Do you dream of headlining a giant music pageant?
Not surprisingly, a vital step in the direction of that objective is: reserving your FIRST music pageant slot!
With 1,000+ annual music festivals within the USA and Europe alone, there’s a complete world of alternative on the market so that you can wow IRL audiences together with your reside present.
On this article we’ll discover:
- the professionals and cons of pageant performances
- know should you’re prepared for a pageant gig
- and some other ways to guide your first pageant slot
Let’s dive in!
Why play music festivals?
This would possibly sound like a wierd place to begin, nevertheless it’s price asking: Do you actually WANT to discover music pageant alternatives?
Some festivals are superb, career-defining experiences:
Coachella, Glastonbury, New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Competition, Newport People Competition, ZoukOut, Rolling Loud, Lollapalooza Brasil…
Impress these audiences and your music might be throughout TikTok and Instagram. As memorable as it could be to rock a type of levels, although, your presence at a pageant of that calibre most likely means you’ve already constructed your profession to a sure stage.
Smaller music festivals provide you with an opportunity to:
On the best way there, you’ll have to think about OTHER sorts of festivals. Small festivals catering to area of interest genres. Upstart festivals that spotlight your metropolis or area’s artwork scene. Or model new occasions that haven’t been confirmed but.
- Carry out in entrance of probably the most devoted music followers in a geographic area
- Attain curious listeners who’re open to discovering new sounds throughout genres
- Construct your pageant resumé
- Meet, befriend, or collaborate with different up-and-coming acts
However let’s be sincere: You may also encounter disorganized festivals. Crap attendance. Failed promotion. Unhealthy climate. Scammy administrators. Horrible sound and manufacturing. And actually, is there something worse than dangerous sound at an out of doors gig? The reply is no.
Enjoying a music pageant will be unforgettable. Unforgettably nice or disastrous. I’m not attempting to discourage you. Simply wish to set some real looking expectations:
Not all festivals are created equal. Your mileage might fluctuate.
Some issues to think about about music pageant alternatives
Journey prices versus pay
What’s the compensation on your efficiency? How far-off is the pageant? Do you want a resort? Are you able to guide different tour dates in your method there and again? How a lot will you pay in fuel and meals?
If it’s a terrific pageant alternative, it could be definitely worth the journey for breakeven or perhaps a slight loss. However you’ll wish to suppose by these calculations beforehand.
Time and visibility of your pageant slot
I mentioned above that not all festivals are created equal. The identical goes for slots inside any given pageant.
What good is taking part in a pageant in case your set is early within the day whereas attendees are sleeping off a hangover, or should you’re taking part in probably the most inconvenient stage similtaneously a main-stage act that can draw crowds AWAY from you?
In the event you’re not conversant in the pageant first-hand, ask round to realize perspective. Learn critiques on-line. Try TikTok, Instagram, Fb, and YouTube for video from the earlier yr’s occasion, with a particular search focus in your slot, stage, and time.
Degree of pageant viewers engagement
Whereas it’s usually the case that music pageant attendees are open-minded and enthusiastic, it will also be true that… they’re not particularly there for YOUR music.
A giant pageant with many competing levels can have the sensation of an all-you-can-eat buffet, the place listeners pattern a little bit of this, a little bit of that, however don’t absolutely spend money on something besides the headliners.
Different festivals — like Portland, Oregon’s Pickathon — put an enormous emphasis on new music, and create an setting the place attendees are actually excited to listen to the lesser-known acts.
So once more, do some analysis to get a way for whether or not precise music discovery is occurring on the smaller levels.
The fact of pageant merch gross sales
That is one other space that may be an enormous win or a giant disappointment.
In the event you slay, your new followers might bounce on the likelihood to satisfy you on the merch desk (assuming merch gross sales are permitted throughout the pageant). Nevertheless it may be true that within the rush of an action-packed pageant, your viewers strikes rapidly to the following set.
That is one more space the place a little analysis will help you set correct expectations.
Alternative prices
Your default assumption might be that the pageant IS your alternative. Nevertheless it’s price asking what you’ll be giving as much as play the pageant.
That may very well be the financial prices we talked about above, nevertheless it may be different paying gigs you must decline.
To pageant, or to not pageant?
Now even should you whole up the worst of all of the above eventualities: Small stage, early hours, unfocused viewers, no merch gross sales, turning down gigs at house…
… taking part in your first music pageant should be price it.
It’s a foot-in-the-door and a resumé-builder. An opportunity to make an influence on a couple of new listeners. A technique to familiarize your self with a brand new efficiency setting. A problem to push by discomfort and acquire confidence for future exhibits.
