Tourpass: Introduction

If you’ve been reading this newsletter over the past few weeks, I’ve been eluding to a startup app that I’m working on called Tourpass.

I thought it’d be cool to write a series documenting the progress, challenges, and breakthroughs as I build this app, giving you a behind-the-scenes look at my thought processes and solutions. Plus, it’ll help keep me accountable (thanks, ADHD) and moving forward.

The Problem(s)

 🎸 You’re a hardworking local band serious about your craft, but you have no clue where to start when it comes to recording your debut EP, printing merch, or connecting with promoters.

💻 You’re a brilliant graphic designer eager to work with musicians, creating album covers, logos, merch designs, and brand strategies.

🚐 You’re a band with a growing following, ready to hit the road, but you need help booking and managing a U.S. tour.

💿 You’re an emerging producer or mix engineer looking for mid-tier bands to work with and build your portfolio.

Any of these sound familiar? Stick with me—I’m onto something here. 👨‍🍳

The Old Way of Doing Things

Imagine you’re at a show, mingling with other showgoers, when you strike up a conversation with the merch guy on the tour package. They say they loved your set, and can get you in touch with the tour manager after the tour. You exchange Instagram handles.

But after the noise, chaos, and time passes, they forget to respond—or worse, don’t check their DMs.

Sure, there are success stories of networking like this, and by all means, keep meeting people at shows. But this “hit or miss” approach relies heavily on social media and chance. I think there’s a better way.

The Pitch

Here’s what we know:

• We want to grow our network professionally, without relying on the unpredictable nature of social media.

• We need a streamlined way to connect at shows, ensuring contact info and relevant industry data isn’t lost in DMs or forgotten entirely.

• As independent artists, we want to know who the real players are—who can handle our PR, recording, merch, and tour management—without the endless chain of “I know a guy who knows a guy who knows a cousin.”

The Solution: Tourpass

Enter Tourpass, a professional networking tool designed specifically for independent artists who want to grow their networks and reach new audiences. The goal is to revolutionize industry connections, making it easier than ever for professionals to link up and collaborate.

The music industry is a unique beast—we all know that. Traditional platforms like LinkedIn don’t cater to the nuances of what we do. That’s why Tourpass exists: to bridge the gap between independent artists and industry professionals.

Status Update

Right now, Tourpass is in its early development stages. For the developers reading this, here’s a quick tech rundown: I’m building it as a web app with a React frontend and a custom backend, powered by Supabase. So far, I’ve completed user authentication and set up the initial database schema.

That’s all on Tourpass for now folks. Make sure to subscribe to stay up to date on the progress of this app!

Build fast. Break stuff. Have fun.

Paps.

By the way — I am a freelance developer and help creative businesses grow their web presence with custom websites and apps. Schedule a free call & grab my free Unf[…]ck Your Tech Stack guide by clicking here