Most employers prefer a degree in business management, music, communication, marketing, entrepreneurship or a related area. To stand out among the competition, additional recommended courses include psychology, business law, logistics, accounting or tourism and travel management.
In general, road managers handle tour details for their specific band, while tour managers are used to oversee the logistics, finances and communications for tours as a holistic entity.
Kind of in general if it's a solo artist with hired musicians the artist has a bus of their own that maybe their tour manager and assistant are on, band and crew have a separate bus/buses, but a lot of times the artist will fly ahead anyway. If it's a long drive, like a few days, they may fly home in between.
For a young-gun tour manager just starting out on a van tour, the average salary is anywhere between $1000 – $1500 per week. With a few years of touring experience, the average tour manager's salary can range between $2000 – $3000 per week, depending on the organization and responsibilities.
Tour managers are hired by booking agents or artist managers to organize logistics, personnel, communications, and schedules for concert tours.
We recommend tipping the equivalent of $10USD to $12USD per person per day for your Tour Director and the equivalent of $3USD per person per day for your driver(s). If applicable, we also recommend the equivalent of $2USD per local guide.
Being a Tour Manager is a 24/7 job with lots of responsibilities.
Some employers may require a bachelor's degree, while others need only a high school diploma or certificate. Most employers prefer a degree in business management, music, communication, marketing, entrepreneurship or a related area.