A great Booking Agent with well placed connections can make all the difference in getting a band or entertainer in front of the right audience and increasing their profile. A great Booking Agent will also take care of the negotiations with promoters and venues when it comes to the pay for performances and the arrangements for things like backline and the best accommodations.
Although you can list your EPK with a basic, online booking service, nothing can take the place of having a professional agent (who is not a band member) contacting venues on your behalf. It’s proven that an agent with connections will have an established rapport with promoters, which will drastically increase your chances of getting booked rather than paying to post your EPK online and “hoping” that you’ll get picked out of the hundreds of other bands listed on the same page!
Here are a few basic things you’ll need before an Agent can book you:
You’ll need marketing materials, the most important factor is how you create and market your image. You will want a press-kit; head shots, a demo, business cards and a nice band website (not your MySpace page).
What type of agent do you need? Someone to just book dates, someone long-term to boost your career, or someone who can increase your income. It’s true that some agents or agencies are better in certain areas than others. We at The O.M.G. are at our best while working as long term, income and career enhancing agents. It can be difficult to work with a band that is impatient and seeking very short term gain (wanting a regular night club gig by this Saturday) and unfortunately we have to turn away those anxiety ridden bands on a daily basis.
We aim for the very BEST and the 'best' gigs normally book 6 months to 1 year in advance. Yep, you know the ones.
However, if you decide to promote yourself or send Press kits on your own, PLEASE review our list of DON’Ts:
-Address materials to "whom it may concern" or "contact."
-Address materials to a contact at another label or radio station and forget to change it on your cover letter.
-Misspell your contact's name.
-Write "requested materials" or "personal" on the envelope unless instructed to do so by the recipient.
-Include little bits of paper (song lists, confetti, fortune-cookie fortunes) that fall out, get lost, and annoy people.
-Brag or make demands. You're asking people to do you a favor by listening to your music, not the other way around.
-Send music to labels or DJs who have nothing to do with the style of music you make. It's a waste of their time and yours.
-Talk about your great lyrics in vague, incoherent phrases.
Good packaging and selling can make the difference between success and obscurity. The days of the band member or leader making all the calls are long gone. We make working with a professional agency a dream come true and when you think about it, it’s a whole lot cooler to say… “Call my Agent”.
