Last week I posed a provocative question and spent some time arguing against common sense.  This article is going to be coming full-circle: advocating a more informed and precise version of common sense.  First and foremost, Yes, touring really is nescessary in 2008. A number of readers have wondered: why did I phrase the question so vaguely?

I’m glad people caught that—it was deliberate, and central to the point of this series.  Most people I talk to, from new artists to established pros, operate on the assumption that touring is nescessary, period. I would like people to seriously re-evaluate this embrace of tradition: screwdrivers are nescessary, too, but they’re not always the right tool for the job.  In part two of this series, I established the fact that touring is not nescessary to “break” your act.  In fact, it’s the least effective, most expensive method of introducing a new artist to a large audience. 

In this final installment, I am going to examine what touring is nescessary for: generating media attention, connecting with your existing fanbase, and most importantly, making some damn money.

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I was reading over an excellent interview with a band I never heard of—Me Talk Pretty—about DIY music marketing and managing your own career, and I came across a line I spent the next 5 minutes re-reading and meditating on.  It goes a little something like this:

Touring is too expensive to do on a consistent basis, but it’s necessary.

Is it, though? As the Martin Atkins bible Tour:Smart makes painfully clear, touring is kind of a pain in the ass. So I don’t want to make any sweeping pronouncements, here.  If I wanted more publicity, I’d frame this more provokatively, such as “TOURING IS DEAD”—but let’s just explore the question: is touring really necessary in 2008?

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Audible Hype is all about questioning common sense and giving the Status Quo a good swift boot to the nuts.  As many readers know, I’ve been on the road more or less constantly since last October, so live shows and touring have been at the forefront of my mind.  I’ve got about 30 pages in my journal about how to tighten my operation—and yours—but before I get to that, I’d like to burn everything down first.

Is touring even nescessary? With the prices of fuel and food increasing every day, and the US dollar being constantly devalued, it’s going become increasingly expensive to get On The Road Again.  So this week, I’d like to spark a discussion on the future of live music.  Are there less expensive, more profitable alternatives to driving all over the country?  Are there strategies for reaching new listeners that don’t involve calling up grumpy strangers for hours on end?

I think there’s quite a few, actually. 

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Of all the dinosaur occupations in the music biz, few are more endangered than the “Booking Agent.” Don’t get me wrong—a well-connected and professional booking agent can deliver the world at your fingertips.  But don’t delude yourself—if you can afford a real booking agent, you don’t need to be reading Audible Hype—you’ve already got a successful music career.

This article, then, is for everyone else.  When I book shows, I use freely available tools and common sense, and it’s been working out great in 2008.  This is a step-by-step guide to exploiting new technology to get you good old GIGS, anywhere you want.  It’s downright amazing how much power you have at your fingertips—here’s a guided tour.

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