How to Get Gigs For Your Band

Getting Started

Bands that have adjusted to accommodate live and pre-recorded virtual events or that took a break from performing over the last year are eager to play their music at in-person celebrations again. With the arrival of warm weather, rapid rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine, and states lifting capacity restrictions for events, there’s finally light at the end of the tunnel. Wondering how to get gigs for your band this summer and beyond? This guide is for you!

Regardless of the type of music your band plays or how long your band has been performing, now’s the time to get in front of party planners and secure future in-person events. But, at a time when every band is ready to take on more gigs, how do you compete and make sure your band gets the visibility it needs and bookings it deserves? While there may not be one simple answer, there are several ways you can generate awareness of your band and gain greater visibility to potential clients, ultimately leading to more gigs.

This guide is available to provide you with actionable tips on how to get gigs for your band. A strong online presence, virtual offerings, quick response time, flexibility with client requests, and a follow-up strategy are just 5 easy and helpful ways to get more gigs for your band.

Read along or use the navigation in the header to jump ahead.

1. Establish a Strong and Professional Online Presence

Today, having an online presence is essential for any business—especially a band. It’s an easy way to ensure party planners can find you in their search for a band and to make the case for why they should pick yours for their event. With photos, video, and audio all easily accessible from any device, an online presence allows planners to conveniently gain insight into what booking your band would look like.

Establishing an online presence helps you to develop a personality for your band and make an impression on potential clients without even meeting face-to-face. Most importantly, it gives you the opportunity to showcase your talent and communicates your openness to new inquiries and performing opportunities. It also helps to differentiate your band from competitors and make you and your music stand out.

In this day and age, it’s very difficult to grow your band’s success without an online presence. But just any online presence won’t do—professionalism and consistency across various digital platforms, like social media, a website, and online booking site, are key to a strong online presence.

“Having a strong and professional online presence is the key to getting more gigs as a live band.”
- Live Band on The Bash

"The downtime due to COVID-19 has allowed for the strategizing and restructuring of our website and social media accounts."
-Live Band on The Bash

Use Social Media

Utilizing social media is a fast and easy way to create an online presence. It doesn’t require much expertise, is easy to use, and can take little time to manage once you get the hang of it. Not to mention, it can be very effective! The first step is to decide what social media platforms make the most sense for your band (like Facebook and Instagram). Next, make sure to fill out your profile to completion. Include a bio with information like your band name, location, and links to other online channels where your band can be found. After that, it’s time to get some posts up on your band’s profile.

When creating posts to share on social media, it’s helpful to look at your profile as a collection of snapshots about your band with short updates that make it quick and easy for followers to read. Make sure to keep your account up-to-date and post frequently. The more content posted on your profile, the more potential clients will have to look at when considering your band for their event.

Here are a few ideas for social media posts to help you get started and share fresh content:

Band member introductions: Create posts highlighting each band member with information such as their role in the band, years of experience, and a fun fact.
Photos and videos of performances: You can even share a full song, song list, or snippets of performances in a post, story, highlight, reel, or record a live stream to show your band performing in real-time.
Event announcements: Social media is a great way to let clients know about upcoming public events in case they are interested in attending and even private events, so they are aware of the type of occasions you perform for.
Band updates: Letting followers know about a new song, performance date, availability, or a new member is a great way to keep past and prospective clients up-to-date and engaged.
Client testimonials: Sharing positive reviews and feedback from clients can go a long way! Don’t hesitate to show them off on your social media profiles.

Keep in mind, growing a large and loyal social media following takes time, consistency, and persistence. Don’t be afraid to ask friends and followers to share your updates from time to time and be patient when it comes to getting bookings through social media. Utilizing popular hashtags and following relevant accounts can help more people discover your band and follow your account. Including a question in your posts is also a great way to get followers to engage with your posts and for you to interact with them too.

Create a Professional Website

A website is the telltale sign of an event pro. It lets prospective clients know that your band is serious about your work and helps potential clients find you in their search. It’s also another platform for creating an online personality for your band and communicating your offerings.

