There are so many bands and performers anxious to get on the summer festival scene every year, but the truth is that hardly any attach their music or documentation of their fan base on their introductory emails. Without these simple attachments, your email application is simply destined for the trash bin and they don’t have time to follow a link to your website to find whatever they want to see. You probably have only 15 seconds to capture a promoter’s attention.
Lets be clear about one thing, festivals are an ideal opportunity to get onto a stage. An unknown band will not make the main stage at Glastonbury, but there are many other side stages that may feature them. Organisers are keen to provide a wide appeal to increase their chance of a massive turnout at their event and if they want to add a new sound to their repertoire, they first of all need to know what that sound is and the number of your fans that may possibly be drawn to the festival itself. ‘Discovery’ at a festival would be an amazing coup for both you and the Festival itself.
Include a good quality recording of a live gig are imperative. Everyone in the music industry knows that a recorded sound can be manipulated to death to get the right sound for your song. What do you sound like live? Its a critical question and probably of more importance to the festival organisers. If you owned a club or festival wouldn’t you want to see ‘who’ you’re booking? Alternatively, make use of an electronic press kit but make sure your information is up to date and valid before submission.
What can you do to increase your chances of featuring at a festival, or to open for a national act at a club?
First of all, get back to basics and don’t run before you can walk. You usually need to have experience under your belt. So, if you’re a new band, start small at your local clubs and make sure the venue is right for you. Update your online profiles pages so the promoter is not misinformed. Make sure your fan numbers are plainly visible, to do this its best to use a music website platform that collects information from your other online profiles, one such as Reverbnation is quite popular. Make sure your best song is featured first, and remember that 15 seconds from paragraph one! So don’t use a long intro or instrumental (unless that is your thing).
Keep your shows updated on Myspace and other profiles. A promoter wants to see that you’re a working band! It is extremely important that promoters understand where your fans live, since they need to fill their clubs so be sure to connect them to a place that showcases your fan base. Popular festivals and conferences don’t necessarily care as much about a big fan base in their particular market because they usually have bigger artists on board to fill the venue or can rely on the aggregate of all the fans from all the artists that are playing.
Do not submit to something if they are not looking for your genre. It is annoying to the promoter and it is a waste of your time and money. Take the time to update your online profiles and sync everything to give you the most competitive press kit. A promoter is going to think if you took the time to do that, you’ll take the time to publicize the show you may be booked for. Always respect the promoter’s decision and don’t take it personally if they do not select you. While you may not be a good fit for their particular opportunity, it does not mean that you will not be a perfect fit for a future opening! Promoters all know each other and talk together. The last thing you want is having word travel among the promoter community that your band is unprofessional which can lead to lost future opportunities.
The same tips work when submitting to A&R execs, labels, managers, licensing companies, award shows, etc.
Remember, even Lady Gaga was unknown at one time!
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