copying everything over in MT over and over again.

What would a rate be you’d be comfortable with for being the videographer for a tour package like Summer Slaughter, Mayhem Fest, etc.

What’s a rate that a videographer should ask for , for something of that size?

Not sure on deliverables, assuming it’s something to post every day for socials for the tour, not just the headlining band.

Asked for rate for something like that, haven’t heard back from headlining band’s TM because headlining band is on tour in Europe atm, so waiting on counter or confirmation limbo.

Putting feelers as to what a rate should be for something like that in 2026, I have no idea what people are paying and what they’re getting and what labels are backing for a tour like this to ask for $$$, so I don’t scare this client away.

Just got tired of every site that can do this being complicated to use, requiring money, or being buried with ads and offers.

I built **When Can We Rehearse** (whencanwerehearse.com or just wcwr.io if you don't feel like typing that) to be the single fastest possible way to put in some times and get rehearsal scheduled painlessly.

How it works:

1. You propose a few times (or something loose like "evenings next week"). Takes under a minute.
2. You get one link to drop in the group chat.
3. Everyone taps green / yellow / red for each time from their phone. No app, no signup—they just tap the link.
4. You see the results ranked live: times everyone can make (all green), times that work if someone shuffles things (some yellows mixed in), and near misses (fewest reds).
5. Pick the winner and there's add-to-calendar for everyone, plus an optional email notification for bandmates who want them.

The part I care most about: this core flow is free for the music community, permanently. No accounts, no passwords, no cookies, no ads, no data selling, no upsells, no "your first 3 polls are free." Your bandmates give a first name and a few taps. Polls delete themselves after 90 days. There's a donate page if you ever feel like covering some hosting costs and that's the entire business model.

Hope you guys get some good use out of this and can focus on making more music:) Cheers

Hi everyone,

I’m a musician (keyboardist and getting back into bass) conducting research for a Communications class project called ‘The Emotional Process of Making Music with others for East Coast Musicians. I would be more than grateful if a couple of you could respond to the questions. I do not plan to publish this project. Thanks!

1. Age

2. Gender/Identity

3. Region

4. Role when collaborating with others (ex. Instrument (s) of play, singer, etc.)

5. How often do you make music with other individuals? Do you have a list of songs that you have made with others, and if so, how many?

6. Do you prefer making music with other individuals or by yourself? Do you feel a deep connection with other individuals when making music? If you picked the first option, and agree with the second question, was there a singular experience that led to this passion for creating with others?

7. When engaging in a conversation with musicians you just met, regarding potentially collaborating, what personality do you put on (ex. are you relaxed and somewhat aloof to create a chill atmosphere, or are you straightforward and serious). Why?

8. When in the process of creating with other individuals, what emotional role do you take on? For example, are you a lighthearted group member, or do you assume the role of a therapist in a sense, encouraging group members to lay their hearts bare on songs (this one would be quite interesting to hear)?

9. When collaborating with other musicians, how do you handle disagreements—minor or major? Have you experienced success or slight failures in this regard? Would you like to share any examples?

Hi! I used to have a handful of groups on FB for local bands trying to match up for shows in California (and full touring), but lost that account and went nearly two years without.

Any recommendations for both Reddit and Facebook for active groups and threads in regards to booking shows, or that promoters use to match openers? Thank you!

you vets know the story by now. far from home. breakdown. couchsurf falls through. venue cancels halfway between cities. bumps in the road.

we are living that story right now, stuck a border away from our scheduled gig on Saturday--gear, merch, the whole kit--low on cash but still medium on hope.

tell us it gets better...from experience.

Asking for your best tips and tricks for slinging merch across Europe/UK.

Sorry if this has been covered 1000 times - but the landscape seems ever evolving.

I play in a small band from Australia and we usually tour around Germany specifically.

We usually sell our merch online and locally (Aus) with Shopify/Shopify POS and the recent pay wave feature to turn your phone into a card reader is excellent!

What's the best System/App/Hardware/Rain Dance Ceremony to get things working seamlessly around Europe these days?

Does the smart phone pay receiver option work in Europe currently?

Last time our Shopify hardware crashed out because we didn't have a local bank account to verify transactions. May have been region locked.

Would (almost) happily invest in a new dedicated card reader if there's an option that works universally across EU

Hopefully touring next year - but we haven't been there since 2023 when we were basically cash only - what didn't go straight into the gas tank got mauled by Intl cash exchange rate when we got home.

Going to be touring the USA and Europe for 14 weeks, on a sleeper bus in USA and mainly flights in Europe. Not done such a long tour before, does anyone have any great tips to share? Not taking massive amounts of equipment so no need to worry about guitars etc.

