music tour software

Master Tour 3

Thousands of tours. one solution., industry-leading software, used around the globe. for tour professionals, by tour professionals..

The hub for your whole tour

Run your tour from one place—from venues and crew members to your guest list and finances.

Immediate everything

Master Tour has instant syncing, so you can immediately tell your team about schedule changes, route modifications, and more.

Compatible with you

Mac or PC? iOS or Android? iCal or TripIt? Whatever you use, Master Tour 3 knows how to use it, so you can work the way you want.

Let your tour organize itself

Connect with booking agencies, travel companies, venues, hotels, and crew members in Master Tour’s massive database, and plan out your tour with time to spare.

Instantly connect with your crew

Send messages, reminders, and alerts to anyone and everyone on your team. With Master Tour’s new instant syncing, they’ll see them right away.

No WiFi? No worries

Edit your tour, even when you’re offline. Your changes will sync as soon as your signal comes back.

Privacy, please

Master Tour 3 has privacy permissions and secure data storage, so you can rest assured that your information is safe.

We work with the best in the biz

From Beyoncé to Jim Gaffigan, many of the world’s top talent and tour managers have been using Master Tour for years.

Events Powered

Trusted Management Partners

Master Tour is an integral part of my touring. I cannot recommend this highly enough to all tour managers.

Stephen Shaw-Buckcherry

On a tour the size of the Black Keys, it's invaluable. I won't tour without it.

Master Tour is hands down the best way to keep everyone else in the loop and myself organized on tour.

Chris Phillips

Master Tour is an invaluable tool for our tour to stay organized.

Curt Jenkins - Lady Antebellum

I love Master Tour, been touring with it for over 6 years! It’s so easy even our bus drivers use it!

Matthew Petroff - Jonas Brothers

Incomparable. Nothing else in the industry holds a candle. So user friendly that anyone can figure it out!

Misty Roberts - Bruno Mars

Eventric Live Access, in partnership with Bon Jovi and AEG, is producing one of the best ticketing experiences.

Master Tour has saved me countless hours both at home and on the road.

Jason Hecht - fun.

No matter what size the tour has been, I've relied on Master Tour to keep my tours organized and rolling.

Christopher Fox - Jillian Michaels

Live Access is efficient, easy to use, and helps me keep my ticket inventory in check.

Jody Bennett - Katy Perry

• Alonzo Bodden
• Darrin Rose
• David Cross
• Debra Digiovanni
• Emo Philips
• Ilana Glazer
• Jim Gaffigan
• John Branyan
• Noel Fielding
• Belmont University
• Blackbird Academy
• Durham College

Entertainment

• American Idol Live
• Better Late Than Never (NBC)
• Central Park Summerstage
• Charlie Brown Christmas
• Disney on Ice
• Harlem Globetrotters
• Jillian Michaels
• Marvel Universe
• Moscow Ballet
• MythBusters
• PBS Kids Live!
• Sesame Street Live
• Shandong Acrobatic Troupe
• Stormy Daniels
• Suicide Girls
• Sydney Comedy Festival
• The Wiggles

Religious Groups

• Bartow Church
• Bethel Church
• Big Church Night In
• Christ for all Nations
• Ekklesia Music Group
• Elevation Worship
• Equippers Church
• Hillsong United
• Lakewood Church
• Mt. Zion Church
• New Vision Baptist Church
• 30 Seconds To Mars
• 5 Finger Death Punch
• Adam Lambert
• Afghan Whigs
• Alkaline Trio
• All American Rejects
• America’s Got Talent
• Andrew Bird
• animal collective
• As I Lay Dying
• Avril Lavigne
• Azealia Banks
• Backstreet Boys
• Beach House
• Big and Rich
• Big Bad Voodoo Daddy
• Big Time Rush
• Billy Currington
• Black Eyed Peas
• Black Label Society
• Blake Shelton
• Bonnie Raitt
• Broken Social Scene
• Bullet for My Valentine
• C H V R C H E S
• Charles Bradley
• Chris Isaak
• Citizen Cope
• Collective Soul
• Daniel Lanois
• Dark Star Orchestra
• Dave Matthews Band
• David Foster and Friends
• David Guetta
• Death Cab for Cutie
• Depeche Mode
• Diana Krall
• Die Antwoord
• Dierks Bentley
• Disco Biscuits
• Django Django
• Dukes of September
• Eli Young Band
• Emeli Sande
• Emmylou Harris
• Eric Church
• Fall Out Boy
• Fitz & the Tantrums
• Five Finger Death Punch
• Fleetwood Mac
• Florida Georgia Line
• Foster The People
• Gary Clark Jr
• Gavin DeGraw
• Good Charlotte
• Grace Potter & the Nocturnals
• Guns N Roses
• Herbie Hancock
• Hunter Hayes
• Imagine Dragons
• Insane Clown Posse
• Iron and Wine
• Jack Johnson
• Jake Shimabukuro
• James Taylor
• Jane’s Addiction
• Jerrod Niemann
• Jimmie Vaughan
• Joe Bonamassa
• Joe Satriani
• Joey McIntyre
• John Mellencamp
• Jonas Brothers
• Josh Groban
• Julianne Hough
• Kathy Mattea
• Keith Urban
• Kellie Pickler
• Kelly Clarkson
• Kenny Wayne Shepherd
• Kevin Costner
• Lady Antebellum
• Lalo Medina
• LAMB OF GOD
• Lana Del Rey
• LeAnn Rimes
• Leftover Salmon
• Leisure Cruise
• Less Than Jake
• Linkin Park
• Little Big Town
• Locash Cowboys
• Lord of the Dance
• Los Lonely Boys
• Lostprophets
• Lucinda Williams
• Lyle Lovett
• Lynyrd Skynyrd
• Manchester Orchestra
• Manheim Steamroller
• Maps & Atlases
• Martina McBride
• Mary J Blige
• Matchbox Twenty
• Matthew Sweet
• Mavis Staples
• Megan & Liz
• Melissa Etheridge
• Michael Franti
• Mickey Hart
• Mike Posner
• Miles Electric Band
• Miranda Lambert
• Modest Mouse
• Monsters of Folk
• Motley Crue
• My Morning Jacket
• Natasha Bedingfield
• Nelly Furtado
• New Found Glory
• New Kids On The Block
• Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds
• Nicki Minaj
• Nikka Costa
• Nikki Yanofsky
• Norah Jones
• Of Monsters and Men
• OneRepublic
• Our Lady Peace
• Panic at the Disco
• Passion Pit
• Peter Frampton
• Phillip Phillips
• Plain White Ts
• Poi Dog Pondering
• Pretty Lights
• Public Enemy
• Quincy Jones
• Rage Against the Machine
• Randy Travis
• Ray LaMontagne
• Red Hot Chili Peppers
• REO Speedwagon
• Reverend Horton Heat
• Richie Sambora
• Rise Against
• Robert Cray Band
• Robert Plant
• Robert Randolph & The Family Band
• Rufus Wainwright
• Sammy Hagar
• Sarah McLachlan
• Scott Weiland
• Scotty McCreery
• Sebastian Bach
• Sharon Jones
• She & Him
• Sheryl Crow
• Shooter Jennings
• Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars
• Sleigh Bells
• Slightly Stoopid
• Snow Patrol
• Soundgarden
• Steve Miller Band
• Steve Winwood
• Stone Temple Pilots
• String Cheese Incident
• Sufjan Stevens
• Tegan and Sara
• Temper Trap
• Tenacious D
• The Black Angels
• The Black Keys
• The Canadian Tenors
• The Decemberists
• The Disco Biscuits
• The Fabulous Thunderbirds
• The Gaslight Anthem
• The Gracious Few
• The Head and the Heart
• The High Kings
• The Hold Steady
• The Irish Rovers
• The Lumineers
• The Mavericks
• The Monkees
• The Naked and Famous
• The Nightwatchman
• The Real Housewives Live Tour
• The Robert Cray Band
• The Strokes
• The Tempre Trap
• The Ten Tenors
• The Ting Tings
• The Wallflowers
• The Waterboys
• Them Crooked Vultures
• They Might Be Giants
• Third Eye Blind
• Tinie Tempah
• Tokyo Police Club
• Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
• Tony Bennett
• Tower of Power
• Trombone Shorty
• Umphrey’s McGee
• Vampire Weekend
• Van Morrison
• VeggieTales Live
• Victor Wooten
• Walk The Moon
• Weird Al Yankovic
• Widespread Panic
• William Shatner
• Wiz Khalifa
• Xavier Rudd
• Yonder Mountain String Band
• Zac Brown Band

Try Master Tour 3 for free

Already using Master Tour? Sign in

• For Agencies
• For Artists
• Start free trial

Stagent is packed with features.

