Do you dream of headlining an enormous music pageant?
Not surprisingly, a vital step in the direction of that purpose is: reserving your FIRST music pageant slot!
With 1,000+ annual music festivals within the USA and Europe alone, there’s a complete world of alternative on the market so that you can wow IRL audiences together with your reside present.
On this article we’ll discover:
- the professionals and cons of pageant performances
- the way to know in the event you’re prepared for a pageant gig
- and some other ways to e book your first pageant slot
Let’s dive in!
Why play music festivals?
This may sound like a wierd place to start out, however it’s price asking: Do you actually WANT to discover music pageant alternatives?
Some festivals are wonderful, career-defining experiences:
Coachella, Glastonbury, New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Pageant, Newport Folks Pageant, ZoukOut, Rolling Loud, Lollapalooza Brasil…
Impress these audiences and your music shall be throughout TikTok and Instagram. As memorable as it might be to rock a type of levels, although, your presence at a pageant of that calibre in all probability means you’ve already constructed your profession to a sure stage.
Smaller music festivals offer you an opportunity to:
On the best way there, you’ll have to think about OTHER sorts of festivals. Small festivals catering to area of interest genres. Upstart festivals that spotlight your metropolis or area’s artwork scene. Or model new occasions that haven’t been confirmed but.
- Carry out in entrance of probably the most devoted music followers in a geographic area
- Attain curious listeners who’re open to discovering new sounds throughout genres
- Construct your pageant resumé
- Meet, befriend, or collaborate with different up-and-coming acts
However let’s be sincere: You may also encounter disorganized festivals. Crap attendance. Failed promotion. Unhealthy climate. Scammy administrators. Horrible sound and manufacturing. And actually, is there something worse than dangerous sound at an out of doors gig? The reply is no.
Taking part in a music pageant might be unforgettable. Unforgettably nice or disastrous. I’m not attempting to discourage you. Simply need to set some practical expectations:
Not all festivals are created equal. Your mileage could differ.
Some issues to think about about music pageant alternatives
Journey prices versus pay
What’s the compensation in your efficiency? How far-off is the pageant? Do you want a lodge? Are you able to e book different tour dates in your method there and again? How a lot will you pay in fuel and meals?
If it’s a terrific pageant alternative, it might be well worth the journey for breakeven or perhaps a slight loss. However you’ll need to suppose by these calculations beforehand.
Time and visibility of your pageant slot
I mentioned above that not all festivals are created equal. The identical goes for slots inside any given pageant.
What good is taking part in a pageant in case your set is early within the day whereas attendees are sleeping off a hangover, or in the event you’re taking part in probably the most inconvenient stage similtaneously a main-stage act that may draw crowds AWAY from you?
For those who’re not conversant in the pageant first-hand, ask round to achieve perspective. Learn critiques on-line. Take a look at TikTok, Instagram, Fb, and YouTube for video from the earlier 12 months’s occasion, with a particular search focus in your slot, stage, and time.
Degree of pageant viewers engagement
Whereas it’s typically the case that music pageant attendees are open-minded and enthusiastic, it will also be true that… they’re not particularly there for YOUR music.
An enormous pageant with many competing levels can have the sensation of an all-you-can-eat buffet, the place listeners pattern a little bit of this, a little bit of that, however don’t absolutely put money into something besides the headliners.
Different festivals — like Portland, Oregon’s Pickathon — put an enormous emphasis on new music, and create an setting the place attendees are actually excited to listen to the lesser-known acts.
So once more, do some analysis to get a way for whether or not precise music discovery is going on on the smaller levels.
The truth of pageant merch gross sales
That is one other space that may be an enormous win or an enormous disappointment.
For those who slay, your new followers could leap on the probability to satisfy you on the merch desk (assuming merch gross sales are permitted throughout the pageant). However it may be true that within the rush of an action-packed pageant, your viewers strikes rapidly to the following set.
That is one more space the place a little analysis may also help you set correct expectations.
Alternative prices
Your default assumption might be that the pageant IS your alternative. However it’s price asking what you’ll be giving as much as play the pageant.
That might be the financial prices we talked about above, however it may be different paying gigs it’s important to decline.
To pageant, or to not pageant?
Now even in the event you complete up the worst of all of the above situations: Small stage, early hours, unfocused viewers, no merch gross sales, turning down gigs at dwelling…
… taking part in your first music pageant should be price it.
It’s a foot-in-the-door and a resumé-builder. An opportunity to make an affect on a number of new listeners. A option to familiarize your self with a brand new efficiency setting. A problem to push by discomfort and acquire confidence for future reveals.
