Booking Gigs and Touring
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| Module 1 | What to consider before approaching a potential gig/venue | |
|---|---|---|
| A few tips to consider ahead of your first approach to a venue or event. | ||
| Unit 1 | Chloe Goodyear - Booking Tips and Tools [1:54] | |
| Unit 2 | Damian Costin - Before Approaching a Venue [0:49] | |
| Unit 3 | Damian Costin - Tips For Beginners [0:46] | |
| Unit 4 | Dominic Miller - Approaching a Venue [2:48] | |
| Unit 5 | Geoff Bell - Advice On Approaching Venues [01:00] | |
| Unit 6 | Katie Rynne - What Should A Band Or Artist Consider Before Booking A Show [3:06] | |
| Unit 7 | Katie Rynne - Tips For Contacting And Negotiating With Agents, Promotors or Venues [3:45] | |
| Unit 8 | Kylie Lovejoy - What Should an Artist Consider Ahead of Booking a Gig? [1:23] | |
| Unit 9 | Paul Watson - What Should an Agent Consider Ahead of Booking a Show? [2:04] | |
| Unit 10 | Troy Barrott - Tips For Gigs [1:12] | |
| Module 2 | How to contact a target venue and negotiate a gig | |
| Some handy communication and negotiation tips for setting up a gig. | ||
| Unit 1 | Chloe Goodyear - Tips For Negotiating [2:11] | |
| Unit 2 | Dominic Miller - Contacting a Venue [2:02] | |
| Unit 3 | HITS - DIY Booking Gigs [1:50] | |
| Unit 4 | Katie Rynne - How Do You Go About Booking A Gig [2:19] | |
| Unit 5 | Kylie Lovejoy - Negotiating With Promotors, Agents and Venues [1:51] | |
| Unit 6 | Troy Barrott - Tips On Negotiating With Agents [1:56] | |
| Module 3 | Typical payment deals and structures | |
| Find out about the different deals available - door deals, guarantees, splits, bar percentages, supports etc. | ||
| Unit 1 | Chloe Goodyear - Types of Gigs and Payment Deals [2:05] | |
| Unit 2 | Damian Costin - Charging For Live Shows And Payment Structures [3:43] | |
| Unit 3 | Damian Costin - Understanding Documents [2:00] | |
| Unit 4 | Dominic Miller - Gig Deals and Payments [2:39] | |
| Unit 5 | HITS - Gig Deals and Payments [3:42] | |
| Unit 6 | Katie Rynne - What Different Types Of Payment Deals Are There [4:17] | |
| Unit 7 | Katie Rynne - What Should You Pay Attention To In A Booking Deal [4:15] | |
| Unit 8 | Kylie Lovejoy - Types of Gigs and Payment Deals [2:41] | |
| Unit 9 | Paul Watson - Payment Deals [4:36] | |
| Unit 10 | Troy Barrott - Gig Deals & Payments [1:35] | |
| Unit 11 | Troy Barrott - Know Who Pays For What [1:54] | |
| Module 4 | Questions all artists or booking agents must ask before agreeing to a gig | |
| If you don't ask these key questions ahead of agreeing to the deal you may get hit with a bunch of fees you didn't know about. | ||
| Unit 1 | Chloe Goodyear - Questions to Ask when Booking Gigs [1:24] | |
| Unit 2 | Dominic Miller - Questions to Ask When Booking Gigs [2:37] | |
| Unit 3 | Kylie Lovejoy- Questions to Ask when Booking Gigs [4:11] | |
| Unit 4 | Paul Watson - Steps Once You've Got a Gig [2:58] | |
| Module 5 | Production and Sound Crew - in-house or BYO? | |
| Do most venues supply back line / production / sound engineers? Should all bands bring their own sound engineer to every gig? | ||
| Unit 1 | Chloe Goodyear - Advice on Sound Engineers [1:37] | |
| Unit 2 | Damian Costin - Backline and Engineers [1:41] | |
| Unit 3 | Dominic Miller - Organising Backline and Sound Crew [2:09] | |
| Unit 4 | Katie Rynne - Do Most Venues Provide Backline Production And Sound Engineers [0:57] | |
| Unit 5 | Troy Barrott - Sound Engineers [1:28] | |
| Module 6 | Gear sharing with other bands in the lineup? | |
| What's the go with sharing gear? Hear from some of our seasoned professionals about typical etiquette. | ||
| Unit 1 | Chloe Goodyear - Should You Share Your Gear? [0:30] | |
| Unit 2 | Damian Costin - Sharing Gear At Shows [1:34] | |
| Unit 3 | Dominic Miller - Sharing Gear with Other Bands [1:28] | |
| Unit 4 | Kylie Lovejoy - Should You Share Your Gear? [2:05] | |
| Unit 5 | Troy Barrott - Sharing Gear [1:05] | |
| Module 7 | Sound check? | |
| Can bands expect sound check at most gigs? What can you do if there is no sound check? | ||
| Unit 1 | Chloe Goodyear - Should You Expect a Sound Check? [1:38] | |
| Unit 2 | Dominic Miller - Soundcheck [1:16] | |
