Rethinking Touring at SXSW 2023

Apr 5

Austin, TX - At the SXSW panel about the rising costs of the touring industry led by Dan Mangan, an artist and co-founder of Side Door, Peggy Hogan – artist Hua Li and label and marketing manager at Next Door Records; Evan Peng, artist Aysanabee, and Andrew Leib artist manager at Red Light Management.

A follow-up to the SXSW 22 panel (How to Tour in Alternative Venue Spaces), How to Tour in 2023 Without Going Broke, moderated by Dan Mangan, artist, and co-founder of Side Door, shared tangible strategies for rising artists who don't necessarily have the funds to tour in a grandiose way or without a specific purpose, which was the primary focus of the discussion.

"Touring intentionally is the name of the game these days, more so than ever before. Not to say that it's not always worth it. You just have to really look at it and think if it might be worth it to you,” said Leib.

Some key talking points from these live music experts:

the silver linings to touring and doing shows post-pandemic
how the latest tech can save you money, for example, using chatGPT to route your next tour (yup, we said it)
some of the silver-bullet moments in their careers
ways to diversify income as an artist
how to find alternative venues to play, like doing house concerts
discussing whether or not attending music conferences is worth it for your career
the importance of building community and how to do it
and so much more!

Push play and watch the full panel below:

How to Tour in 2023 Without Going Broke Panel

Thank you to our panelists for making the trip to Austin and sharing your wisdom and expertise, and thank you to everyone who attended. We LOVE meeting you in person and having these discussions with you.