Within the music industry there is a vast array of varied career paths. A staple profession in the industry is that of the touring musician. A touring musician is an artist who performs live music across multiple venues in different cities and often different countries, usually as part of an ensemble or band. This profession is the core role in the live music industry, which generates billions of dollars annually. Touring is often the main source of income for up and coming artists. This portfolio will explore the necessary considerations for becoming a touring musician such as skills, opportunities and challenges facing the profession.
Academic and Professional Requirements
Formal education is not an essential requirement for most touring musicians. That being said, a working knowledge of music theory and of the musicians chosen instrument provides a notable advantage, especially in classical, jazz and other more complex styles of music. Academic study of music performance, technology and other related fields provides musicians with solid foundation with which to enter the live music industry. It also provides a ‘buffer period’ in which musicians can hone there craft and gain valuable experience from those already working in their chosen field. Notable examples of successful touring musicians with a background in academia include, John Mayer, Quincy Jones and Steve Vai.
While a background in academia is not entirely essential to the role of a touring musician, practical experience in the field is crucial. Aspiring musicians often begin by performing locally, networking and collaborating with other musicians in their community in order to find their way into bands and gain notoriety. Gigging as often as possible is essential to developing important attributes such as stagecraft and confidence. Another example of how musicians gain performance experience is through session work. A session musician plays for other artists in studio sessions and also in live settings, providing them with a wider array of experience in different styles of music therefore broadening their opportunity for work in the industry. The ability to network and form professional relationships is paramount to securing work as a touring musician.
Requisite Knowledge, Skills and Personal Attributes
The role of touring musician requires a wide array of attributes. The initial skill required is proficiency on one or more instruments. Touring musicians will often be asked to fill roles that aren’t their main expertise such as providing backing vocals. Familiarity with the various types of music technology required for live music (microphones, mixing desks, sound systems etc.) is increasingly important, especially for those starting out, as they are often required to fill the role of sound technician themselves. Additionally, an understanding of the inner working of touring such as time management, venue requirements and planning travel are hugely important to the role.
Adaptability is required to perform in a number diverse, often unforeseen circumstances. Equipment failure and last minute changes are a regular occurrence when performing live. Stamina is an often overlooked part of touring. Ones physical and mental endurance are a key factor in the ability to perform on stage and also to withstand the demands of constant travel. The ability to sustainably communicate and collaborate with team members is essential. Tensions can rise when spending time in close quarters with others for extended periods of time so a good temperament and interpersonal skills will aid in the fluidity of the work being done.
In order to fill the role of touring musician one needs to have a true passion for their work and be prepared to commit to the lifestyle required to carry it out. Discipline and dedication to the goal are needed as the work can become arduous and repetitive over time as with any industry. The ability to handle criticism and rejection is tied into the role, as touring as a musician is often an unsteady and unpredictable career path.
Duties and Responsibilities of Profession
Being a touring musician requires a lot more than just performing on stage. A typical days work would start long before the musician sets foot on stage or even gets to the venue. Travelling and arranging transportation is one the essential steps as a tour bus and crew are only available to the most esteemed artists. The musicians are usually tasked with getting all of their own equipment into the venue and setting it up themselves. The next step would be rehearsal and sound checking as each venue will have its own requirements and difference in space and acoustics. Arriving at venues long before the show starts is important as it can take a long time to solve the variety of problems that can occur. To minimise issues regular maintenance of equipment is necessary.
After all of the preliminary steps have been carried out the musician needs to then ensure they can deliver there performance with the requisite amount of energy and enthusiasm. This can be challenging as shows usually occur late at night. After the show it is beneficial for the musician to interact with the crowd to receive feedback and develop a relationship with their audience. For more recognised artist it is not uncommon for them to hold meet and greets and afterparties. Self promotion and promotion of each gig is often the responsibility of the musician so a having a strong social media presence is important. Artists are also tasked with merchandising and raising awareness of how to support their work. Other administrative tasks include handling financial records, scheduling future tour dates and coordinating with management.
The role require long hours, physically demanding work and minimal rest time between shows in order to be successful. Touring musicians must be resilient and ensure they remain physically and mentally healthy to carry out the work to the expected standard.
