A booking agent arranges live performances for your band. These individuals represent the artist and his or her work. Having a booking agent is extremely important, when it comes to touring, and a good agent will be able to get your band into many different venues. Finding a booking agent, who matches the needs of your band, is not the easiest of tasks. In some cases, the band manager plays the role of booking agent, in order to avoid hiring an outside party.

Booking agents can be difficult to track down. One of the best places to start looking for a booking agent is within clubs and other venues that play your genre of music. You can ask the club owner, which booking agent he or she uses, and then try to contact that individual on your own. It is a good idea to send the booking agent a CD of your music, if you have one. This tells the booking agent that you have already been profiting on your own, and makes you stand out a bit more from the rest of the crowd.

Another way to go about obtaining a booking agent is to speak to touring bands that come to your hometown. You can inquire about their agent and hopefully obtain a few leads in this way. Some band members will be more helpful than others in this situation. A few may give you their booking agent’s phone number or take your information down and give it to them. Either way is fine. The main thing here is that you want to try to make some kind of progress.

The Internet is another place, where you can track down booking agents.  Search the web with the key words “booking agency music”.  There are many listings for booking agencies over the Net, but be sure to shop around. Find the ones that interest you most, and make a contact list: the bigger the list the better. You will not hear back from all of them, but if you are able to get into contact with at least one or two, then you have augmented your chances of possibly getting a booking agent for your band. As with anything, ask for references, and do your homework. There are scam artists out there that are waiting to pray on bands, just like yours.

It is a wise idea to take a few things into consideration before hiring a booking agent. The first is cost. Booking agents are typically paid on a commission basis. This commission is around 10% on average, but can vary from agent to agent. The money is taken out of the proceeds for the event booked. The cost is well worth it, if the agent is getting your band into a variety of public venues. However, if you’re stuck playing in smaller size venues after a significant amount of time has passed then you are probably losing money. Every booking agent wants you to earn money, because that is how he or she profits. The more you earn, the more they earn. However, this doesn’t always work out depending upon the agent and his or her connections. You may go through several booking agents before you find the right one. When selecting a booking agent, try to find one that books performances within your music genre. These types of agents will have more knowledge, when it comes to finding the appropriate venue for your band. It is important that you take your time and research your options. Never sign a contract without having it reviewed by your attorney. You should also make sure that your attorney is familiar with the music industry. Also, be wary of anyone asking for money up front. With all this in mind, a booking agent might be just what your band needs to play larger venues and make it to the top!  

Updated: August 10, 2007

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