What It Takes to Organize a Great Live Music Concert: Tips From the Expert

A live music concert is an unforgettable experience for both artists and fans. If you had a chance to look behind the scenes, you probably would be amazed at how much craft it takes to organize a great live music concert. It requires strategic planning, thorough preparation, skillful marketing and professional execution of the concept artists have in mind for their shows.

A professional event producer, live promoter, founder and director of live events and education company Lyrix Organix Dan Tsu is sharing expert tips and advice with artists in an exclusive interview for Show4me. Seize the secrets coming from the expert with a 15-year experience in the music event industry.

When organizing a new music event, what are the first steps in a live concert set up?

The first step is developing the concept. Think strategically. What are you offering that is unique, special and memorable? Think carefully about what others are doing in the market — strive to be different and original.

Once you’ve finalized the concept, you need to finalize the budget. This determines what artists and venues are feasible, as well as the scope of marketing/promotion, etc. I would then book the venue — this can take a while to find your perfect venue within budget. Once this is locked in, its time for the hardest and most exciting bit… booking the right artists!

What foundational steps does the live concert production process include?

This is a big question! The foundation of all great events is great planning. This begins with accurate budgeting, booking the most suitable venue for your artists/audience, booking the right artist and outlining an exciting programme (i.e. running order). Obviously, this will then require smart marketing/promotion through a range of appropriate channels (digital and physical). Also making sure that all the legal and health & safety is taken care of comprehensively is very important. It is also essential to ensure all the technical aspects are taken care of — tech specs, backline, soundchecks. Without these, a great show can seem poorly organized and disappoint audiences. Finally, it’s important to include evaluation as part of the event management process… to improve the shows every time.

What are the 3 main tips would you give artists to teach them the basics of music concert organization?

Have a great team on board, who are experienced and who you trust. Don’t be tempted to do everything yourself, its stressful. Often a great team will exceed your own potential and expectations if you give them the chance.

Visuals are key. Get a good designer on board for graphic design, and a quality videographer who will make your event look great.

Timing is everything. Give yourself plenty of extra time for planning and deadlines. The more rushed you are, the lower the quality of the event and the more stressful everything is.

What about promoting a music concert? Any tips on that?

My biggest tip is to market your event as an experience, not a product. This is a challenge — but is what makes events unique and attractive. A one-off story that you are inviting the audience to partake in.

Keep things visual. Invest in good branding and graphic design. It’s important to think carefully about the marketing mix — and how they integrate with each other. Have one unified message, even if you are targeting different audiences. Treat your audiences as individuals and invite engagement. The more personal your promotion, the larger the following.

What are the main challenges a music event organizer faces in his/her work? How to conquer those challenges?

Time and money is always the biggest challenge. Partnering up with good people/organizations that share similar objectives is crucial for small brands. This ‘in Kind Support’ can make a huge difference — there is strength in numbers. This brings the team into your concept, which can buy more time — or provide increased collateral or finance. A huge challenge is also a competition — live music is such a competitive space now so you have plan strategically (and be original) to really stand out. To overcome this I recommend going lots of research. Go to gigs, speak to artists, engage audiences to find out where you can carve a niche!

Thanks Dan for the great insights and useful tips!

Are you a musician ready to create your own live music concert? Set up your first show with Show4me.