While almost every band these days has social media, not all have their own website. Therefore, it’s another way to differentiate your band from competitors. After all, it’s a space for only your band’s music and updates to exist, and is perfect for sharing more in-depth updates versus the snapshots you share on social media. Your website should include a variety of information such as upcoming event and performance details, band updates, band member bios, contact info, photos, videos, song lists, and any other information that might be helpful to clients. Tools like Wix and Weebly are free, easy, and intuitive when it comes to building a site. They also provide customization, so you can choose a design that best suits your band.

Here are a few things to keep in mind when building your site:

Include high-quality photos and videos: Since the point of having a website is to show off your talent, photos and videos of your band in action are a must-have. However, be careful not to make your website too busy with this kind of content. You want to draw potential clients in, but not give them an entire online show.
Easy to find contact info: Ultimately, the purpose of your website is to get interested visitors to book your band. It’s critical that the contact info on your site is easy to find so that prospects can send you an inquiry or ask a question.
Ensure it’s mobile-friendly: Most users are likely visiting your site on their mobile phone versus laptop or desktop, so it’s important to make sure the site displays just as clean and is just as easy to use on a cell phone.

Building a site that gets a lot of visitors and drives event bookings also takes persistence. Updating it regularly with relevant information and band news while also including relevant search terms in the website text to boost SEO can help.

Leverage Online Booking Sites

While advertising your band through Google Ads can be worthwhile, it takes a lot of time, money, testing, and close management. Trying to rank organically on Google can also be a challenge as their search algorithm is constantly changing, making it difficult to stay on top of. An online event marketplace that already ranks highly in organic search results and handles SEO for you, like The Bash, is a reliable and cost-effective way to advertise your business. With over 20 years of SEO expertise, The Bash has proven to get its members to the top of local search results and in front of planners looking to book entertainment—without any effort on the vendors’ end.

Promoting your band on a booking platform supplements your social media and website efforts by guaranteeing you visibility to ready-to-book party planners and hosts. With a customizable profile that features a bio, photos, videos, pricing, song list, and more, you can easily display all of your band’s most important information in one place.

“My number one tip for live bands is to get good samples on your profile! It took me a while to set up a live recording session, but it has improved our responses, as people have a better idea what they're getting.”
- Live Band on The Bash

Plus, profiles on The Bash are mobile friendly, so your band’s profile will look great on any device. Vendors can receive leads, send quotes, communicate with clients, and receive contactless payments through our online payment system EventPay, making The Bash a one-stop-shop for bands who are looking to promote their business and book more gigs.

In a recent survey of the top booked live bands on The Bash, the majority of bands said that an online booking site like The Bash is the number one way they get gigs for their band. The second way bands stated they get gigs is through word of mouth and repeat clients. This is where The Bash’s feature of displaying real client reviews on your profile goes a long way!

2. Offer Your Services Virtually

Virtual events gained popularity during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic as vendors of all types had to adapt to change in the event industry and planners had to find a new way to celebrate. Many bands learned how to perform virtually or created pre-recorded performances for clients. Through virtual events, bands have been able to grow their business by performing their music in locations they otherwise would not have been able to. The Bash, for example, offers a virtual event feature for bands and a virtual event services page which gives bands who are offering their services virtually nationwide visibility.

With the convenience that virtual events provide to planners and their guests, plus the ability to safely gather and celebrate without having to be in the same location, virtual performances are likely to remain even after COVID-19. In fact, more than three-quarters of bands we recently surveyed who currently offer virtual performances plan to continue to do so even when safe in-person events make a comeback.

For many bands, sound and visual quality, audience engagement, and interaction are the main concerns when it comes to virtual performances. Thankfully, several top-booked live bands on The Bash shared their secrets for successful execution. You can also learn about the top tips for performing virtually from one Cover Band on The Bash.

How to successfully execute virtual performances from start to finish:

Allow enough time to set up and conduct a soundcheck so you can perform comfortably.
Know exactly how your technology works, do a trial run before the event and set clear expectations with the client through strong communication.
Communicate with the client before and during the event and also ensure you’re using high-end professional equipment so the performance feels as live as possible.
Create an entertaining experience—not just background music for the client.
Be respectful of the client by being on time.
Make sure the band can see live comments and respond to the audience in real-time so they can provide the best experience for the client.
Rehearse virtually to get comfortable performing in front of the camera and to find out the best way to make the performance feel as "live" as possible for the client.
Be prepared for technical difficulties and how to address/fix them.

