As a musician, one of the most important aspects of your career is getting live gigs. Playing live shows is a great way to connect with your audience, promote your music, and build your brand. However, getting live shows can be a challenging task. Luckily for you you’ve already found GigRealm! In this blog post, we’ll share some tips on how to increase your chances of getting gigs and building a successful career as a musician.
- Build your audience.
Let’s get straight to it. Play local, earn local. Start off in your local area and don’t be afraid to ask venues whether they do live music or not. If not, why not? It might just be your lucky day. GigRealm are also here to help you access these venues as well so check us out. You can also reach out to your local council to see if you’re able to busk. Busking is a fantastic way to break out of your comfort zone and give performing live a go. Then it’s about promoting on socials to build that online audience. Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter are great ways to promote your music and connect with fans. By building a strong following on social media, you’ll be more attractive to venues looking to book acts. As always, the best way to build a following is to play local shows! Everyone loves a hometown hero!
2. Create a press kit.
Once you’ve built your audience, the next step is to create a press kit. A press kit should include your bio, a list of your past performances, and high-quality recordings or videos of your music. This will give venues and industry professionals an idea of who you are and what you can offer as a musician. Your GigRealm profile also doubles as a totally free EPK to help you with your career.
3. Reach out to venues.
Once you have a press kit, it’s time to reach out to venues. Look for venues that fit your style of music and send them your press kit along with a proposal for a performance. Be sure to include any relevant information, such as the size of your audience and any relevant past performances. With your GigRealm EPK everything the venue would want to see is directly on your profile. You can also be as proactive as you want and contact venues with open gigs around you.
4. Network with other musicians and industry professionals.
Networking is key to getting live gigs. Attend music festivals and industry events and connect with other musicians and industry professionals on social media. Building relationships with other musicians and industry professionals can open up opportunities for collaborations and gigs.
5. Be persistent.
Getting live gigs can take time and effort. Be persistent in reaching out to venues and building your audience. It can take time to get live gigs, but persistence and hard work will pay off in the end.
6. Be professional.
When you do get a gig, it’s important to be professional. Be on time and try to behave when you are performing/communicating with venues. This applies to other industry professionals as well. Showing up with a good attitude will go a long way for your music and career.
7. Be flexible.
Be open to playing different types of gigs and events, like private parties, corporate events, or opening for bigger acts, it’s a good way to get your name out there and build a fan base. Luckily GigRealm can connect you to any gig you could want. We cater for anything from festivals to small acoustic sets in a local pub.
8. Join a local musician organisation.
Join local musicians’ organisation, they can help you get gigs, and provide resources and support for your career. The Musicians Union can really help you as you’re starting out your career. Also check us out on the MU’s career opportunities page!
In conclusion, getting live gigs as a musician can be challenging, but by following these tips and being dedicated to your craft, you can increase your chances of getting live gigs and building a successful career as a musician. Building your audience, creating a press kit, reaching out to venues, networking with other musicians and industry professionals, being persistent, being professional, being flexible, and joining local musicians’ organisation, are key steps to achieving your goal of getting live gigs. Sign up to GigRealm today to start your journey. Gigs start here.
