Improve your career and business prospects with a series of practical online consultations designed to help you better understand the marketing techniques, negotiating practices and sales skills essential for navigating and preparing to do business in your ‘live’ music B2B environment.

There are no easy roads to success in this or any other business; otherwise, we'd all be billionaires. However, some people do succeed; what distinguishes these 'fortunate' people from those who are unable to overcome their 'failures' and end up simply abandoning their dreams?

Like any other industry, the music business has many different sectors, and within the ‘live performance’ sector, for example, there are also manufacturers, distributors, retailers, and, of course, end consumers who have a plethora of alternatives for how to spend their money. It is therefore vital that you understand the buying behaviours and decision-making processes of the people in control within your B2B world – namely the distributors (agents & managers) and the retailers (bookers and venues).

Our online consultations aim to develop ideas and generate practical solutions to the problems that may be holding you back through a combination of 'real-life' experience and advice from our network of trustworthy industry colleagues, advice from the Stoics and a dash of psychology. We can also recommend additional reading and resources to further enhance your ‘live’ marketing endeavours.

We offer one-on-one online sessions delivered by our company founder Craig Hume and based around the following subjects:


1. Creating your ‘live’ marketing mix

You are marketing a ‘non-tangible’ service that requires you to ‘manage the evidence’. If you assume your music is ‘speaking for itself’ then your income is going to suffer as the fast talkers and ‘BS merchants’ get ahead of you.

Potential discussion topics.

- Your ‘P’s’ in balance
- People buy from people
- Playing to your strengths
- Remaining fresh and committed - It’s a long game.
- Finding your USP.
- Selling yourself in the best possible way. Do you know how to sell effectively?
- Who’s in your team? You’ll need help.
- The best use of your time – AKA ‘Do you really need to spend time learning even more scales?’

Follow-up sessions are available to focus in more depth on individual aspects of your marketing mix - i.e., Product, Price, Promotion, Place, People, Process, Physical Evidence.


2. Strategies for securing and getting the best from a booking agent

Developing relationships with talent buyers, promoters, festival organisers, and venue managers is vital to an artist’s success. As is becoming familiar with the musical style, clientele, ownership, and support services of music venues across the world.

Potential discussion topics.

- Are you ready for an agent?
- Do you need one?
- Agency roles and responsibilities.
- Choosing and securing the right agent.
- Getting a deal that’s right for you.
- ‘Exclusive’ versus ‘Non-exclusive’.
- Keeping an agent. (AKA ‘How not to get dropped’)
- How to work with your agent - getting the best from your working relationship.
- Who does it well?


3. Strategies for European domination (working overseas)

The ability to travel and work freely and easily in the EU is of paramount importance to UK musicians. In addition to the practical issues brought about by Brexit, we examine some additional areas for consideration.

Potential discussion topics.

- Who should be on your team, and what should they do for you?
- The so-called ‘European’ tour and what it really means in 2026.
- Establishing your best bets.
- Working with promoters. Yes or no?
- Timing is everything.
- Making friends and influencing people.
- Booking ‘dos and don’ts’
- Examining your stats!
- Establishing your ‘checklist for progress and success’


4. Innovative negotiation & sales techniques

‘You don’t get what you deserve; you get what you negotiate.'

Potential discussion topics.

- Negotiation traits and behaviours
- We’re all in sales!
- Your sales pitch
- Improvisation. Surely you’re good at this?
- Can you do it? Someone must!
- Who does it well and what are they actually doing?


5. Get your act together!

“The path to success is to take massive, determined action.” Tony Robbins

Potential discussion topics.

- The origins of NLP and ‘Personal Power’.
- The ‘best bits’ from the Stoics.
- The Four Agreements in practice.
- What were you thinking!?
- Your emotional 'opportunity cost'.
- Your plan for staying committed and on course.


"Craig Hume: Biography

Craig is a highly motivated and experienced business manager with more than 30 years of experience in business development, marketing, sales, and music management. His perspective provides an invaluable combination of corporate and entrepreneurial skills and understanding. As a member of the music industry for over three decades, he will teach you the practical skills you need to achieve consistent progress with your marketing, networking, negotiating, and selling, as well as, perhaps more importantly, how to stay emotionally grounded while doing so.

Craig founded his first music agency in 2002 simply to help his friends find work. Since then, he has helped artists perform all over the world through his agencies Meantime and Funkgurus Artist Management.

Funkgurus represents unique and innovative musicians for international tours, festivals, live performances, masterclasses, and studio production projects. With a roster that includes some of the best international live performers, celebrated recording artists, well-known sidemen, session musicians, and producers, the agency is known for its passion for providing the best in live music services and has become the first choice of many leading promoters and festival organisers.

Craig began his career as a sound engineer working in a professional recording studio in Yorkshire, UK. He holds a business management degree in services marketing from York University and has worked on numerous live and media projects around the world. While living and working in the Middle East for over 15 years, Craig held various marketing management positions for multinational corporations, including Galileo International, Saudi Arabian Airlines and The Sunseeker London Group.