Research and organization shows for your band can be a time-consuming and the frustrating experience. You have to play live and you need to get as many existing and potential new fans. Yet, with all the signs that the business of live music will continue to grow (the sale of concert tickets worldwide they were $ 4.4 billion in 09, up 17% compared to 08), in actually getting those concerts can be difficult. Once you are offered a show by a promoter you still need to agree on a payment and terminate a contract.
A live music is an agent of the music business professional who will paid concerts and other live commitments. These concerts are known as reservations, hence the term booking agent. (And 'generally accepted that a talent agent is any agent that can find a job for their client -. Movies, TV, book writing, for example, a talent agent who focuses on the research of concerts and tours for their client a booking agent [Waddel, Barnet , & Berry, 07]. this article will deal with the booking agents.)
The booking agent does not actually put on shows. An agent acts as an intermediary between the thousands of artists and body in the limited world of promoters of concert halls, festivals, clubs and schools. [Hopewell & Hanlon, 03]
The agent job reservation An agent usually wok music individual as part of larger agencies composed of a number of agents. Agents are responsible for their own revenue and use the agency's infrastructure (including telephone, ISP, legal and accounting services) to help manage their own "micro-business" in the general framework of the agency. The agency then takes a cut of the agent's revenue to pay for these services, and (hopefully) generate a profit. The most well known agencies Creative Arts Agency (CAA), William Morris Agency (WMA), International Artists Group, Montery Peninsula artists, the Group Agency, Only, X-Ray Touring and International Talent Booking (ITB).
A music agent makes money by taking a percentage of the artist's gross income for a performance. If you play a show for $ 1,000, then the agent will have $ 100, which, as their percentage. It is recommended not to pay the money agent commissions into something different from what you gain from concerts and tours.
music agents are regulated in the US by the main trade unions entertainment, AFM, SAG, SAG and equity that have covered the agent percentage to 10% of the artist's gross compensation for each show. (AFM allows, in fact, up to 20% for one-off appearances.) In the UK there are no regulations, but 10% of the gross share seems to be the norm.
In addition, if an agent makes a deal with a promoter who sees the promoter that provides non-cash additions, such as hotels or executive transport, then the agent will often calculate the cash equivalent of these " special terms and conditions "and pay a percentage of the perceived value of these items in the calculation of the commission due. After all, the agent has negotiated very strenuously on behalf of the artist to ensure these non-monetary benefits; it is therefore right that the agent must be compensated further. E 'therefore very important that the artist manager has access to a highly experienced accountant who can verify the true cash value of these intangible assets. What percentage of your Sony PlayStation including backstage should charge a booking agent?
The reservation process is the agent's job to negotiate agreements with promoters according to what he or she knows the state of the gesture , the city or place that he or she is pitching to, and relationship with the promoter.
The agent will work with the artist's management to identify and tourism periods plot or one-off performances. These shows have traditionally been in support of a new release by the artist, such as a new album, and were treated as part of the promotional campaign for the new CD, with radio and television appearances, magazine and newspaper interviews and in-store shopping . Bands now see live entertainment and tourism as a primary source of income as their recorded music revenue fell and so a tour to make money and not a mere promotional activities. A good agent will be so aware of what opportunities exist for their clients.
After a period of gigging activity is agreed with the artist and their management agent will approach promoters to organize the current shows. In some cases this initial approach will be fairly simple, according to the 'weight' of the agent. Agents 'Superstar', as Marty Diamond (the US agent for Coldplay, Snow Patrol, KT Tunstall, and Artic Monkeys) would obviously be able to convince a developer to hire a small, unknown place. The understanding is that if the promoter works with this act now, then the agent will offer the developer the ability to book a bigger place in the future.
When booking shows, the agent must take into account the geographical and seasonal issues, as well as keep an eye on the competition. An agent will try to plan the route of the tour, when pitching to the promoters. The promoters will be offered their withdrawal dates, depending on the seat location are booking. For example, in North America the agent will approach all promoters based in the northwest (Portland, Seattle, Vancouver) with dates available in the first four days of the tour. Then he or she will approach promoters in California (San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego, and so on), with possible openings for the following four or five days. In the UK, it would be openings in Scotland for the first couple of days, and then maybe promoters in Liverpool, Manchester and Carlisle would come next week of the tour. Hopefully, the agent can then present a fairly logical path for the tour, such as from north to south or clockwise around the country. This will ensure less itinerant and cheaper transport costs.
