How To Inflation-Proof Your Tour:
(April 1st 2026)Spring is here, and for many indie musicians, finalizing summer festivals and routing tours (3-5 months in advance is a pretty good rule of thumb for small clubs) the news of America at War, spiking prices for gas, flights, food, and goods made of plastic (I’m still selling CDs!) is anxiety-inducing at best and tour-canceling at worst.
However, here are a few tips on how to maintain your composure and have a great summer of touring.
1. Upcycle your merchandise and offer digital rewards. While I recommend having T-shirts, Vinyl, and Stickers at every merchandise table, something that won’t cost you much up front and is inflation-proof are digital downloads. Bandcamp offers digital download codes, which can be printed out in bulk on a return address sticker and slapped on anything from goodwill mugs to the back or earrings or wrapped around a friendship bracelet. You can also offer upcycled t-shirts if you screenprint or fabric paint your own custom design. I once sold beanies from the Army-Navy store, which I had hand stenciled on tour; they sold out quickly!
2. Become brand loyal. Purchase flights with the same airline; so you can stack points, and earn miles. If you purchase directly from the airline’s website, they tend to value your seat more, should there be a flight cancellation. Use the same hotel chain and earn loyalty points. Costco may be a savings on gas plus feed the band lunch on samples (kidding) (or am I?).
3. Maximize your spending. Use an airline credit card or rewards credit card for purchasing gas, renting a van, and getting hotels. If you are going to use debit see if you can at least earn extra points for purchase on gas or meals out, expenses you will have many of on the road. Having a designated credit card for tour spending can also help simplify tax records.
4. Gas Buddy/ Google “gas prices” sometimes prices will spike across state lines. Look up the cheapest gas, sometimes you can save 20 cents a gallon going a few miles off the freeway.
5. Create a tour fundraiser. With margins razor thin already, having a cushion for tour expenses is clutch! Even asking for $500 could really help, you can always exceed the goal. If you are making a new album as well, you could have a multi part fundraiser. Ask for as much as $25,000 you could have some ear marked for the higher costs of touring. Types of fundraisers
an email and text campaign with a venmo or paypal link
Host a benefit show and have some other local artists donate their time, use ticket sales towards the tour.
A crowd funding campaign via kickstarter or bandzoogle
a merch flash sale
a telethon live stream asking for venmo donations
an auction featuring unique items or lunch with the band, local businesses might offer a gift card.
maybe a combination!
6. Find a sponsor for the tour. If you have any artist endorsements, or affiliations with companies, ask for a financial contribution in exchange for their logo on your tour poster, at your merch table, VIP meet and greet spot and online posts.
7. Offer a VIP ticket. Some fans are willing to pay more for access to soundcheck, or a few songs played acoustically before GA doors. Maybe a trinket from a thrift store.
8. Get the community involved. The best attended shows pull in audiences from multiple sources (a charity event, a neighborhood festival, 3 amazing bands you have wanted to see). Tour where you have resources. A place to stay, a non-profit with a built in crowd, a friend with a gigging band. Major artists playing Ticketmaster venues can’t pivot like the little guys can. So play that barn, that house show, that library, that school of rock, that hippie birthday party. It’s summer!
9. Perform online. Perfect the “home tour” set up. Tiktok, Instagram and Youtube offer livestreams where you could possibly gain new followers. List these online shows just like your tour dates and keep the momentum strong even if you’re slowing down on cross country drives.
10. Run your numbers. We often feel in routing a tour that we have to say yes to any opportunity. Most bookers will allow a hold for a week or two while you can crunch the numbers. Sometimes “no” just means this isn’t right for right now.
Kristen Ford is the host of the podcast Obermann Amplified and music business “Band Doula,” coaching artists 1 on 1. You can learn more at www.kristenford.com