How To Go On Tour As An Independent Artist

Going on tour as an independent artist is a big deal.

It's so rare for indie artist to actually get booked for multiple shows and build out a tour, so if you can pull it off, you'll likely be legend in your hometown.

Take for example, a local Denver rapper who recently went on a national tour (his first!). When he returned, there was a lot of buzz around him in Colorado.

How did he do it?

He found a sponsor that paid for the entire cost of getting on that tour. This is a little known tactic that any independent artist can use to go on tour.

But it does take hard work and persistence.

📅 Get Booked For Individual Show Dates

Instead of waiting for 30-date tour to be handed to you, why not get booked for a few local dates back-to-back?

We definitely like this option for artists that are just getting started. It creates a mini tour right in your own state with less effort.

To pull this off, you'll need to find all the local shows in your state that you are willing to travel to. Then try to get on to a few shows that are close together in dates.

This will make it seem as if you are doing shows back-to-back on an actual regional tour as long as you promote it that way on your socials.

Don't let anyone tell you that this doesn't count! Trust us when we say that is what smart independent artists are doing to create buzz and build a fan base.

🚐 Buy Onto a Multi-Date National Tour

Another option to go on tour as an independent artist is to piggyback on a national artist's tour.

It won't be easy to find these types of tours and you'll likely need to know the agent or artist manager personally, but it's a great option if you have the cash.

Many national artists will either have spots available for each stop in the tour or they'll let one artist buy onto the whole tour.

Buying onto the entire tour can be expensive at $10k-$20k. However, it can get you in front of thousands of people every single night for weeks!

Is it worth it?

It depends on where you are in your music career. 

We don't recommend this option for new artists because you may not know how to capitalize on this type of exposure just yet.

But if you're an artist that has some following online and have already done local shows, it's a great way to fast track building your following in different states.

📱 Use The Qoncert App To Find Tours

Not sure how to get booked for a local tour or buy onto a national tour? Here's a hint: download the Qoncert app!

Qoncert lets independent artists find local and national shows where you can request a slot to perform.

Our goal is to create a better experience for artists that are just getting started, don't have the connections and can really hustle.

If you can sell tickets in your hometown, we'd love to book you and help you build your brand and fan base so that you can headline your own show in the near future.

Get early access to the beta app now.