This type of planning should be done well in advance (usually three to four months) to ensure the availability of the Regions wanted. Sometimes it's just not possible, and you end up with the tour dreaded "Star of David", in which each show seems to be the geographic contrast from the previous performance!
seasonal issues also come into play. E 'useless to try to book a club tour of Europe between June and August if you represent an act indie / alternative. The vast majority of music fans will be directed to one of the many festivals, such as reading and Leeds, Roskilde and Pukkelpop and these music lovers are given the smallest club promoters! Similarly, a coast-to-coast tour of Canada in January / February would be pretty useless. Even if you could make it through the snow, would raise the public?
Finally, both agents and promoters must have a keen eye on international sporting fixtures. These events are directly competing musical events and, unfortunately, the music always lose!
When the agent has provisionally booked the place in various cities, he or she will tell you the artist in charge of the dates on offer and the expected taxes. If the manager approves the ride, the officer will issue contracts to promoters. The agent will then be available to answer any questions or concerns the Director or promoters may have before the tour and act as an intermediary should any disagreements arise during the tour itself.
How can you get a booking agent? Certainly, as an interpreter, having an agent of goodness and success will allow you to get more shows and, more importantly, the biggest shows opening for bigger acts. However, getting a good agent will be just as difficult as getting a record deal. Geoff Meall (the agent of the United Kingdom for Nickelback, Muse, My Chemical Romance, and Super Furry Animals) says that a band that considers the representation should be "signed or close to being signed because [he is] I'm not going to waste [his] time the tour something that has nothing outside of just being a live band. "most of the acts of Geoff come to him through direct recommendation or request on the part of artists and labels manager who has had relations with success in the past. And Stringfellow, also the Agency Group, agrees: "There are not enough officers out there to deal with the number of good bands," he says.
It can therefore be a distraction to spend time and money trying to get an agent at the beginning of your career. Although an agent can get shows, and a good agent can get you have to remember that the superstar agents, as Geoff Meall really good shows, they have a reputation, and his involvement with a really act begins only when the act has a certain success. "We approached daily by gangs who have no record deal, basically have a MySpace page, they did a little 'recording, and want to release some demos. Obviously I could go and get this band and book 20 shows all over the country, but, really, what would be the point of that? we like not because there would be no marketing behind them. Very few booking agents will be involved with a band from day one, "says Geoff. Bob Gold, CEO of GAA booking agents, admits, "We are dealing with emerging bands rarely unless something comes up that is really exciting." Bob is responsible for such acts as REM, Annie Lennox, and Maroon 5. He adds: "If [the band] got good management, we can bring them along." It seems like a catch-22 situation: You need to build your concert career potential, and you need a successful career for the shows!
should not despair, however. As with record labels and artist management, booking agents must know that you are able to put in the hard work and building a fan base on your own. artists' managers and booking agents are not going to do the work for you - there is no such thing as an 'overnight success.' You need to keep playing concerts; spreading the word and build your fans.
How reservation agents work on commission are going to ask two important questions:
- You can draw a paying audience in your shows?
- Once you can draw a crowd, you can sustain those numbers at every show you do?
Never underestimate the importance of a consistent draw; solid number of viewers means that you are reaching the people and entertain, and they want to come back for more. Promoters and music agents only want one thing: a guaranteed amount of ticket sales for each show. you can honestly face a promoter and say that you can guarantee X number of people at every show you do?
Focus on the potential and audience-pulling power of a ticket sold your act. This may mean to forget to take your applications to the next level for a significant period of time. Build yourself as a quality act, and booking agents labels will come to you. And 'much better for your career to play two or three shows a month for six months and have 100 people turn for each show that is to play a show in front of 2,000 people and then not play another show for six months . You're the best band / artist in the world (yes, you!), But no one else has heard of you yet?
sure to capture your audience, no matter how small, every show you play and every set you perform. Compel the audience to come to your next show to be professional, good-natured, well-tested, both for the public and for workers who are behind the scenes. No matter if you are playing 10 or 1,000 people, you should still act in a professional manner. It is actually more important if you are playing to 10 people! Those 10 people are at least there to see you, so treat them with respect and get them to spread the word for you.
References
Hopewell, M., & Hanlon, J. (03). Bible Music Management. London: SMT.
Waddell, R., Barnet, R., & Berry, J. (07) .This Business of Concert Promotion and Touring. New York: Billboard Books.
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