Below you'll find every feature that Stagent has to offer. Some of them are coming soon. Missing something? Feel free to reach out to us to see what we can do for you or how we might solve your problems and improve your workflow.

Analytics & insights

Track team-wide statistics and finances based on artists, agents, custom fields and filters.

Integrations

Easily integrate Stagent with over 5.000 apps and tools with Zapier.

Mobile Apps

Bring Stagent on the go with our apps, available on iOS and Android, including push notifications.

Online Payments

Let clients pay their invoice online with Stripe Connect.

Tour Schedule

Stay on top of the game with a real-time tour schedule, accessible from the web and apps.

eSignatures

Have contracts signed in minutes with our own eSignature software, including audit trails.

Custom Roles coming soon

Control the right access for every team member with custom roles and permissions.

Multi-bookings agency

Manage multiple artists' bookings within the same event and combine them within the same contract and invoice.

Address Autocomplete

Availability

Calender Integration

Companies & Contacts

Contract templates

Contracts Dashboard

Credit Notes

Custom Document Names

Custom Fields

Event Setup

Extended Search

Flight Lookup

In The Night

Invoice Dashboard

Itineraries

Manage Contracts

Manage Expenses

Manage Invoices

Mobile-first

Push notifications

Sell As Show

Team management

Website Widget

Manage full roster agency

Share Documents agency

Statements new

Ready to dive in? Start your free trial today.

We offer a 14-day free trial to explore Stagent for yourself. Do you prefer a demo? We've got you covered, book a demo here.

This website uses cookies, pixels and other cool technologies to improve your experience and support our mission. Visit our cookie policy and privacy policy for more info. By using our site you agree to our use of cookies.

The First End-to-End Booking Management Platform for Artists

We are the first cloud-based booking platform to provide a simple solution to negotiate contracts, manage artist logistics, collect online payments & monitor real-time revenue goals.

PRODUCTIVITY SUITE  

A fully integrated suite of products for your booking business, beyond booking.

Gigwell goes beyond just booking. We provide the world’s leading artists and booking agencies with the tools needed to maximize revenue, time and efficiency. We’ve helped thousands of live entertainers, speakers and booking agents streamline their booking processes, discover new talent buyers, and track ticket sales.

Find more gigs.

Booking a new tour or looking to add a few more dates to an existing one? Gigwell's Tour IQ enables you to quickly identify target venues and find key contacts with the industry's most comprehensive venue and festival database.

Streamline your bookings.

Ditch the spreadsheets, fax machines and paper checks. Gigwell Productivity Suite is the first cloud-booking platform to provide a simple solution to negotiate contracts, manage artist logistics, collect online payments & monitor real-time revenue goals.

Automate ticket counts.

Quickly measure the success of your tour with automated ticket tracking. Ticket Counts Pro is the only solution available which completely automates the ticket count collection process while providing rich and actionable reports and analytics.

Booking a new tour or looking to add a few more dates to an existing one? Gigwell's tour IQ enables you to quickly identify target venues and find key contacts with the industry's most comprehensive venue and festival database.

Welcome to the future of booking.

Meet our products.

Search through the most comprehensive venue and festival database globally. Our industry-best availability tool will help your artist's fill open dates and increase tour revenue all while incorporating venue radius clauses and capacity restrictions.

Productivity Suite

Ditch the clumsy spreadsheets, fax machines and paper checks. Gigwell takes the pain out of booking live entertainment. We're the first cloud-based booking platform to provide a simple solution to negotiate contracts, manage travel logistics, collect payments online & monitor real-time revenue goals.

Break into new markets with Gigwell's extensive venue database; Now included with Productivity Suite subscriptions.

CONTRACT BUILDER

Our one-click contract builder empowers your agents to customize and send contracts, artist riders and travel docs in minutes. 

ONLINE PAYMENTS

Gigwell's FlexPay streamlines payment collection by automating deposit reminders and offering your clients multiple payment options.

Track growth, monitor efficiencies, identify bottlenecks and make game-time decisions leveraging your company's live data.

Ticket Counts Pro

It shouldn’t take countless man-hours for your booking business to get the ticket numbers it needs. Automate ticket collections, create agency branded market pace reports and view robust sales analytic data with the touch of a button.

"Gigwell has been nothing short of a revelation for us. We're able to process bookings in double-quick time while providing effortless admin for agents, promoters & artists. Gigwell is EXACTLY what we’ve needed!"

Stuart vallans marshall live agency, u.k., "we saw a huge increase in on-time deposits with gigwell. manual collections was a massive resource expense, but now it's automated.", surefire agency, san francisco, ca, "gigwell has been a huge productivity booster for cadenza and we are so grateful for their seamless system and supportive team.", julia torgovitskaya cadenza artists, los angeles, "we used to have staff whose primary job was to handle contracts and deposits. with this software, we've been able to replace this position with agents who can now bring in more revenue.", jason marcil ed keane & associates, u.s..

We'd love to hear from you!

Our products, artist essentials, the data-driven secrets to growing your artist booking agency, gigwell blog, the advance, knowledge base, jobs at gigwell, product video, refer an agency, service status, terms of service, privacy policy, cookie policy, cookie settings, 9000 w sunset blvd, west hollywood ca 90069, carrer de la diputació, 409 08013 barcelona, spain, +1 (415) 409-9467, [email protected].

Want Merch?

The merch shop.

Where art meets business

events, schedules, Finances, and savings in one platform

Artist Growth is building the definitive product suite for managing the business operations of creators and the organizations that support them.

“Artist Growth very efficiently puts Atlantic, as well as our label partners around the globe, on the same page, in real-time with regards to artists’ tour dates, promotional schedules, and guest lists … it’s been a game changer.”

sVP, touring & artist development

atlantic records

"Creators need best in class tools to help them manage and grow their business so they can focus their energy on creating. Matt and the team at AG are dialed into that. They are building much needed tools that will enable the creator economy to thrive.”

Ole obermaNn

global head of music, tiktok

"‘AG’ has become a verb at our label.”

Senior Director, Artist Relations & Events

Capitol records

"I love the fact that everything is in one place. You click on your event, and everything attached to that event is there."

Phillip Ingram

Original member of the Motown recording group, SWITCH

Powerful management tools for music and entertainment

Redefining credit

Consumer credit cards for creators, industry professionals, and fans.

Small business credit cards for companies and startups.

Expense management platform for medium to large companies.

Consumer credit for creators, industry professionals, and fans.

Small business credit for small companies and startups

Real-time savings that lower the cost of business

We help record labels prevent fire drills.

Imagine your entire team, partners, and artists all on the same page, acting on up-to-date data, every day. Manage promo, marketing calendars, production, events, and tour coordination in one place, freeing your teams up to do more.

We help talent managers control the chaos

Save hours every day. With agency integration, a centralized calendar, bulk event imports, auto daysheets, ticket requests, and expense management, Artist Growth keeps you and your artists in sync.

We help touring and productions coordinate the madness

Manage every aspect of your tour or production — from scheduling and travel logistics to expenses, guarantees, and guest passes — in one place that everyone can access. Combined with tools to help you cut costs, Artist Growth will save you time, money, and peace of mind.

We help artists and creators grow their dreams

Turn your passion and talent into a thriving business with easy-to-use artist management software, and exclusive savings and perks. Artist Growth forever changes the game for DIY creators.

Join the platform you won't outgrow

Manage your operations and unlock exclusive savings tailored to our industry.

• Artist Growth X
• Plans & Pricing
• Record Labels
• Talent Managers
• Touring & Production
• Artists & Creators
• Help Center
• Workspace Login
• Terms of Service
• Privacy Policy

Master Tour: The Next Killer App For Your Band

by Michael St. James | Jun 20, 2017 | Booking Gigs & Touring

If you’ve ever been on tour, no matter the size, you know that the hardest part is everything but the few hours you play.  It’s the arrangements: travel itineraries, tickets, merch stock, scheduling, interviews, lodging, guest passes, and so many more details. Emails and texts are ineffective when things get complicated.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIdxdjPdOvg

I was involved with a tour that used an app called Master Tour from Eventric , and it was an amazing experience; I wouldn’t tour without it now. I mean if it’s good enough for Queen Bey and Maroon 5 (plus hundreds of others), it’ll work for your tour. It’s an app that brings all of those nasty details into one place, affordably, distributed to everyone, without any special software, instantly.

