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Role of a promoter 

The job of a music promoter is central to the music industry, without it there are no concerts and no sales. The role of a promoter can be different depending on whether it is a local independent promoter or a major promoter working with an internationally famous performer. Generally speaking “a promoter’s job is to buy a show and go and market the tickets”.(Rapino,BrainyQuotes:2009) It includes deal negotiations with different performers and the locations (venues) that they perform in, marketing strategies, building a fanbase and the money you can earn (as well as lose) in the industry. 

“The term promoter is widely used in the music industry to describe the person or company responsible for the physical organisation or presentation of a concert”. (Brennan & Webster’Livemusicexchange.org:2012) They can do this by looking on social media, going to gigs or looking on platforms like launchpad that are specifically for any potential acts, such as singers or bands etc… who can perform and earn money through live shows. Without this, there will be no performer and henceforth no business. They deal with contracts and venue fees whether it be percentage deals or flat fees and It is very important that the promoter is knowledgeable of these differences, in order to ensure that they are getting the best deal for themselves and for the artist. 

They need to book the venue’s themselves so the act has somewhere to perform. If the promoter doesn’t know of the best places to book gigs for an artist depending on their fanbase level and budget it will make life a lot harder for everyone and the act may even stop working with them. Promoters need to budget each show and work out how much they are investing compared to how much they will be making in profit. They need to know how much ticket sales are going to be and make decisions based on how many people are expected to come to the gig, depending on the size of the fan base they’ve created will determine how they will attract that audience. It is vital that the promoter doesn’t go over budget or spend too much on a gig or a tour because if the artist doesn’t make enough back from a show not only will you not break even but you will have lost money when you are trying to make it. And finally a promoter needs to know if there are gonna be any sponsorships from social media or brand collaborations supporting them.

A promoter needs to be able to fund events whether that’s through ticket sales or investing in it themselves, but they can’t forget that a profit needs to be made and they need to recognise the ability to lose as well as make money. Profits can be made via ticket sales, on the door sales, flat fees, percentage deals and profit splits. The promoter needs to be aware that they might not sell enough tickets to make a profit or make back what they owe the venue, and will henceforth have to pay the venue the extra money they didn’t earn from the night, they also need to know how to minimize this risk, they can do this by making more awareness of the show or lowering ticket prices. 

A big part of the job is identifying a target audience and reaching out to people in that demographic, via social media and if necessary local media like smaller radio shows specific to the chosen genre. “Promoters act as “the crucial link between artists, venues and audiences” (Berklee,concert promoter:2025). It’s also vital that they can break new artists into the scene whilst keeping the popularity of the ones who are already there. Industry relationships is another key part of the job, networking and building a reputation for yourself as someone who is hardworking, knows venues, artists and managers and has a track record known to those people as being good at your job.

In today’s ever changing world it is important to know about the realistic future of promoting artists, you need to be aware of AI tools for marketing, the way that the world has changed from physical to digital marketing and understanding how important it is for promoters to advertise themselves and their own brand in order to stay in business and keep their career. 

Role of a tour manager 

^A tour manager is a person who runs the show when a band is on tour. Tour managers are responsible for making sure a concert tour runs smoothly”. (McDonald,2019:Liveaboutdotcom) In summary, a tour manager’s job is to quite simply ensure that a tour goes well for anyone and everyone who tours around the nation, whether they are performing or are a member of the workforce. There are several primary things that need to be taken care of including: Pre tour preparation, crisis management, engaging with the fans and dealing with financial reports. 

Tour preparation is the first thing a manager needs to deal with, this is because they need to be  “sure that everyone on tour is happy”. (McDonald,2019:Liveaboutdotcom) The logistics of the tour are essential, the route the tour bus will take (assuming that will be the primary method of transport) needs to be thought out in order to make sure the artist will arrive with time to spare as traffic, accidents and roadworks are just a few things that can slow the entire operation down.