These vendors were also nice enough to share some of the technology that helps them execute successful live performances:

A Midas M32 mixing console for instruments and microphones, room lighting and 4 dedicated stationary cameras all going into a capture device and into a high-performance PC where it is mixed in isolation (sound) using Adam A7 reference monitors in stereo. We use a software called DSC to route and switch and then into either Eventfinity or Facebook Live.
Four DSLR cameras, digital video switcher, streaming software (OBS), and multicasting software (Restream.io).
Four 4K go-pros, three 4K Sony 6400s, ATEM mini extreme, Behringer X32 sound system.
We have several 4K cameras to showcase the band at different angles, including one in the drums booth. We use LED lighting to create a vivid party ambiance. Another key component is the sound. We have a dedicated sound engineer to maintain quality sound levels throughout the duration of the performance. We have a dedicated monitor for the Zoom or Skype session so we can see, talk, and interact with the guests throughout the show.
Laptop, iPhone, microphones, DAW interface, keyboard, and a piano.
Sony FS 100 camera 16 channel board.

If you are offering virtual services, start with updating your online presence with details about your virtual offerings and photos/videos from past virtual performances (if you have them) so potential clients can see this is a service you currently provide.

3. Respond to Clients Quickly and Follow Up

Once you have a strong and professional digital presence through social media, a website, and an online booking platform, booking requests will be flowing through! Now, it’s time to focus on how to close them and get your band booked for their event. Responding to leads is extremely important—the way you respond, when you respond, and how you follow up can make or break whether you get hired for their event. While lead requests may vary and the answer may not always be a “yes”, responding to all leads with a professional, personalized, and quick response is key to getting more bookings.

“I try to always be available, and make the client feel like they are communicating with a real person who cares a lot about the success of their event.”
- Live Band on The Bash

Respond to All Leads

Responding to all leads you receive is important, regardless of how specific requests or budgets differ. It’s a good idea to view every lead as a qualified and potential new client and to treat them as so. The more leads you respond to, the higher the chances are of them turning into clients. If a lead follow-up does not result in a booking, not all is lost! It’s great practice for communicating with future potential clients and getting better at crafting your response, anticipating theirs, and will help you to get in the habit of always sending a response.

“Respond to ALL inquiries, whether with a "yes", or "no".”
- Live Band on The Bash

Respond Quickly

Responding to leads quickly is critical to getting booked. In fact, the majority of the top booked live bands on The Bash said responding to a client’s request quickly is the number one way they get their band booked. Responding quickly shows you’re excited about their event, that you are easy to get in touch with, and establishes a sense of trust and reliability. Chances are, the planner that inquired about your band has done so for other bands as well so being the first to get back to them can really help you get ahead of the competition and secure the gig.

If you’re looking to cut down your response time, create some pre-written email drafts (or saved responses as we call them on The Bash) that you can quickly personalize and send to incoming leads. For example, you may have different responses depending on the event type, your availability, or the service(s) you'll be providing at an event. Having these saved templates can make it easier to respond quickly to leads without having to craft a response from scratch every time.

“Respond to leads quickly and with an organized and detailed response.”
- Live Band on The Bash

“Always respond quickly. It's usually the first responder who books the gig.”
- Live Band on The Bash

Be Persistent, Professional, and Personal

Especially when starting out, getting booked on a frequent basis is challenging and takes time. It’s important to consistently send quotes to leads and follow up with those who you have already provided with a quote. Carrying the professionalism from your website and social media accounts to your responses will show the lead that you are serious about their inquiry. But, don’t forget to let your personality shine through!

Personalizing your response and including something that is tailored to the lead’s request when it makes sense to do so can help you to connect with the client and secure the booking. For example, sharing your excitement, experience performing for that type of event, or what you have done in the past for a similar event type can help.

“Persistence, persistence, persistence: It can take a while for the majority of bids sent out to be successful.”
- Live Band on The Bash

"Always remember there is a real person on the other end of the bid request."
-Live Band on The Bash

Follow Up With Your Leads

The same strategy goes for following up with leads whom you’ve sent a quote to but have gone silent. In our recent survey, almost three-quarters of live bands said they follow up within 24-48 hours after their initial quote and that they find that following up via email is most effective in securing the gig. However, if a planner does not check their email regularly or you don’t hear back after your first follow-up email, reaching out by phone is also a great way to get in contact and remind the planner of your band’s offer, availability, and talent.