Here’s how it works. An administrator – usually the tour/band manager – inputs the tour information into the web portal. Then, every member of your tour – from the drummer to the dancers to guitar techs and promo team – uses the free mobile app, which has all the information and communication built in. You get the schedules, setlists, call time, hotels, interview times, all of it.

Look, I’m not going to tell you this is an easy app/software to use, it isn’t. But, then again, neither is touring. It’s not meant to simple, it’s meant to be powerful, and it is.

The app has come a long way from its humble beginnings, and is adding new features all the time.

So, I spoke to CEO and co-founder, Paul Bradley, to get the inside scoop. I love Paul. He loves the business and is constantly thinking about how to streamline life for musicians and touring crews. Our interview ran about two hours and could’ve gone longer. So, this is edited for brevity.

The story of Master Tour starts with Paul finishing college in Des Moines, joining an independent label, becoming a booker, then tour manager, then road drummer for The Drovers in the ’90s – all before texts, email, and social. He and his partner, Ian Kuhn (sound for Smashing Pumpkins), developed custom databases in Filemaker (remember that?) and adapted the software for what the road demanded: venue lists, hotels, interviews, etc., and Ian took it with him when he joined Dave Matthews Band on tour.

By association with DMB, Paul met many other bands, like Beastie Boys and Barenaked Ladies; those early adopter bands used it, and gave feedback for improvements. As time went on, Filemaker was crashing and shipping discs to hundreds of bands made no sense. By  2005-2006, technology had improved and it was time to develop proprietary software to bring efficiencies for tour management, stadium level to small clubs. After some early investment, it took about four years to develop, and that’s really where Master Tour began.

Performer Mag: What problems is Master Tour meant to solve?

Paul Bradley: Efficiency and communication. That’s the core of what we’ve always tried to do. Now, everything is on a mobile phone; day sheet, interview times, guest lists, etc. The problem is that info is often spread out everywhere. A manager may be sending PDFs over email, sharing spreadsheets, and using multiple calendar apps. So, for tour managers, Master Tour is a place for all of this information in one app, with shared technology.

PM: How many users do you have now?

PB: 100,000+ on the mobile side.

PM: Let’s get into Tags.

PB:   It’s basically Yelp for touring people, by touring people. So, say you need to know the best coffeehouse in Seattle for post-gigs, or you found an awesome wine bar or museum for a day off in Chicago, or the perfect guitar tech in Biloxi. Open the Master Tour app and you can tag it, or you can see where other touring artists have tagged and commented. This may get more social as we go along, but it’s getting a lot of great reviews and being used a lot.

PM: Explain the two levels of Master Tour for our readers.

PB: Yes, we call it Professional and Mobile. Pro is the web portal accessed by the management team and they input the information on Master Tour desktop – that’s $49.99/mo. Mobile is the free app. So, the band, audio guys, techs etc. use that for free. It’s read-only mostly, but the team can do guest list requests, and also use Tags, if they’re anywhere in the world; they can privately or publicly tag a location – guitar shops, rental shops, videographers, coffee shops [and so forth]. PM: Any other new things we should know about?

PB: Yes, we continue to add more products and services for the touring universe; that is our focus. Live Access is a separate product that handles blocks of tickets and discounts and guest lists. But for Master Tour, we are adding on Master Venue, which is streamlining the venue side, from stage plots to dressing rooms, where the van or bus parking is, and much more. Also, Live Marketplace for connecting services.

 To learn more about the Master Tour Mobile App or sign-up for a 30-day free trial, head to eventric.com  

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

– Michael St. James is the founder and creative director of St. James Media, specializing in music licensing, publishing, production and artist development.

Streamlining Tour Logistics: How Tour Management Software Revolutionizes On-The-Road Operations

As the seasons changed from summer to fall, the perception might be that musicians, bands, and tour managers might be taking a well-deserved break to wrap up the year. Fortunately, for these folks and the music industry, live performances are still in full swing even during the upcoming winter months for holiday and corporate events.  

Embarking on a tour, whether a long-term musical journey with a band or a series of one-off performances, is an exhilarating experience to share music and build brand awareness. However, the logistics of managing a tour can be complex and demanding behind the scenes. This is where concert management software comes into play, offering a revolutionary solution to streamline on-the-road operations. We will explore the significance of tour management software and how it has become an indispensable tool for the modern touring industry.

The Symphony of Success: Understanding This Specialty Software 

This music industry-related software is a specialized solution designed to facilitate the planning, organization, and execution of tours for solo artists, ensembles, and bands. It caters to various aspects of tour logistics, including itinerary management, accommodation arrangements, transportation coordination, and communication between team members. The goal is to enhance efficiency, reduce manual workload, and ensure a seamless experience for the managers, touring crew, and artists.

Key Software Features

Itinerary Planning. Tour schedules can be complex, with multiple performances, travel days, promotional events, and downtime. The software allows for the efficient creation and management of detailed itineraries. This includes scheduling performances, travel arrangements, rehearsals, and other essential activities that make up an organized and successful tour. 

Accommodation and Transportation Coordination. Coordinating these key pieces for a touring musician or group can be a logistical nightmare when everything goes right. It is a disaster if things go wrong. One of the worst scenarios is to miss a gig and damage a hard-earned reputation by disappointing fans. The software simplifies this process by centralizing hotel, flight, and ground transportation information. This ensures that everyone on the tour is on the same page regarding travel arrangements and that everyone shows up on time, ready to strike the first note.   

Communication Hub. Effective communication among all of the stakeholders is crucial for a successful tour . Tour management software serves as a centralized communication hub, allowing team members to exchange information, updates, and essential documents in real time. This feature is particularly valuable when dealing with schedule changes or unforeseen challenges like weather events, canceled flights, or lost equipment. 

Financial Management. Managing finances on the road can be challenging because of the numerous facets it entails. This software includes budgeting, expense tracking, payments, and financial reporting features. This helps tour managers keep a close eye on expenditures and ensures that the tour stays within budget and closes out in the black. 

Booking Management. Booking performances, venues, festivals, promotional events, and accommodations are fundamental to tour planning. Booking management software for all aspects of touring integrates with touring systems, making it easier to manage contracts, negotiate terms, and confirm arrangements. This ensures a smooth and organized booking process. 

The Best Tour Management Software Solutions 

Now that we understand the essential features of this specialized touring software let's explore two of the best solutions available in the music industry software market: Booking Agency Pro and Tour Pro from Your Tempo.  

•   Booking Agency Pro is comprehensive booking management software designed for music booking agencies. It streamlines the entire booking process, from artist selection to contract management. With features like contract templates, automated reminders, and document storage, Booking Agency Pro enhances efficiency and ensures a professional booking experience.

•   Tour Pro is a dedicated touring software program that covers all aspects of on-the-road operations. It includes itinerary planning, accommodation and transportation coordination, communication tools, and financial management features. Tour Pro is tailored to the unique needs of touring professionals, making it an ideal solution for individual musicians, bands, theater troupes, dance companies, and other touring entities. 

The music industry , particularly the live performance and touring sector, sustained an enormous financial hit during the pandemic and continues to strive to return to pre-pandemic touring levels. Prioritizing artists' needs and touring logistics is more important than ever. Utilizing this management software like Tour Pro and booking software like Booking Agency Pro streamlines the administrative tasks for booking agencies and their artists and contributes to a positive and professional experience for all the stakeholders involved. This success then transfers to the people for whom they cater: their loyal, adoring fans.

Touring Tomorrow: The Evolution of Music Industry Management Software

The touring industry has witnessed a significant transformation with the advent of software specifically designed for the music business. These sophisticated solutions have become indispensable tools for tour managers, booking agencies, and artists alike. This cutting-edge software streamlines operations, enhances efficiency, and contributes to a more enjoyable and successful touring experience by automating and centralizing various aspects of tour logistics.