In different phrases, the expertise alone — even when it’s removed from ideally suited — could also be a development alternative price pursuing.
However are you READY to carry out at a music pageant?
When you’ve answered whether or not a pageant is best for you, you’ll have to determine in case you are proper for the pageant.
Listed here are 9 issues that music festivals will search for when reserving acts:
1. Nice efficiency abilities
The time to show to your self (and others) that you would be able to persistently ship a tremendous reside present is BEFORE you try and take the pageant stage.
Music festivals are, clearly, efficiency occasions! So that you need to be well-rehearsed and have loads of stage expertise earlier than submitting to festivals.
Festivals need to know you’ll preserve audiences engaged, not flip them away, which might diminish the popularity of the general occasion.
In case your present is nice AND distinctive, all the higher — as a result of that uniqueness could enable you verify off a number of of the opposite bins beneath.
2. High quality live-performance video
It’s not sufficient to play nice reveals. You want to have proof. Meaning: video and picture documentation of you sounding nice and your viewers loving it.
Assuming the pageant employees hasn’t heard you carry out earlier than, this reside content material (which needs to be simply accessible in your web site and YouTube) would be the major method a pageant can assess what you’ll carry to their occasion.
Some common guidelines for reside efficiency movies:
- Seize nice sound — No distorted digital camera mic. No crowd dialog speaking over the music.
- Present the viewers — Once more, the booker needs proof you may transfer the room. If the venue is packed, seize the gang. If the venue isn’t packed, seize footage of the band close-up to the stage, after which get extra footage shut up on particular person viewers faces.
- Keep away from the tripod shot — The immobile digital camera in the back of the room is boring. Have somebody maintain the digital camera and transfer round to spotlight the bodily dynamics of your efficiency.
- “At dwelling” is okay — For those who can’t seize video of a gig, it’s best to a minimum of have a reside efficiency video from your own home, rehearsal area, and so on. You may as well take video from home live shows if that’s acceptable in your style and the viewers consents to being on digital camera.
3. A clearly outlined musical model
You ought to be previous the purpose of your musical journey the place you’re discovering who you’re, what it’s important to say, and what your sound is.
This isn’t to recommend you may’t change and evolve, however relatively… it’s best to’ve already made a transparent musical assertion, backed by a visible aesthetic and a way of story that resonate with a specific viewers.
As EDM-festival organizer Evan Bailey says:
“Whatever the type of music you’re keen on, it’s essential to have an outlined sound and try to be an innovator. Though that’s simpler mentioned than performed — too typically, younger artists imitate what they hear working elsewhere. Though inspiration is a part of any artist’s work, it’s essential to actually develop your personal sound, look, and so on. On the enterprise facet, it helps promoters when artists have an outlined and distinctive manufacturers, too.”
Your model, virtually as a lot as your songs and efficiency abilities, shall be an essential think about how severely a pageant considers your participation.
4. Business buzz and social traction
All festivals need to set up a form of cultural relevance. Pageant administrators and bookers need to really feel assured that they’re hiring the most effective expertise inside their means.
The extra buzz and traction round your music, within the press, amongst the business and fellow acts, and on social, the higher. That reveals the festivals that you just’ll carry the joy issue.
After all the extent of buzz you have to attain will differ primarily based on the profile of the pageant. However all this to say, your first pageant slot will in all probability be an occasion that coincides with or follows your social development and networking. It gained’t precede it.
5. An official launch with momentum
To place this merely, most festivals are reserving acts who’ve launched music on fashionable DSPs like Spotify and Apple Music. Even in the event you’ve solely dropped a number of singles, that counts!
However most festivals are NOT contemplating acts with zero output, or output that has gotten zero consideration.
6. Accessible and digestible pitch info
No matter you wanna name it — an EPK, an ABOUT web page, a one-sheet — you’ll want an simply accessible part of your web site the place you may embody all of the related info {that a} pageant planner will need to see when contemplating your act for his or her occasion.
You’ll be squeezing loads into this web page, so attempt to make it as punchy and digestible as potential.
Your web site’s festival-pitch web page ought to include:
- Hyperlinks to your music on the most well-liked DSPs
- Hyperlinks to your TikTok, Instagram, and X profiles (if relevant)
- A brief bio (one or two paragraphs)
- A abstract of your social stats, viewers dimension and demographics, and so on.
- An embedded YouTube video of your performing reside
- Hello-res picture(s)
- Press quotes
- Highlights out of your touring historical past
- Your pageant historical past (although in the event you’re studying this text, you in all probability don’t have that but!)
- Testimonials from expertise consumers, venue house owners, and even followers — about your reside present
- Contact information
7. Availability and dedication
This in all probability sounds apparent, however be sure to’re really accessible to play the occasion earlier than you make your pitch.
