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So, you have established yourself as a musician with a number of songs and the ability to sell out local venues. Now you are thinking of branching out of your comfort zone and want to start playing more gigs. The most logical step would be to hire a booking agent or manager to add to your arsenal of resources. In order for an agent to take you seriously, it is important to sell yourself as a worthwhile client with a potential to do great things. The bottom line is that booking agents and managers are running a business and you, as an artist, must show them that you have a unique value. The first truth an artist must come to terms with is whether their career is at a point where a manager and/or booking agent is necessary. Are you looking for a manager and/or booking agent because you have been working hard and are ready to take a step forward and need the right person on board to help get you to the next level? Or, did you just play your first 4 shows, have some home demo’s recorded and feel you need someone to just make it happen for you? Perhaps you are somewhere in the middle. The long and short of it is… before you approach anyone you are going to have to work hard. Oh… and once you do secure a manager and an agent be ready to work even harder. So back to the question… how do you pitch yourself to a booking agent/manager? There are a few things you need to make sure you have in place before you pitch yourself so that the package you send (whether via mail or electronic) leads them to the best information about you. - What recording’s are you sending them to listen to? Make sure the production value is at an acceptable range. It is fine to start out recording on your own, but when the time comes and you have the funds, go into the studio and digitally master your tracks. If you are at the point in your career where you are looking for a manager and booking agent you should definitely have high quality recordings of your music. - Do you have an image? You may have some nice clothes you wear for shows but does your style match your sound. Does it all work together? - Do you have a website? Be sure to take the time to create a web design and layout that creates a successful online image and brand. This branding should be used on merchandise and social networking sites as well. - Do you have pictures on your website taken by a professional photographer or are they pictures that you were tagged in from facebook the last time you went out? You don’t need to hire an expensive photographer but your photos should look good - this is everyone’s first impression of you. That image we mentioned above will come into play here. - What is your social networking presence? Your website should allow access links to all of your social networks. Having social network pages such as Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and Youtube are absolutely key to pitching yourself. It is also important to post frequently on these pages to increase your number of “likes” or “followers”. If you lack any one of these pages or do not consistently update them, you may not be able to convince management that you have a fan base to work with. - Although music videos are nice, it is important to have a handful of live performances. This will prove you sound just as incredible in concert as you do on your recordings. - The most important word to remember is respect. Managers and agents are busy like everyone else in the working world (even busier with a full roster). It is ok to do a follow up after a couple of weeks, but there is such a thing as overkill. And if you cross that line, you might as well write yourself off. If management likes what they see, they will not hesitate to make you aware of the talent you possess. Show that you have been developing yourself as much as you possibly can and you are ready to move up to the next level. - Even if you are a talented musician, don’t expect to be automatically picked up by a manager or agent if you have not played a lot of shows and you don’t have a decent fanbase. If you have no tour history this could prove to be very difficult for many booking agencies to work with you. - Know what you’re getting into when submitting to agencies. If you have not played many shows, it may be wise to look into artist development services before sending your resume to a booking agency. Artists with live performance experience are much more appealing to booking agencies. Try to play more gigs and help get your name out there. The most important thing to remember is that this takes time. Maybe 1 out of 1000 artists actually experiences the fairytale overnight success story. For the other 999 it takes time, commitment, and patience. Remain patient and follow the tips we have suggested and you will find yourself in a better place when you are ready to secure management and a booking agent. When you are ready to join a Booking Agency. A top rated agency like FPA Agency. Family Productions is an established CONCERT PRODUCTION company and BOOKING AGENCY. FPA Agency buys millions of dollars in talent annually through our Concert Production company and Booking Agency, resulting in savings that are passed on directly to our clients. Since 1993 we have been promoting concerts and booking Artists both nationally and internationally working with a variety of reputable artists such as: Kanye West, Tyga, T.I., Lil Wayne, Nelly, Rihanna, T-Pain, FloRida, Rick Ross, Gym Class Heroes, Fall Out Boy, KORN, Linkin Park, Jay Z, NAS, Fat Joe, Busta Rhymes, 50 Cent, Eminem, The Game, Mike Jones, Paul Wall, Chamillionaire, E-40, Baby Bash, Too Short, Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube.
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