| Unit 3 | Kylie Lovejoy - Can Bands Expect a Sound Check? [2:00] | |
| Unit 4 | Paul Watson - Can Bands Expect a Sound Check? [2:22] | |
| Module 8 | Understanding tech specs, stage plots, production riders etc | |
| When the booker or venue/event asks for a stage plot or production rider or tech specs, what exactly do they mean and need? We explain how to put together your list of production requirements. | ||
| Unit 1 | Chloe Goodyear - Tech Specs and Stage Plots [1:08] | |
| Unit 2 | Damian Costin - Stage Plots, Backline And Tech Specs [1:06] | |
| Unit 3 | Dominic Miller - Understanding Tech Specs and Stage Plots [2:38] | |
| Unit 4 | Kylie Lovejoy - Tech Specs, Stage Plots and Production Requirements [3:19] | |
| Unit 5 | Paul Watson - Tech Specs and Production Requirements [3:14] | |
| Unit 6 | Troy Barrott - Tech Specs [1:22] | |
| Module 9 | The Hospitality Rider | |
| What's the go with the drinks/hospitality rider? What can artists get away with asking for? Do venues/events give bands everything they ask for? | ||
| Unit 1 | Chloe Goodyear - Hospitality Rider [1:23] | |
| Unit 2 | Damian Costin - Riders [1:31] | |
| Unit 3 | Dominic Miller - Hospitality Rider [1:19] | |
| Unit 4 | Kylie Lovejoy - Hospitality Rider [3:05] | |
| Unit 5 | Troy Barrott - Riders [0:51] | |
| Module 10 | The Runsheet | |
| What is a Runsheet, what information does it typically hold? How is it used, who is responsible for writing it? | ||
| Unit 1 | Damian Costin - Runsheets [1:09] | |
| Unit 2 | Dominic Miller - Understanding a Runsheet [1:31] | |
| Unit 3 | Paul Watson - What Is a Run Sheet? [2:07] | |
| Unit 4 | Troy Barrott - Run Sheets [1:10] | |
| Module 11 | Some general tips on gig etiquette | |
| Our speakers offer up some handy tips on gig etiquette and how to guarantee that you get invited back! | ||
| Unit 1 | Chloe Goodyear - Gig Etiquette [3:56] | |
| Unit 2 | Damian Costin - Gig Etiquette [2:03] | |
| Unit 3 | Dominic Miller - Gig Etiquette [3:13] | |
| Unit 4 | Katie Rynne - Gig Etiquette [5:12] | |
| Unit 5 | Kylie Lovejoy - Gig Etiquette [3:42] | |
| Unit 6 | Paul Watson - Gig Etiquette [5:35] | |
| Module 12 | Mistakes to avoid | |
| Common mistakes to avoid when booking gigs. | ||
| Unit 1 | Chloe Goodyear - Common Booking Mistakes [1:01] | |
| Unit 2 | Dominic Miller - Common Mistakes When Booking Gigs [2:09] | |
| Unit 3 | Paul Watson - Common Mistakes When Booking Gigs [1:38] | |
The “starving musician” trope is one nobody aspires to, and in today’s climate, sometimes the easiest and most definite way to get paid is to book gigs. But what sort of tone do you use in that all-important first email? What should you include – a bio? A picture? Links or mp3s? All of the above? Whether you’re self-managed or managing someone else, if you’re out to promote to as many booking agents as possible as effectively as possible, this course is full of essential gig-booking wisdom and will help you achieve your goals. Our talented mentors talk you through all the ins and outs of gig booking, including some common mistakes you’ll be keen to avoid. But first – have a peruse of the links below to help expand your own knowledge and resources:
Booking a Gig – The Checklist (printable) – Our very own checklist of everything you’ll need to book a gig! Keep this list handy for whenever you need to make that call or send that email.
State Organisations – Check this page for your state’s relevant organisational body.
Association of Artist Managers (AAM) – A nationwide association focusing on connecting artist managers around the country and addressing the issues that face this side of the industry.
Music Business (4th Edition) – by Shane Simpson and Jules Munro
Welcome to the Jungle – Navigating the Music Business in Australia – by Andrew Watt
Ari’s Take – A blog written by US musician Ari Herstand about his experiences managing his own career
And make sure you subscribe to these great newsletters to stay in-the-know about happenings in venues across the country:
Download this wonderful fact sheet and checklist from AMIN to make sure you’ve covered all your bases when making the booking:
Booking Confirmation Checklist