An independent artist's guide to working with booking agents
While there are several music schools that teach up-and-coming musicians how to play their instrument, there are very few that teach them the business-side of the industry. As a result, most independent musicians use national- or major-label artists as their blueprint for success.
While some valuable lessons can be learned using national artists as a guide, there are still many questions that go unanswered. For that reason, the next several For the Records' will focus on what independent musicians can expect when working with various music professionals. This month’s For the Record takes a look at Booking Agents.
Since booking agents work on a commission basis, they generally only work with touring artists and bands. Agents are paid a percentage (Usually 10 to 15 percent) of the money paid to bands for their live shows, but not for merchandise or CD sales. Be wary of any agent who asks artists to pay them for booking services, or asks for a percentage of CD and/or merch sales—that’s not the industry standard. |
Most independent artists start out booking their own shows out of necessity. Most likely, you got your debut show through someone you, or a member of your band knew. After that, you probably asked people you know for the name of the person who books the shows at local clubs that were right for your band. At first, booking shows isn't all that hard (due in large part to the personal relationships you already have in your hometown). You know what clubs are right for you based on your firsthand knowledge of the market.
But if you’re doing any touring, you have already realized booking out-of-town shows is much more difficult. First off, you only know the names of the biggest clubs in town, and they aren't booking out-of-town bands for their first show in that market. So how are you supposed to know the names of the clubs that are right for you when you’re not a local? You can do some research on the Internet, or by asking friends familiar with that market, but that takes time and patience—two things most independent musicians don't have in abundance.
Luckily, there are music guides out there like the Music Phone Book that can help you in this regard. The Music Phone Book lists over 10,000 live music clubs and venues along with detailed information on each one: the name of the person who books the shows, that person's direct phone number, email address, best day and time to call for booking, style of music booked, capacity, age limitations (especially important for bands with underage crowds), average age of the crowd and the days they have live music.
So with your MPB in hand, you start calling clubs in a market nearby that you can tour to on a regular basis. At first you play as often as you can while you build up a fanbase in that market. As you develop, your fanbase grows and it becomes easier to get in touch with the bigger clubs because the person who books their shows has heard of your band. It takes a while, but soon you’ll be playing at some of the premier clubs in that market too.
Now that you've established yourself in a second market, you start the process again in the next town. The idea is to develop your fanbase in markets you can get back to on a regular basis, which allows you to maintain and even grow that base of fans.
Once you start touring regularly, you quickly realize you no longer have the time to book, promote and play the shows. Its time to look for a booking agent.
Established booking agents have several advantages over bands that handle their own booking. First and foremost, they know what they're doing. They aren't learning as they go like bands that represent themselves. Think about it like playing your instrument; when you first started you were no virtuoso, but as you continued, you learned the "tricks of the trade" and you got better as you got more experienced. Same thing goes for a booking agent.
Another advantage established agents have over bands that do their own booking is they already have working relationships with the people who book the clubs. This is a huge advantage (provided the agent isn’t unreputable) because the agent doesn’t have to start from scratch for each club or venue they call. The agent's previous work with the promoter or talent buyer is what opens the door for your band.
Club talent buyers know agents work on a percentage basis and aren't going to represent an unsuccessful artist. While having a booking agent is not a defining characteristic of a successful band, it certainly lends a degree of status to your band. Bands that don't draw, or lack potential are rarely represented by agents…and clubs know this.
Most booking agents represent multiple bands which is often a huge bartering chip when an agent is trying to get a new client gigs. Often an agent will use booking a show with a popular band on their roster as a carrot to get the club to book a new, or less-popular band that's just starting out. Club talent buyers know if they give your band a gig, the agent is more likely to book that really popular band at their club, too.
Since an agent may represent several bands the club wants to book, it's also much easier for a booking agent to get the club talent buyer on the phone than a band member. Club talent buyers have hundreds of bands calling for a limited number of shows which is why they are usually hard to reach. So to a club talent buyer, all bands they don't know personally all lumped together and usually ignored until the artist makes contact with them. Most bands who book their own shows have to talk to the talent buyer on the phone several times before landing a gig because they have to build up that personal relationship themselves, and that takes time.
Although booking agents work for the band, early on it’s the agent's reputation that opens doors for a band. For that reason, a band's actions at a show can have an effect on the agent and the other artists the agent represents. When a band trashes their dressing room, harasses the wait staff, blows off the show, badmouths the sound man, etc…it makes it that much harder for the agent to book the other bands they represent at that club as well.
So if you’re touring on a regular basis and the time you have for booking shows isn't enough to get the job done, an agent may be the solution to your problem. Make sure you are comfortable with the agent you select and be sure to communicate your band's goals with the agent as well. An agent may take a different approach or route you in certain regions if they know what goals and direction the band has. If you don’t know of any agents, you may want to consider contacting the hundreds of booking agents listed in the Music Phone Book.
If you’re just starting out, or haven't done much road work, you may want to wait until you have three or more markets that you have a decent following in before looking for representation. Use your copy of the Music Phone Book to identify out-of-town clubs that make sense for your band, then start building relationships with those people. If you’re not already a MPB subscriber, now is the time to get a copy for yourself. You’ll never pay so little for something that will open as many doors for you as much as the Music Phone Book. |