Whether you are a seasoned touring professional or just starting in the industry, investing in the right tour management software from Your Tempo can make a substantial difference in the overall success and smooth execution of your tours. As technology advances, we can expect even more innovative features and solutions to revolutionize on-the-road operations in the future and Your Tempo will continue to be a leader in these music industry innovations.  

Add Comment

Read comments, booking agency pro, publishing pro, talent buying pro, recent post.

Affiliations

🎟️ Print Products This Way →

Features  |   Pricing

Fundraising

Storefront  |   Products

Solutions quiz

Your Events Program at scale

Distributed Organizations

Scale your fundraising

Chapter-Based Nonprofits

Sell Tickets Online

Event Organizers

Fundraise Online

Fundraiser Organizers

Knowledgebase

Events  |   Fundraising  |   Ecommerce

Our Customers

Your all-in-one live music event management platform, organizing concerts, managing bands, or promoting a festival sell tickets to and market multiple events, maintain your brand, enable team access, and get the analytics you need from one login. need backstage badges and merch we’ve got you covered there, too., “ since day one, working with eventgroove, they have been absolute partners. there are so many details that go into this level of production year round, and their customer service is absolutely top notch. “.

Sarah Calhoun Founder

See more customer stories→

A hybrid events platform that does it all

Create and manage live, in-person and virtual events, engage fans with integrated marketing tools, raise funds for a cause, sell tickets online, and offer band merchandise from one single platform. set up is free, and our customer success team is there to support you however you need..

Free to use. As a music organization, there is no cost to use Eventgroove! You have the option of rolling service and processing fees into the ticket price. At 2.0% + $0.50 per ticket, our service fees are among the lowest in the industry; integrated with Stripe payment processing, they will charge 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction.

Learn more about event pricing Learn more about fundraiser pricing

Sustainable.  Eventgroove is powered by 100% clean wind energy, and we’ve donated over 42% of net profits to conservation organizations protecting habitats since 2007. Our print products are FSC® certified, US domestic shipping is 100% carbon neutral,  and,  through our  partnership with Stripe Climate , we automatically contribute 0.5% of our revenue to vetted carbon removal initiatives.  Learn more

Event management. Set up one or multiple events from one dashboard. Create ticketing plans that fit your unique music and venue needs. Sell tickets online and in person. Reach your target audience with integrated marketing tools. Collaborate with your team by creating multiple levels of access. Give staff the ability to check in guests and edit specific aspects of your events. More about event management

Fundraising. Raise money for a cause with a click. Embed a fundraiser into your event page and include the option for attendees to donate when they purchase tickets. Features like text-to-give enable guests to contribute in real time. More about fundraising

On-brand printed materials. Provide local promoters access to a wide range of customizable print-on-demand templates branded to your band, including event tickets, wristbands, posters, mugs, t-shirts, and more. More about e-commerce print materials and merchandise

Stay on brand

Deliver a great, on-brand fan experience from marketing, ticket sales, and checkout through the end of the show. your branding will appear across the platform, on the event management and fundraising services, and on all products..

Custom websites.  Hosted on a custom URL, your private-label event hub is completely customized to your brand and displays all past and present events. When music fans visit to buy tickets and get information, they’ll know they are interacting with your brand.

Cohesive branding.  Ensure cohesive branding regardless of geography. Lock in logos and images while still enabling co-organizers to customize specifics to their locality and venue.

Custom templates.  We can create custom templates using your designs or simply place your branding as the default image on the back of your chosen Eventgroove ticket design.

Event management + flexible ticketing

Manage any ticket or event aspect on eventgroove directly from your phone..

Hybrid events. Marry in-person and virtual events. Embed a gated, interactive livestream and host immersive experiences with any streaming service. With a click of their secure link, guests will instantly join your event or enter a virtual lobby where you can entertain them with videos, images, and text while they wait. Learn more

On the go.  Manage any ticket or event aspect on Eventgroove directly from your phone.

Simple funds management.  Issue refunds and exchanges directly from your event dashboard. Learn more

Fast, accessible guest check-in.  Use any Android or Apple mobile device to check in guests. Simply send volunteers an invite with a PIN to provide access to your event dashboard. From there, they can log in from their browsers, access the guest list, and scan the QR code on digital or printed tickets. Learn more

Complimentary tickets.  Easily issue comp tickets for everyone on the performer’s guest list. Learn more

Discount codes.  Share discount codes for early-bird discounts. Give a dollar amount or a percentage off the ticket price. Learn more

Locked tickets.  Set unlock codes for tickets you only want to offer to specific groups. Learn more

View a sample events site→

Full list of events features→

Team management

Invite, accept, and manage co-event organizers as well as onsite staff and volunteers..

Easy collaboration.  Assign event organizers and promoters to one or several shows. Customize what each person can do within any respective event—approve helpers to edit event details while restricting other actions such as payment processing.

On-site staff.  Simply send volunteers or staff an invite with a PIN to provide access to your event dashboard. From there, they can log in from their browsers and sell tickets at the door, scan tickets for check in at the door, and more.

Tiered access.  Customize what each team member can see and do within your dashboard and events. Modify permissions for editing event details, accessing finance data, connecting to Stripe, copying the team on any attendee email questions, and more!

Order approval.  Control order volume and product access by assigning order approvers who can quickly review, modify, and approve orders before they are processed.

Top-notch support.  No matter your show’s size, our customer service team is here to help.

Connect your music with a cause

Simple Pricing. Eventgroove Fundraising doesn’t charge a subscription fee or any other upfront costs. If you utilize our tip pricing, platform fees are covered by donors. Stripe fees will still apply.

Flexible Fundraising. Raffle off signed merch, raise money with a walk-a-thon, fund championship trips through a t-shirt sale,  and run an online  auction . Embed them all right on your event site with a click. Learn more about fundraising campaigns

Text-to-give.  Enable your audience to donate before, during, and after the screening.

Hybrid fundraising.  Marry live events with virtual fundraising efforts with an immersive, interactive virtual fundraising experience for donors everywhere.

View a sample private-label site→

Fundraising features→

Event marketing + engagement tools

Eventgroove seamlessly integrates with apps and services to help you host efficient, successful events.

Communicate with the audience in real time.  Join Eventgroove with your Twilio account and send text messages to guests before, during, and after your event.

Attendee management.  We can integrate with your API in order to share data about users, events, products, and more.

Social media.  Link your band’s social media account, create eye-catching social media posts using branded templates and share them directly from your product account.

Email marketing.  Seamlessly communicate with your audience. Send and receive contact lists between popular email services like Mailchimp and Constant Contact.

Concert calendar widget.  Cross-promote all your shows on your site with a customized, embeddable calendar widget. Set it to display event images or calendar graphics, populate by date or event name, enable geo-search so ticket buyers can find a performance near them, and more.

Direct mail. Choose or upload a list of recipients and auto-populate names and addresses in your chosen postcard template. We’ll print and mail out via USPS First-Class Mail. 

Analytics.  Access information about real-time revenue and service and processing fees, understand which promotional efforts are working, and more.

Merchandise on demand

Print on demand.  Access a wide range of customizable templates branded to your event. Order print-on-demand posters with QR codes, variable-data event badges, hologram event tickets, wristbands, and more.

Product variety.  Choose from our library of digital, merchandise, and print product templates, or work with our team to create custom designs for your performance.

Reporting. Instantly access data around product usage, order revenue, discounts, and overall site revenue.

Discount Codes. Offer discounts to your users as a dollar amount or percentage.

Tiered Access.  Centralized control over users and permissions, including order approval, account management, and billing access.

View a sample ecommerce site→

Ecommerce options→

Raise money, sell tickets online, and manage your events with an all-in-one, human-powered solution.

Tour Operator Software

Find the best Tour Operator Software

Popular comparisons.

• FrontRunners

Buyers Guide

Filter products, company size.

