[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":236},["ShallowReactive",2],{"faq-booking-gigs":3},{"id":4,"title":5,"body":6,"description":178,"extension":179,"meta":180,"navigation":231,"path":232,"seo":233,"stem":234,"__hash__":235},"faq\u002Facademy\u002Ffaq\u002Fbooking-gigs.md","Booking & Gigs FAQs",{"type":7,"value":8,"toc":169},"minimark",[9,13,17,26,31,65,69,83,87,122,126,150,154],[10,11,5],"h1",{"id":12},"booking-gigs-faqs",[14,15,16],"p",{},"Straight answers for bands building a live calendar in 2026—first pitches, venue relationships, pay structures, riders, festivals, and promotion. Use this hub when you need a fast answer, then dig into the full guides for process and templates.",[14,18,19,20,25],{},"Start with the ",[21,22,24],"a",{"href":23},"\u002Facademy\u002Ftopics\u002Fbooking-gigs\u002F","booking & gigs topic hub"," for the full map of Academy content on outreach, deals, and live logistics.",[27,28,30],"h2",{"id":29},"guides-worth-reading-next","Guides worth reading next",[32,33,34,41,47,53,59],"ul",{},[35,36,37],"li",{},[21,38,40],{"href":39},"\u002Facademy\u002Farticles\u002Fhow-to-book-your-first-gig-a-guide-for-budding-musicians\u002F","How to book your first gig",[35,42,43],{},[21,44,46],{"href":45},"\u002Facademy\u002Farticles\u002Fhow-to-book-more-gigs\u002F","How to book more gigs",[35,48,49],{},[21,50,52],{"href":51},"\u002Facademy\u002Farticles\u002Fmusic-venue-outreach\u002F","Music venue outreach",[35,54,55],{},[21,56,58],{"href":57},"\u002Facademy\u002Farticles\u002Fband-press-kit\u002F","Band press kit (EPK)",[35,60,61],{},[21,62,64],{"href":63},"\u002Facademy\u002Farticles\u002Fhow-to-price-your-band-for-gigs\u002F","How to price your band for gigs",[27,66,68],{"id":67},"tools-and-resources","Tools and resources",[32,70,71,77],{},[35,72,73],{},[21,74,76],{"href":75},"\u002Facademy\u002Fresources\u002Fepk-templates\u002F","EPK templates",[35,78,79],{},[21,80,82],{"href":81},"\u002Facademy\u002Fresources\u002Fgig-booking-tracker\u002F","Gig booking tracker",[27,84,86],{"id":85},"city-scenes-and-the-directory","City scenes and the directory",[14,88,89,90,94,95,94,99,94,103,94,107,111,112,116,117,121],{},"Browse openings, bands, and musicians in ",[21,91,93],{"href":92},"\u002Fdirectory\u002Fwa\u002Fseattle\u002F","Seattle",", ",[21,96,98],{"href":97},"\u002Fdirectory\u002Ftn\u002Fnashville\u002F","Nashville",[21,100,102],{"href":101},"\u002Fdirectory\u002Ftx\u002Faustin\u002F","Austin",[21,104,106],{"href":105},"\u002Fdirectory\u002Fca\u002Flos-angeles\u002F","Los Angeles",[21,108,110],{"href":109},"\u002Fdirectory\u002Fny\u002Fnew-york\u002F","New York",", and ",[21,113,115],{"href":114},"\u002Fdirectory\u002Fil\u002Fchicago\u002F","Chicago","—or explore the full ",[21,118,120],{"href":119},"\u002Fdirectory\u002F","directory",".",[27,123,125],{"id":124},"get-on-bandmate","Get on Bandmate",[32,127,128,137,144],{},[35,129,130,136],{},[21,131,135],{"href":132,"rel":133},"https:\u002F\u002Fapp.bandmate.io\u002Fauth\u002Fsignup",[134],"nofollow","Free Bandmate signup"," — profiles, assets, and band ops in one place",[35,138,139,143],{},[21,140,142],{"href":141},"\u002Fpost-a-listing\u002F","Post a listing"," — openings for members or gigs when you are recruiting",[35,145,146,149],{},[21,147,148],{"href":119},"Music directory"," — local discovery for rooms and players",[27,151,153],{"id":152},"related-faq-hubs","Related FAQ hubs",[14,155,156,157,94,161,111,165,121],{},"When booking sits next to other band problems, see ",[21,158,160],{"href":159},"\u002Facademy\u002Ffaq\u002Flive-performance\u002F","live performance FAQs",[21,162,164],{"href":163},"\u002Facademy\u002Ffaq\u002Fstarting-a-band\u002F","starting a band FAQs",[21,166,168],{"href":167},"\u002Facademy\u002Ffaq\u002Fband-management\u002F","band management FAQs",{"title":170,"searchDepth":171,"depth":171,"links":172},"",2,[173,174,175,176,177],{"id":29,"depth":171,"text":30},{"id":67,"depth":171,"text":68},{"id":85,"depth":171,"text":86},{"id":124,"depth":171,"text":125},{"id":152,"depth":171,"text":153},"Common questions about booking gigs, working with venues, negotiating pay, and building a live calendar in 2026.","md",{"slug":181,"category":181,"date":182,"thumbnail":183,"headerImage":184,"faqs":185},"booking-gigs","2026-03-15","\u002Fimages\u002Ffaq\u002Fbooking-gigs-thumb.webp","\u002Fimages\u002Ffaq\u002Fbooking-gigs-header.webp",[186,189,192,195,198,201,204,207,210,213,216,219,222,225,228],{"label":187,"content":188},"How do I book my first gig?","Start local. Email or visit small venues, cafes, and bars with a current EPK—a short bio, one strong live video, a hi-res photo, and a single booking contact. Most new bands still land open mics, showcases, and weekday support slots before weekend paid bills. Follow every pitch with one polite follow-up about