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• Reputation: 42 Q&A: 1 0 0 24 2 0 Classifieds: 0 0 what's this? Expert: 1 topic Music Panel Follow Following 0 Ben London

  2 0 Good Question. I've always been a big believer that when it comes to music you should never hire someone to do something until there is so much work you can't do it yourself. Not to be a broken record but the days of other people doing it for you, especially in an artist’s development stage, are long gone. It used to be that developing artists dreamed of signing to a label, it seems that finding a good booking agent has replaced that dream. The thing is that most good agents are only interested in taking on new clients if they have built something to begin with. Booking agents get paid a percentage on what the bad makes at shows so 15% of $50 is not going to keep their lights on. Now they will obviously take on new clients that are developing if they think they are going to mature into a bigger act. This would usually be based on the band being signed to a label, established manager, publisher, or blown up in the press/blogs/etc. You may have an easier time hiring a publicist. Hopefully they at least have relationships with the writers and tastemakers that will help you build a little buzz around what you’re doing. Ultimately a publicist is only a magnifying glass so they can only do so much to get coverage. It all depends on how the music/live performance resonates with people. Over the years I’ve seen some bands spend a lot of money trying to get press and get nothing and bands doing it themselves and get a ton. It all just depends on the music. As for reputation. I would suggest the following for anyone you are thinking about hiring. 1) Do your research. Check them out, try to get recommendations, Google them and their company. Try to know as much about them before you approach them. 2) Ask them what they think they can realistically deliver. If you just getting started, ask them if they might consult with you a little bit to help you do some of the work yourself to begin with. 3) Ask them to give you an example of when they did not take on a client. This can tell you a lot. If they never turn anyone down, then you can tell that they are more interested in the steady pay check rather than building their own career/reputation. 4) Agree to all costs and services up front. Find out if you’re paying for mailings, phone bills, etc. Lastly, rather than try to find someone with the contacts and the skills, why not become that person yourself. The more you learn about this stuff the better off you will be and it will either allow you to help yourself or be able to better judge the people you hire. Ben London answered in Music Panel over 2 years ago | Report 1 comment by Jake London… 0 0 Beat me to the punch with a lot of this, Ben, and added some other great thoughts. Excellent post. Ultimately, if you don't know already who the people are that can help you, you probably need to be out and about more in the community figuring that stuff out for yourself, because my answer to that question of who a good person is may be very different than the answer you come to in your own experience. I know it's frustrating in a forum like this when you ask for some specific info (give me names...) and you end up getting back generalities. But the reality is that your needs are going to be specific to you. So it is hard to comment on that. In any case, especially at the outset, I'd be wary about working with anybody who isn't a known commodity inside of your community. Do all the stuff above that Ben suggests. But if there aren't some people you know in the community who can also vouch for this person, think twice about working with them, especially if there isn't a clear and easy exit strategy (e.g.,, no long term agreement). Jake London commented over 2 years ago | Report Enter your comment or ask a new question New comments are not being accepted at this time.

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• Reputation: 103 Q&A: 0 0 5 5 2 0 Classifieds: 0 0 what's this? Follow Following 0

  0 0 I just moved here to do this very thing! I have such a passion for the music that comes out the Pacific Northwest that I just packed up all my stuff and moved out here a month ago to get my foot in the industry here. Let's talk if you are interested. I went to school for Music Business and currently looking to manage and help out local Seattle indie bands. If you're still interested in someone helping out please email me: lydia.nicolena@gmail.com and maybe we can figure something out. sallymae answered in Music Panel over 2 years ago | Report 1 comment by Second Academy… 0 0 Are you by chance still looking for local acts to help? Second Academy commented about 1 year ago | Report Enter your comment or ask a new question New comments are not being accepted at this time.

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• Reputation: 26 Q&A: 1 0 0 8 2 0 Classifieds: 0 0 what's this? Expert: 1 topic Music Panel Follow Following 0

  0 0 I don't have a list. How about: -List your goals and plans for your band so you know what you need from an agent and who you're ultimately looking for. -Consult with a number of agents and promoters to find a good fit. Remember, you're interviewing them, and they're considering taking you on as a client. -Network and find out if any of your friends or favorite bands have agents and promoters they like. You never know when someone has information, or a contact that can help you. Cross pollenization is also key.....Create the scene. Share your goals and information with others, and they in turn will share with you to find resources. Success won't occur in secret, or behind closed doors. Vincent Gates answered in Music Panel over 2 years ago | Report Comment on this answer Enter your comment or ask a new question New comments are not being accepted at this time.

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• Reputation: 48 Q&A: 1 0 0 29 1 0 Classifieds: 0 0 what's this? Expert: 1 topic Music Panel Follow Following 0 Jake London

  0 0 Few people in your position wouldn't like to outsource this task to somebody else. But few people in your position will be able to find this sort of person to take you on, especially in the present climate. People with credible skills and strong references are hard to come by. Their plates are generally quite full. Either they are too big for your project, or they are too busy scrambling with the bands they already have trying to make a living off them. I don't mean to sound flip, but at the start (and often well after the start), the booking agent thing is a don't call us we'll call you scenario. Unless the agent saw you in the flow of their game (perhaps opening for one of their bands) or you were referred to them by somebody they trust (e.g., a club booker or somebody at your label if you are on a label with some credibility), they probably will not take you on unless you are already making a fair amount of stuff happen on your own. If you are making stuff happen on your own, then you will get onto their radar that way, and at that point, you may not be approaching them anymore. They may be approaching you. This leaves you with two options in the mean time: (1) keep booking your own shows; (2) see if there is some inexperienced but passionate friend of yours who might be willing to take on this task. Both of these options have their pluses and minuses. If you DIY it, you'll learn a lot about how the show-booking process works and any headway you make doing it will be equity that you own, because you will have established relationships with club bookers that you can continue to fall back on as the years go by (even if you get in a new band). If you get a friend to help you, you don't have to do it, which can be a plus, and if they end up having any aptitude for the game, you may end up in a better situation than if you'd signed with a more "credible" agent, because your friend is passionate about your thing, and his or her success is more dependent on your success than an agent with more prestige and power. More than one of those more "credible" agents you mentioned in your question started out in the agent biz by being that passionate friend who was willing to help book a band that nobody else believed in early in the curve (the same goes for band managers too). On the other hand, if your friend is incompetent, you'll wish you had kept doing it yourself. Jake London answered in Music Panel over 2 years ago | Report Comment on this answer Enter your comment or ask a new question New comments are not being accepted at this time.

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