JPF Home Page Forums General Messages General Message Forum Any artists here use a booking agency?

It is only worth having a booking agent (on either side) if you have a significant national following and can play medium to large venues frequented by non major label national acts with radio support. If you can't bring in people in at least 10 large markets to sell 100 tickets per, it would be hard to find an agent who could afford to have you as a client. Imagine making 20% as an agent which would be $200 per show... that may not even be break even for them. You'd be better off establish a circular pattern around your location and finding/building/maintaining relationships with 2 venues (on opposite sides of town from each other) in 10 different cities around you within a back-and-forth overnight driving range. When you can bring out over 100 ticket buyers in those 10 cities everyone month, then you might be able to find an agent to expand your reach and upsize your venues, working with your marketing efforts to do so. You may be able to open for hot regional bands, some older national touring bands with mid sized/venue audiences etc. It's all really just a part of methodical building of your fanbase and relationships with venues and markets. It's also smart to plan in at least one high paying gigs in each large market to support you doing shows in smaller satellite venues while you build new fans. It also depends greatly on your talent, live performance show and energy and what types of fan bases you attract as well as genre and material (original, covers, etc.) A lot of variables to consider, but for a duo with day jobs, you're far better off doing it yourself, finding an intern to help you (or even one of your young company employees who may into music and who would love to spend an hour of their workday helping your band). I could go on and on, but you get the idea.