Affirm the provision of everybody else in your act. Be certain that each they every mark their calendars with tentative holds.
8. An unforgettable pageant second
The most effective methods to point your worth to the pageant is to arrange a pitch that features a efficiency promise.
Are you able to do one thing throughout your pageant slot that simply screams “viral second?” One thing that may make the viewers seize for his or her cameras? One thing they’ll go dwelling speaking about greater than anything they noticed on the pageant?
Your unforgettable music fest efficiency might embody:
- An entire set collaboration with one other act
- A shock visitor for a tune or two
- An enormous reveal
- A efficiency stunt or emotionally-connective second
- A tribute to a different artist or album
- A prop (however not tiny Stonehenge!)
Work out the way to make that second a actuality. After which put it in your pitch.
9. Artist and viewers demographics
Grant-funded festivals could have standards to meet as they construct the lineup.
As an example, some Canadian occasions are obliged to function a sure share of Canadian artists.
Different occasions could also be guided by a particular mission assertion that may favor sure artist candidates primarily based on style, age, race, geography, or different demographics. And naturally many festivals are pushed to current a various lineup out of a way of social duty, or just because it makes a greater occasion.
As IndieWeek founder Darryl Hurs defined:
“Range and demographics are an enormous issue, as pageant promoters have gotten extra delicate to creating certain that everyone is included.”
All that to say, you’ll need to pay attention to the what, who, and the place of each the artist lineup and the attendees. For those who may also help the pageant obtain a purpose in addition to simply being nice on stage, don’t draw back from mentioning it!
Suggestions for locating your first music pageant slot
As soon as you understand you’re certified to take the pageant stage, how do you discover your first pageant slot? Listed here are some tips to level you in the fitting path.
Begin with native music festivals
Be practical: You’re in all probability not going to make your pageant debut on the Newport Folks Pageant. They’re extraordinarily selective and plan lengthy prematurely.
Like most issues in music, it’s best to make your mark amongst smaller communities first, whether or not they’re on-line or in your geographic area.
On your first pageant, begin by wanting in your hometown. Ask native bands and venues. And naturally, go to your native festivals!
Search for NON-music festivals
There are different causes to throw a pageant, and generally these non-music occasions will nonetheless have music levels.
Once I lived in Oregon, as an example, I performed an annual meals pageant on the river with an enormous mainstage for music. Although attendees hadn’t arrived particularly for the music, it was nonetheless a big viewers of folks that caught round to pay attention. In my present hometown, there’s a summer time beerfest that has a number of music acts all through the day. Come for the beer, keep for the music.
So don’t be afraid to start out your search exterior of music. Speak to metropolis employees and Chamber of Commerce reps. They’ll concentrate on what occasions are within the works.
Plan a minimum of a 12 months prematurely
Timing is all the things. And most profitable occasions take a very long time to plan, promote, and produce.
Begin your analysis and your pitching early.
Meet individuals within the pageant world!
Networking. It’s essential in most fields. And festivals aren’t any exception.
First, make sure to observe the accounts of festivals you could need to play sometime. Observe AND have interaction! Not solely will this assist the planners get conversant in you, however you may keep up-to-date on the most recent pageant bulletins and deadlines (that are often shared on social).
However don’t begin and finish with Instagram and TikTok. You’ll be able to typically have a extra significant dialog with individuals on LinkedIn, Discord, or Reddit.
And maybe even extra impactful than on-line networking, attend business occasions and music conferences! I often attend Folks Alliance Worldwide yearly, and there are reps from among the largest festivals in people and Americana music at that occasion.
Positive, there might be an expense to journey to a networking occasion resembling that, however you get to satisfy lots of people face-to-face, multi functional place, get your questions answered straight, and go dwelling with extra confidence if you observe up on these conversations.
And bear in mind your native business mixers, musician union meetups, and extra. If there are worthwhile music festivals in your space, there’s certain to be somebody who is aware of somebody at these occasions.
Get a reserving agent
I do know, I do know. That’s simpler mentioned than performed.
And also you won’t be prepared for a reserving agent. In spite of everything, a reserving agent expects to be paid fee primarily based on the gigs you’re taking part in. Are you performing sufficient worthwhile gigs per 12 months to justify their work? Many brokers gained’t even take into account you as a shopper till you’ve confirmed to tour a sure variety of days per 12 months.
That being mentioned, an agent CAN assist open doorways to festivals. It’s their world, in any case. And similar to PR and numerous types of promo, it could generally assist reduce by the pile of pitches and emails to have trusted illustration.
