Booking Agent

What Is a Booking Agent?

A booking agent is a person who helps musicians get live shows. Artists hire booking agents to find places for them to perform.

The main job of a booking agent is sales. They want to get their client booked for shows. They talk to venues about available dates, set up show schedules, handle contracts, and negotiate how much the artist will get paid.

The most important part of the job is talking to people. A booking agent spends a lot of time on email and phone calls.

A booking agent does not promote shows, get sponsorship deals, book TV or radio appearances, or help develop the artist’s career. Those jobs belong to the artist manager or public relations team.

How Do Booking Agents Get Paid?

Booking agents usually earn a commission. This is a percentage of what the artist earns from the show. Common rates are 10% to 20%.

For example, if a band gets paid $1000 for a show, the booking agent gets $100 to $200. The agent takes this from the band’s fee.

Some agents also charge a retainer. This is a monthly fee paid by the artist whether or not they play shows.

How Does a Booking Agent Find Shows?

Being a booking agent is like being a salesperson. The agent must know many people in the music business.

The agent first looks for venues that fit the artist’s style. They think about the type of music the artist plays, the artist’s image, and how popular the artist is.

Then the agent contacts talent buyers. Talent buyers are the people who decide who performs at a venue. The agent reaches out to people they already know first.

Good booking agents know many people in the music business. These include talent buyers, venue managers, festival organizers, and promoters.

Read What Does a Live Music Booking Agent Do? to learn more about what booking agents actually do on the day-to-day basis.

Signs It Is Time to Hire a Booking Agent

• You have too many gig requests and cannot keep up
• You want to play beyond your local area
• You want to tour but do not know how
• You want to focus on music instead of booking
• You want to play bigger venues or festivals

Read When to Consider Hiring a Booking Agent for Your Band if you’re thinking about hiring a booking agent.

What Is the Difference Between Booking Agents and Artist Managers

Booking agents and artist managers often work together. The manager handles the big picture. The agent handles the details of getting shows.

The manager may decide which cities to tour. The agent then finds shows in those cities. The manager negotiates the overall deal. The agent handles the day-to-day booking.

Sometimes one person does both jobs. But often they are separate roles.