How to Become an Entertainment Booking Agent

The term booking agent can cover a lot of ground in the entertainment industry, but in general it is a person who knows how to make deals. The booking agent makes appointments, usually performance or appearance dates, for actors, models, singers and comedians. There is no formal education or college coursework required to become a booking agent. It comes down to getting your foot in the door on the ground level of an entertainment business.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Experience with a talent agent or booking agent
• Rolodex filled with entertainment industry contacts
• Roster of talent-actors, singers, musicians, models and other entertainment industry professional

1. Learn as much as you can about the business. If you want to book comedians, for example, spent time around comics, read trade magazines about the business of touring and putting on concerts. Most people have a glamorous idea of how concerts and shows happen. You will need to convince an act you are trustworthy and knowledgeable about how things really work.

2. Seek work in the field as a volunteer. This is not a field not rewards the meek or shy, so you must be very forward. Identify club owners and bookers; get to know them and when there is some down time, ask them how they got started in the business and what you can do to get started. Try to get work at entertainment venues, which will help expose you to the business end of things. In a 2005 interview with the website Absolute Punk, music booker Josh Lacey said this is the time to "be a sponge. When you are learning ask questions, but most of all soak everything in."

3. Seek internships in an established entertainment booking house and agency. This will likely mean moving to an entertainment center like New York or Los Angeles. Most of the major firms go beyond booking and have agents who represent clients in legal and contract matters. The exposure to all facets of the business can only strengthen your resume and reputation.

4. Make as many contacts as possible. An entertainment booking agent must expect to start at the low end of the profession and make friends on the way. Part of the job is maintaining positive contacts with the artist you represent, the venues the artist may perform at, and any other people who can help the artist's career. You must be a "people person" who can work with all of those types, as well as the media. Experience is the only way to learn how to do this job.

Tips & Warnings

• There is no formal education or college coursework required to become a booking agent. While most entertainment industry talent agents at large firms are lawyers, it is not a prerequisite for an aspiring entertainment booking agent to have a degree to be successful.

• If you cannot work with one of the established booking and talent agencies headquartered in Los Angeles or New York, seek employment with a modeling agency or music booking agency in your city to become an entertainment booking agent.

• Once you've spent a minimum of 5 years as a booking agent with a rolodex filled with entertainment contacts, you can begin a career as a freelance booking agent.

• The State of California requires all Talent Agents to be licensed. Verify the local and state requirements to become an agent in your city.

References

• Absolute Punk: Josh Lacey interview by Frank Giaramita; 2005
• Head Core Records

Resources

• Association of Talent Agents