• Self-Employed

Pricing Options

• # of User Reviews
• Average Rating
• Alphabetically (A-Z)
• Frontrunners

Compare Products

Showing 1 - 20 of 95 products

Lemax is an online software solution for tour operators that create, sell and operate multi-day tours and want to be more efficient and grow faster by digitalizing their business: 1) Get all products and calculations centralized,... Read more about Lemax

4.3 ( 14 reviews )

Peek Pro is a cloud-based solution for tour and activity operators of all sizes. The software helps activity operators by providing their websites with an online booking management engine and centrally manages online, offline... Read more about Peek Pro

4.7 ( 771 reviews )

Resmark offers a solution to book tours, activities, and rentals, which aims to help businesses understand customers and expand. This tool allows users to create/sign online waivers and release of liability forms using Waiver... Read more about RESMARK

4.8 ( 35 reviews )

Beyonk Group offers two booking platforms - Beyonk and BookingHound; both simple, powerful and easy to use booking software for the travel and leisure industry. Trusted to manage and expand their online business by thousands of ac... Read more about Beyonk

4.8 ( 78 reviews )

Rezdy is a cloud-based B2B solution that helps tour operators sell their products on websites and multiple distribution networks. The solution’s open platform helps users integrate internal systems and web applications with the of... Read more about Rezdy

4.6 ( 227 reviews )

Xola is a cloud-based booking solution that allows activity and tour companies to manage bookings from a variety of different sources including via the phone, websites or in person. The solution provides a mobile interface and can... Read more about Xola

4.7 ( 574 reviews )

Bokun is a cloud-based booking management system designed to help travel and tourism businesses create booking websites and handle reservations, pricing, payments and more. The platform comes with a centralized dashboard, which al... Read more about Bókun

4.7 ( 356 reviews )

Originally built within Gate 1 Travel, Softrip offers one comprehensive and "source of truth" platform for multi-day tour operators. Our expansive suite of products includes Reservations, Product Management, Operations , CRM & Mar... Read more about Softrip

4.0 ( 2 reviews )

ResLogic is a cloud-based travel and tour management software solution. It is suitable for mid and large-size tour operators, travel agencies and central reservations offices. Primary features of the solution include an online boo... Read more about ResLogic

No reviews yet

Starboard Suite

Starboard Suite is a tour operations management solution that helps passenger vessels and watersport businesses streamline processes related to reservations, event organization, employee scheduling and more. The booking functional... Read more about Starboard Suite

4.8 ( 185 reviews )

The Flybook

The Flybook is a comprehensive tourism and activity management solution that makes it easy for adventure parks, ziplines, guided tours, rentals and lodging providers to manage multiple locations and activities in one place. Our ... Read more about The Flybook

4.6 ( 64 reviews )

Zaui Software is a web-based reservation system that helps transport, tour & activity, event planning and rental companies with online booking and travel management. Its key features include user access control, reseller managemen... Read more about Zaui

4.3 ( 52 reviews )

Checkfront is a cloud-based business management software designed for tour operators, rental companies and accommodation providers. It offers booking and activity management, reservations and payment processing. Checkfront fe... Read more about Checkfront

4.5 ( 313 reviews )

WebReserv is a cloud-based tour operator solution that helps rental companies, lodging merchants and travel agents streamline reservation processes and create business listings. The centralized platform comes with a customizable b... Read more about WebReserv

4.5 ( 22 reviews )

FareHarbor is a cloud-based tour and activity booking solution that enables tour operators to manage their day-to-day business operations. It offers online booking management and payment portals, and it integrates with user websit... Read more about FareHarbor

4.8 ( 1107 reviews )

Whether you are a one-person operation or part of a franchise, Bookeo is perfect for your business. Bookeo is an easy-to-use and powerful platform that provides all the necessary features to manage and grow your business: online b... Read more about Bookeo

4.3 ( 93 reviews )

With 35 years of evolution, based on input from global tour operators and DMCs, Tourplan provides a complete solution specifically designed for your business type. Automate your entire workflow from traditional and online purchas... Read more about Tourplan

5.0 ( 2 reviews )

BizAway is a travel booking solution to handle business travel and optimize resources using a simple yet very intuitive interface, retaining all billing and expenses under control, with incorporable travel policies and automated a... Read more about BizAway

4.7 ( 54 reviews )

iTours is a cloud-based tour operator solution specially designed for tour operators and travel agencies. iTours is hundred percent customizable and user-friendly software with multiple modules including CRM, auto-accounting, B2B ... Read more about iTours

4.9 ( 12 reviews )

Adalte Travel Platform

The Adalte Travel Platform is a cloud-based reservation management software suitable for every travel operator. By adopting an Adalte Travel platform, any tour operator, destination management company (DMC) and online travel agenc... Read more about Adalte Travel Platform

4.8 ( 8 reviews )

As a tour operator, you’re already aware of the operational challenges you face. You need to manage customer bookings, schedule transportation and plan out daily activities, arrange entry to the sites your groups will visit, select the best local guides… and that’s only the beginning.

Now take a step back and ask yourself: What do many of these challenges have in common? They’re all, to some degree, challenges that require communication and organization. Thankfully, communication and organization are two things that software is very good at helping you manage. Tour operator software is software that helps you do just that.

In this Buyer’s Guide, we’ll cover the following questions and topics:

What Is Tour Operator Software?

Common features of tour operator software, what type of buyer are you, benefits of tour operator software.

Tour operator software is computer software that’s tailormade to assist with the bulk of operations required to run a successful tour operations business. While there other genres of software that can help with this— CRM software , for example—these solutions often require additional tools, or expensive customization, to do what tour operator software can do out of the box. 

Of course, no two tour companies are exactly the same, and that’s also true of tour operator software. To get the best return on your investment, it’s important to choose a solution that aligns with your specific needs.

Many tour operator software systems are deployed in the cloud and sold as Software as a Service (SaaS). This means companies pay for a subscription (monthly or yearly) to the software and can then access it from any device with an internet connection. This can be a huge benefit for on-the-go tour operators, as it lets them access software features directly on their mobile phones.

Businesses looking for more tools to manage lodging and flights might be interested in evaluating travel agency software .

The key to selecting software, regardless of your industry, is to begin the selection process by carefully considering the following questions:

How can software help us with our most common and repetitive tasks and workflow processes? The key here is to find software that will support and add efficiency to your existing operations. It’s rarely advisable to purchase software that will require drastic changes to your day-to-day operations, unless those changes are necessary for a new business strategy.

How can software help us meet our (forward-looking) strategy goals? If your company has plans to create a better online experience for guests, for example, then this should be kept in mind when weighing your many software options. Changing a company’s software infrastructure is often the most effective way of ensuring strategy goals are met.

After considering these questions, you can further narrow your list of options by asking the following:

What software do our business partners use? If you rely on third-party services for any aspect of your tour operations, consider how your software purchase could improve those relationships. For example, if a hotel that you work closely with has a particular hotel management system , you should consider how well your own new system might integrate with the hotel’s system.

At which locations will we need to access our tour operator software system? Some tour operators may only need to access the software from one workstation in their office. Others might need to access it from mobile devices, so guides can access and update information while out on a tour. This question will help determine which deployment model to opt for and help plan your budget for individual software licenses.

Increase customer satisfaction: When software handles some of the mundane tasks of running a tour operation, you and your staff will have more time to focus on the people that count: your customers. Many tour operator software systems also allow for customer and guest feedback, helping you stay on top of any complaints, compliments or suggestions for improvement.

Avoid double booking: Tour operator scheduling software can be a silver bullet for all of your scheduling woes, helping prevent double-bookings, among other things. The software is designed to track and manage multiple concurrent schedules, and some even do so in cooperation with your third-party business partners. It can even help prevent no-shows by sending well-timed reminders to customers with upcoming trips.

Increase sales of value-adding services: With payment portals and click-to-add purchasing capabilities, tour operator systems can improve your sales performance by increasing the value of individual transactions. For example, when a customer is about to book their beach tour, the software can ping them with an offer to add on a dive trip or snorkel equipment rental.

Improve insight into business operations: Ever wonder why some customers seem to love the special deals you offer online or through email marketing , while other customers only commit to purchases they discuss in person? Tour operator software supplies the data and insight needed to identify trends among your customers and answer questions like these.

Increase employee satisfaction: Tour operator software takes much of the busywork out of running a tour operation. With fewer repetitive tasks in the way, staff can spend more time focusing on customers and improving the business. It’s also worth mentioning that employees can become more engaged when they’re asked to do fewer repetitive mundane tasks.

Live 12 is out now

Start exploring

Focus and feel

Meet the new Push

See what’s new in Note

Check out the latest features

The latest from Ableton

View posts in category: artists, niecy blues: spiritual sci-fi ambient from the south, view posts in category: tutorials, shapeshifting: sound design explorations with roar, view posts in category: downloads, aho ssan: sound from inside the rhizome, learn more about live 12, get tips and tricks from our favorite creators ›, discover meld: live 12’s new bi-timbral synth ›, watch the learn live 12 videos ›, expand live 12 with packs, granulator iii ›, trap drums by sound oracle ›, lost & found ›, develop your music-making, learn the foundations of music ›, get started with live ›, experiment with tuning ›.

