How to get gigs as a musician or a band
Most first gigs come from people, not from forms: other bands, a venue that already books your style, a promoter who saw a clip of you live. Here is where gigs come from, what to have ready before you ask, a booking email you can adapt, the usual deals and what to agree in writing.
What to have ready before you ask
A venue or promoter decides in a minute. Make that minute easy:
- A live video. One or two minutes of you actually playing live, with decent sound. It answers the real question: will this work on a stage?
- Two or three songs on streaming or a private link, and a one-line description of your sound with a comparison people know.
- An honest idea of your draw: how many people you can bring in that city. Don’t inflate it — the venue will see the door count.
- The practical details: set length you can play, number of people on stage, a short tech rider and a stage plot.
- Everything in one place. An EPK (electronic press kit) puts the bio, photos, videos and contacts behind one link.
Where gigs come from
| Where | Good for | How to start |
|---|---|---|
| Open mics and jam nights | Your first stage time and meeting other musicians | Go, play, stay for the other acts and talk to the host |
| Local bars and small venues | Regular shows in your city | Look at who they already book and pitch the nights that fit your style |
| Sharing bills with other bands | New audience in your city and others | Offer a swap: they open for you here, you open for them there |
| Promoters and local collectives | Bigger rooms and better-organized nights | Go to their shows first; send your EPK when you have a draw to show |
| Support slots | Playing before a bigger artist | Ask the promoter or the artist’s team, with live video and your local numbers |
| Festivals and showcases | Being seen by bookers and press | Many open applications months ahead: check their dates and rules |
| Private and corporate events | Paid gigs that don’t depend on ticket sales | A separate set list and price; word of mouth and event planners |
| House concerts and alternative spaces | Acoustic shows and a close audience | Ask fans who could host; agree how the money is shared |
The pattern behind all of them: be part of the local scene. Go to shows, help other bands fill their nights, and play well when you get a slot. Bookers talk to each other.
A booking email that gets answers
Short, specific and with links — never attachments. Adapt this:
Subject: [Band name] — available [dates] — [genre] for [night or series name]
Hi [name], we’re [band name], a [genre, one comparison] band from [city]. We’d love to play [venue] on a [weekday] between [date range]. We usually bring [honest number] people in [city]; our last show was at [venue] on [date].
Live video: [link] · Songs: [link] · EPK: [link]
We play [30–60] minutes and can share the bill with [local bands that fit]. Thanks for reading — [name], [phone].
If there is no reply in a week or two, follow up once, briefly. Then try again next season with something new to show.
How shows are paid: the usual deals
There is no standard fee: it depends on the city, the room and your draw. These are the deals you will see most:
| Deal | How it works | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Guarantee (flat fee) | A fixed amount, whatever the attendance | When it is paid and what happens if the show is cancelled |
| Door deal | A percentage of the ticket sales | Who counts the door, and costs taken off before the split |
| Versus deal | A guarantee or a percentage of the door, whichever is higher | The costs taken off before the percentage |
| Bar or drinks deal | A share of what the bar sells, or drinks and food | How the bar total is checked |
| Pay to play / ticket presale | The band buys or must sell tickets to get the slot | You carry the whole risk: think twice |
Merch is extra income on any deal: ask before the show whether the venue takes a share of merch sales.
Put it in writing
Even a small show deserves a short written agreement, an email is better than nothing. Write down the date, the load-in and set times, the fee or the deal and when it is paid, the deposit, the backline and sound, the guest list, travel and lodging if any, and what happens if either side cancels. Our guide to music contracts covers booking and performance agreements, and TONTRIA Law has a live performance agreement template with the deposit, the balance before the show, the rider as a schedule and a cancellation scale based on notice.
Fill the room
A venue books you again when people come. Announce the show two to three weeks ahead, post short clips of your live set and remind people the day before and on the day. A step-by-step plan for the posts, with what to publish each week, is in how to promote a concert on Instagram and TikTok (TONTRIA Clips). Film the show: the clips from tonight sell the next one.
After the show
- Settle on the night: get the door count or the bar total and the payment, or the date it will arrive, in writing.
- Thank the venue and the promoter, and ask for the next date while the night is fresh.
- Collect contacts: an email list or a QR code at the merch table brings people to the next show.
- Report your set list if you wrote the songs: in many countries the songwriters’ collecting society pays for songs performed live when the set list is reported. Ask yours how. See how music royalties work.
When to get a booking agent
A booking agent sells your shows and takes a commission on each one. Agents usually come once there is demand they can sell — a draw in several cities, releases that are growing, offers you can’t handle yourself. Until then, booking your own shows (or with your manager) is normal. When the offers, dates and settlements start to pile up, keep them in one place: TONTRIA for Management (early access) keeps offers, confirmed dates, venues and contacts for every show, with its settlement attached. If you are looking for a manager too, see how to get a music manager.