How You Can Land Good-paying Gigs to Perform at Decent Venues!
1. ShowSlinger
ShowSlinger is a very high-quality booking and ticketing website. This all-in-one platform can be used to book live music, DJs, comedians, and more. If you’re an artist or a band, you can create a free account on their website and begin finding and applying for different venues and gigs listed in your area.
Over 105,000 artists worldwide use SoundSlinger to find performance opportunities at both large and small venues and events. Aside from just finding gigs, SoundSlinger has features that allow musicians to book and manage all aspects of their shows including tech requirements, contracts, riders, payments, ticketing, payouts & more.
The website is extremely user-friendly and they even have a mobile app which makes everything on the platform even easier to navigate. SoundSlinger offers so much to artists, booking agents, and venues. Artists can also take advantage of their integrated promo tools to share their event on their website, social media, and other landing pages.
Get rid of your spreadsheets, Google Calendars, emails, texts and everything else. ShowSlinger is the only thing you need from now on. And it’s 100% free. Plus, artists and bands get paid one day after the gig has been completed through PayPal. So, this gig-booking platform is definitely one worth checking out.
2. ReverbNation
ReverbNation has long been a pillar in the music industry and community. They offer numerous features for artists, bands, promoters, booking agents, managers, A&R, and fans alike. The gig-booking feature is something they are well-known and highly praised for.
With over 600,000 event listings, you will get customized and timely results based on the best fit for your band. They are able to provide you gig opportunities based on information regarding your particular location, genre, capacity requirements, and more.
They have a free gig-finder option that anyone is able to use on their website. They also have a Basic and Premium account subscription that will provide artists with many more great features aside from just finding gigs.
Some of their amazing paid features include industry opportunities, electronic press kits, a website with domain, digital distribution, and more. If you are on a tight budget, the free gig-finder is a great place to start when looking for show opportunities. However if you have a little extra money to spare, the Basic Plan for $12.95/month or their Premium Plan at $19.95/month will prove to be a great asset to your music career.
3. Gigmor
This professional event booking website has been disrupting the traditional method of music booking since it’s start. On Gigmor, artists can easily find local and national gigs and touring opportunities along with opportunities to play private events and weddings.
This platform can be used by artists and talent buyers both. Artists simply create a Gigmor profile and then are placed in front of thousands of interested venues and buyers. Venues and booking agents can also post their available events so artists can reach out and submit to the shows they want to play. Overall, Gigmor streamlines the booking process by minimizing irrelevant submissions, dramatically reducing inbox clutter.
The structure of navigation of the website is very simple and it has a lot to offer from both the artist’s and the host’s standpoint. They even provide their users with a gigScore so your music, gigging history and fan base metrics can be viewed at a glance. Gigmor offers three plans for artists: Basic, Premium and Pro:
The Basic Plan is free and allows you to have an artist profile where you can upload your music, gigging history, photos, etc., and use it as an EPK to help you get gigs.
The Premium Plan ($9.99/month or $99/annually) has all the benefits of a Basic membership and allows members to apply for up to 5 gigs per monthly subscription period.
The Pro Plan ($19.99/month or $199/annually) has all the benefits of the Basic and Premium packages and allows members to apply for unlimited gigs per month during the subscription period.
4. Indie On The Move
Indie on the Move is one of the most popular and long-lasting websites used for booking gigs. There are a couple of different paid options, but most anything you would need for finding local gigs can be done for free. With the Show Availabilities feature on the website, artists can search for open show listings and reply to the ones you’re interested in. These are typically a mix of venues looking to fill open spots, as well as touring bands looking for local support.
If you are planning a tour and looking to fill specific dates in a certain city, you can use the Band Availabilities feature and create your own listing, hoping that a venue will reply to your post. Among the many great things about Indie on the Move, the most valuable for gig-seeking musicians is the fact that they have the largest database of venues and opportunities across the country.
Navigating the website is a breeze — Just choose your location based on the city and state and they will provide you with a list of venues in that area that host live music. When you select one, you’re taken to the venue’s profile page where you’ll find information such as the genres of music they prefer, room capacity, the days of the week they host live music, and most importantly, the talent buyer’s contact info.
Indie on the Move is a completely legit platform and has helped thousands of musicians book shows and get paid. The gigs and opportunities you will find on the website are also high-quality and in many cases, very well paying. With that being said, many of the talent-seekers are looking for strong performers who are active both on and off stage. So make sure you are doing your part online and social media to show potential talent buyers that you are engaged with your fans.
5. SonicBids
SonicBids is one of the oldest gig-booking websites and they’ve been around long enough to know what works and what doesn’t work for artists and promoters. They’ve been trusted by thousands of reputable venues, festivals, and musicians worldwide due to their efficient and streamlined booking system.
Artists can create an account and simply search for gigs using the band opening finder feature. Results can be narrowed by keyword, location, and role type. These smart filters allow musicians to find gigs based on their specific niches. So, if you are a solo instrumentalist, you are able to search for gigs based on just that.
If you want to actually apply to any of these shows, you have to have their Gig Seeker Pro plan, which costs $19.99/month. On top of that, some of their gigs have an additional cost of up to $55, just to apply.
Their paid account comes with a bunch of other features including pro marks, portfolio building, better ranking in searches, and the ability to apply to memorable gigs as well. If you have a reasonable budget, it’s worth it to invest in building a SonicBids account for epic gig-booking services.
6. Festival Net
If you’re a newer performer or artist who’s looking for a potential festival gig, there’s no better option than Festival Net. There are tons of festivals happening all the time, all over North America, and they are almost all listed on Festival Net’s website.
As an artist, you can search for festivals using their advanced searching tool and even specify what kind of festivals you’re looking to play. You can also perform a search based on compensation, type of music presented, and more. Contact information is not available with the free version but if you have a few minutes, you can do some outside research based on the information available and find the contact information yourself.
Their ‘One Click Connect’ system allows you to contact and apply for shows easily with a single button. With Festival Net, you can expose your music and services to over 1,300,000+ visitors a month.
7. Doodeo
Doodeo is a platform made for entertainers and entertainment seekers that offers a wide range of talent and opportunities throughout their network. This gig-booking website aims to help its users connect and build sustaining relationships within their surrounding music community.
You can post gigs here, build artist accounts, and search for job opportunities. If you’re looking for analytics to make your profile and gig perform better, they also offer helpful insights such as audience engagement, popular content, and monthly reports.
Doodeo helps you become a better communicator because that’s a talent you’re definitely going to need, along with your excellent music skills. The interface is easy to use and straightforward. With Doodeo, you’re going to easily land good paying gigs and build an excellent reputation as a performing musician within your local music scene.
This application is completely free to use and it also provides artists with many other benefits like their information based blogs and news for artists and entertainers. Sign up with Doodeo today so you can begin finding paid gigs like the thousands of other artists who have through their website.