Booking the venues and/or arenas / stadiums is essential as all venues need to be decided and booked before the tour begins, the only exception would be if you’re selling out and you decide to add new dates or a venue invites you to perform at their location. All finances need to be agreed and organised before the tour to ensure there are no complications before or after the performances, this can be decided easily with percentage deals for each performer by giving a certain amount from each show’s takings, unless payment has already been decided another way. Furthermore the amount that the crew will be paid is also vital as they are the team that put your shows together, prepare everything and make sure you’re ready for each performance. Without them none of this could happen so they need to know they are appreciated.

During the tour itself, the manager needs to be aware and in control of several things such as load in time and the soundcheck schedule, it is very important that you are on time for both of these things as you need to be prepared and have spare time for each show. Taking into account the time it will take from when you arrive at a venue to being able to unload all the equipment (thinking the amount) getting it on stage, ready for soundcheck, and finally finishing the soundcheck with everyone ready for the show. This is vital because different people can cost you valuable time you might not have for different reasons and no one will be happy if you haven’t already told them the schedule for everything. Other things to consider in this process include merchandise crew, catering, security arrangements and electrical equipment such as lights and pyrotechnics. 

Dealing with a crisis while on tour is absolutely crucial for everyone’s safety and everyone’s ability to work. Equipment going missing, being stolen or getting damaged, band members or crew members being injured or taken ill, people arriving late for one reason or another and vehicles breaking down or crashing on the way to a venue are just a few examples of what can and does need to be dealt with in certain times during a tour. They need to “help manage all of the emotional ups and downs and demands of life on the road”. (McDonald,2019:Liveaboutdotcom) If an instrument is unable to be used, it is a manager’s job to ensure that it can either be ready for use on time or that a replacement can be found before the show starts. If someone is taken ill the manager needs to make it their mission to get them the required medical help and if necessary reschedule the show to the next available date when the performer is ready again. Furthermore if vehicles can’t be used the tour manager’s job is to prioritise getting that vehicle back on the road by contacting a mechanic or finding another vehicle in time to get to the venue without an issue, however getting another vehicle takes time and transferring the equipment can take even longer.  

Allowing a chance for the artist to engage with the fans through meet and greets and photograph/autograph signings is something that a manager needs to think about making time for at each show, the performers may want to as its an excellent way to gain popularity, show their fans they care and build a reputation as kind and down to earth people as well as incredible performers. For this purpose extra tickets need to be organised, security needs to be co-ordinated and a time slot for each fan needs to be allocated to allow for maximum ticket sales. Without these measures you can be overrun and people can get more than they’ve paid for.

Hypothetical event 

Event – four piece rock band performance with duo support act

Venue – Hyde park book club

For this event there is a vital requirement for both roles to make the show possible, the promoter can simply be the band members and it is absolutely necessary in order to bring awareness to the show. Without someone promoting your gig through social media, the venue you’re performing in, posters or even leaflets, there is a minimal chance of enough people attending or even knowing about your gig to be able to break even, let alone make a profit. As per the budget and settlement sheets, you will see that for a smaller venue it is not necessary to hire a promoter as you don’t need to bring county or nationwide awareness, however the job will need to be given to a member of the band (presumably the one in control of the social media page) in order to inform people in the local area that the gig is taking place. 

A tour manager is also absolutely crucial for a gig even if it is for a smaller venue. Again, it is not always necessary to hire one separately as you can save money by giving the role to one of the bandmembers. Without the tour manager there will be no one to work out transport, no one to list the equipment you will be using to ensure nothing gets lost or stolen, no one to make sure that there will be adequate parking for a van, as well as any extra vehicles that may be needed. And arguably most importantly, if you don’t have a tour manager the band members and support act won’t have anyone making sure you have been paid correctly meaning you could lose money and then your bandmates and support act may not want to perform with you again.

Bibliography 

Rapino, M. “n.d.” BrainyQuotes

Brennan, M & Webster, E (2012) Livemusicexchange.org 

(2025) Concert Promoter. Berklee

McDonald, H (2019) what does a tour manager do ?. Liveaboutdotcom