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Dirty-South Blues Harp forum: wail on! >
seeking "touring musician" software
seeking "touring musician" software
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kudzurunner
3424 posts
Aug 10, 2012
1:39 PM
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I'm just back off the road after two weeks away: 6 gigs, 3200 miles driven, Mississippi to Maine and back, with some vacation in the middle. No complaints.
After three or four years of easing my way back into the occasional touring life, I'd like to systematize things a bit more than I have. I'm seeking software to make that happen. Since I use a Mac, it'll need to be Mac-compatible.
What I'd like is something that begins with an interface into which I can plug each gig: date, location, venue, the deal (i.e., $150 guarantee vs. 70% of the door, whatever), venue contact info, other contacts (blues society, DJs, etc.), hotel, hotel price, actual money collected and number of paid customers, agent's commission, merchandizing. The software doesn't need to have every single bell & whistle, but it needs to have space for most of those basic things.
I'd be able to input all that info. Every time I come back off the road, I'd input the info. Over time, I'd build up a database of clubs that I'd worked, and I'd be able to sort the date in different ways--i.e., the largest crowd or the highest net take on a gig.
And then, ideally, I'd be able to access the location data on a map, so that I could SEE the places I'd worked over the past five or ten years. So when I was getting ready to plan a new tour, I could have all the info at my fingertips and could easily visualize the obvious way of routing myself. I'd have the name of the hotel or motel that I stayed at last time around. Just having THAT info would save me a lot of time.
Does this sort of software exist? Do booking agents have this sort of software? I don't need freeware; I'm happy to shell out some money up front in order to get things rolling.
[edited to add: It's amazing how when you ask the question, the answers start coming in. I've just found the following:
http://www.thebandleadersoftware.com/djmc.htm
And also the following:
http://www.amazon.com/The-Touring-Musician-Small-Business-Approach/dp/0739046896/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1344631850&sr=8-1&keywords=touring+musician
Last Edited by on Aug 10, 2012 1:47 PM
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timeistight
774 posts
Aug 10, 2012
2:33 PM
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You might want to email Carlos Del Junco and ask him what he uses. He's a Mac user and I think he books most of his own tours.
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HawkeyeKane
1125 posts
Aug 10, 2012
3:10 PM
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Seems to me that for what you're needing, you don't really need any special software per se. Google can handle just about all of these things.
Google Calendar for scheduling and making notes about each gig, venue, and geographic location. Gmail account for your contacts, hotels. And you can save geographic locations in a Google Maps profile.
Of course, the one downside of it is you'd need internet connection to access it, but the upside is that internet connection is virtually inescapable, and you could get to it pretty much anywhere.
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Hawkeye Kane
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Pistolcat
254 posts
Aug 10, 2012
3:59 PM
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Looks like you solved it yourself kudzu :). I prepared to post something like "Isn't there an app for that?" but I then saw your edit. The act of formulating and verbalising ones thoughts are a lot more important to finding solutions than other peoples answers, ennit?
I have a "Problem-solving profession" myself and find this true in almost all occasions.
Good luck!
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Pistolkatt - Pistolkatts youtube
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shadoe42
211 posts
Aug 10, 2012
5:16 PM
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A good portion of all that could be fairly easily set up in any decent spreadsheet software
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The Musical Blades
My Electronic Music World
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nacoran
6051 posts
Aug 10, 2012
5:39 PM
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I'm not sure, but I think Google Maps might be a useful piece of it. I'm not sure exactly how to do it, but if you made a Google map... you can put a little html into each button on the page (not complicated HTML, kind of the sort of stuff for displaying links here...) then you could click on each pin and it would pull up a link to a spread sheet (or you could just put the info in the text box... I'm not sure how much room they give you). Hmm, now I'm curious.
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Nate
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kudzurunner
3425 posts
Aug 10, 2012
5:46 PM
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Hawkeye and Nacoran: I think the Google suggestion is great. I also think that either the software exists OR--just as likely--the particular assortment and collection of apps hasn't yet been assembled specifically for this purpose, in which case there's a heck of a profit center waiting to be created.
C'mon everybody. I know that the assembled smarts at this forum are capable of woodshedding this problem and coming up with something that will make touring musicians in ALL areas and on WHATEVER instrument--including trombones, sucky as they are--:)--give us major respect.
Somebody needs to work up this app and put it out there. Better yet, somebody needs to work this app up and sell it. I'll buy it.
Last Edited by on Aug 10, 2012 5:47 PM
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jdblues
97 posts
Aug 10, 2012
5:47 PM
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As said above, for plugging in the data (Date, location, venue, etc.) and sorting it by any category, any spreadsheet software will work. Google Docs is free.
You can also put in formulas so it will total your costs, earnings, and profits.
Google Maps sounds promising. You can save the addresses of the clubs. I don't know that it will be able to optimize a route for you but it should at least help you visualize it.
EDIT:
Here, I've created a template. (I kind of get a kick out of spreadsheets)
Hope this helps. Save a copy into your Google account to use it.
Last Edited by on Aug 10, 2012 6:11 PM
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Noodles
228 posts
Aug 10, 2012
7:09 PM
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I've worked with Spreadsheets and Databases for a long time. The question of "which one" is NOT so obvious.
