2021 sees the return of music festivals, so if you can’t wait, we will let you know when the next festival is.

From the 20th August 2021, Tribfest Music Festival Driffield, East Yorkshire, returns with a weekend of tribute bands.  From the Antarctic Monkies to Kopycat Killers, Tribfest is the worlds biggest tribute act festival.

Tribfest is a family fun event with over 60 tribute acts descending on Sledmere House.  The tribute acts will play across 7 stages, including the KidsZone.

The event also hosts a number of retail and catering outlets, meaning there is something to do for the whole weekend.

Camping on site is available, and they even boast impeccably clean toilets and hot showers.

TribFest was voted Best Entertainment/Leisure Venue 2018 – 2020′ in the East Riding of Yorkshire Best Bar None Awards.  The festival is also consistently recognised at local and national awards, including Best Small Festival, Best Family Best Toilets and Best GrassRoots Festival.

The live entertainment industry has really suffered since the beginning of group restrictions in 2020. Many musicians and music lovers are very eager to get back to live performances and events. At this point, we are all hoping that the restriction easements, set out early 2021, do not get extended so that things can get back to somewhat of a norm.

As of the 17th of May, live performances should be able to go ahead under certain conditions. Any indoor performances cannot have more than 1,000 people or 50% of the venue capacity, whichever is lower. Outdoor performances cannot have more than 4,000 people or 50% of the venue capacity, depending on what is the lower number. For larger outdoor, seated venues, the audience is permitted to be 10,000 people or 25% of capacity, whichever is less.

If all the COVID safety steps and requirements are met and there are no further changes, on the 21st July, 2021, all limitations will be lifted.

Present day musicians have a lot more choice in the way they decide to distribute their music these days with the boundless prevalence of technology and online reach. In this digital age, musicians now have the option to be independent as their own distribution agent. However, this does mean that they will most likely need additional skills, other than musical talent, or at least be able to outsource those capable in the other proponents of the music industry.

For an independent artist to succeed they will need to be proficient or have others around them whose expertise are in distribution, social media, marketing, web design, art, photography and sound/mixing engineering. This might sound like a lot, but it is not impossible. There are several artists who have been successful without signing with major record labels.

As far as music distribution, the two most popular music distributers in the UK, are Ditto Music and Tunecore. Once you have set up an account with one of these, and pay for a subscription, they then release your music onto music applications such as Apple Music, Spotify, Pandora, YouTube, Amazon Music and much more.

One of the most important parts of the music industry is Networking! It’s not as scary as it sounds, it can be as simple as meeting fellow musicians or music lovers and having brainstorming sessions on ways to produce terrific music.

A few tips to help with Networking are:

• Attend Music Industry Events- you can start at smaller local events just to start meeting people and creating relationships.

• Do Your Research- before an event try to find out who may be there, who you may know and do a bit a of research on their current or future projects to engage in conversations about.

• Practice Your Pitch- rehearse what you want to say about your plans so that you do not get caught off guard and unsure of what to say about your work.

• Be Prepared- be sure to have a business card to hand out or possibly promotional material but do not spend too much on things like this.

• Be Yourself- if you’re properly prepared you should feel confident and you should always just be authentic. Some people you will jive with and others you will not.

• Do Not Fake It- pretending you know more than you do about something is a sure-fire way to become embarrassed if called out. Everyone has to start somewhere and this can be a learning experience.

• Relax- networking is just talking to people so relax and try to enjoy getting to know people.

• Work the room- try to meet at least three new people when starting out and grow from there.

• Provide Advance Notice- especially for large events if there is someone attending you would like to meet maybe drop them and email and to say hello and you are looking forward to meeting them.

• Be Open-Minded- every connection could prove valuable so do not limit yourself to the people you think you want to talk to.

• Follow Up- the most important thing is to follow up the next day with the new contacts by letting them know you enjoyed meeting them.

Long gone are the days where you would send out tapes or CDs in an attempt to get your name out there and signed to a label. Some of the biggest musicians around at the moment do not have any type of label but use the power of social media.
We have listed the top 3 things you can do to get your music heard in 2020.

