Learn the secrets of music festival booking

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MUSIC BIZ 101

Just recently I asked an audio technician to download selected songs to promote Aboriginal music to festival presenters who are currently booking for the summer live performance season. Rather than send out several different CDs with the artist's accompanying material for consideration to the festival organizers, my preference is to call the artists and discuss which are their strongest songs for live performance. From my experience, an artist's CD almost never sounds like what you hear live. I select two songs to send to festival organizers that are representative of the artist's live gigs.

A full CD is certainly acceptable to submit, but for efficiency suggest a few songs to maximize booking potential.

The more established festivals have literally hundreds of submissions from artists wanting to perform and it takes a team of people to listen to each one. For instance, the Ottawa Bluesfest is the second largest blues festival in North America, just behind the Chicago Blues Festival. The Ottawa Bluesfest receives more than a thousand submissions yearly competing for time on the 10 stages throughout the 10-day festival. When asked about how best to apply to appear at this festival, founder Mark Monahan said: "Keep things simple. Include any reviews because every band says they're the best. What convinces me is a great review of a live performance by an artist."

Running a good music festival involves a staff of committed volunteers, but it also means some effort on the part of the artists. This means arriving at the designated time and stage area well before you are set to perform. The volunteer staff is available to do their best to respond to artists' needs as they arise, but if you get a reputation for making things difficult, this news spreads like wildfire. Ultimately, the festival organizer will find out about it and that will not bode well with the agent that booked you.

Hanging out after your performance to check out other acts is welcome, but once an artist finishes his or her set, it is expected that he or she will vacate the dressing room to allow for its use by the next artist. Space is always limited backstage, so personal belongings should be secured in an alternative place.

Music festivals offer an opportunity for artists to sell their CDs and merchandise. After a performance, have a few CDs on hand to sell off stage and then head out to the concession area to sign CDs, take photographs and to meet your new fans.

Festival organizers try to satisfy the varied musical appetites of their audiences by booking a mix of artists throughout their festival. In this business, relationships are built and it's all about who you know and how they are linked in the business. A good working relationship with one person invariably leads to other opportunities for artists.

Check out Web sites for more information on submission criteria and deadlines for submissions to summer festivals. There are literally thousands of festivals worldwide with a range of opportunities for an emerging artist like you to "pay your dues."

This column is for reference and education only and is not intended to be a substitute for legal advice. The author assumes no liability for any outdated information. Ann Brascoupe owns What's Up Promotions. She may be reached at abrascoupe@hotmail.com.