Bandvista Blog
5 People You Don't Want A Band With
Everyone knows that, when it comes to forming a band, one bad apple really can spoil the whole bunch. That’s why you have to invest a significant amount of time in auditioning potential band members. Here are a few examples of the kind of people you should avoid in your band:
The No Show
Obviously, there are times when being late or absent cannot be avoided, but there is a big difference in those occasions and the ones that happen consistently. This isn’t only unprofessional, but it is also very unfair to the rest of your band. without everyone in attendance, you are not going to be able to practice to the fullest. Even if they are just late they will end up wasting a lot of your time. And you have to remember that if they are late or a “no show” for practice they will be late or absent to shows. Behavior like this can get your band a bad name very quickly.
The Egotist
Probably the most common personality on this list when it comes to musicians, the egotist can be discovered very easily. Is there one person speaking so loudly that no other member of the band can contribute to the discussion? Is someone’s instrument turned up so high that it drowns out all the others? That person is likely your egotist, and they can be very destructive to your band. If you are purposefully seeking out someone who will call all the shots for your band then go ahead and add the egotist to your lineup, otherwise, look the other direction.
They will have a difficult time taking any constructive criticism on their own performance or any advice on the direction of the band. The egotist is definitely not a team player, and will make it difficult for more mild-mannered band members to voice their opinions.
The Drama Queen
You know this one. The are the ones that burst into practice or a show in a blaze of emotions and drama. They have a hard time focusing because they just have too much going on at home. It could be anything: rent is due, they drank too much last night, their boyfriend/girlfriend broke up with them, ect. The list could go on and on, and it will hinder the productivity of your band. It is really important that your band knows how to leave it all at the door once it is time to participate. All the other stuff can be addressed after hours.
This person will also turn up to shows or practice totally drunk and/or high. That is unhealthy for them, and it’s unhealthy for your band image. Venues do not book sloppy bands for shows and you will quickly get blacklisted as soon as your bandmate does something crazy like throwing up on stage.
The Dangerously Shy One
This person has little to no self-confidence and that can hold you back your band in the long run. This person is crushed by constructive criticism and will take it personally most of the time. They will not be able to contribute during band discussions for fear of having their ideas rejected. This person may not seem that destructive to a band, but when you think about how you could have one more passionate, vocal member of your band instead it adds up.
The Abdicator
This one could go by a few titles like “the lazy one” or “the shirker”. This person is magically never around when you are loading or unloading equipment. They are also not around when you are setting up, or doing any kind of grunt work. They are not willing to do any of the heavy lifting, but want all the glory of being on stage. This is a good way to piss off the rest of your band because if you are abdicating your duties then you are just creating more work for them to do. No one likes cramming drum sets into the back of someone’s hatchback, but someone has to do it. The abdicator does not carry their own weight and it gets old fast.
Bands are constantly evolving, so if your band is in need of a new member, try BandMix.com. BandMix is the highest rated and largest musicians classifieds online where you'll be able to connect with the right musicians in your local community. We've partnered with BandMix so that anyone that publishes their site with us gets FREE access to BandMix premier membership. Login to your control panel to link your accounts!
Musicians: Get Your FREE .ME
This week we added .ME as an available domain name to register when publishing with BandVista. More good news...it's a FREE option with any package.
So who should grab their free .ME?
Solo musicians would be the obvious first choice. BandVista positions itself as the "Band Website Builder" but the fact is solo musicians make up a large part of our customer base. The .ME fits as the primary website for this group.
Existing members of your band should consider their own .ME. It's a sad reality that bands come and go. They breakup or change members on a regular basis, so why should your work be removed from the web when the old band's website is not renewed or you are wiped clean from it? Maintaining a musician website is easy and ridiculously cheap these days so consider maintaining your own portfolio site long term. Keep it as your online resume for future bands to review and enjoy just maintaining your own musical identity.
What are the benefits of .ME?
It's the only domain extension that is truly about YOU, clearly a great base for building a personal brand online.
The .ME is a great domain to have for a brandable email address your fans won't soon forget.
Availability is still really good. You are much more likely to get the domain you want here compared to looking at all the taken .COM versions.
Combating A Creative Block
Hitting a brick wall creatively can be one of the worst feelings as a musician. It’s something that we will all go through at one time or another, but it doesn’t have to be something insurmountable. There are several proven ways that you can confront a creative block to get you back on the right track for progress.