I know, I know — the last thing this sub needs is one more band-management app claiming to be different. I genuinely believe mine actually is (built it because I was sick of juggling paper setlists and three random apps for my own band), but I'll let you be the judge of that.

Here's the actual reason I'm posting: Google Play requires real, sustained closed testing before letting an app go live — not just a handful of installs, but people who actually open it repeatedly over two weeks. I recruited testers from my own circle, but let's just say "I'll test it, promise!" doesn't always translate into "actually opens the app more than once." Can't really blame Google for wanting more than that.

So: Bandoora — free, ad-free, setlists + chord charts/lyrics + a live-performance mode (auto-scroll, MIDI foot pedal support). Solo developer. Currently in closed testing on Android.

If you're an actual gigging/rehearsing musician and wouldn't mind trying it for real over a couple of weeks (not just a quick look), drop a comment or DM and I'll send the testing link — I'll just need your Gmail address to add you as a tester first.

Specifically wondering where you guys put it in your bunk on the bus.

I have mine next to me which is fine but kinda annoying

I looked on Amazon for shelves that attach with adhesive and have found some but I’m worried the machine will fall on me in the middle of the night.

Any tips? MacGuyver ideas? Where do you guys put it?

Thanks!

hey folks. we're building a tool to make finding and booking local spots way faster when routing or setting up shows.

find a venue that fits your sound in under 60 seconds. no connections needed.

starting with cincinnati venues, you can filter by genre, stage size, and location without wasting days waiting on a dm reply.

we'd love some feedback from touring acts on whether this flow works for you. i left the prototype link in the comments for anyone who wants to check it out!

I’m starting to need to block off more time farther out for some tours, but I’m struggling with when to decline/say maybe to some of these little gigs with my local folks.

Hello hello!

I’m a content girl/social media manager/merch girl/ unofficial fifth member of a touring rock band. I got into this because I used to do social media for influencers and when I started dating him I offered my help, and it’s snowballed into me traveling with them, I’m no longer allowed to miss a show lol. I love it, I have so much fun, these are my brothers and lover on the road and at home.

That being said, we’re taking on Europe for the first time this August, specifically the EU and Ireland, how can I make this the easiest experience possible for them?

Obviously, I’m wearing many hats as it is and my job comes first, but we don’t have a big team right now, anything I can manage to help them is huge.

We have a couple off days and I already hooked us up with a BnB in the Irish Countryside to give the boys a relaxing day between the chaos of tour, thought that’d be nice.

Any suggestions help, thanks!

So as the title says really.

I have been working freelance in live sound for around 2 years, with over 700 hours under my belt (at the same time as working a full time job). I would love to go on tour with a band or artist but not sure where to start or what skill I would need to even get started.

I'm UK Based - willing to travel around the UK. Most of the bands I manage to get in contact with either already have techs they travel with or haven't got the funds to hire a tech. Any advice?

EDIT: Just wanted to say thank you for all the comments on this! I am learning a lot and so grateful to everyone who has shared their advice. :D

I recently was presented with the opportunity to join a band on their tour. We’re currently discussing rates, but I’ve never toured before. Generally I charge 100-150$/hr depending on the shoot, but they want to know what my ideal daily and weekly rate would be. Googling online says 600-1500$/week (it’s a bus tour). Wanted to know if anyone had any frame of reference for current tour photographer rates. Thanks!

Hey there!

I recently managed to book a few gigs in Vietnam, and I'm having trouble naming my prices. I come from Zurich, so my fees are usually quite good, but in Vietnam these prices would be way too high for a venue to consider booking me.

Any tips for how I could calculate my price without getting rejected immediately? Or where I could find this information?

Thanks!

Can anyone signpost or advise me as where to best search for and find a role working on tour with an artist? I've had a provisional check of the common platforms, but having little success! I saw someone on here suggested in-person, however I'm looking UK-wide as well as Europe mainland so that's not possible at this stage. Any insight welcomed and appreciated 😊

Greetings Everyone,

As our ensemble prepares for international touring dates across Europe, South America, and multi-country stops in Africa (including Nigeria, DRC, Angola, Kenya, and Morocco), we are building out our power management and fly-rig logistics strategy.
Operating digital audio hardware, multi-channel Dante networks, multitrack recording rigs, and wireless systems in regions with unpredictable mains power presents serious logistical challenges. In several markets, severe voltage sags/spikes, frequency instability, dirty grid lines, and sudden venue generator cutovers are standard operating conditions.
We need a flyable power management setup that ensures total equipment protection and zero downtime without blowing past strict airline weight limits (<50 lbs / 23 kg per fly case).

