How To Get More Gigs

• Free accounts at Eventful and Gigmasters

1. Form a booking cartel.

• a. As you play live in your area, make friends with other bands that have a good show, and a good draw.
• b. Join up with a number of bands in order to consolidate booking opportunities.
• c. Offer venues in your area entire nights of music, with just one person to talk to.

2. Do a band exchange with a band from another city.

If you want to expand into other cities, try trading gigs with another band for that area. Both bands will have the opportunity to expand their fanbase and you have a new venue under your belt. To find bands in other cities, use Musicians Forums and Classifieds, especially ones that have sections for a particular area. Also try searching MySpace music pages by your desired geographic location.

3. Participate in message boards.

This can help you connect with other bands in order to increase your booking and networking opportunities.

4. List your band on gig demand websites like Eventful and Gigmasters.

Eventful is a free service that lets fans request to have your band play in their area, giving you new opportunities for gigs. (See here for a free guide on the best way to use Eventful as a musician.) Gigmasters is a site where you can make your band available to bookers for gig opportunities. Simply list the dates when you are available and the locations you are willing to travel.

5. Create your own festival with other local bands.

Create a block party or team up with a venue and a group of local bands to have a music festival. Or, look into festivals that don't currently have any music and offer to provide bands.

6. Look for non-traditional gig opportunities.

Here's just a few examples of places that musicians find more gigs:

• Conferences
• House Concerts
• Art openings
• Charity events
• Theater shows (Or teaming up with a theater group)

Tags: Booking Agencies, Booking Resources

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