How to get gigs as an independent artist

Gigs aren't a lot fun in the early stages.

I mean the whole lot of it: 

• The gigs themselves (usually suck) 
• The pay is terrible 
• The crowd usually isn't interested

The list goes on and on...

But as my Spotify numbers grew, I made sure to set up some systems to ensure my "gig getting" process was improving and growing too. 

In this blog post, I’ll take you through the things I did and do that took me from bookings like this: 

To gigs like this: 

In my blueprint, I provide a detailed, step-by-step guide on this that you can easily follow and replicate.

Securing representation from booking agents or agencies can be a real game-changer. 

In most cities, such agents play a key role in orchestrating the major events at the most prominent venues. 

Building a relationship with just one of these agents can significantly alter the landscape of your live performances. 

This was precisely my experience when I connected with a booking agent from Vienna, via Instagram. 

Thanks to their assistance, I now perform weekly at Vienna's premier venues, and my international presence is steadily increasing.

Create a comprehensive list of venues and clubs that you aim to target. 

Knowing where you want to play will allow you to identify who to contact much easier. 

Your goal is to find and reach out to the event promoters who organize events at these clubs or to nightclub promoters and get in touch with them. 

For example, I have developed an Excel sheet that enumerates all the clubs I plan to approach in key European party destinations. If you are interested in having this click this link. 

This same sheet also serves as a tracking tool for monitoring the progress of my outreach efforts.

When it comes to getting gigs. Making sure you’re finding the right people to get in touch with is really important. 

You can do this by using platforms like LinkedIN or being smart with your own social media research. 

I was able to convince a couple friends to do this for me in exchange for commission of my booking fee. 

Each of them focussed on a different country. 

Each of them made their LinkedIN and Instagram a bit more professional and through a bit of research they would quickly find the right people to get in touch with. 

They would then try and get them on a call or communicate via mail. If this led to nothing I would then jump in with either a DM or an email. 

What helped was that in every first outreach message they sent, my friends/managers attached a video of mine where i give the prospect an introduction of who I am and a glance of where I have performed and what my stats are. 

This is how I organised my first “summer tour”.

I believe this is something that can easily be replicated on a smaller scale. 

Make sure once you’re in communication with your prospect you’ve got everything prepared. 

Your EPK, a one pager on you and a break down of your most important statistics (followers, streams etc). 

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You can buy my blueprint here.

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If you want some really useful freebies as an independent artist which I spent ages creating for now charge, snatch them up here.

Until next time,

Nico