Booking agents inhabit a unique position that requires them to constantly balance art and business. While nailing the logistics side and building business contacts is essential for an agent, understanding the artist's perspective can also be a crucial building block of a successful professional relationship.
With an ability to scout talent and communicate grounded expectations, a booking agent can be a powerful liaison between a band and the world of live music. But what should a booking agent search for when forming a client list? How can an agent use music-focused software to enhance the business? By creating relationships built upon mutual respect and realistic career paths, agents can enhance their reputation while enjoying the best seat in the house for watching up-and-coming talent.
Features That Help Booking Agents Thrive in the Rejuvenated World of Live Music
With the global live-music scene growing by about 25% in 2022, the industry is enjoying a major boom thanks to pent-up demand. More importantly for a booking agent operating in the U.S., the live-music market grew faster than the rest of the American economy.
As agents look to flesh out their client lists and seize fresh opportunities, there are a few things that can help maximize an agent's footprint:
Insist That Musicians Know the Business
While a booking agent doesn't have to be able to play a concert themselves, they do need to be able to communicate a respect and understanding of a band's music. On the flip side, musicians that understand the basics of the business suggest to a booking agent that they're ready to take the next step forward. A band that hasn't taken the time to learn some elements of the business side of their profession might need more experience before a booking agent invests time into them.
Related: How to Promote a Music Festival in 2022
Be Willing to Say No
A situation with inexperienced clients who don’t understand some of the most important aspects of the overall business leads to one of the most difficult parts of a booking agent's job: saying no. There will be times when an agent simply loves a musician's work and wants them to succeed, but they may need some more seasoning before they're ready to fulfill their potential. If a band doesn't know their best markets or simply hasn't performed in enough gigs yet, saying no—or not yet—can turn out to be advantageous for both parties.
Cultivate Successful Relationships with Band Managers
Forming a close professional relationship with a band's manager can also be very beneficial. Not only is it expected to a certain extent, but a booking agent might be able to step in and provide services that a band manager isn't performing. A high level of commitment and willingness to help makes a booking agent indispensable, enhances the relationship, and paves the way for future success.
Envision New Opportunities That Can Help Bands Grow
As some experienced booking agents look at it, there are essentially three phases of the agent’s process: discovery, guiding a musician's career, and handling live-event logistics. While experience, problem-solving, and the right software platform can help efficiently tackle the logistics, the career-building aspect can help an agent's business truly flourish.
To successfully grow a musician's career, a booking agent needs to be able to analyze the situation and recognize opportunities as they present themselves. A band may be used to performing a series of smaller events, but there are times when one large event will leave a much bigger impact on the tour city or town.
In some cases, the opposite might be true and smaller events will allow a more meaningful connection to the band. Knowing which is the better path means understanding your client, the advantages of the prospective venues, and how to generate the most buzz possible.
Related: How to Find Bands to Play at Your Venue: Building Agent Relationships
Making such shifts can not only enhance a band's outlook but also prove a booking agent's value and networking abilities. While musicians should have a decent handle on their potential markets, a booking agent should have a much wider network of contacts that provide pathways the band hasn't yet considered. Helping pull together a great show in a new town or city will enhance an agent's credibility while growing a band's confidence.
Successful Agents Find the Right Fit with Clients
Ultimately, a band's professionalism reflects upon the booking agent, making it critical that a band is ready for the types of events that are booked. The entire arrangement might be built upon the hope of making it big someday, but the band has to be ready for the here and now on the path to greater things.
This is exactly why agents might need to be selective when working with clients. Agents will do what they have to early in the process of building a business, but it can be wise to find a musical niche when setting up a client list for the long run.
Booking agents who understand their strengths will have an easier time forming successful relationships with new talent and venue managers. Understanding a specific niche can also help an agent quickly realize whether a band is ready to take a leap forward, or whether it's best to stick with more modest bookings for the time being.
Providing a Professional Touch to the Artistic Process
Musicians tend to hire booking agents because they're focused on getting results for their painstaking efforts. Although bands naturally believe in their music, it's up to the professional personnel around them to keep them grounded—especially a booking agent serving as a live-concert coordinator. Agents who can capitalize on industry contacts and illuminate achievable career paths can forge a trust that is mutually beneficial.
A booking agent also has an inside look at the band's potential that can prove invaluable. By looking at a band's press kit and social media presence, for example, an agent can see where a band does and does not effectively showcase their talent and brand.
Much like handling whatever logistics are required for a live concert, the effective booking agent can pinpoint other areas where a band can use a professional eye and industry knowledge. Bolstered by healthy professional relationships built on trust and realistic planning, an agent can help give a band or musician the best possible chance at long-term success.
To enjoy a major boost in scheduling, executing the contract, and handling logistics, contact Prism to see how software engineered by music insiders can make all the difference.
