Many musicians would give their right arm to perform music for a living and joining an agency is a good way for bands and solo acts to start getting more gigs, with bigger clients.
It is a live music agency’s job to provide entertainment for any event – from a small private dinner party to corporate product launch events with thousands of guests, nothing is too small or too large.
Naturally, the competition is fierce when it comes to joining an agency and they receive lots of emails every day from eager bands wishing to be listed.
Obviously it is not possible to hire everyone who gets in contact, so standing out is important.
What is an entertainment agency?
An entertainment agency is (as the name suggests!) a company that specialises in the provision of live entertainment for events.
Potential clients will go to an entertainment agent for advice on what sort of act might be best for the function they are planning and to help steam line any ideas they already have.
Once they have settled on the type of act they want, the agent will then (metaphorically or sometimes literally!) open the books, and show the potential client all of the entertainers they have available.
Entertainment agents deal with all sorts of acts, from fire breathers and impersonators to wedding bands and tributes.
Why would a musician want to sign with an entertainment agency?
In brief, an entertainment agent will hopefully be able to book you more regular paid gigs.
With their experience and contacts, it is also likely they will be able to book higher profile shows like corporate events, product launches or maybe even celebrity functions.
An agency will be constantly advertising to draw in more potential clients, meaning you have to worry less about promotion.
They may even single out your band to promote online via their social media or with physical promotional materials.
This does come at a price however, with some agencies taking a commission out of the musicians’ fee. Alternatively, other agencies (like the Last Minute Musicians Entertainment Agency) will add their commission on top of the musicians’ fee.
A good agent will also take care of all sorts of admin work, sorting out contracts and ensuring the musician gets paid on time, taking away a lot of the hassle involved in gigging.
Agencies often get bad press from musicians that don’t understand the benefits a good agent can offer. As well as offering great customer service and preparing paperwork, good agencies also provide a great promotional platform for bands to get noticed and enable them to maximise their workload, getting bigger and better paid gigs.
Adam Hughes, joint-founder of Last Minute Musicians
It’s important to treat any “exclusive deals” with a healthy amount of skepticism. While it’s relatively common place for agencies to require a unique name for your act while on their books, any that actively seek to prevent you signing with other agencies simultaneously will usually not be able to guarantee the amount of bookings needed to justify the move.
Generally, a “don’t ask, don’t tell” mantra is best for both sides when signing with multiple agencies.
How can bands stand out from the crowd when applying?
Have a great promotional pack
A musicians’ promo pack (or EPK) should never have its value underestimated. These are the materials that showcase a band at their best and if they do not entice a potential client to book the band for an event, then it’s safe to say that the promo pack – and the band – needs to be improved.
A good promo pack should include the following materials
- Quality demos and preferably video footage
- Up to date biography of the band
- Press pack with biographical materials on the band
- A selection of high-res photos
- Contact details
Spend some time on your USP
Entertainment agents love to see bands that have something different or special about them. This can be anything, but some kind of strong theme in the way you dress, perform or in your repertoire is definitely going to help you stand out.
Network, Network, Network
The majority of musicians will approach a variety of agencies of different sizes, and may get accepted on to one or more of them. In the mean time, whilst waiting for replies from agencies and emails from clients for gigs it is crucial that musicians network.
Musicians can network at trade fairs, wedding fairs, industry events, at gigs and online through social media. Indeed, this can be an excellent way to discover a new entertainment agent!
Tips for networking in the music industry
- Be yourself
- Cover all social media
- Go to gigs, talk to musicians and promoters
- Be professional
- Have relevant materials to hand (like business cards)
- Read more about networking for musicians
Don’t expect a reply too quickly
It’s important to remember that, like all businesses, live music agencies are going to be very busy and it is unlikely that musicians will receive a reply within 24 hours.
As a general rule, it is sensible to wait 5 working days and then chase up with an email or phone call. There are many stories of musicians getting their promo pack across in a loud and flashy manner.
Contrary to what musicians may think would catch the eye of a live music agency, the best and most effective way to get a promotional pack under the nose of a director at an agency is simply to email or post the relevant information over.
It is often argued that a hard copy promotional material is more inviting than an email. However, in both cases it is still vital that the material itself is of an extremely high quality.
Alternatives to an entertainment agency
If bands are looking to generate more leads for regular paid gigs, but are worried about the sometimes hefty commission some agents can charge, it’s worth considering a listing with an entertainment directory, like Last Minute Musicians.
Bands pay a reasonable one-off fee for a set amount of time on the directory, and then get to keep 100% of all the money they make from gigs, so the listing cost can usually be covered after just one show.
Do you have any tips on joining an agency? Let us know in the comments below!
