While everyone starts learning their instrument for a different reason, playing live in front of an audience is a goal most musicians share. Whether you’re in a function act playing covers or an originals band writing your own music, the thrill of stepping out on stage is a universal feeling. The How To Get Gigs blog is your ultimate resource for information on everything from booking shows and promoting them, to watching popular trends and everyday life as a musician.

The process of getting gigs is not an easy task. Every musician has to compete, not just with other musicians, but with ever-tightening sound restrictions, DJ’s and with various economic factors over which they have little control.

On the HTGG blog, we talk you through various subjects on looking for gigs, from how to promote your band in a cost efficient way (both online and off-line) to the actual process of booking shows. You’ll also learn more about other music industry jobs roles and some lifestyle factors associated with being a musician.

All our blogs are written by experienced professional musicians and often include guest blogs and tips from other industry professionals and experts in their field.

From all of us at Last Minute Musicians, we wish you the best of luck with your career. Whether you’re just beginning on your musical journey or are already a seasoned road warrior, we think you’ll find this information useful.

Please feel free to comment with any thoughts or more advice you may have and join in with the discussion! If you have any questions, contact us for more information. So… follow these 8 steps to find out how to get gigs for your band or solo project.

1. Promote your band

Assuming you have already formed your function band, one of the most effective ways to get gigs (as a solo musician, duo or full band) is promotion. Getting your band’s name out there with potential clients, influential industry players and reputable promoters/venues is very important.

Get great promo material

Obvious resources like professional recordings of your band and high-quality images are one thing, but a well-written biography and a promo video/showreel are also worth investing in. Read why promotional videos are important for musicians or making an effective showreel – both of these blogs cover why it’s important for both solo musicians and bands to have strong visual aids for their marketing.

Get out there and perform!

One of the best ways to promote your band is still by getting out and playing live. If you’re in a hurry, you should check out the how to promote your band – 60 quick top tips!, 3 steps to promoting a gig or the guest blog by The Unsigned Guide on promoting your band for more condensed advice and tips.

A common misconception musicians have is the catch 22 of trying to book shows in order to promote enough to get shows. This isn’t actually the case! Jazz nights & other jam sessions, performing at open mic nights or even battle of the bands can all be utilised for promotion, if researched properly. However, be careful to only attend reputable events! These blogs will give you advice for effectively networking at shows and making the best of them, even if they are unpaid. Similarly, performing at house concerts is a relatively easy way to find grassroots well-attended events and you can even try busking to promote your band in your free time.

If you’re an originals band looking for shows in live music venues, then networking with live music promoters and networking for bands  are a must for promotion and getting your music out into the public domain.

2. Book shows

If your marketing and promotion is effective, you will hopefully be generating plenty of enquiries and have the right tools at your disposal to start booking shows. In this section of the blog, we offer you some more hints and tips on where to look for gigs and paid work.

Getting gigs for function acts

Booking shows as a function band is a more straightforward process than as an original act, due to the more transactional nature of the arrangement. A good place to start with a new or existing professional act is by joining a live music agency, the sole purpose of which is to connect potential clients with the entertainment they want. However, they will charge a commission for their services, so read where to look for gigs if you’re to run your band more independently. Seasonal gigs are always good to think about when coming up with marketing or promotional ideas and it’s always good to think of 5 new years resolutions to get more gigs to stay proactive. Learning about wedding shows is also a good way to book in gigs.

As your career starts to progress, you may want to look for shows further a field. Many professional musicians make good money playing on cruise ships and in 5 star hotels, around the world. Though this does have its drawbacks, reading musicians wanted for cruise ships & gigs in Dubai will provide some more information on this type of work and links through to musiciansforcruises.com, where it’s possible to find lots of leads on contracts.

If you’re looking to pick up some extra work on the side, you may also be interested in learning how to get DJ gigs and looking at New Year’s Eve bands needed last minute. Similarly, if you’re a solo keys player, you may want to consider how to get gigs as a solo piano player or getting gigs as an organist.

Live music business

The business side of the music industry can certainly be tricky to manage, so if you’re looking to get a good basic understanding and set up good habits, there are three things to think about – contracts for live gigs are very important to protect yourself from unruly clients. Similarly, beware of promoters who offer shady “pay to play” deals. If you’re struggling with what to charge, reading the MU’s recommended live rates may give you a better idea. These blogs will explain different aspects of booking shows, and the work that goes on outside of the performance. There is also a blog on ten ways to supplement your income as a musician, in order to help maximise your money-making potential.

Creating yourself a press pack and spending some time on your USP are both subjects that offer a more business-like perspective on your act and for some advice from other fellow musicians. You can also read up on getting well-paid gigs or the guest blog from our friends at Reload Sessions on getting more work as a musician. 

Original bands

Getting gigs for your originals band can be incredibly difficult. There is no definite path to follow, and you have to set realistic goals for each step of your career. However, with persistence getting booked for festivals is possible and higher profile support slots.

As you build a following, you’ll learn how to plan and book a tour for your band and perhaps even about planning gigs in the USA!

