In this week’s issue of  the music industry’s premiere news source, Billboard , Mitchell Peters asked booking agents, managers and promoters to predict new trends and developments in touring during the year ahead. Here’s what they said:

Putting the road on hold

Normally, a band will tour within a month of the release of a new album. But now bands are postponing their tour until well after the event in the hope that the economy will improve and they’ll see higher profits.

Rock band Spoon will release "Transference" on Jan. 19, but won't tour until spring. Spoon manager Ben Dickey said:

"We've opted to give the record a little time to breathe and also give the touring business an opportunity to come back."

Other agents are advising clients to tour less.  

Buy now ticket discounts

U.S. promoters have been experimenting with lower prices during the first 24 hours they go on sale. As many concertgoers are holding on to their money longer and waiting to buy tickets at the last minute, there’s an incentive to galvanize initial sales, says Larry Vallon, executive vice president of AEG Live's regional offices .

"Word-of-mouth increases when you have tickets out in the marketplace with someone saying, I'm going, are you going?'

Percentage Deals

If the struggling economy continues to affect attendance, some bands may find promoters cutting more percentage deals instead of paying flat guarantees. Larry Webman, an agent at Paradigm Talent Agency:

"If promoters pay a guarantee and nobody shows, they're losing money. But if the band is confident that they're going to do business, then you can actually make more if you take a better percentage deal, as opposed to getting paid a guarantee."

Creative Packaging

To create more incentive for fans to attend shows, some artist representatives are encouraging clients to book co-bills and package tours. AEG Live New York talent buyer Adam Weiser predicts that 2010 will find a number of bands that could headline on their own teaming up to play the same-sized venues, to guarantee a sellout.

Higher Artist Turnover

The instantaneous buzz that the blogosphere and other music-focused sites have created has produced an environment that makes it increasingly difficult for artists to develop as a live act and maintain their popularity long enough to build a live fan base. , Billions Corp. president David Viecelli believes the trend will likely get worse in 2010

"It's not an issue now of whether you can generate some buzz about the things you just recorded in your basement three months ago; the issue is how you retain that interest six months later."

Read the full article here.