In different phrases, the expertise alone — even when it’s removed from best — could also be a development alternative price pursuing.
However are you READY to carry out at a music pageant?
When you’ve answered whether or not a pageant is best for you, you’ll have to determine in case you are proper for the pageant.
Listed here are 9 issues that music festivals will search for when reserving acts:
1. Nice efficiency abilities
The time to show to your self (and others) you could constantly ship an incredible reside present is BEFORE you try and take the pageant stage.
Music festivals are, clearly, efficiency occasions! So that you wish to be well-rehearsed and have loads of stage expertise earlier than submitting to festivals.
Festivals wish to know you’ll maintain audiences engaged, not flip them away, which might diminish the popularity of the general occasion.
In case your present is nice AND distinctive, all the higher — as a result of that uniqueness might make it easier to test off a couple of of the opposite bins under.
2. High quality live-performance video
It’s not sufficient to play nice exhibits. It’s essential to have proof. Which means: video and picture documentation of you sounding nice and your viewers loving it.
Assuming the pageant workers hasn’t heard you carry out earlier than, this reside content material (which needs to be simply accessible in your web site and YouTube) would be the major method a pageant can assess what you’ll convey to their occasion.
Some basic guidelines for reside efficiency movies:
- Seize nice sound — No distorted digicam mic. No crowd dialog speaking over the music.
- Present the viewers — Once more, the booker desires proof you may transfer the room. If the venue is packed, seize the group. If the venue isn’t packed, seize footage of the band close-up to the stage, after which get extra footage shut up on particular person viewers faces.
- Keep away from the tripod shot — The immobile digicam behind the room is boring. Have somebody maintain the digicam and transfer round to spotlight the bodily dynamics of your efficiency.
- “At house” is okay — In the event you can’t seize video of a gig, it’s best to not less than have a reside efficiency video from your house, rehearsal area, and many others. You can too take video from home live shows if that’s applicable on your style and the viewers consents to being on digicam.
3. A clearly outlined musical model
You ought to be previous the purpose of your musical journey the place you’re discovering who you might be, what you must say, and what your sound is.
This isn’t to recommend you may’t change and evolve, however reasonably… it’s best to’ve already made a transparent musical assertion, backed by a visible aesthetic and a way of story that resonate with a selected viewers.
As EDM-festival organizer Evan Bailey says:
“Whatever the type of music you’re keen on, it’s vital to have an outlined sound and try to be an innovator. Though that’s simpler mentioned than accomplished — too usually, younger artists imitate what they hear working elsewhere. Though inspiration is a part of any artist’s work, it’s vital to actually develop your individual sound, look, and many others. On the enterprise facet, it helps promoters when artists have an outlined and distinctive manufacturers, too.”
Your model, virtually as a lot as your songs and efficiency abilities, might be an vital think about how significantly a pageant considers your participation.
4. Business buzz and social traction
All festivals wish to set up a sort of cultural relevance. Competition administrators and bookers wish to really feel assured that they’re hiring the very best expertise inside their means.
The extra buzz and traction round your music, within the press, amongst the business and fellow acts, and on social, the higher. That exhibits the festivals that you simply’ll convey the thrill issue.
In fact the extent of buzz it’s essential to attain will differ based mostly on the profile of the pageant. However all this to say, your first pageant slot will most likely be an occasion that coincides with or follows your social development and networking. It received’t precede it.
5. An official launch with momentum
To place this merely, most festivals are reserving acts who’ve launched music on in style DSPs like Spotify and Apple Music. Even should you’ve solely dropped a couple of singles, that counts!
However most festivals are NOT contemplating acts with zero output, or output that has gotten zero consideration.
6. Accessible and digestible pitch data
No matter you wanna name it — an EPK, an ABOUT web page, a one-sheet — you’ll want an simply accessible part of your web site the place you may embody all of the related data {that a} pageant planner will wish to see when contemplating your act for his or her occasion.
You’ll be squeezing quite a bit into this web page, so attempt to make it as punchy and digestible as doable.
Your web site’s festival-pitch web page ought to include:
- Hyperlinks to your music on the preferred DSPs
- Hyperlinks to your TikTok, Instagram, and X profiles (if relevant)
- A brief bio (one or two paragraphs)
- A abstract of your social stats, viewers measurement and demographics, and many others.
- An embedded YouTube video of your performing reside
- Hello-res picture(s)
- Press quotes
- Highlights out of your touring historical past
- Your pageant historical past (although should you’re studying this text, you most likely don’t have that but!)
- Testimonials from expertise patrons, venue house owners, and even followers — about your reside present
- Contact information
7. Availability and dedication
This most likely sounds apparent, however be sure you’re really out there to play the occasion earlier than you make your pitch.