If you are working on songwriting, try actually writing out your lyrics and ideas on paper. There is just something about physically writing out your ideas that has a tendency to spark creativity more than just typing things out on a computer. It may be the feel of the pen in your hand or the smell of ink on fresh paper, but it’s been proven to get the creative juices going when you're in a slump.
Make sure that you are also practicing with the same drive and intensity that you would have during a show. Setting the stage in this way can really being all the passion and excitement of performing live into your rehearsal space to inpire some creative energy. You should never give your practice time a halfhearted effort.
Another easy thing you can do to promote creativity is to surround yourself with things that are inspiring to you. Try hanging up posters of bands, songwriters, and musicians that you look up to to keep your eye on the prize. It has also been shown that when people look at the colors blue and green they feel more creative than with any other colors; so maybe think about painting!
Speaking of blue, eating blue fruits like blueberries and acai does wonders for your brain activity. These and other dark fruits and vegetables are extremely rich in antioxidants that promote brain health and productivity. Try a handful of these for a snack with you are stuck in a creative rut.
While you are eating healthy, you should also get in some exercise. Going for a run, or riding your bike when you are having a hard time getting to the next step in your creative process will pump your body full of endorphins, the feel-good hormone, and promote plenty of great ideas along the way.
You also need to take care of your mental self when experiencing a creative block. It can be easy to get frustrated and put yourself down, or be overly critical of yourself during these times. You just need to stay positive because, as I mentioned earlier, we all go through it. Try to keep looking ahead and do more constructive things with your time than tearing yourself esteem down. Try doing some meditation when you are feeling like you are at the end of your rope. Studies have shown that participating in open meditation where you allow your find to explore anything that comes to mind generates more new ideas than other forms of meditation. It is also a definite way to relax and take things down a notch when the pressure is on.
Now that you have these tools in your belt, go into your next practice or brainstorming session with confedence that you will know what to do when that creative block comes on.
Try the New Design: RADIUM
Powering your website with BandVista means you're always in style. With hundreds of designs available, and more coming each month, you can easily update your site with the latest look for no additional fees.
We are excited to introduce RADIUM.
Like so many current sites these days, RADIUM features full-screen header image. Use our stock photos or your own. Consider using the built-in filter tool to customize your image!
Subpages have abbreviated header images, offering a good look while making your content priority. For a custom look, try adding a different image for each page.
RADIUM comes with your choice of white or black body background colors.
RADIUM's nav sits at the bottom of the screen in clear view above the fold. As your fans explore further down the site, navigation will scroll, sticking in place at the top for easy reference when ready to move to the next page.
Like all BandVista designs, RADIUM is fully responsive and look great in on all devices. Desktop, tablet all phones and browsers are fully optimized.
Ready to give RADIUM a try but not sure you want to abandon the current look? Select this new design from your control panel and preview the look before you publish. Change your website design any number of times until you find the right look for you.
Your musician-run support team is here to help. Email or call for any help you need!
5 Ways To Care For Your Voice
Everyone knows how vital great vocalists are to any band. They are on the forefront of the stage and are the face of your band. For all these reasons and more, it is absolutely imperative that vocalists take care of their voices before, after, and in between shows and rehearsals. In the event of an emergency, it is difficult to find a stand in for your vocalist that will give your audience the experience they are expecting, so follow these simple tips to keeping your vocals in top shape for every show.
Exercise
Your voice is just like any muscle and you need to work it out regularly for it to be at it’s best. The saying goes that if you don’t use it you’ll lose it, and that is definitely the last thing you want for your singing voice. Set aside time where you don’t have anything else to do, and really focus on running through songs and exercises that challenge your abilities. You can find a lot of great workouts on Youtube or you can find numerous book that are specifically for vocal workouts.
Sauna For Your Voice
Humidity is the best environment for your voice. If you are fortunate enough to attend a gym that has a sauna, you should definitely take advantage of it for your vocal cords. If not, then there are several ways you can replicate it like standing over steaming water with a towel over your head or taking a really hot shower.
You can also purchase machines that do all the work for you like a humidifier or a steam inhaler. You will notice the soothing effects immediately and this will quickly become your favorite part of your routine.
Skip The Milk
Milk is a vocalists worst enemy. Avoid it at all costs. Drinking milk causes your saliva and mucus to thicken up to a point that become very difficult to sing or even speak clearly. This thick mucus covers your vocal cords, and makes them work even harder. If you can’t stay away from the stuff, just make sure to avoid it the day of your shows and rehearsals.
Eat Your Apples
An apple a day may keep the doctor away, but it will also help your voice. They have the magic amount of acid in them that is low enough to be safe, but high enough to blast mucus from your vocal cords. This makes apples the perfect snack to have before and during rehearsals and shows.
