First, I need to clarify the difference between “booking” and “talent buying”.  

Booking is generally considered the act of bands going out and finding shows, either on their own or through an agent. 

Talent buying is the act of a promoter (such as Fusion Shows) or a venue working with bands to create a show.  

As such, I’m a talent buyer.  I work with local bands themselves, and then work with booking agents for national bands to put together shows.  ”Booking” is also kind of a general term to cover the entire process, but it’s important that people know the difference.  

The booking/buying process takes a million different shapes.  Sometimes, a promoter/venue has a specific date they need to fill, as in our case with Bled Fest each year.  We know the date, and we reach out to bands and their agents, asking them to let us know if they are available.  

But for regular tours, it’s generally the band’s team that starts the process.  Here’s the basic outline:

1.  Band says “Let’s go on tour”, tells agent “Hey agent, we want to tour from March 1 to April 30”.  

2.  Agent “routes” the tour, which can be best defined by saying that it’s putting markets in the best order to maximize efficiency for driving.  It’s way more complicated than that, but it’ll do for now.  

3.  Agent reaches out to the promoter/venue and asks them to hold a date (or a range of dates for flexibility’s sake), and then asks for an offer.

4.  The promoter prepares an offer, including pay to band and a budget for other expenses (catering, production, advertising, etc).  Basically, we submit an offer based on how many people we think will show up.  

5.  Agent compares offers, negotiates and confirms with the promoter that makes sense.  

6.  The show goes onsale, and the promoter advertises, sells tickets, and produces the show.  

A good promoter combines routed tours with created showdates to make a really good schedule to keep them busy without over-working themselves!  I was NOT a good promoter this fall (we had 48 shows over two months, and are EXHAUSTED).

If you’re unsigned, it’s hard to book a tour, but not impossible.  It’s all about making friends with people who can help you do something intimate.  If you’re not making national news, you’re not going to draw in places you’ve never played, so start small, hop on bills with bands you’ve made friends with, and keep drives short.  It IS pretty much impossible to just cold calls venues that are worth playing.  You need to get to know people in places where you want to play.  

As for where to start, you just need to get involved with your local promoter, venue, or band.  Start by helping promote.  Promotion is the most needed help for everyone involved, and the easiest thing to do with no experience.  Ask lots of questions!  Be willing to work crazy hours, drive long distances, and deal with all kinds of conditions.  A lazy booker never gets anywhere.