a week later.",{"label":190,"content":191},"How much should a band get paid for a gig in 2026?","Rates still track city, draw, and room size. Many local bar and club gigs for newer acts land roughly $200–500, mid-tier regulars $500–1500, and headliners more. Always clarify flat guarantee vs door split vs hybrid, and put the number in writing before load-in.",{"label":193,"content":194},"How do I contact venues to book shows?","Find the booking email or form on the venue site or socials. Send a short pitch: who you are, local draw proof, links to music and live video, preferred dates, and one reply address. Personalize by city and room type. Do not attach huge files—link everything.",{"label":196,"content":197},"What's a guarantee vs. a door split?","A guarantee is fixed pay regardless of attendance. A door split is a share of ticket or cover revenue, often 60–80% to the artist after house costs. Many rooms offer a hybrid: smaller guarantee plus a split above a threshold. Confirm what counts as the door and who covers taxes and fees.",{"label":199,"content":200},"How far in advance should I book gigs?","Local club dates are often held 4–8 weeks out; competitive rooms and big cities can book 2–4 months ahead. Festival applications commonly open 6–12 months early. Start outreach earlier than feels comfortable if you need a specific weekend.",{"label":202,"content":203},"How do I write a press kit for booking?","Keep it scannable. Include a 3–4 sentence bio, one booking contact, 2–3 photos, 1–2 live videos, best audio, notable bills or press, and social or streaming links. PDF or a fast webpage both work; update after releases and lineup changes. Bookers rarely open multi-page docs.",{"label":205,"content":206},"Should we play for free?","Only for clear strategic upside—charity, a high-visibility support with real audience, or a room that reliably books paid follow-ups. Free as a default undercuts your scene and your own floor. If pay is zero, ask for a future guarantee, strong merch access, professional video, or a door split at minimum.",{"label":208,"content":209},"How do we negotiate gig payment?","Know your floor first: travel, rehearsal time, and a fair split for the room. Ask what the venue typically pays, then make a clear ask such as a fixed fee or a door split, whichever is greater. Be polite and ready to walk. Written confirmation beats a handshake.",{"label":211,"content":212},"How do I handle a canceled gig?","Get the cancelation in writing. Ask about a kill fee if the room cancels close to the date—50% of a guarantee is a common starting point when a deal was firm. Protect relationships when the reason is honest; escalate only when a written contract was broken without remedy.",{"label":214,"content":215},"What is a band rider?","A rider lists tech needs (inputs, mics, monitors, stage plot) and basic hospitality (water, safe load-in, parking if relevant). Keep it short and realistic for the room size. A clear rider signals professionalism and reduces soundcheck surprises.",{"label":217,"content":218},"How do I book a short tour?","Map driveable cities, research clubs and DIY rooms on each hop, and pitch 2–3 months ahead with local support where possible. Anchor weekends first, leave travel days, and start with 3–5 night runs before multi-week routing. Track holds, deposits, and contacts in one shared list.",{"label":220,"content":221},"How do I get a gig at a festival?","Most festivals use online applications 6–12 months out. Follow the format exactly, lead with your best live video, and apply to local and regional events before national brands. Showcase series and city festivals are realistic first wins. Network in person when you attend as a fan.",{"label":223,"content":224},"How do we promote a gig?","Announce 4–6 weeks out, then run a tight final two weeks: save-the-date, live clip, co-bill tags, venue shares, email or text list, and ticket or RSVP links. Consistency beats one viral post. Ask every band on the bill to post the same details.",{"label":226,"content":227},"What's the best way to network with venue bookers?","Go to shows, be a good guest, and introduce yourself briefly after. Follow bookers on socials without spam. Reliability—on time, clear tech, respectful staff—gets rebooks faster than cold DMs alone. Warm intros from trusted local acts still matter in 2026.",{"label":229,"content":230},"How do we get our first out-of-town gig?","Trade shows with a band in another city: they open for you at home, you open for them there. That local draw makes the pitch credible. Share EPKs, split promotion, and confirm who covers rooms and fuel before you leave.",true,"\u002Facademy\u002Ffaq\u002Fbooking-gigs",{"title":5,"description":178},"academy\u002Ffaq\u002Fbooking-gigs","MYTdaYSlfneIZbrHHsiXh_EQGCOTFhlx9GMu8yQfDmc",1789925001721]