You are going to learn how to hire a booking agent, how to get a booking agency for an unsigned artist, what they look for in an artist, how they find them and how to reach up to them.
Are you wondering how to get the best booking agent for my music project?
Step number one is to understand the booking agent role and your relationship with them.
A promoter role is to create touring strategies with management book shows & appearances to facilitate live music shows and performances.
They also prepare contracts and handle financial aspects work on other promotional and administrative tasks as well as constantly seek new talent (unless their roster is full).
It is your responsibility to oversee and collaborate with your music agent.
it’s very important to do some of the work yourself before you’re ready for an agent.
This involves booking and organizing shows, setting up technical installations for shows, negotiating agreements and in many cases also organizing hospitality (accommodation, dinners), logistics (travel, flights) and promotional & marketing activities.
Live music booking agents are those who receive requests for shows and choose the artists.
This leads to offers on which they negotiate until the closure of an agreement.
During this time, they select and take care of the best option for a show and fill the space for that promoter.
When you start interacting with the local scene, you will find the right promoter for you, as you will know other people who share the same passion you have.
Are you ready for the change?
Ok, nice… Let’s now analyze the basics to get the right booking agent for your musical project!
Remember that behind the scenes there is always a promoter who work hard, track numbers, mark new opportunities to make great shows happen.
And also that, as an artist, you will work with your music manager and agent on a daily basis, so you all have to like to work together.
Who are booking promoters and what do they do?
A booking agent is someone responsible for booking live performances and concerts of music and performances, including concerts, gigs, tours, radio sessions and TV performances for musicians, bands, singers, DJs, orchestras, and artists.
Music Agents are intermediaries between the artist and the owners or concert promoters of the office: they are responsible for booking live music performances on behalf of artists and their main purpose is booking shows.
They are responsible for developing the musicians’ or artists’ career with regard to their live performance.
Their role is essential for creating touring strategies with book management and presentations, managing all financial aspects to create fun and entertaining shows.
They are one of the main members of a team of artists and one of the main people with whom artists and managers maintain business relationships.
REMEMBER: the agents’ reputation precedes them.
Marion Hugh “Suge” Knight, Jr. is a former record producer and music director, known for having enjoyed several years of graphic successes for artists such as Tupac Shakur, Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Outlawz and Tha Dogg Pound and much even more
If you want to play more, your booking agent should:
1. Know the right people: knowing the best booking contracts of your music scene is essential to be invited at the best parties or the best shows
2. Know what are the right places: a good promoter has a deep knowledge of the meeting place market, both locally and nationally, and thanks to this he knows when to ask for a concert and where
3. Manage the right relationships: relationships with managers of other agencies help to make the slots in progress DOES NOT EACH which agency is organizing the tour. Cool bands play interesting shows (sometimes they only have the right audience)
4. Find out who is on tour: the foresight to see which bands/artists are touring at the moment, and exploit that for the support slots for groups/artists. Because of this knowledge and personal connection, concert promoters tend to trust booking camps more than they would with a band from a band they’ve never heard of before.
5. Be smart and solve problems very quickly: organizing more dates and making sure that financials work in your favour.
Once you’ve mobilized your touring set-up for a show (band, crew, TM), then try to keep them on track to maximize your earnings.
What live music agents do?
Being a booking agent is a lot of work.
“Responsibilities start with titles,” a famous music promoter said once…
The agents book and coordinate unique concerts, college dates, tours, festivals and manage the personal appearances of the musicians in the shows, after-parties, clubs, discos, exclusive events …
They don’t have just fun, they have to smash all the tedious and boring work: we sensitize colleagues who organize shows – they call other promoters, text agents, email venues, you get the idea!
They know hundreds of places and have personal contacts with the right people and add a masterly understanding of negotiation, local promotion and what it takes to downsize and nurture the earnings of an artist onstage and offstage (we mean the parties :))
The best booking agents recognize that the show circuit is not a free outlet for everyone, but that life is a delicate balance between supply and demand.
Well known quality agents sign artists based on recommendations from existing relationships with colleagues in other areas of the industry including managers, label, reps publicists, promoters buyers you name it.
How to approach booking agencies?
Most agents want to see that you’ve already booked a tour or you can sell out shows before they want to work with you, so be aware of where you’re at and if you’re even ready for booking agent and if not keep building connections but know it might take a few years of doing it on your own first.
Otherwise, sometimes they find them at a live show that they happen to be at or they may have heard them on the radio saw them on a chart, saw them in a popular publication or maybe even in a discovery streaming playlists etc
So essentially when an artist is making a move in the industry and people are talking about it an agent will hear about it so get out there build your fan base yourself make relationships and network as much as possible because those people could connect you with agents or anyone else in the industry.
When you need a promoter?
Of course, when you need to book a show or tour and you do not have the right contacts or know where to play.
A good live music agent, a great recording partner and an available manager work together to help you find the right path for your music project.
Great music scenes create good music and great music attracts fans.
Great shows with fans make parties so beautiful and fun… and that’s the best part, of course!
Find a list of music agencies, bookers and music promoters on LiveTrigger (only the best ones!!!)
On LiveTrigger you will find a list of booking agents near you, so you can find the right promoter, close to you, anywhere in the world.
It’s not just because we show you a list of promoters, but because the music scene is created by people who can be fans, musicians and venue manager.
A music promoter will tend to meet new artists through trusted sources – so personal contacts and referrals are the most important channels to find a music promoter that fits you and your needs, but sometimes it’s hard to find the best new artists, even for really expert agents.
Why LiveTrigger?
There are many different services on the Internet that can help you find the right person, but usually, you have to pay for these services.
LiveTrigger is free and will help you connect with the local scene and find the right promoter you need for your shows or tours.
It’s a service for newcomers as well as established musicians and artists, promoters and venues.
Find the music dude right for you
On LiveTrigger you will find the booking agent that you really need.
Because the right promoter is important, an excellent music agent must be someone who believes in you and in your project and can, therefore, orchestrate the perfect strategy for your project.
It is important that this person has some experience to help you find the right shows at the right time.
We think it’s much easier for agents to do their job well when they love what you do and what they do.
So what are you waiting for?
Get the right person, create trust and friendships and remember: when you’ll find a music promoter that is perfect for your music project you together will make it happen.
That’s all for today, thanks for reading this article.
Let us all know what you think and also, if you have any question or you want to please comment below.
We”ll answer back to asap 🙂