How To Get Your Band Booked At Music Festivals

How to get your band Booked at Music Festivals

The allure of performing before humongous crowds of screaming fans at music festivals is irresistible for any musician. Unfortunately, landing a festival gig is easier said than done, especially when you are an emerging artist. Nevertheless, landing a slot at a music festival is an achievable goal for any desiring and committed musician. Needless to say, before putting yourself out there, you will have to learn How To Get Booked at Music Festivals first. And let’s be honest, music festival performance slots are hard to come by. Below are useful tips to help you answer the question How To Get Booked at Music Festivals.

Do your homework

Here’s the deal; before sending your application or bio to that festival promoter you are thinking of, find out what the festival is all about first. Secondly, you need to know who it is you’re sending your submission to. Irrespective of how talented your rock band is, sending your bio or submission to perform at a jazz festival will be a waste of your and the promoters time. Thus, it is important to do your homework prior to sending a submission to perform at a festival. Also, research on the number of performers a music festival can accommodate. Equally important is knowing your fan base vis-à-vis the festival’s target audience. If your fan base is comprised mainly of young adults, then it is wise to look for a festival whose target audience is young adults.

Start small/local

It is every musician’s dream to perform at some of the biggest music festivals. However, big music festivals are extremely competitive. Thus, as an upcoming musician, it is very likely that your submission will be rejected in favor of that of a more established artist. Therefore, it is wise to start performing at local festivals where you have a higher chance of getting accepted. Starting small will help you prepare for large music festivals. Sure there is a possibility that you will not be paid for your first performance, however, performing at small festivals gives you exposure. This exposure will be instrumental in catapulting you from small festivals to the glamor of large music festivals.

Keep it short

Believe it or not, you are not the only musician looking to land a lucrative performance slot. That being said, no promoter will be interested or have time to read a long and boring bio on who you are, where you come from, where you went to school, etc. As such, it is wise to keep all your communications short and precise. However, this does not mean that you should be generic. To increase your chances be unique. Promoters get thousands of emails, and they rarely read all. So to land that performance slot you are eyeing, try and be unique when writing an email to a promoter. Also, do not make the mistake of spelling your intended recipients name wrong. It may seem obvious, but there are many musicians who get rejected simply because they spelled a promoter’s name wrong in an email or message.

Provide evidence

Truth be told, every musician in the world claims to be the best, but how many musicians can back-up their claims with undisputable evidence? When you are writing an email be sure to include a link to a video of one of your live performance. It is one thing to say that you are a great musician; it is another to prove that you are a talented artist. The internet is full of video tools that you can use to get your music content out there. That being said, the video you post need to be clear and audible. Also, sending studio recordings is not the best way to go. Let’s be honest; anyone can sound great in a studio. Thus, studio recordings are not considered authentic by most promoters.

Act fast

As stated earlier, performance slots are hard to come by. Thus, it is wise to follow up on any submissions you make to promoters. This is because; you never know when an opportunity may come up. Also, performance slots can come up last minute, and you need to be ready to take up such opportunities. Responding to any communication should not be after 24 hours. After all, there are numerous gadgets you can use to respond to messages quickly.

Have an online presence

Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Snapchat, Instagram; all these are tools that you can use to create a strong web presence. Given that these tools are free, you will have no excuse not to use them. In this digital age, having a strong online presence will increase your chances of landing gigs. The truth is, just like your fans, most promoters use social media and so should you. Therefore, do your best to maintain a strong online presence. You can use free music sites like https://www.indiesound.com to help spread the word and quickly create some additional buzz.

Get to know people

While working on your music is important, mingling with like-minded people can be hugely beneficial. So whenever you get a chance, go out and get to know other musicians, booking agents, and managers, you never know what may come up. Interacting with people from your local music scene is one of the best ways to get referrals and recommendations. Personal referrals and recommendations may come in handy when you want to apply to a music festival.

Consider your costs

Performing at a music festival is supposed to be a financially rewarding endeavor. However, it can also be a costly affair. Thus, one of the most important things to consider is the cost of performing at a music festival. When you are starting out, consider limiting yourself geographically. Before applying to play at a gig, it is wise to calculate how much the concert will cost you. This may entail calculating, insurance, accommodation, food, performing equipment and other essential items. When you are an upcoming musician, some of your first gigs might not be as financially rewarding as you like. Therefore, it is important to consider the amount of money you are willing and ready to use on a gig, especially if it does not come with any rewards. It may take some few years before you start getting gigs that pay well or that pay.

How To Get Your Band Booked At Music Festivals