How to Become a Music Promoter

A comfortable setting will keep your patrons coming back for more.

Becoming a music promoter requires balancing whatever moves people artistically with projects that make money. Negotiating these priorities is the margin between success and failure--which is never far away when there's no other backup but the box office. Successful promoters combine risk-taking and entrepreneurial skills in a field with such a high attrition rate that it leaves little doubt about one reality--this is no place for the faint-hearted.

Things You'll Need

• Cell phone
• Computer
• Liability insurance
• Multiple phone lines
• Street teams

Instructions

Start Local

1. Start local. Unless you're doing an internship with a major promoter, you won't begin a career by booking national acts. Working behind the scenes at a benefit--or scheduling a triple bill at a coffeehouse--will give an excellent grounding in how the music business actually works.

2. Know what you'll spend on the big details--most performers don't bring their own PA (public address) systems, so you'll have to rent one or find somebody to provide that equipment. Don't forget to include hall rentals, promotion and whatever small guarantees you're paying to headliners.

3. Bargain hard for everything from hall rentals, to printing and advertising costs--although you'll operate from your own pocket in the beginning, there's no reason to make a habit of it. Every dollar laid out ahead of time is one you don't recoup until showtime.

4. Recruit trusted friends and relatives to handle the basic tasks that fall beyond your immediate ability to handle, such as security and ticket-taking. Give them some basic training in those responsibilities--they're representing you, so it's critical that their interactions with patrons are positive ones.

Get Your Game up

1. Start scouting larger venues as your shows build crowds and makes money. Don't let fear of failure hold you back--with so many inept people calling themselves promoters, audiences will reward someone who takes the trouble to get the basics right.

2. Develop contracts with all of your bands and assistants, so that everyone knows what's expected at showtime. Leave no detail to chance, such as schedules and sound check times--a gesture that your audiences, bands and crews will appreciate.

3. Carefully consider your pay scales. National touring acts usually get a guarantee based on their drawing power. Give local acts a percentage against the door, a token fee ($10 to $50) or one-way gas money payment until they prove themselves.

4. Make every show stand out--don't just submit the typical token press releases and cross your fingers. In this electronic era, so many promotions cost little or nothing--a coordinated MySpace campaign or volunteer street team to blanket areas with flyers is worth a couple of expensive radio ads.

5. Court your customers' attention aggressively--why give them excuses to spend money elsewhere? Create offbeat contests and prizes to build loyalty and buzz--it's the best way of ensuring repeat business.

It's Your Show

1. Discuss what worked--or didn't--with your team after every show, and take notes for reference. As a fledgling promoter, making mistakes is a given. The trick is to move forward and learn from them.

2. Leave no doubt who's running the show, and never back down on principles. If a local band didn't bring the minimum number of patrons that you expected--and shouldn't get paid--tell them so. If you're docking a headliner for showing up late, follow up your intent.

3. Realize that performers need healthy egos to survive, but when those attitudes cross over into unhealthy behavior, don't sit still for it. Sometimes, it's better to book somebody whose ego is smaller than their talent, than the other way around.

4. Develop a business plan, even if it's an informal one, and review it every six months to measure the progress you're making. Always keep a clear target in mind--it's not enough to tell yourself, "a year from now, I'll be the best neighborhood promoter."

Tips & Warnings

• Always have contingency plans--sometimes, one successful show has to pay for three or four that flop, especially in the beginning.

• Make your patrons comfortable--keep equipment changeovers to a minimum between bands, and play appropriate background music while that's happening.

• Think long-term about the need for liability insurance, which is another responsibility that you'll take on as business grows.

• Beware of bands with uber-guestlists--allow them to bring one or two people apiece, and no more. Every person who doesn't pay admission is a direct hit to your pocketbook.

• Don't skimp on basics--the friend who hasn't run a PA system since he stopped playing in bands might not be the best choice for a soundman.

• Remember--you're not just selling a show, but an experience, to the buyer. Give them a night to remember positively, and they'll come back more than once.

• Separate business and friendship whenever possible. In a critical situation, you may have to choose between disappointing your band buddies or business associates, and someone will walk away embittered.