The best way to approach the choice is to first determine exactly what you hope to extract from it. Yep, you start at the end and work backwards.
If, for example, you want to generate Proposals from the data, a Database is a better choice.
If you have so many columns in your spreadsheet that you're scrolling across multiple pages to read a single record, then again, a Database is better and will print better.
A Spreadsheet is great for "What if" scenarios and can do some impressive math calculating. They are good for creating lists too.
Both can be used to sum up expenses. Neither will do mapping, but they can store links to a map of the venue.
So, again, it depends on what you want to get out of it.
If one has the where-with-all to create the spreadsheet or database, there's plenty of free software.
I kinda like the software Adam posted in the OP. I took the tour. Seems simple enough.
It's a good candidate to download the demo and explore a bit.
Check the Reports and see if they are customizable. Can you add or rename fields?
If necessary, one could create a simple spreadsheet in addition to the software to store the map links for each venue. But, at least the heavy lifting has been done and tested.
Last Edited by on Aug 12, 2012 4:13 AM
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barbequebob
2000 posts
Aug 13, 2012
8:33 AM
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Nice to know about software packages and books like these. I also wish there were software packages for tax purposes for not only bandleaders, but musicians who aren't bandleaders as well that are something along the lines of Quick Books and stuff like that. Just learning the tax issues alone would seriously augment stuff like this, altho if you're a full time or even part time musician, more so as a pro, you file under being self employed and software geared specifically for musicians for tax reasons (or just about anyone in the entertainment industry as a whole) could benefit, tho much of the time, as a full time pro, you're usually better off getting your taxes done by a pro who specializes in the industry, and not the usual suspects like Jackson Hewitt or companies like that because they usually don't know the industry well and you wind up paying much more than you should.
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Sincerely,
Barbeque Bob Maglinte
Boston, MA
http://www.barbequebob.com
CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
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lor
144 posts
Aug 13, 2012
11:49 AM
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Thebandleader software you found above looks quite well thought out, and seems to have a friendly, intuitive, and flexible method of data entry and retrieval. I have not examined the printed reports it produces but it does seem to allow you to choose the content thereof.
I was a mainframe computer system designer and programmer for four decades, now do PC and Mac software. I'd recommend that you download the demo and try using it on a gig or two from the past (not the one your headed for tomorrow).
Usually, the problems with good looking software like this show up when you need to do something unusual, in the sense of having made some random departure from the intended procedure, e.g. you were interrupted and came back and forgot to finish where you were at and now you have an incomplete or dysfunctional record you'd like to get rid of but can't, or can't fix, and it throws your money totals off by some huge random amount, etc.
The demo's always appear flawless because the programmer is conducting them, and he or she follows the programmed design presicely; but you won't.
So get the demo and try to "break" it. Do the weirdest
shit to it, stuff you'd "never" do intentionally. Hey you have kids and pets at home, and go to the bathroom leaving the computer running and the cat decides to groom her butt on your keyboard.
You gotta live the blues.
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lor
146 posts
Aug 13, 2012
12:00 PM
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Noodles makes some really good suggestions as well.
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Noodles
240 posts
Aug 13, 2012
12:15 PM
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Lor:
I agree with you wholeheartedly on Windows VS Mac. I learned on windows and still use it. But, I've already decided to switch to Mac on subsequent computers.
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barbequebob
2002 posts
Aug 14, 2012
8:10 AM
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@Noodles -- good info there. I also believe in having a good tax accountant, but it has to be one that specializes in the entertainment industry or prepared to get screwed even if it was unintentional.
BTW, the Mac software package to run Windows is Parellels and in a Mac store, I've seen a good demonstration of how it works and this comes with an anti virus program from Kaspersky.
Keeping those receipts and keeping them organized is incredibly important and one needs to keep them for at least 3 years, as whenever you work as either a musician, writer, artist, etc., you can count on getting audited and you have to have these things with you and you can't afford to be a disorganized scatterbrain.
Since Noodles mentioned what the naming differences are, it's too bad there isn't a package with that naming already there to help make it at least somewhat idiot proof.
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Sincerely,
Barbeque Bob Maglinte
Boston, MA
http://www.barbequebob.com
CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
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1847
127 posts
Aug 14, 2012
8:49 AM
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has anyone one checked out act?
this is very powerful software
you can scan in all of your receipts
if you have a recording or video
scans right in
all your contact info emails pictures all in one place
click the mouse a map appears
and get this it is on sale this month
save yourself some money
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asilve3
123 posts
Aug 15, 2012
8:43 PM
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Hi Adam,
I am a harmonica player and a specialist at an Apple Store in Pennsylvania. Based on your needs and the fact that you use a mac I would recommend a simple databasing program called Bento.
Bento will allow you to create custom forms so you can easily categorize information such as addresses, names, prices, expenses, etc. Filling out the address forms will automatically provide a link to view in google maps. There is also a mobile app so you can update that information while out on the road and then synch it back to your Mac.
There is also already a custom template for tour management online that someone has made so you don't have to start from scratch. You can check out that template and the software here:
http://solutions.filemaker.com/database-templates/detail.jsp?serial=2551226
please don't hesitate to e-mail me with any question at andrewjsilverberg@gmail.com
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