Crowd funding for musicians is a relatively new concept that relies on pre-release ordering of a record (and other “perks”) to create a budget for a record.

Sign up to Last Minute Musicians

Don’t forget, if you’re looking for more paid gigs, you should definitely consider registering for a listing with Last Minute Musicians.

Last Minute Musicians gives members a chance to ditch the ‘traditional agency approach’ and pay zero commission – members keep 100% of performance fees.

Launched in 2003 and run by a collective of established music industry professionals, Last Minute Musicians is a popular directory-based website that helps artists gain exposure, as well as being a valuable resource for event planners.

3. Perform, record and develop your musicality

Becoming a better musician and improving your skill in performing is something we should all strive to do. A great place to start when evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of your show is finding out what songs work at which particular points of the gig – learning how to write a great set list is a must.

Developing your musicality is another way to improve your overall performance. Getting a better understanding of music theory will help you improve your theoretical knowledge and Improvisation for musicians will help you put that into practice! This also works best alongside training your musical ear.

As your musicality develops, you may find yourself receiving offers in new likes of work, such as working as a session musician. Our blog on the subject features an interview with Emily Dolan Davies, one of the UK’s top session musicians, and she gives you her advice on touring and recording professionally.

Another avenue you might be interested in exploring is how to be a professional songwriter. This will be of interest to anyone that is looking to turn their passion for writing music into their profession. If you’re interested in that topic, then some of the basics on recording will also help, for instance beginners tips on recording guitars or fine-tuning room acoustics when home recording.

4. Look after your health

Unfortunately, working as a professional musician does include activities that can be detrimental to your health. Aside from the long hours with very little sleep, it is important to study up on subjects like preventing repetitive strain injury and how musicians can protect their hearing to prevent any long-term damage.

Always remember to consult a Nurse or GP if you begin to develop any symptoms. You can ring the NHS advice line on 111 should you ever develop any problems outside of office hours. The service website states:

“NHS 111 is much more than a helpline – if you’re worried about an urgent medical concern, you can call 111 to speak to a fully trained adviser.

Depending on the situation, the NHS 111 team can connect you to a nurse, emergency dentist or even a GP, and can arrange face-to-face appointments if they think you need one.

NHS 111 advisers can also assess if you need an ambulance and send one immediately if necessary.”

As many venues will also be serving alcohol, learning what to drink and what to avoid can also be useful to vocalists looking to perform better.

5. Go on to higher education

If you’re considering formalising your training in music, you might be interested to read the discussion blog Is a degree in music worth it? For some musicians, attending university can be the first step on a long and fruitful career. While there, you can make contacts and dedicating time to learning your craft. Although for others, the experience can prove expensive and unnecessary, so it is important to do thorough research.

Similarly, if you have just completed your degree, you should read Music grads, the next step for ideas on how to proceed with starting your career. Leaving university and transitioning into work can be difficult and this is especially true for musicians.

6. Promote yourself online

Once upon a time, posters and flyering were the only way to get people to your shows. You had to physically get the message out about when and where your gig was happening and rely on other people to spread it. Fortunately, that is no longer the case! As social media has evolved, so has the way musicians choose to promote online.

Promoting your band online isn’t as simple as putting together a basic website and waiting for people to discover it. Learning some of the basics of SEO (Search engine optimisation) will help your website generate enquiries.

You may also want to read some of the guides to the larger social media sites, like the ultimate musicians guide to Twitter and YouTube for musicians.

7. Keep on top of what’s popular

As a musician, identifying trends in popular genres is important. If you’re considering starting a new band, you should learn more about what it takes to establish the act and the sort of gigs they do. The more information you have at the start, the easier getting regular gigs will be.

• What’s popular? – Specialist musicians
• What’s popular? – Tribute bands
• What’s popular? – Acoustic bands
• What’s popular? – Ceilidh bands
• What’s popular? – Jazz trios

8. Read up on the musicians’ lifestyle

Being a musician is more than a career; it’s a lifestyle choice. While researching topics that will get you work is important, so is trying to anticipate problems you might encounter in doing the job such as taking instruments abroad, car insurance for musicians, whether a battle of the bands competition is worth it, or even getting rid of writers block. Doing your research is a great way to form a successful band.

If performing is not the only job role you’d like, there are many more career paths open to you. These include life as a military musician, working in A&R (Artist and Repertoire) and becoming a successful record producer. Diversifying and trying one of these job roles can be very handy in boosting your income and gaining new experience.

Interest stories:

• Does Hull hold the blue print for a great music scene
• Poll for Musicians (in the UK)

Finally, it’s important to establish good habits with regard to your work. This includes learning to maximise your workload and developing practical resources for yourself, such as creating a database of useful contacts.  It is also important to make as many new contacts as possible by supporting your local music scene by going out to other people’s gigs, release parties and open mic nights.

We hope you find all the content on this blog useful. Please get involved, comment and join in the discussion with your own hints and tips. Don’t forget, if you are a professional musicians looking for more paid gigs, you should seriously consider registering for a listing in the Last Minute Musicians Directory.