Undergo the VENUES as a substitute
Many city pageant occasions host occasions throughout a number of music venues. I used to play this sort of pageant in Oregon (on the time it was referred to as MusicFestNW), and it had the enjoyable vibe of a pub crawl, however with music. This provides you the possibility to start out inquiries from the bottom up — starting with the venues, relatively than the pageant organizers.
Darryl Hurs of IndieWeek jogged my memory of this when he supplied his recommendation on stepping into festivals:
“Typically festivals will work with collaborating venue bookers as to what artists are taking part in that venue throughout the pageant. In case you are beginning regionally, actually get to know the venues that participate within the festivals. As an example, I labored intently with one specific venue and booked a number of reveals there, and was then in a position to speak to THEM about the way to get artists into sure festivals that their venue participates in. And in some circumstances, it was a backdoor to really getting the artist into the pageant.”
Familiarize your self with the first music pageant roles
Have you learnt the fitting individuals to contact if you pitch your music for a pageant?
It helps to have a way of every of the pageant employees’s obligations.
Bigger pageant employees could embody:
- Pageant Director – Just like the producer of a report, this particular person is answerable for the general monetary, creative, and cultural success of the trouble.
- Inventive Director – Supervises the vibe of the pageant, and may have vital affect over the lineup.
- Booker (or Expertise Purchaser) – The one who will take into account, negotiate, and rent the acts.
- Manufacturing and Stage Managers – These individuals head up the bodily infrastructure on the occasion in addition to the sound/lighting for every stage.
- Outreach Staff – There will even doubtless be entrepreneurs, a publicist, and a sponsorship supervisor. These specialists assist develop consciousness, attendance, and income for the pageant.
- Coordinator and Runners – The individuals who plan journey and transport pageant acts, journalists, and so on.
- In addition to a small military of different employees, safety, volunteers, photographers, social media coordinators, hospitality, and extra.
Keep organized as you analysis festivals
For those who’re taking your pageant analysis severely, you’re going to need a central place to retailer all the data you’ve gathered. Make a spreadsheet with all of the related contact and pitching info for every pageant.
Your pageant contact sheet ought to embody:
- Pageant identify
- Occasion dates
- Deal with/location
- Official web site and social hyperlinks
- Deadlines for submission
- Submission necessities
- Contact information or URL for contact type
- Necessities of the pitch
- Date of pitch
- Date to follow-up
- Another wants (as an example, if the pageant is abroad, will you have to renew a passport or file different paperwork?)
Make a terrific pageant pitch!
All of your work up till this level has been preparation for the pitch.
Now how are you going to make an simple case in your music at this occasion?
Your pageant pitch ought to:
- Meet all of the pageant’s acknowledged necessities (learn fastidiously!)
- Be as transient and punchy as potential, whereas nonetheless emphasizing your {qualifications}
- Make clear within the first paragraph what profit you present to the pageant (bear in mind what I discussed earlier about unforgettable moments, demographics, and mission)
- Embrace your contact information and a hyperlink to your web site’s pageant pitch web page
Keep prepared, even in the event you don’t get booked for a pageant
For those who’ve by no means performed a pageant, you could be in an early section of your musical journey the place — since you haven’t confirmed your self at a pageant but — you get a number of rejections. Or only a lack of response.
That in all probability seems like a Catch-22: How can I play a pageant if I haven’t performed a pageant?
However one essential factor to bear in mind is: Festivals typically have last-minute emergencies. Bands break up. Artists get sick. Flights get cancelled. Vans break down.
You may be capable of save the day and rock that pageant slot in any case. However so as to take action, it’s important to keep rehearsed, keep prepared, and be accommodating to the pageant employees you’ve already communicated with.
In the event that they reject your first pitch, don’t be impolite or defensive. Thank them for his or her consideration, and ensure to inform them that if any acts fall by, you’d be thrilled to fill in.
Then make sure to attain again out to the pageant within the weeks or days earlier than the occasion. So long as you’re not pestering these individuals night time and day, that followup may arrive simply within the nick of time.
I’m not saying to dam out your calendar for a pageant you’re not scheduled to play. Take different gigs if they arrive up, after all! But when the dates are nonetheless free when the pageant nears, verify in with the organizers once more.
As you may see, there’s loads that goes into taking part in your first music pageant.
From researching the choices, to contemplating that are best for you, to creating a profitable pitch. It may be a number of work.
However if you’re lastly taking part in in entrance of that enthusiastic pageant crowd, the work can have all been price it.
You gained’t depart the occasion eager about all of the steps it took to get there.
You’ll be fixated on what’s most essential: the viewers, your music, and the magic that occurs when the 2 meet.