Affirm the supply of everybody else in your act. Ensure that each they every mark their calendars with tentative holds.
8. An unforgettable pageant second
Top-of-the-line methods to point your worth to the pageant is to organize a pitch that features a efficiency promise.
Are you able to do one thing throughout your pageant slot that simply screams “viral second?” One thing that can make the viewers seize for his or her cameras? One thing they’ll go house speaking about greater than the rest they noticed on the pageant?
Your unforgettable music fest efficiency may embody:
- A complete set collaboration with one other act
- A shock visitor for a track or two
- A giant reveal
- A efficiency stunt or emotionally-connective second
- A tribute to a different artist or album
- A prop (however not tiny Stonehenge!)
Determine make that second a actuality. After which put it in your pitch.
9. Artist and viewers demographics
Grant-funded festivals might have standards to meet as they construct the lineup.
As an illustration, some Canadian occasions are obliged to function a sure share of Canadian artists.
Different occasions could also be guided by a particular mission assertion that may favor sure artist candidates based mostly on style, age, race, geography, or different demographics. And naturally many festivals are pushed to current a various lineup out of a way of social accountability, or just because it makes a greater occasion.
As IndieWeek founder Darryl Hurs defined:
“Range and demographics are a giant issue, as pageant promoters have gotten extra delicate to creating certain that everyone is included.”
All that to say, you’ll need to pay attention to the what, who, and the place of each the artist lineup and the attendees. In the event you will help the pageant obtain a objective in addition to simply being nice on stage, don’t shrink back from mentioning it!
Suggestions for locating your first music pageant slot
As soon as you’re certified to take the pageant stage, how do you discover your first pageant slot? Listed here are some pointers to level you in the suitable path.
Begin with native music festivals
Be real looking: You’re most likely not going to make your pageant debut on the Newport People Competition. They’re extraordinarily selective and plan lengthy upfront.
Like most issues in music, it’s best to make your mark amongst smaller communities first, whether or not they’re on-line or in your geographic area.
On your first pageant, begin by wanting in your hometown. Ask native bands and venues. And naturally, go to your native festivals!
Search for NON-music festivals
There are different causes to throw a pageant, and typically these non-music occasions will nonetheless have music levels.
Once I lived in Oregon, as an example, I performed an annual meals pageant on the river with an enormous mainstage for music. Although attendees hadn’t arrived particularly for the music, it was nonetheless a big viewers of folks that caught round to hear. In my present hometown, there’s a summer season beerfest that has a number of music acts all through the day. Come for the beer, keep for the music.
So don’t be afraid to begin your search exterior of music. Speak to metropolis workers and Chamber of Commerce reps. They’ll pay attention to what occasions are within the works.
Plan not less than a yr upfront
Timing is all the things. And most profitable occasions take a very long time to plan, promote, and produce.
Begin your analysis and your pitching early.
Meet individuals within the pageant world!
Networking. It’s vital in most fields. And festivals are not any exception.
First, you’ll want to comply with the accounts of festivals you might wish to play sometime. Comply with AND interact! Not solely will this assist the planners get conversant in you, however you may keep up-to-date on the newest pageant bulletins and deadlines (that are often shared on social).
However don’t begin and finish with Instagram and TikTok. You’ll be able to usually have a extra significant dialog with individuals on LinkedIn, Discord, or Reddit.
And even perhaps extra impactful than on-line networking, attend business occasions and music conferences! I often attend People Alliance Worldwide yearly, and there are reps from a number of the greatest festivals in people and Americana music at that occasion.
Certain, there will be an expense to journey to a networking occasion equivalent to that, however you get to satisfy lots of people face-to-face, multi function place, get your questions answered straight, and go house with extra confidence whenever you comply with up on these conversations.
And bear in mind your native business mixers, musician union meetups, and extra. If there are worthwhile music festivals in your space, there’s sure to be somebody who is aware of somebody at these occasions.
Get a reserving agent
I do know, I do know. That’s simpler mentioned than accomplished.
And also you may not be prepared for a reserving agent. In any case, a reserving agent expects to be paid fee based mostly on the gigs you’re taking part in. Are you performing sufficient worthwhile gigs per yr to justify their work? Many brokers received’t even take into account you as a consumer till you’ve confirmed to tour a sure variety of days per yr.
That being mentioned, an agent CAN assist open doorways to festivals. It’s their world, in spite of everything. And identical to PR and numerous types of promo, it will possibly typically assist reduce by the pile of pitches and emails to have trusted illustration.
