booking sites

[ASoRelle]

anyone had any experience with http://www.gigmasters.com/ ? it looks productive, but looks can always be decieving. However, it came up pretty quickly on matches when i did a search for local acts on google.

 

Anything else out there that people are getting a lot of bookings with? I'm in the NW/Ohio S/E Michigan area. Will be for both my band and solo acoustic as well.

[Shaster]

I have no experience with those people and didn't really look over the site in detail. But I have a fair amount of experience with agents. I would say that if you have to sign anything you might want to take a step back - and even then, watch your step.

I have been in many battles with competing agents and have had problems with contractual "lock outs". For instance, just this year I lost a room because an agent booked me in there, then he was fired from the room. Because of his standard artist agreement (which I never signed) I can't play the room on my own until a year passes. The fact that I didn't sign anything with the agent didn't stop him from pestering the venue until they told me they were afraid of him, didn't want any trouble, and therefore would not be hiring me until I was in the free and clear.

So with apologies to all honest agents, remember the riddle; how can you tell an agent is lying? If their mouth is moving...

[daddymack]

Talent booking agents make their money when you work.

Any 'agency' that asks for money up front, is obviously not working for you.

Does gigmasters want you to 'join' or pay a fee up front? Why yes they do...and they don't get you or find you gigs, you have to 'bid' on the ones they have listed.  Oh, and then they want, IIRC, 5% of the take...we reviewed this in the Mus Biz forum several years a go.

Some people absolutely swear by the process, some swear at it. YMMV...

So enter at your own risk, just make sure you know what you are getting into.