The Future of Music. Here Today

Make music anytime, anywhere. Connect with millions. Release your tracks and engage with fans — keep 100% of your earnings.

Music creation for all.

Record, mix and collaborate on your music projects from start to finish with our best-in-class and 100% free Studio.

Always ready when inspiration strikes with our fully functional DAW in your pocket or via the browser.

No boundaries to your creativity with unlimited multi-track projects and free cloud storage.

Our game-changing technology will transform your workflow with up to 50 collaborators per project.

What’s the word?

I’ve been with BandLab for around 3 years now. And I haven’t found a single other app that compares. BandLab stands alone without exaggeration.

I am definitely addicted to this app. Far Better than the looping apps. Probably the best iOS composition tool around.

This is my favorite music production app yet. Most have very limited functionality, have few instruments (or if they have a large variety, most are locked behind a paywall), or are difficult to use.

Words cannot describe how thrilled I was when I found this platform. It is perfect for me since I want to be a film score composer when I get older and this is perfect because it has tons of different orchestral instrumental options.

Sound like a pro. Get instant results.

Sound your best at all times with the world’s leading online mastering service. Designed with multi-platinum GRAMMY- winning producers and engineers. Lightning fast, no limits.

Sample Track

Compare quality, find the right sounds for your next hit..

Hundreds of thousands of professionally designed and curated royalty-free loops, samples and one-shots from producers all over the world. All free — no subscriptions, no credits.

Release and sell your music independently.

Release as many singles, EPS and albums as you like, and keep ALL of your earnings! No commissions, no fees and no hidden T&Cs.

Join a global movement of over 100 million creators and fans.

BandLab is the next-generation music creation platform used by millions around the world to make and share their music. Sign up today (it’s free!) and discover a whole new world of creativity.

Coachella 2024: Shakira surprises crowd at Bizarrap’s set, announces Acrisure Arena show

Global superstar Shakira made a guest appearance at Argentine producer Bizarrap’s set at the Sahara tent Friday night, bringing her world-famous diss song to the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and announcing an upcoming world tour — that just so happens to kick off locally at Acrisure Arena.

The crowd, already energized throughout the start of Bizarrap’s DJ set, became fully rapturous when the Colombian star emerged to first perform “La Fuerte,” a collaboration with the producer. She followed it with her Vol. 53 of the Bzrp sessions, a scathing diss song aimed at her ex-husband Gerard Piqué, appearing about halfway through the hour-long set.

Shakira entered with the words “La Loba Se Viene” (Spanish for “the wolf is coming”) sprawled across the large screen behind her. She later announced a world tour for her latest album, “Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran,” calling her Coachella appearance the informal kickoff to the tour.

The official kickoff to the tour, on the other hand, will be in Palm Desert at Acrisure Arena. Shakira announced the concert before the local venue got a chance to, so we don't have a date or information about tickets yet, but Acrisure did share Shakira's Instagram story Friday night, which showed the superstar stopped off the side of I-10 to look at Acrisure Arena, which put a message on its huge roadside sign saying "Shakira Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran World Tour" with a QR code that brings you to a page on Shakira's website to sign up for alerts.

Bizarrap, who’s collaborated with a who’s who list of renowned Latino artists , played a litany of his popular BZRP sessions, including collaborations with Eladio Carrión, Milo J and Nicky Jam, during his set.

Shakira was the only guest appearance during the lengthy show, which featured plenty of cool visuals and impressive remixes by the Argentine producer. Bizarrap didn’t say much during his set, beyond imploring the crowd to keep dancing and to up the energy. But his stage presence was confident, particularly for a producer making his Coachella debut.

Though neither appeared on stage with him, Bizarrap also played his songs with Young Miko and Peso Pluma , both of whom also had their own Friday performances at the Empire Polo Club.

More: Coachella Day 1 updates: Sabrina Carpenter shines sans Swift, Shakira surprise guest stars

More: Coachella 2024 first look: From new merch tent placement to the brand-new Quasar stage

More: Coachella 2024: Paris Hilton, Megan Fox, Barry Keoghan among celebs at the festival

Tom Coulter is The Desert Sun's mid-valley reporter, but this weekend he's one of the paper's several returning Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival writers.

How To Choose The Best Music Production Software For You In 2024

I f you're looking to get into music production, the first decision you'll need to make is which music production software to choose. A piece of production software, also known as a digital audio workstation, or DAW is an all-in-one suite for recording, editing, arranging, mixing, and otherwise manipulating audio and MIDI. They also interface with plugins such as software synthesizers and audio effects to further refine and shape sound.

Choosing a DAW is one of the most crucial decisions anyone working with digital audio will make. It's the beating heart of your studio, and it will determine everything from your workflow to the plugins and hardware you can use. Moreover, depending on which production software you pick, you may have a harder or easier time collaborating with other musicians in your genre. 

For instance, while electronic music and EDM artists tend to prefer Ableton Live, more traditional producers who work with real instruments often prefer Pro Tools, while up-and-coming hip-hop and pop producers often gravitate toward FL Studio. I've got more than a decade of music production experience spanning different DAW software over the years, and this guide will provide a basic overview of each of the most popular DAWs on the market today, including their major strengths and weaknesses, to help you reach the most informed decision possible.

Read more: Major PC Brands Ranked Worst To Best

Ableton Live Suite

Over the past several decades, Ableton Live has evolved from a program designed to manipulate loops and clips in live electronic music performances to one of the most popular DAWs on the market. Due to its unique history, Ableton Live has a workflow slightly different from more traditional DAWs such as Pro Tools, as well as several specialized capabilities that have made its users diehard fans of the software. Ableton Live has rapidly become one of the most popular DAWs, especially for musicians who focus on EDM or live performances.

Ableton's interface is divided into two different "views": Session and arrangement. In the session view, audio elements (which Ableton refers to as "clips") can be triggered individually from a grid of sounds. This allows musicians to play dynamic live sets where they have full control over every element of what the audience hears. In production sessions, the session view can be used to improvise or try out different combinations of sounds. In the arrangement view, users will see a more familiar, linear timeline where sounds in a composition can be arranged.

Ableton excels compared to the competition in warping and editing sounds in real-time, letting producers chop, resample, and time warp audio elements for beat-making. It integrates with control surfaces and custom hardware for even more control and customization, and its in-box suite of proprietary plugins are some of the best-included plugins on the market, allowing budding musicians who haven't invested heavily in plugin libraries to use pro-grade audio effects and virtual synthesizers. It also has a large and dedicated fan community that is always willing to provide advice to novices, which makes it extra appealing for newcomers. Version 12 is currently rolling out for pre-order.

Apple Logic Pro

Logic Pro is made by Apple, so, of course, it's only available on MacOS. With that said, it's one of the best DAWs available for Mac users, with a slew of specialized features that many users refuse to give up once they've given it a try. First and most obviously, Logic Pro is heavily integrated into Apple's ecosystem, and it features tools and integrations that capitalize on that interoperability.

Because Apple has been pushing hard to make its Spatial Audio mixes mainstream, offering them for no extra cost through Apple Music, Logic Pro includes in-the-box tools for spatial mixing workflows, and the software works with AirPods Max for those who don't have a Dolby Atmos multi-speaker system. Those tools include a 3D object panner, a surround sound mixer, and several other tools, along with an export pipeline for Apple Music-ready spatial mixes.

Like its other professional software, such as Final Cut Pro, Apple offers a version of Logic Pro as an iPad and iPhone app . There are also remote apps that work in tandem with your Mac, syncing with your session so you can control software instruments, control effects, and adjust the mix from your mobile devices in real time. Logic Pro competes with other popular DAWs, too. For instance, to compete with Ableton Live's session view, Logic offers Live Loops, which uses a similar, grid-based layout for triggering loops. 

One major drawback to be aware of is that Logic Pro does not support the popular VST plugin format. For any third-party plugins you purchase, you'll need to ensure that they come with Logic's proprietary AU plugin file type.