In your follow-up message, remember to be professional, kind, and offer to answer any of their questions via email or even a scheduled phone call or virtual meeting. Following up with these leads shows your eagerness to work with them and also your passion for performing your music at their event.

“Follow up with an email about 24 hours after making a bid.”
- Live Band on The Bash

"Be a rapid responder, follow up with your quotes, and follow up with your leads for feedback."
- Live Band on The Bash

4. Be Flexible with Client Requests

Being open to varying customer requests is extremely important, especially since the way people celebrate has changed over the last year. Although thinking outside of the box and performing a song outside of your comfort zone can seem daunting, it’s good practice for changing audience preferences or expanding your song list.

The COVID-19 pandemic has emphasized the importance of being flexible and keeping opportunities open. Keep in mind that while vendors have had to adapt to changes in the event industry, party planners have as well. Being open to client requests that might be beyond the scope of your typical performance could actually present an opportunity for you to expand your offerings or perfect a new song list. Therefore, it’s best to approach these requests as a challenge and opportunity for growth rather than a complex request to get over with.

When asked what the key to making clients happy is, several of the top booked live bands on The Bash said that it’s being flexible with clients’ requests. Here's what else goes into making clients happy:

Being able to hear what they want and make it happen, and having the integrity to inform them of things that will work and won't work.
Being flexible regarding their schedule and special requests.
Customizing the event to their specifications, such as music selection, color scheme, event theme, etc.
Understanding their vision, and translating that to music.
Providing excellent music, communication, and offering extras (like songs not on the setlist).
Providing group configuration and pricing options, as well as song lists tailored to the event.
Understanding their vision of the event and then providing recommendations to ensure a successful event. Changing the flow of an event to ensure the guests are enjoying themselves, even if it may be different from what the client originally wanted. The bottom line is, clients want to ensure their guests are having a great time.
Taking the time to really listen to their needs and ideas for their event. Introducing them personally to each band member.

5. Reach Out to Clients After the Event

Following up with clients after their event date is just as important as following up with leads. The impression you leave on clients starts with your first response and lasts through the event and even after. Reaching out to your clients after an event will leave a lasting impression and could lead to another future booking with them. Your outreach shows that you care about what feedback they and any guests have and most importantly that they enjoyed themselves. You can follow up with a client to:

Thank the client: Let the client know you appreciate them choosing your band and enjoyed contributing to their special event.
Ask the client for a review: Client reviews on your website, social media accounts, or other sites will help to communicate trust, reliability, and customer satisfaction, ultimately leading to more clients. Planners rely heavily on reviews, especially the closer they get to making a decision, and are more likely to book your band if past clients have had a positive experience. If a client leaves a review on your profile, it’s a good idea to share it on your website or social media profile to get it in front of even more potential clients. Almost 77% of the top booked live bands on The Bash follow up with clients for a review after an event.
Respond to client reviews: Responding to client reviews will show that you appreciate the client taking the time to leave feedback and that you value their review. It also gives prospective clients the chance to see how you interact with and treat clients. If a client does not leave a positive review, responding gives you the chance to address any issue or miscommunication so that the relationship with the client is not tarnished and future clients will not be skeptical.
Ask for word of mouth referral: You can even ask a satisfied client to refer your business to friends and family. Word of mouth goes a long way and people are much more likely to trust the review and experience of someone they know and trust.

“Be patient. It takes a while to build reliability. Reviews are most important.”
- Live Band on The Bash

"Build up your press kit. Book as many events through The Bash as you can to get reviews and establish credibility."
- Live Band on The Bash

While the event industry may continue to look a little different in the near future, it’s important for bands to adapt and prepare for upcoming safe in-person events. Doing everything you can now to get your band in front of party planners and working on your band’s performance will help to ensure you get booked for future events. Strengthening your band’s online presence, offering your services virtually, improving your response time, being flexible with client requests, and developing a follow-up strategy are five easy ways to book more gigs for your band this year. Luckily, several top booked live bands on The Bash also shared their top tips for getting live band gigs in 2021.