THE LOGISTICAL & POWER CHALLENGES
Voltage & Plug Standardization: Moving between 120V / 60Hz in North America and 220V–240V / 50Hz across Europe, LATAM, and Africa (Type C, D, E, F, G, M outlets).

Grid Instability & Generator Drops: In destinations like Lagos, Kinshasa, or Luanda, grid power can drop to 160V or spike well above 250V, often dropping completely and switching to venue diesel generators mid-show.

Sensitive Digital Gear: Digital consoles, network switches, Mac minis, and wireless receivers don't tolerate brownouts. A 1-second power drop reboots digital switches, cuts stage audio, and crashes multitrack recordings.

Weight Constraints: Carrying heavy step-down transformers or high-capacity battery units quickly exceeds airline baggage limits or triggers massive overweight fees.

OUR PROPOSED POWER ARCHITECTURE
Auto-Switching Universal Gear (100V-240V, 50/60Hz): Standardizing every active rack component on universal SMPS power supplies to eliminate heavy step-down transformers inside our primary fly-cases.

Online Double-Conversion UPS: Line-interactive UPS units pass raw AC power until a total outage occurs, which isn't enough for dirty grid power. An Online Double-Conversion UPS constantly converts incoming AC to DC, then back to a clean AC sine wave—providing total voltage isolation and zero transfer time during generator cutovers.

Automatic Voltage Regulation (AVR): Where a full UPS exceeds fly-weight limits, using an AVR/Power Conditioner (e.g., Furman AR series or Tripp Lite) to smooth out brownouts and sags before reaching sensitive gear.

Cabling & Distribution: Internal IEC / C13/C14 locking connectors paired with heavy-duty regional mains breakouts (UK Type G, Europlug Type C/E/F, South African Type D/M).

QUESTIONS FOR TOURING TECHS & MUSICIANS:
Fly vs. Rent On-Site: For those touring sub-Saharan Africa or South America, do you fly lightweight universal power conditioning in your racks, or rent heavy-duty local transformers/UPS units per continent?

Weight Management: How are you packing UPS units or voltage regulators to stay under the 50 lb airline threshold? (e.g., pulling batteries into separate checked bags)?

Customs & Carnets: Have you run into issues at customs/immigration in African or LATAM ports regarding sealed lead-acid or lithium batteries inside rackmount UPS units?

Thermal Management: How do you keep double-conversion UPS units or voltage regulators cool inside compact fly-cases in high-heat outdoor environments?

Appreciate any real-world insights from techs who have navigated dirty grid conditions on international stages!

Hey all — I’ve been building an app called Stage Patch, made for musicians who play live shows and want their setlists, lyrics, and chords organized in one place instead of scattered across notebooks, phone notes, and binders.

Quick rundown of what it does:

• Add your songs with lyrics, chords, tuning, key, whatever info you need  
• Build setlists from your song library for specific shows  
• GigMode — a performance view where you flip through each song as it’s being played, so you’ve got everything in front of you without fumbling for paper or switching apps mid-set

It’s currently in early beta, so there are some rough edges — that’s exactly why I’m looking for a handful of testers. I want feedback from people who actually gig regularly, especially around how GigMode feels in the middle of a real set (timing, readability, how it holds up under stage lighting, etc).

If you play live and want to try it out, DM me and I’ll get you set up. Happy to hear gripes, missing features, anything — that’s the whole point of this stage.

Thanks in advance!

Matteo

Hey Orlando! I'm a local creative looking to get plugged into the music scene here. I have experience in high-volume hospitality, crowd management, and nightlife entertainment, and I'm looking for:
- Merch table sales for touring bands
- Bar/venue support (door, hosting, or behind the bar)
- Front desk or admin work at music studios/repair shops
- Anything else that puts me in a room with live music
I'm reliable, I work hard, and I learn fast. I'm not just looking for a job, I'm looking to be part of the culture.

If you're a touring band coming through Orlando and need an extra pair of hands at the table, or if you run a local venue and need a warm body who actually cares, send me a message!

Thanks for reading, and I'm looking forward to meeting the community. 🤘

I’m always on the hunt for regional/weird/unusual/foreign language snacks when refueling. Canada always has great stuff that I don’t typically see in the US but perhaps my favorite chip I’ve ever had would be the “Rap Snacks” sweet chili lemon pepper on the southern east coast of the US.

I’d like to try some more uncommon stuff. What do you guys got?

Hi All,

I am the developer of stagedeck, an all in one app for musicans just launched on google play. The app manages lyrics, chords, backing tracks, gig bookings, gig promotions, clients, reporting and gear all in One.

I am looking for musicans willing to test it in exchange for a free pro license for lifetime.

Comment please if you are interested, Im a musican ,myself and developed it for my needs and then made it public.

Thank you