The UK is known for its top-class hospitality and the best live music that the world has to offer. The combination has kept locals entertained and audiences coming in from all around the world, to experience the infectious atmosphere that keeps bringing us back for more!

While customer needs have changed in recent years,  their love for live music has never wavered, and neither has ours, even while our doors were shut. 2022 is set to be a big one for live music, and there's no better time than the present to create/update your live music strategy, and transform your venue into a destination that patrons will always come back to, no matter the distance! Here are seven things to consider when creating your live music strategy this year.

1. The vibe of your venue

Music is another way to portray your venue's story. The vibe at a neighbourhood pub will be completely different from that of a fine-dining establishment. Restaurants and cocktail lounges are visual and intimate spaces that suit slow-tempo and classical choices such as jazz and mood music, which do not distract from the eating experience. In contrast, pubs are the home of live rock music with the infectious energy that goes down a treat with laid-back, social beer-drinking culture.

2. Who is the music attracting?

When considering your music offering, remember to factor in your current clientele’s tastes, as well as those of the new crowd you're hoping to draw to your venue. You wouldn’t want to lose an already established, wealthier but conservative customer base while attempting to attract a younger one. By taking a few things into account when creating your live music strategy, a balance can be achieved while catering to a diverse crowd.Think about the customers;

• Age
• Income and job title
• Location and daily route
• Interests/lifestyle
• Beliefs
• Wants/Needs

3. What’s the competition doing?

It’s also good to be mindful of other music events happening in your area and whether there is a competing crossover in your client's interests. You may notice that a certain kind of live music is resonating locally and (if it fits your venue's brand) it could be easy to get behind. Or, there might be room for you to bring something new to the area and corner the market.

4. Scheduling

To get the best of your live music schedule, factor in the times and days where there is flow and lulls in service and how live music could complement or boost the mood.Friday nights are always loud and exciting, but Sunday afternoons are a good opportunity to wind down the weekend by adding acoustic gigs or chill Sunday DJ sessions. Quieter nights during midweek are the perfect time to experiment. Feel free to mix it up.Volume levels are a great way to change the dynamic of a room. Louder, high-energy music promotes more drinking and less talking. For a dining focus, quieter and relaxed music creates an intimate space that prolongs the eating experience.Implementing a schedule that suits the service flow of your venue will make it a lot easier to pick the right live music to bring this to life.Speaking of which…

5. Picking the right live act

Once you know what kind of music fits the vibe of your venue and the customers you want to attract, you’re ready to pick the live acts that bring your music strategy to life.Not all musicians will achieve the same effect, and it’s not as simple as booking a covers band and going for it.If you’re the great English pub with heaps of room to showcase live indie bands on a Friday and Saturday night, you’ll become a hotspot for young creatives and the music community. But bringing in an acoustic set on a quieter night like a Wednesday could create a midweek buzz.Or an upmarket cocktail lounge that kicks off for 5 pm drinks with a DJ roster over the weekend to lift the atmosphere will encourage an after-work crowd that settles in for longer periods instead of having a pre-dinner drink or moving on to something more lively.

6. Keep your friends close

It’s important to foster good working relationships with your artists and nurture the community you are creating around your venue. Artists lead to other artist contacts and a diverse roster. They can promote and drive customer traffic online and into your venue.Being respectful to neighbours and nearby residents by monitoring external noise will keep local regulars in your venue and minimise potential noise complaints.

7. So get out there!

If you’re feeling good about your live music strategy and ready to put it into action, The Surreal Live app can help you find the best up-and-coming artists to suit your venue. Surreal Live takes care of the whole booking process, from discovery scheduling, booking, and communication, all the way through to paying artists, so you don’t have to worry about the fuss.If you want to stay up to date with the latest trends in live music and get events and promotion ideas, strategies, tips, and templates sent straight to your inbox - sign up to our mailing list.

Joining the next generation of venues taking local music to the forefront of the U.K. entertainment scene? Check out our Complete Live Music Rundown for Venues to help you get started.

‍

At Surreal we help venues, agencies and entertainers manage live entertainment more efficiently through software - learn more here!

‍