Drink The Good Stuff
Not the good stuff that you might be thinking...save that for after the show, but there are some things you need to be drinking beforehand that will help you out a lot. First of all is water. It is important for a number of reasons that you stay hydrated, but the one you should be focused on is that it keeps your vocal cords from drying out. As stated above, humid environments are the best for your voice. If you plan on smoking or drinking any alcohol, you will want to consume even more water as those things will dry out your vocal cords real quick.
Second, is hot tea. This is, by far, the most soothing thing you could drink for your voice. It really does wonders and should be a staple for you during and after shows. Make sure to drink decaf, though, as caffeinated tea will cause some dryness.
Get Your Free .ROCKS
Great domain names are hard to come by these days, unless you love long sentences with hyphens between each word, ending in .biz or some other TLD no fan will ever remember. Dot COM domain names are still great if you can get them as we referenced in our Selecting The Perfect Domain Name post, but there are limits.
For those of you struggling to find the right domain name, we are here to help by offering .ROCKS! Why select a .ROCKS you ask?
Availability is still good, so you have a much better chance of getting the name you want. Pass on the hyphens, numbers and extra words so the urls will still fit on your merch and marketing material.
Bands and solo musicians alike will find this TLD very brandable. Fans are going to remember seeing .ROCKS. Hopefully, the word "rocks" describes your band.
The best news? Grab your perfect .ROCKS domain FREE when you publish with BandVista. You'll pay for this domain elsewhere, but this was such a perfect fit for our customers, we wanted to pick up the tab.
So what are you waiting for? Register now or login to search for your free .ROCKS domain right now!
Publish Your Site With SILVER
BandVista SILVER is a plan we designed to grow with you. It breaks down to $9.95 per month when paid annually, but it comes with all of the same features our other plans have such as....
A FREE domain name!
The Silver plan comes with a free domain name like all plans we offer. The domain is yours to keep after three months of service. Already have a domain name? Transfer it to us and we will pay renewal fees automatically, so you don't have to.
Music Store
Quickly create your own online store where you can sell both music and merchandise to your fans. As always, you keep 100% of the profit! There are no limits in number or types of items you can list with the Silver plan.
Photo Gallery
Upload and easily organize all your photos into galleries. The Silver plan allows up to 500 images before you'll need Gold.
Music Player
Upload your music and let users listen while browsing your website. With the Silver plan, you can upload up to 50 tracks.
Blog
Keep your fans up to date with what's going on in real time, absolutely no restrictions compared to the other plans.
Newsletter
Get all your fans on your email list and keep in touch with a professionally designed newsletter. The Silver plan allows up to 1000 subscribers.
Best of BandVista: Showcase Your Website
We love watching artists build industry level websites using our tools, and we want to help more of you do just that. So, if you are ready to take your online presence to the next level, now's the time to partner with our team as we search for the "Best of BandVista".
Best of BandVista site selections will have the opportunity to be showcased on BandVista.com and social media, earning you a little extra traffic for that much-improved website! Final selections will be made on Tuesday, May 31st, though we may share your site before that time if selected!
Think you already have the best site on our platform? Email support@bandvista.com with the subject "Best of BandVista" and a link to your website in the body.
Need some tips on what we are looking for? Here are five of the most important things to consider as you build.
The Perfect Design
With more than 100 designs available and more coming each month, BandVista offers a design that fits your needs now, and will continue to keep you in style well into the future. Since you can change easily and for free, try them all on for size!
Adding a great featured image of you or your band is a must. Professional images are great if you have photographer lined up, but today’s phones work just fine. Having a clear, high res image has never been easier. Also, consider using one of our filters to make the image look better or to pair it with the design.
Let's Hear It
Adding tracks to your website is easily done by visiting your audio file manager where you can upload, or simply add your SoundCloud ID. From there, off to build your playlist and enable your audio player where your visitors will now have hours of listening pleasure.
Time to Sell
Ready to start selling? We thought so. Setting up a store is easy to do, and you keep 100% of the profit. Sell downloadable music by the playlist or individual track, or mail hard copy CD's and merchandise. Add your Paypal email and build your catalog in minutes.
Share Your Schedule
Arguably the most important feature for any performing band is the events calendar. Let fans know where they can catch you when playing public events or when you are booked up for private events.
Connect with Social Media
There are so many platforms to keep up with! From Facebook to Instagram and everything in between, now's your chance to tie them all together by adding ready-made social icons with your corresponding links.
