Live Performances

Live performances are very important for a music artist's profession. If you never perform live it can be difficult to promote yourself and it can be difficult for you to sell records, assuming you have produced them. In fact, most performers must first have a few live performances under their belt before they are considered for a record deal.

Live performances are serious business for club owners and other venues. For the club and venue owner, live performances can be quite risky so they are very selective in who they book. They need to be certain that the person the book is going to draw a crowd, which in turn will make them money.

When you are trying to book live performances, you will most likely deal with a variety of people including club owners, managers, promoters and others. When you are approaching a live a venue about live performances, you are going to want to ensure that you are prepared on your end. A promotion kit is almost a necessity. These include a cover letter, a bio of the artist, photos or photo, press clips and a tape or CD of the artist. Additionally, they may include a "Fact Sheet" about the artist or artists performing.

When sending a demo tape or CD, you will only want to include three or four songs. These songs can also be recordings of other live performances you have been booked for. These songs should be related to the type of music that the venue regularly presents.

You have several options when booking live performances as there are many venues available. Some of the more common venues include bars, restaurants, clubs, festivals, concert halls, coffee houses, taverns, schools, churches, stores and shopping malls.

When you are looking into booking live performances, be certain that you have about three to four hours worth of material that you can perform.