Tim Sweeney's Guide To Successfully Playing Live [Unabridged] [Audio Cassette]

Tim P. Sweeney (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 1998

Are you serious about your music?

As any artist or musician knows, playing live is the key to your future success. Whether you are trying to sell CDs and tapes or catch the attention of a major label, your ability to play live is critical to the success of your musical future.

Now for the first time ever, Tim Sweeney, the music industry's leading expert on artist development, shares with you, the hidden industry secrets and strategies of how you can be the successful artist you always wanted to be.

Find out the actual secrets of how you can:

Decide which clubs and venues are right for you.
Where to find your potential fans in each market.
How you can play the clubs you want.
Get the club bookers to pay you what you want.
How to double and even triple your audience at the next show.
How to make your live performance better than ever.
How you can sell more CDs and tapes at your shows than ever before.
How you can make e! nough money playing live to quit your day job.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Tim Sweeney is an independent music consultant and one of the music industry's most respected expects in the areas of artist development, record promotion, distribution, and retail marketing. He has worked with over one thousand major label and independent artists (including some of the most successfull of all time) in virtually every musical format. In addition, he is the private consultant to the industry's leading Presidents and CEO's.

Since 1996, his free music business workshops (that he presents around the United States at his own expense), have been attended by more than 10,000 artists, musicians, songwriters and music industry professionals each year.

Product Details

• Audio Cassette
• Publisher: Tsa Books; Unabridged edition (August 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0965131610
• ISBN-13: 978-0965131612
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 4.2 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,311,315 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars patronizing. Some good info, but a lot of wasted space, October 1, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Tim Sweeney's Guide To Successfully Playing Live (Audio Cassette)

Tom is very patronizing in this book. He tries to be too hip and cute, I guess to keep your attention, but he is neither. There is some good information, but there is also a lot of wasted space. For example: he talks for about 20 mins and all he really needed to say was: "go make a sample tape with a few songs and hand it out to people in the immediate area surrounding the club you want to play in to promote your show". It takes him almost 1 side of 1 tape to say this ... He also doesn't take into account the costs of everything. He suggests getting 500 or 1000 of these samples tapes made to promote a show, but the cost of this isn't cheap.

There is some good info about getting the proper booking and some resources available, but the real meat of the tapes could have been put on about 1 side of 1 tape instead of listening to his mindless patronizing babble talk and his "just think about it" attitude as though you are supposed to go "WOW, WHAT A GENIUS"

I don't think this tape is worth the [money] for it ... Just get a musicians touring magazine and talk to clubs and other bands and watch what other bands do to get all the real info you need.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Major Waste of Time and Money, June 4, 2004

By 

Marc Gunn "Marc Gunn of the Celtic MP3s Music... (Austin, TX) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Tim Sweeney's Guide To Successfully Playing Live (Audio Cassette)

I just bought Tim Sweeney's "Guide to Successfully Playing Live". It's a two-hour workshop on making your live gigs rock. I bought the double-tape recording because I admire his idea of giving away album samplers, and also, I remember listening to his "Living Room Sessions" and thinking it was intriguing. Fortunately, I can accept when I make a BIG Mistake.

Tim Sweeney's "Guide to Successfully Playing Live" bites!

Now I must admit, first, I had a bias. I've found many of the ideas Tim presents in his online newsletter seem to be out dated. He really doesn't seem to have a grasp of internet promotion, despite the fact that he's listed as a co-writer of The Complete Guide to Internet Promotion for Musicians, Artists, & Songwriters (which I haven't read). But I did at least overlook the fact that the recording was on two cassettes. I still have a cassette player in my car, so I wasn't too worried about this out-dated bit o'technology.

What bugged me... no irritated me was Tim's incredibly awful speaking skills. I sure as hell hope he's gotten better than he was here, because this was horrenedous. How many times did he say, "This is what I want you to do."
At first, I thought, "Okay that's a nice lead in tool." But before long, I felt nauseous. "STOP telling me what to do you arrogant SOB (no offense, meant)." It was annoying to say the least.

But even worse was the waste of time. Tim spends the first hour beating around the bush. I got three decent ideas out of the first hour. The second wasn't too much better. I sure as hell hope he's a better speaker now when he speaks at conferences than he was when he recorded this sweatshop (more perspiration to get through the recording) back in 1997.

My suggestion, don't waste your time! And money! If you want something inspiring trying, Bob Baker's "Guerrilla Music Marketing Handbook" or "How to Be Your Own Booking Agent & Save Thousands of Dollars. Tim Sweeney's book

If I still haven't frightened you away, get a copy of Tim Sweeney's "Guide to Successfully Playing Live" and find out for yourself.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Audio Book, August 25, 2009

By 

Daniel Mitchem (Virginia) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Tim Sweeney's Guide To Successfully Playing Live (Audio Cassette)

Practical knowledge for musicians and managers wanting to learn how to work the music industry to their advantage. Most or all money made in the music industry is made playing live and this book helps learn how to do that! I wish it was available in CD or digital format though.