Your fellow musicians are here to help with anything you need, so email or call us for assistance building a great presence for your band.
5 Keys For A Productive Band Rehearsal
At this point we all know that practice makes perfect, and, if you want your band to have a really polished sound, you are going to have to practice a lot. What some people may not realize, though, is that there is a right and wrong way to go about band rehearsal. Here are just a few tips that everyone should be thinking about whenever they are setting up their next rehearsal.
Have A Plan
One of the worst things you can do going into a rehearsal is being completely blind about what you are going to be doing during that time. One of the ways you can accomplish this is by establishing some roles within your band. Who is going to be the one scheduling practice? Who will secure a location? Also, who will be the leader?
Now, you may be wary about establishing a leader in your band, but it is important to designate one person to be the one that says, “We really need to try that song again” or “Alright, let’s really crack down on this now.” It’s easy sometimes for practice to get derailed; having a leader can really help keep the practice progressing.
You should also have your songs planned out ahead of time. No one needs to come into practice without the slightest idea of what you are about to be doing. Get together and settle on the songs ahead of time, or designate a person to do this. In a band that I was in previously, our band leader would copy all the songs that we were going to do that week onto CDs for everyone to take home and practice with.
Set some goals for your practices as well like how many songs you want to work on or what plans you need to finalize. Make sure that you can check all your goals off by the end of rehearsal to keep your band moving forward.
Have Already Practiced Your Part A Lot
If you haven’t practiced your part of the songs about a thousand times before you get to rehearsal then you are doing something wrong. Everyone needs to have spent a lot of time on their individual parts before attempting them all together. Often times band members will assume that rehearsal is for practicing your parts, but it’s to bring together the already mastered parts of the songs into a complete work.
Create A Good Environment
Your living room isn’t good enough unless you’ve completely emptied it out. It’s really important to set up an environment that you can really focus in and be productive. It should be free of distractions, and should be a space where you aren’t concerned with being too loud.
Record Your Practice
You wouldn’t believe how helpful this can be. I’m sure you’ve experienced a practice where you know something is off ,but you can’t quite figure out what it is. Recording your practices can really help with this. You’ll be able to listen back on your sessions and pick it apart until you find out exactly where the problem is. You can also use these recordings to track the progress your band is making, which is always a confidence booster.
Have Fun
This may sound cheesy or obvious (or both), but it is easy to lose track of having fun when you are redoing the same song for the tenth time. Take a breather every now and then to ease the tension and remember that you are doing something that everyone in your band loves.
Selecting the Perfect Domain Name
Selecting the perfect domain name for your band is the first and likely one of the most important decisions you'll make when it comes to connecting with fans online. Unfortunately, with so many great names taken or held for ransom by domain resellers, it is also one of the most challenging.
So what's a band to do? Consider these pointers before making your choice.
The .COM is still King
There are many other options out there these days, but you should start your process with the goal of selecting a .com for your band. Most of your fans make the assumption .com is the only TLD out there, and even if they see yours is different in passing at a concert, many will tend to enter .com out of habit when they get back in front of a computer. Adding words like "band" or "music" after your name is an acceptable way to get the .com you want while others add their genre.
There are some exceptions to this rule, so keep reading to see if another extension is a good fit for you.
Keep it short
The longer and more complicated your band's domain is, the harder it will be for your fans to type it in, increasing the chance they end up misspelling it, resulting in lost traffic or at very least a frustrated fan experience.
Shorter domain names display better in search engines, social media and every other place your URL should be like merchandise, band flyers, etc.
If the only available domain name is too long to be easily remembered by anyone you tell, keep reading.
Reject Hyphens and Numbers
Have you ever verbally given someone a website to check out and had to throw a hyphen in there? It's hard to do and even more difficult for the other person to remember. Remember point #2 above where the domain is getting too long.
There are a few exceptions to this rule of course, like say 311 has 311.com. Just try not to spell out numbers or use roman numerals.
Beyond the .COM
While we opened this post with our love for the .com, there are other options out there. The second most recognized would be .net. There are also many generic top-level domains (gTLD) out there, of which two make sense for bands. We like both options if they help you keep it short and avoid hyphens from the points above.
You'll find .band is a little more expensive and isn't a free option with many band website builders, including BandVista. You can still use these extensions with any builder though if you don't mind spending a few extra bucks for the year.
Still need help selecting the perfect domain name? Our team of musicians is here to help you. Email support@bandvista.com or give us a call at 1-877-875-4470.
