For every artist I’ve managed, I’ve found one of the biggest challenges to be communicating what happens out on the road. There are certainly apps for this, and they’re great. But sometimes, you just want to keep simple records for yourself. It also helps if those records can automatically calculate how much money to set aside each night for your manager, booking agent, band members, and savings accounts.
To fill this need, I've built a custom form on all of my artists' websites that prompts them for all the pertinent info, and calculates everything for them right there. It also asks questions about the night, to prompt them to make notes on anything like contacts they made that night, other bands they played with .. anything else they want to keep tabs on. Once they hit submit, it’s auto-uploaded to a google spreadsheet and an email is sent to the address of their choosing with that same record.
From the google spreadsheet, calculations are made and sent to another spreadsheet detailing payouts that need to go to all parties involved. This could mean calculating management, agent and band member payout, or even royalty splits for producers and side-men (based on records sold). My goal is always to make it as painless and automated as possible, so the only thing an artist needs to do is get out their phone and type in a few numbers in order for all of the important information to not only be saved, but communicated back to those who need it.