ImageLine FL Studio (FruityLoops)

FL Studio , formerly known as FruityLoops, was once a punchline in the music production community. But with an open-source philosophy and a bargain-bin price that often bordered on free, "the little DAW that could" rose to become a viable option for any aspiring music producer. In the early days, a low price was necessary simply to ward off software pirates, but illegal downloads also rocketed FruityLoops to popularity among bedroom producers with low budgets. 

Today, it is no longer cheap, nor is it open-source, but it is used by some of the biggest names in music production, from Martin Garrix and Porter Robinson in the EDM world to newfound hip-hop titans like Murda Beatz, who has produced for Drake and Travis Scott. "FL Studio basically made music production available to pretty much underage gamers," Robinson told Vice in 2016.

Today, FL Studio has a few major upsides compared to the competition. Compared to some other DAWs, it has a relatively easy-to-learn interface that still makes it one of the best options for novice producers. ImageLine's motto for the software is "The fastest way from your brain to your speakers," and judging by its loyal user base, many agree. Additionally, unlike many of its competitors, FL Studio offers free lifetime updates, meaning that people who buy it once won't need to spend hundreds of dollars more to keep it up to date.

On the other hand, no DAW, including FL Studio, is without downsides. Some have reported that the program is more bug-prone than other leading production software, which can add a bit of frustration to the creative process. And its workflow, while intuitive to newbies, can be confusing for those who learned to produce in more traditional software.

Avid Pro Tools

For those who learned to produce through traditional means, interning at studios and studying in music production academies, Pro Tools is as familiar as an old friend. Because it has been an industry standard for so long, especially in professional and commercial studio settings, Pro Tools users benefit from widespread compatibility with industry-standard hardware and applications. Therefore, learning Pro Tools can benefit those who wish to pursue traditional careers in behind-the-scenes music production. It is most commonly used in top 40 genres like pop, hip-hop, and R&B.

However, while it remains the DAW of choice among music industry veterans, Pro Tools is currently facing serious competition, primarily from Ableton Live and FL Studio. But, like Ableton, Pro Tools enjoys a dedicated community of users who provide easy tutorials on sites like YouTube and Reddit for those learning the software for the first time.

Pro Tools has additional capabilities other DAWs lack, most notably its ability to work with video for scoring and post-production. Like other mainstream DAWs, it works with VST file-type plugins and is compatible with a wide range of professional recording and mixing hardware.

However, there are some downsides to Pro Tools. It's now on a subscription model, which costs an eye-watering $599 per year for the fully kitted-out Ultimate version, making it by far the most expensive DAW to invest in. Its MIDI capabilities are fairly limited compared to the competition since it's focused on mixing. Additionally, it has a more rigid workflow than other programs, meaning you'll have to work the way the software wants, which can feel creatively limiting. Lastly, unless you're working in a traditional studio environment, the other musicians with whom you collaborate will likely be using something different, making it difficult to collaborate.

Steinberg Cubase

Cubase is another long-standing presence in digital music production. Originally designed to be a MIDI sequencer, today it is a full DAW used by artists including Paul McCartney. It is also specifically for Cubase that the now universal VST software plugin file format was invented, giving it a special place in music history.

Cubase has a few benefits for specific use cases compared to other DAWs. It has robust chord-tracking tools that can help users create complex harmonies, and it can detect chords and chord changes automatically. Like Ableton Live, it has a robust audio warping system that can aid in aligning recordings or samples to the beat grid. It supports VST plugins, and it includes a slew of plugins in the box. Additionally, it has one of the most robust mixing consoles out of all the programs discussed so far. Like Logic Pro and FL Studio, it has placed an emphasis on Dolby Atmos for spatial audio mixing in recent versions.

Drawbacks to Cubase include a lack of robust modulation options. Whereas programs like Ableton Live and FL Studio allow you to create custom LFOs, envelopes, and other parameters that can be assigned to tracks, Cubase has no such option. Additionally, some users have reported stability issues, though those reports are anecdotal, and it's possible some users who experience issues are running Cubase on unoptimized hardware.

PreSonus Studio One

Studio One by PreSonus is a relative newcomer to the DAW scene, first released in 2009 and ultimately acquired by the musical instrument manufacturer Fender in 2021. Despite its youth and relative lack of popularity among the wider audio production community, its users have come to love it for its overall simplicity.

Like Apple's Logic Pro, Studio One 6, the latest version, places an emphasis on spatial audio. It includes an end-to-end workflow with plugins that can take advantage of multi-channel microphones, 3D object panning, and spatial mastering. It also has a focus on chords that makes things easy for those who want to progress beyond single-note tunes. It also has some innovative features, such as the scratchpad, which lets you put together different versions of a composition so you can see whether that bass you like sounds best with a piano or a guitar. Finally, Studio One includes the Notion composition software, which makes it an appealing option for those who work with sheet music.

As with other less popular DAWs, one major downside is that collaboration with other musicians can be a challenge. Additionally, many users report stability issues and bugs, although these are anecdotal accounts that may be the result of user error or low-performing systems, and your mileage may vary.

But, as PreSonus is based in Louisiana, the best thing about Studio One, by far, is that included in the owner's manual is a recipe for what is by all accounts a very tasty chicken jambalaya. Will it help you produce the next Top 40 hit? Who knows. But you're probably going to have an easier time focusing on your composition after a hearty, Cajun meal.

Cockos REAPER

Reaper is one of the most overlooked DAWs on the market, but for some, it may be the most appealing option, primarily due to its price and customization. A basic license, which allows for installation on unlimited machines for use by a single person, is only $60. 

In a market where the competition charges ten times more, that's a bargain bin deal. Moreover, like any DAW worth its salt, it is compatible with VST plugins, making it a program that will get the job done. Additionally, Reaper prides itself on customization, allowing virtually all keyboard and mouse controls to be re-mappable, which makes it an appealing option for beginners or those who are accustomed to a different DAW.

Reaper has a mostly complete feature set, with the ability to work with both audio files and MIDI, as well as features for time-warping media items. However, what Reaper makes up for with a low cost, it lacks in polish. While it has a feature set on par with many of its competitors, its interface isn't quite as pretty as trendier competitors. 

That leads to quite a bit of adjustment, as its controls and features are a bit less intuitive and free-flowing than some others. It most closely resembles Ableton's session view in its workflow, but hold the two up next to each other, and Reaper looks comparatively shabby. Of course, that's a comparison between $60 Reaper apples and an Ableton orange that can cost up to $800, so make of that what you will.

What Kind Of Producer Are You?

After understanding all the different DAWs on the market, maybe one of them instantly calls to you as the one-stop shop for all your music production needs. But if you still find yourself unsure which is the one for you, it's important to consider what sort of music you'll be creating. For example, do you plan on using a lot of live instruments, or will you work primarily with software synthesizers, MIDI, and prerecorded loops and samples? Do you need your DAW to be able to function as a platform for live performances?

If you work mostly with live instruments, Pro Tools will be your best shot, provided you don't need deep MIDI integration. For those who work with both, Ableton Live is the top pick.

The best all-arounder of a DAW for most people, as well as the best for EDM production, is Ableton Live. For those interested in all digital production, it's worth taking a look at FL Studio. And for those who are already all-in on the Apple ecosystem or who want to produce on a Mac, Logic Pro is a worthy contender. Finally, for the more budget-conscious, Reaper is a solid option, although if you can afford FL Studio, you'll get free lifetime updates.

Luckily, most of the programs we've discussed have trial versions, so you can test them out and see how well they fit into your creative process. Testing a DAW before you commit to it is recommended since you'll sink not only your money but also lots of time into the software as you learn its workflow and feature set. You'll also likely invest in compatible hardware, such as a music production laptop , audio interface, and MIDI controllers , further entrenching you into the software you pick.

Methodology

This article was written based on the author's experience with music production software, which spans over a decade. The DAWs therein were chosen based on their notoriety and popularity among audio professionals and are meant to provide readers with a broad sampling of the different types of DAW software on the market.

Read the original article on SlashGear .

Software Designed for the Live Music Industry

Finally. Live event management software that actually works the way it should for music industry professionals. It’s automated, integrated, and streamlined, so you can do more with less.

Find out how Prism can work for you.

Automated & integrated.

Book more shows, faster

Track and manage all of the moving pieces that go into booking a show in a single tool. By cutting out the back-and-forth required from coordinating with dozens of stakeholders using disparate tools, Prism gives you time back to focus on what’s important to your business.

