Roadi Learn
The live music industry, explained.
Free guides and references for indie bands, venue operators, talent buyers, booking agents, promoters, and touring professionals.
The Complete Guide to Concert Show Settlement
Everything you need to know about concert show settlement - how it works, every deal type, the step-by-step process, common disputes, and what clean settlement documentation looks like.
How ReString Appalachia built a home base for Western North Carolina musicians
A music nonprofit that is a venue, a booking agent and a music shop at once, and the Roadi account we built with them before their room opened.
Read the storyFor indie bands
The Indie Band Survival Guide
37 plain-English guides and a glossary for DIY and indie bands: how the money works, how to book shows, how to tour without losing money, the business stuff nobody tells you, and how to grow from free shows to a paid career. Written from the floor, not the office.
How Bands Get Paid: The Indie Band Money Guide
Deal types, settlement, expenses, merch, comps, and splitting the money inside the band.
- Deal Types Explained: Door Deals, Guarantees, Vs Deals, and Promoter Profit
- How Show Settlement Works (for Bands)
- How to Read a Deal Memo
- What "Expenses Off the Top" Means and Why It Matters
- Merch Splits and Venue Merch Cuts
- How to Split Money Without Splitting the Band
- Comps, Guest List, and How Free Tickets Affect Your Payout
How to Book Shows: The Indie Band Booking Guide
Booking emails, EPKs, holds, advancing, co-bills, and picking the right room.
- How to Write a Booking Email That Actually Gets a Response
- How to Build an EPK (Electronic Press Kit) That Works
- What Holds Are and Why You Keep Losing Dates
- How to Advance a Show So You Don't Show Up Blind
- How to Book with Other Bands: Co-Bills, Support Slots, and Show Trades
- How to Know What Size Venue to Play
- How Often to Play Your Own City
- Why You Got Ghosted by a Venue (and What to Do About It)
DIY Touring: How Indie Bands Tour Without Losing Money
Routing, markets, tour budgets, new cities, and where to sleep.
- How to Route a Tour That Doesn't Lose Money
- Tour Markets: A, B, and C Cities Explained
- Tour Budgeting: The Real Math
- How to Build a Market From Zero
- Where to Sleep on Tour: Floors, Couches, Vans, and When to Get the Room
The Stuff Nobody Tells You: Music Business Basics for Indie Bands
Talent buyers, promoter profit, radius clauses, getting shorted, and running the band like a business.
- What Is a Talent Buyer? What They Look At Before They Book You
- How Promoter Profit Works and Why It Comes Out of Your Money
- The Radius Clause: What It Is and Why It Matters
- When to Say No to a Show
- What to Do When You Get Shorted at a Gig
- How to Not Get Screwed: Protecting Your Band Without a Lawyer
- The Day Job Juggle: Scheduling Band Life Around Real Life
- What a Tour Manager Does (and What You're Doing Instead)
- Live Music Terms for Bands: The Glossary
From Free Shows to a Paid Career: How Indie Bands Grow
Building a draw, agents, managers, show history, and the path from free shows to guarantees.
- How to Build a Draw
- When You're Ready for a Booking Agent (and How to Get One)
- When You're Ready for a Music Manager (and How to Find One)
- Building Your Show History Into a Band Resume
What Is a Deal Memo? (+ Free Template)
A handshake is not a deal. An email chain is not a deal. A deal memo is a deal - here is what one looks like, why it matters, and a free template you can use today.
Door Deal vs. Guarantee - A Guide for Indie Bands
Door deal, guarantee, or versus deal? A plain-English guide to deal structures for indie bands - what the numbers really mean for your bank account after load-out.
What Is Show Advancing? (And How to Do It Right)
Advancing is how touring crews and venues align before load-in. Done well, it eliminates surprises. Done poorly, it turns load-in into improvisation.
Settlement Night - What Every Tour Manager Needs to Know
Settlement is the last thing that happens on show night and the first thing everyone argues about Monday morning. Here's how to walk into the box office prepared.
How Venues Can Automate Their Settlement Process
Manual concert settlement costs venues time, money, and agent relationships. Here's what settlement automation actually looks like and how to get started.
Understanding Walk-Out Numbers - Settlement Math Explained
The walk-out number is what the artist actually leaves with at the end of the night. Here's how the math works across every deal type in live music.