The struggling musician, it isn’t just a cliché, it’s true. You
know, music is a tough business to be in but with a little drive
and determination you too can find gigs. Over the next few
minutes I am going to give you some tips on how to book gigs.

First of all, you need to market yourself and do a little
networking. Build a solid foundation, a good reputation in the
music scene. If you happen to find yourself in a city where your
genre of music is under appreciated then you might have to
travel a bit outside the city limits.

You are definitely going to have to have your stuff together to
get gigs. You are going to need some sort of demo tape or CD to
give out to clubs, bars and anyone else who doesn’t have the
time to hear a live audition. You also need to have a list of
songs, a resume and a thick skin. A thick skin is necessary
because there is a chance that you will get turned down.

If you don’t already have a demo tape then you definitely need
to get one. You can rent time in a studio, rent a portable home
studio or record it yourself. I would suggest doing it
professionally if you want to get the best sound quality
possible.

The first place to start is checking out your local open mic
nights. You definitely won’t get any dough for these but you
could win a cash prize, if offered. The beginning is hard but if
you get your name and your sound out there then you are setting
yourself up with the hook ups to find gigs in the future.

The internet is a powerful resource for finding places to book
gigs. Scour the internet looking for places that have live
music. Get a list going of places that offer your style of music
so you will have some spots to check out. You can also check out
festivals, fairs or city concerts where you can perform in front
of a huge audience. If you want to get gigs then you are going
to have to get exposure and this type of venue gives you
precisely that.

Before you go and visit these spots you need to have a resume
of some sort in addition to your demo tape. Get a website or
better yet, a MySpace page. You can use this as a reference that
people can go to and here your music and read your bio.

Lastly, if you want to find gigs and book gigs then you might
want to consider some business cards. This is an inexpensive way
to leave your information all over the town. You not only will
appear more professional but you will also give people an easy
way of remembering and contacting you or your band.

Once you build a solid foundation for yourself and/or your
band, then you are one step closer to booking all kinds of
amazing gigs. Just remember, networking will be your most
powerful skill and will help you find gigs that give you the
exposure and dollars that you need.