Financial and Legal Issues
A touring musicians main source of income will usually be from ticket sales and merchandise. Up and coming musicians playing smaller non ticketed shows are sometimes offered a portion of the money made on the bar at the venue or even expected to perform for no pay at all. This makes it hard to get off the ground as a touring musician, especially when the artist or band is not signed to a record label. Earnings significantly fluctuate based on the success of the tour and the size of the audience. In addition to this, consideration must be taken for the outgoing costs of the tour. The cost of accommodation, transport and equipment can dramatically reduce earnings and musicians often end up losing money on tour.
Touring musician face a host of legal requirements when touring. Venues will often ask artists to sign contracts outlining the rights of the venue and the artist, and also to ensure the correct copyrights are in in place. Artist are often asked to sign documents that outline their setlist to disclose which songs are original compositions and which are covers. International tours require every crew member to have the proper travel documentation such visas. This process can be hard to coordinate especially without the backing of a tour manager or with larger crews. Another legal consideration touring artists face is insurance. Health, travel and equipment insurance are invaluable in case of any unforeseen circumstances.
Most full time touring musicians rely on legal professionals such as lawyers and accountants to cope with these issues however smaller artists will often have to find a way to do it themselves, leaving them vulnerable to disruptions to the tour and financial loss.
Marketing and Promotion
Maintaining a consistent public image that aligns with the artists style of music is a fundamental part of being a touring musician. The image of a musician is as almost essential as the music itself. The best way to promote this image is through social media platforms such as Instagram and TikTok. Regularly uploading photos and videos to accompany the musical material. Bigger, signed artist will have social media managers to keep this image up for them, whereas smaller artists are faced with the challenge of self promotion. It is important for touring musicians to create a unique branding for their merchandise, music videos, album covers etc. The upkeep of an image is crucial and any changes, or holes in an artists image can have detrimental effects. A good example of this is the adverse reaction to Bob Dylan’s movement away from acoustic instruments towards electric ones (Andrews, 2015).
Other promotional strategies include: releasing singles in the build up to an album, often accompanied by music videos; collaborations with brands and other artists; using PR or social media management teams to organise interviews and media appearances.
Intellectual and Personal Challenges
It is easy for artists to become burnt out creatively after extended periods of touring as the work can often become monotonous and often leads to band members leaving and sometimes even completely disbanding. The struggle to maintain integrity night after night in order to meet the demands of the audience, can wear down the artists passion for the work. On top of the mental struggles of life on tour the profession can take a heavy physical toll on the musicians. Lugging around equipment and providing energetic performances on a demanding schedule requires good physical health and resilience which can be hard to maintain on tour. Artist often fall into unhealthy coping mechanisms such as drugs and alcohol which only serve to worsen the situation and wear down relationships within the group.
Another struggle touring musicians face is the rapidly reducing number of live music venues. With the rise of social media, the demand for live music is at an all time low. Independent venues suffered massive losses during the COVID-19 pandemic as there was no opportunity for bands to play and for fans to congregate. Charitable organisations such as the Music Venue Trust (Davyd, 2014) are making efforts to save independent venues and reignite the demand for live music.
Career Progression Opportunities
The initial way touring musicians can progress in there careers is to move from smaller independent venues into larger concerts such as festivals and stadiums. In order to do so the artist must consistently attract an ever growing audience whilst touring smaller venues and securing gigs as opening acts for larger band or artists. Artists often branch out into other roles within the industry such as starting their own record labels and managing other artists. Band members will often pursue solo careers to explore new musical territory.
Successful artists such as the Red Hot Chili Peppers often play gigs where all the money made goes towards a charity. This one of many ways that touring musicians can use their following for good and give back to communities.
Conclusion
To summarise the profession of a touring musician is a demanding one, often a journey of struggle and uncertainty. Dwindling numbers of venues and demand for live music; mental and physical strain; self marketing and the constant upkeep of a public image are challenges all touring musicians will face. A strong passion for the work and art form, the ability to adapt and perseverance are just some of the necessary attributes needed in order for a touring musician to become successful. Despite the inherently difficult nature of the profession, there is opportunity for role to be incredibly rewarding, financially and personally.
Bibliography
Andrews, E (2015) ‘The Day Dylan Went Electric’ for History available at:
Davyd, M (2014) ‘The Music Venue Trust’ available at:
