Finding local gigs near you is not easy. It’d be great if simply putting your music on the internet was enough to get the gigs you need. But to accomplish your gigging goals, it takes more than that. You have to be proactive. The best way to get local gigs for yourself is to put your information in front of the right people at the right time. In this post, we’ve outlined 7 tactics you should use to get the gigs you’re looking for.
Browse Event Calendars
Event calendars are great for learning about venues in your local area. Peruse event calendars periodically so you’ll get to know your local music scene. Eventually, you’ll learn which venues present live music regularly. You’ll also see what acts in your local area are getting gigs which can help as well. See more on that below. Once you find out which venues present local music, start reaching out to them and try to get booked at those places.
Utilize Search Engines
There are all types of searches you can do to find gigging opportunities near you. For example, if you’re into house concerts, you could do a search for “house concerts + your city”. Be sure to use different variations as you may find that a lot of similar opportunities will come up under different search terms. Consider doing alternate searches like “house concert series,” “coffee house series,” “listening room series,” etc to find more options.
You could also do searches for art markets, farmers markets, art walks, festivals, wineries, etc.
Reach out to Local Places
You can get amazing gigs by establishing a rapport with local event management professionals and venues. Send emails to local places such as Art Galleries, Museums, and Event Venues introducing yourself and letting them know you are available for live entertainment. You can also reach out to apartment communities, retirement communities, and office building management. These people can get quite busy so don’t be afraid to follow up at least 3 times at a minimum.
*MEMBERS ONLY CONTENT* Excerpt: I’ve found a lot of success with this technique. I’ve played around with different types of email templates and landed on one that works really well. The first thing to factor in is being able to address the unique needs of your recipient. The other thing is making the overall flow seem friendly. Hell, things became so ‘friendly’ that I got into a tussle with someone. Here’s my template below as well as how I inadvertently got someone so riled up...(This content is for Crafty Members only. To unlock this content either login below or become a member. Memberships start at just $5/month.)
Ask Your Network
Don’t be afraid to ask people in your network if they know of any opportunities that you’d be a good fit for. You never know where your next opportunity will come from so it’s best to be proactive. Consider your family and friends. Ask them if they know of any venues you should look into playing. They also may know people who are planning private events like house parties, family get-togethers, corporate functions, etc.
The other thing you can do is add a line in your email signature. It can be a simple question such as…“Do you know of anyone looking for live entertainment? Send them a link to my press kit.” Be sure to include a link to your press kit.
Ask venues that are currently booking you if they know of any other venues. If your current venues are willing to give you referrals and vouch for you, that’s a big deal. You can get really good gigs this way because they can put in a good word for you.
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Shadow Other Artists
Are there any artists similar to you who are doing gigs in your area? Take a look at their past and current calendar of shows. Make a note of what venues they’re booking at and see if you can book those venues as well. If that venue is booking those artists, they may be open to working with you as well.
Get the Booking Call Log
The best way to log and keep track of all of your booking efforts – calls, emails, follow-ups, and gig bookings. Never lose track of your booking efforts again!
Do Some Basic SEO
Okay, now SEO can get complicated and costly pretty quickly if you’re not careful. But, hear me out! I promise I’m not about to send you down an expensive rabbit hole. There is an easy way you can attract people looking for event entertainment in your area and that’s using your blog on your website. I recommend writing a handful of strategic blog articles for your website where the sole purpose is to show up in search engines. The trick is to write these posts to answer questions that people in your area looking to book a musician would typically ask search engines. For example, “How to Find a Musician for Your Wedding in Dallas” (instead of Dallas, you’d include your local area). Another example post would be, “Best Singer/Songwriters in Dallas.” There are tons more! Check out our list of SEO article topics for musicians here.
Join Online Platforms
GigSalad, Indie on the Move, and FestivalNet are just a few platforms that you can join to find gigs in your area. There are tons more platform options you can utilize to find local gigs. Check out our list of 15 platforms you can join to book paid gigs for other options. Some of these platforms allow you to create free or paid profiles that make you searchable so that people looking for entertainment can find and approach you. Other platforms give you the option to search and find opportunities.
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