1. Get playlisted – apps such as Spotify, Deezer, and Apple music have millions of followers across the globe and rack up millions of streams. If you can get your track into a popular playlist it could lead to thousands of streams.
2. Social media platforms – creating your profile on social media such as Facebook and Instagram will allow your fans to be able to follow you and check out your latest music. You can create public Facebook pages, Instagram accounts, Twitter, and so on. Make sure your online presence and branding are consistent.
3. Create your circle – you will need to have strong contacts in the industry and this could help advance your career. Use social media to build relationships with the right people.

Joining a band is the easiest way to get started in your music career but you may want to start your own band. If you have made the decision that joining a band already formed isn’t for you and you want to start your own, follow this guide on how to get started.

1. You will need to come up with a strong name for your band. This will need to be memorable and unique.

2. Pick your band style. You will need to decide what type of sound and image you want your band to have.

3. Create and sign a band contract. This is a smart move for later down the line. Topics such as schedules, finances and song ownership should be in the contract.

4. Write your music

5. Agree on rehearsals and stick to them. People have all different types of commitments so you will need to come up with a rehearsal schedule that suits all of your band members.

6. Advertise your band – when you feel ready to start performing you will need to get your name out there. You can use flyers, social media and an email list.

Many people in the music industry are freelance self-employed workers which has meant during the covid-19 lockdown many have lost most if not all of their income. Events and weddings have been cancelled for months and there has been no confirmation on when they will be allowed.

The government has already offered a special scheme to self-employed workers called SEISS, this was released in May 2020 and offered all self-employed workers 80% of their wages paid in bulk for 3 months. These figures are based on an individual’s self-assessment returns for previous years.

With the lockdown only just beginning to ease in June 2020 the government has extended the support scheme and is now offering 70% for 3 months. You will be able to apply for this in August 2020 and this will also be paid in one lump sum. If you have not already applied for the first lump sum you have until 13th July 2020 to apply.

With the current worldwide covid-19 pandemic, most of the world are experiencing lockdown, meaning we all have to stay in our homes unless its essential to leave. With morale quite low in general at the moment, we thought it would be a great idea to compose a short playlist that is bound to get you singing.

Here is our short list of all-time great artists to help get you through this quarantine period.

1. I Feel Fine – by The Beatles
2. Loaded – by Primal Scream
3. Mr Tambourine Man – The Byrds
4. Wouldn’t It Be Nice – The Beach Boys
5. Don’t stand so close to me – The police
6. Waterfall – the Stone Roses
7. Saturday Night at The Movies – The Drifters
8. Killing Me Softly – The Fugees
9. Born to Run – Bruce Springsteen
10. Heroes – David Bowie

We hope you enjoy our quarantine playlist. Stay in and stay safe everyone.

Your wedding should be one of the most memorable days of your life, so it goes without saying that the music needs to be memorable too. Putting together your playlist will take careful thought and consideration, especially if you want to have something on it to please everyone.

Allow enough time to put your wedding playlist together. Think about the kinds of moods you want to create. Some wedding music can be cheesy, but you might also want to have some carefully selected love songs to create the right mood. If you have a live band, check what songs they can play and ask them well in advance about it, so that you can choose your songs with your partner. You also need to think about the all-important first dance: will this be to live music, or will you simply pick your favourite song, that means something to you as bride and groom?

Choosing a band or DJ for your wedding or event is an important decision as it will change the atmosphere and ambience significantly. A DJ will feel more like a party, whereas a band can be chosen to perform different music styles and change the nature of your event. Here are some pros and cons for each.

Bands: This is a versatile way of bringing music into your event and you can choose a band based on the styles they are best at performing. You might pay more though, as the best bands know their worth and will charge higher prices.

DJs: You can create a real atmosphere with a DJ, and you can still request songs you would like them to play. However, there won’t be as much versatility as you would get with a band, and some people might not like having music playing at a high volume all night.