Undergo the VENUES as an alternative
Many city pageant occasions host occasions throughout a number of music venues. I used to play one of these pageant in Oregon (on the time it was referred to as MusicFestNW), and it had the enjoyable vibe of a pub crawl, however with music. This offers you the prospect to begin inquiries from the bottom up — starting with the venues, reasonably than the pageant organizers.
Darryl Hurs of IndieWeek jogged my memory of this when he provided his recommendation on moving into festivals:
“Typically festivals will work with taking part venue bookers as to what artists are taking part in that venue throughout the pageant. In case you are beginning domestically, actually get to know the venues that participate within the festivals. As an illustration, I labored carefully with one explicit venue and booked a whole lot of exhibits there, and was then capable of discuss to THEM about get artists into sure festivals that their venue participates in. And in some circumstances, it was a backdoor to really getting the artist into the pageant.”
Familiarize your self with the first music pageant roles
Are you aware the suitable individuals to contact whenever you pitch your music for a pageant?
It helps to have a way of every of the pageant workers’s obligations.
Bigger pageant workers might embody:
- Competition Director – Just like the producer of a file, this individual is accountable for the general monetary, creative, and cultural success of the hassle.
- Creative Director – Supervises the vibe of the pageant, and may have important affect over the lineup.
- Booker (or Expertise Purchaser) – The one that will take into account, negotiate, and rent the acts.
- Manufacturing and Stage Managers – These individuals head up the bodily infrastructure on the occasion in addition to the sound/lighting for every stage.
- Outreach Staff – There may even probably be entrepreneurs, a publicist, and a sponsorship supervisor. These specialists assist develop consciousness, attendance, and income for the pageant.
- Coordinator and Runners – The individuals who plan journey and transport pageant acts, journalists, and many others.
- In addition to a small military of different workers, safety, volunteers, photographers, social media coordinators, hospitality, and extra.
Keep organized as you analysis festivals
In the event you’re taking your pageant analysis significantly, you’re going to need a central place to retailer all the information you’ve gathered. Make a spreadsheet with all of the related contact and pitching data for every pageant.
Your pageant contact sheet ought to embody:
- Competition title
- Occasion dates
- Deal with/location
- Official web site and social hyperlinks
- Deadlines for submission
- Submission necessities
- Contact information or URL for contact type
- Necessities of the pitch
- Date of pitch
- Date to follow-up
- Some other wants (as an example, if the pageant is abroad, will it’s essential to renew a passport or file different paperwork?)
Make a terrific pageant pitch!
All of your work up till this level has been preparation for the pitch.
Now how are you going to make an plain case on your music at this occasion?
Your pageant pitch ought to:
- Meet all of the pageant’s said necessities (learn rigorously!)
- Be as temporary and punchy as doable, whereas nonetheless emphasizing your {qualifications}
- Make clear within the first paragraph what profit you present to the pageant (bear in mind what I discussed earlier about unforgettable moments, demographics, and mission)
- Embrace your contact information and a hyperlink to your web site’s pageant pitch web page
Keep prepared, even should you don’t get booked for a pageant
In the event you’ve by no means performed a pageant, you might be in an early part of your musical journey the place — since you haven’t confirmed your self at a pageant but — you get a whole lot of rejections. Or only a lack of response.
That most likely looks like a Catch-22: How can I play a pageant if I haven’t performed a pageant?
However one vital factor to remember is: Festivals usually have last-minute emergencies. Bands break up. Artists get sick. Flights get cancelled. Vans break down.
You would possibly have the ability to save the day and rock that pageant slot in spite of everything. However so as to take action, you must keep rehearsed, keep prepared, and be accommodating to the pageant workers you’ve already communicated with.
In the event that they reject your first pitch, don’t be impolite or defensive. Thank them for his or her consideration, and ensure to inform them that if any acts fall by, you’d be thrilled to fill in.
Then you’ll want to attain again out to the pageant within the weeks or days earlier than the occasion. So long as you’re not pestering these individuals night time and day, that followup would possibly arrive simply within the nick of time.
I’m not saying to dam out your calendar for a pageant you’re not scheduled to play. Take different gigs if they arrive up, in fact! But when the dates are nonetheless free when the pageant nears, test in with the organizers once more.
As you may see, there’s quite a bit that goes into taking part in your first music pageant.
From researching the choices, to contemplating that are best for you, to creating a successful pitch. It may be a whole lot of work.
However whenever you’re lastly taking part in in entrance of that enthusiastic pageant crowd, the work may have all been price it.
You received’t go away the occasion fascinated with all of the steps it took to get there.
You’ll be fixated on what’s most vital: the viewers, your music, and the magic that occurs when the 2 meet.