“Not sure what we’d do if we had to get through... rescheduled shows without our trusted Prism.fm calendar!”

Josh Baker of HI FI Indy Indianapolis, IN

Real time financial data and reporting capabilities at your fingertips

Prism’s reporting capabilities give you powerful insights into show performance over time to help you book smarter. Drill into every show’s dynamic P&L in Prism to forecast estimates and track actuals or report on a macro level for weekly, monthly, and annual show performance.

Keep everything in one place

Prism unifies your calendar with everything else that goes into your show - offers, revenue and expense tracking, production documents, notes, settlement details, and your P&L. Prism is mobile friendly as well so that you can find all information related to your show on the go with one click.

“Prism is a sustainability tool more than anything. It’s the only thing that’s available that follows us from the hold stage all the way to settlement."

Ric Leichtung Founder & Events Director of AdHoc

Integrate with your current process for seamless transition

Integrate with the apps you are already using like Google Calendar to see your shows alongside everything else you have going on. Track ticket counts and revenue in real time with Prism’s ticketing integrations.

“Teaming up with the guys behind Prism has been a huge game changer. Incorporating their software has helped organize our event data and streamlined how we share up-to-the-minute event settlements and information with our team."

Joel Collins Co-Owner & Talent Buyer of Crank it Loud

Who we work with.

PRISM FOR VENUES

Prism for promoters, with prism, it’s settled..

80/35 Music Festival bringing Killer Mike, OK Go to Des Moines this summer

The Des Moines-based summer music festival, 80/35, will be hosted July 12 and 13 this year , and now the lineup has finally been announced.

Tickets are already on sale at  80-35.com . Here's what we know about the festival so far.

Who will headline the 80/35 Music Festival in 2024?

Multi-Grammy Award-winning artists Killer Mike and OK Go will headline 80/35 this year.

Killer Mike is a rapper from Atlanta and is known for his activism, including work to prevent rap lyrics from being used as evidence in court .

The artist, whose real name is Michael Render, also received national attention in February after winning three awards during the 2024 Grammy pre-show ceremony. Video footage showed him being escorted out of the award show arena in handcuffs by a squad of police officers following the big win. Render later said t he arrest stemmed from a misunderstanding with a security guard and that he expected to be exonerated.

OK Go is a rock band originally from Chicago. The band is composed of Damian Kulash, Tim Nordwind, Dan Konopka, and Andy Ross. In 2007, the band's video for "Here It Goes Again," which featured the band dancing on treadmills, won a Grammy Award for Best Music Video.

What other bands are in the 80/35 lineup for 2024?

Other artists like Hiatus Kaiyote, Dreamer Isioma, Bully, SUSTO, Foxy Shazam, Winona Fighter and Durry will perform throughout the weekend.

An exact schedule isn't available yet. Organizers expect to add additional acts in the weeks ahead.

Live music will run continuously during the two-day festival on multiple stages, according to a news release. There will be one main stage in the paid area. Additional areas will offer free music and entertainment throughout Water Works Park.

What Iowa acts are in the 2024 80/35 lineup?

The annual festival starts with Tripmaster Monkey, a Quad Cities band that has re-formed to play 80/35.

Other local and Iowa acts include:

• Emmett Phillips & the Impact
• 10 Watt Robot
• The Maytags
• The Uniphonics

80/35 to celebrate with 'Lineup Launch Party'

80/35 is hosting a lineup launch party Friday to celebrate the announcement featuring two acts from the festival. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. at The Principal Black Box Theater at Simpson College in Indianola. The event runs 7-9 p.m. and includes 10 Watt Robot and Emmett Phillips & The Impact.

Organizers said in a news release that this event is open to anyone and free to the public.

What's new at 80/35 this year?

The event will move this year to Water Works Park , across Fleur Drive from Gray's Lake Park in Des Moines, after 14 years in the downtown Western Gateway Park.

This year 80/35 is allowing attendees to camp at the festival for the first time ever. Camping details will be released soon at 80-35.com , the news release said. Anyone who has already purchased tickets to 80/35 will be allowed to add camping to their ticket, if they desire to do so.

Victoria Reyna-Rodriguez is a general assignment reporter for the Register. Reach her at  [email protected]  or follow her on Twitter  @VictoriaReynaR .

Maggie Rogers Announces Arena Tour, Sequel to In-Person Ticketing Program to Skirt Scalpers 

By Waiss Aramesh

Waiss Aramesh

Following the success of Maggie Rogers ’ in-person ticketing program for her tour last year, she’s going even bigger in 2024. Ahead of her new album Don’t Forget Me dropping on Friday, the singer announced her first arena run in the United States, kicking off in October after ‘ The Don’t Forget Me Tour, Part I ’ in early summer.

Friday kicks off a week-long celebration that Rogers is dubbing ‘Box Office Week’ that will include pop-up events, special shows at intimate venues in New York, Philadelphia, Boston, and Chicago, and chances to snag tickets to the arena tour at box offices across America.

Rogers’ arena run this fall includes a date at Madison Square Garden on October 19, a little over five years after the singer sold out two nights at Radio City Music Hall. Having gone to New York University and lived in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, Rogers is no stranger to venues across the city, from popping out at Barclays Center with Zach Bryan and Bruce Springsteen to her affinity for some of the city’s cozier settings.

O.J. Simpson Executor Says Ron Goldman's Family Will Get 'Zero, Nothing' From Estate

Jellyroll vs. jelly roll: pennsylvania band sues country star for trademark infringement, inside jimmy buffett's tribute concert: mccartney, margaritas, and one hell of a parrothead party, rico wade, producer with atlanta's pioneering organized noize, dead at 52.

Don’t Forget Me Release Shows April 13 — New York, NY @ Irving Plaza April 14 — Philadelphia, PA @ Theatre of Living Arts April 16 — Boston, MA @ Paradise Rock Club April 19 — Chicago, IL @ House of Blues

The Don’t Forget Me Tour, Part II arena shows 10/9​ — Austin, TX @ Moody Center 10/15 — ​Philadelphia, PA​ @ Wells Fargo Center 10/17 — ​Boston, MA @ ​​TD Garden​​​​ 10/19 — ​New York, NY @ ​​Madison Square Garden​​ 10/22 — ​Toronto, ON​​ @ Coca-Cola Coliseum​​​ 10/24​ — Chicago, IL​​ @ United Center​​​​ ​​​​ 10/25 — ​Minneapolis, MN​ @ Target Center​​​​ 10/29 — ​Seattle, WA @ ​​Climate Pledge Arena​​​ 10/30 — ​Portland, OR​​ @ Moda Center​​​​​​​​ 11/1 — ​San Francisco, CA​ @ Chase Center​​​​ 11/2 — ​Inglewood, CA​​ @ Kia Forum​​​

See Hurray for the Riff Raff Play 'The Past Is Still Alive' Tracks for 'Saturday Sessions'

• Saturday Sessions
• By Daniel Kreps

Watch Bruce Springsteen Play 'Seeds' For First Time Since 2016 at Mohegan Sun Arena

• Viva Uncasville!
• By Andy Greene

‘The Celebration of Mimi': Inside Mariah Carey’s Career-Spanning Las Vegas Comeback

• it's like that
• By Larisha Paul

Rico Wade, Producer With Atlanta's Pioneering Organized Noize, Dead at 52

Lana del rey's opulence, peso pluma's corrido history lesson shine at coachella day one.

• Coachella 2024
• By Tomás Mier and Ethan Millman

Most Popular

Jodie foster pulled robert downey jr. aside on their 1995 film set and told him: 'i’m scared of what happens to you next' because of addiction, where to stream 'quiet on set: the dark side of kids tv' online, prince william & kate middleton are reportedly struggling with a 'tidal wave' of royal issues, angel reese signs multiyear agreement with panini america, you might also like, nielsen streaming top 10: taylor swift’s eras tour movie debuts at no. 8 with 677 million minutes watched in four days, billie eilish, megan fox, becky g attend late-night nylon house after party at coachella, the best running water bottles according to marathoners, ruben östlund proposes requiring licenses to use cameras: ‘you need one for a gun’, coyotes’ name, logo to remain in phoenix while team relocates.

Rolling Stone is a part of Penske Media Corporation. © 2024 Rolling Stone, LLC. All rights reserved.

Verify it's you

Please log in.