Getting started with ArtistHQ

ArtistHQ is one place to run the business side of your band — shows, money, merch, releases, contacts, crew, gear, tasks, and documents — so it doesn't live across a dozen spreadsheets and chats.

Choosing how to start

The first time you sign in, ArtistHQ asks How would you like to start? with two paths:

• Explore sample data first — sets up Pale Wire (Demo), a fully built demo band with shows, contacts, releases, and documents, so you can click around a real-looking workspace before committing to anything. Dismiss it whenever you're ready to build your own.
• Start fresh with my own band — walks you through a short setup: pick whether you're a band, solo artist, DJ/producer, or something else; name your artist; optionally add your country and genres; and invite bandmates by email.

At the end of the fresh setup you'll also see an Import from CSV option. Choose it if your shows or contacts already live in a spreadsheet and ArtistHQ takes you straight to the importer — see Import your data for the file formats.

Your first 10 minutes

Once you're in, the dashboard shows a Get started checklist that fills itself in as you go — each item ticks off automatically once you've done it. The five steps cover what most bands set up first:

1. Add your first show. Go to Shows → + Add Show. A show moves through a pipeline — hold → confirmed → day-of → settled — and each one holds its advancing details, day sheet, setlist, and finances.
2. Add a contact. Promoters, venues, agents, press — keep them in Contacts so they're one click away when you're advancing a show.
3. Create a release. Track a single or album from writing through to released, with a rollout timeline.
4. Invite your band. In Settings → Team, invite the people who should have access. Settings → Band is where you mark who counts as a band member for money splits.
5. Track income or an expense. From the Money page header, use + Income or + Expense to record your first entries.

You can dismiss the checklist any time with the small close button in its corner.

What's on Free, and what isn't

Every core module is on the Free tier — shows, money, merch, releases, contacts, crew, gear, tasks, and documents, plus income and member splits, receipts, and CSV import and export. What Free limits is volume: how many shows, contacts, products, and releases you can store. When you outgrow those caps, Plus or Pro simply raise them.

A few advanced outputs are genuine Plus and Pro features rather than caps — tour grouping and Tour P&L reports, and royalty CSV export among them. Those unlock with a paid plan, not by hitting a limit. See Plans, billing & cancellation for the full picture.

Where to next

• Managing your shows — the pipeline, advancing, day sheets, and tours.
• Tracking income & expenses — logging money, settlements, and multi-currency.
• Import your data — bring shows and contacts in from a spreadsheet.