How to Be Your Own Booking Agent: Tools, Tips, and the Power of Persistence

For many independent artists, musicians, and performers, hiring a booking agent can feel out of reach—especially early in your career. But here’s the good news: you don’t need one to start building a solid schedule of gigs and appearances. Many successful creatives have launched their careers by acting as their own booking agents. It’s not easy, but with the right tools, a well-organized calendar, and persistence, you can open doors and create opportunities that others only dream of.

Here’s how to do it.

Step 1: Embrace the Booking Agent Mindset

Booking is a numbers game and a patience game. Not every email will get a response. Not every venue will say yes. But persistence separates those who get gigs from those who don’t. When you take on the role of booking agent, you’re not just trying to land one show—you’re building relationships, learning negotiation skills, and taking control of your career trajectory.

Your new job title is not just "artist." You are now also your own promoter, negotiator, and marketer.

Step 2: Build Your Target List

Start by identifying venues, festivals, podcasts, private event planners, and other booking opportunities that align with your brand and audience. Think beyond traditional venues—consider coffee shops, corporate events, colleges, weddings, breweries, and even house concerts.

Useful tools to help you research and track opportunities:

• Indie on the Move: A great resource for finding venues and getting insider details about booking contacts.

• Sonicbids: Offers access to gigs and opportunities for musicians.

• Bandsintown for Artists: Useful for tour management and connecting with fans.

• GigSalad and The Bash: Platforms where artists can get hired for private and corporate events.

Create a spreadsheet (Google Sheets or Excel work great) and list:

• Venue/Event Name

• Contact Person

• Email/Phone

• Capacity

• Location

• Notes/History (e.g., “friendly to indie folk acts” or “prefers cover bands”)

Step 3: Craft Your Pitch

Booking emails should be short, professional, and compelling. Personalize every email—mention why you want to perform at their venue or event. Always include links to your music or portfolio, press kit, and social media.

Pro tip: Services like Mailtrack (for Gmail) or HubSpot allow you to track if your emails are opened. This can give you valuable insight into your outreach success.

Your electronic press kit (EPK) should include:

• A short bio

• Professional photos

• Links to your best performances or recordings

• Past performance highlights

• Contact info

Step 4: Master Your Calendar

One of the biggest challenges for DIY booking agents is staying organized and dedicating enough time to outreach consistently.

Calendar tools to help:

• Google Calendar: Use it to block out time specifically for booking outreach each week.

• Trello or Asana: Project management apps where you can organize your outreach pipeline (e.g., "To Contact," "Contacted," "Follow Up," "Booked").

• Calendly: Great for scheduling meetings or calls with event organizers without endless email back-and-forth.

Pro tip: Treat booking like a part-time job. Commit a set number of hours per week to researching venues, sending pitches, and following up.

Step 5: Follow Up Like a Pro

If you don’t hear back, follow up in 7-10 days. Sometimes, venues are simply too busy or your email got buried. Persistence often pays off. As the saying goes, “The fortune is in the follow-up.”

Keep your follow-up emails polite, short, and professional. Reiterate your interest and ask if they had a chance to review your previous message.

Step 6: Learn to Negotiate

As your own booking agent, you’ll be negotiating performance fees, set lengths, tech requirements, and hospitality. Research typical pay rates for your type of event and market. Be realistic but also advocate for your value.

Tip: Don’t automatically say no to unpaid gigs. Some unpaid opportunities (like festivals or charity events with large audiences) can be valuable for exposure and networking—just make sure they align with your broader career goals.

Step 7: Track Your Wins and Progress

Keep records of where you’ve played, how much you earned, audience sizes, and any other relevant details. This data will not only help you improve your booking strategy but also strengthen future pitches to venues and event organizers.

Persistence Is Your Superpower

Many artists give up on booking too soon. They assume that a lack of responses means a lack of interest. In truth, booking is a test of endurance. Even professional booking agents face rejection regularly. The difference is they keep going.

Every email you send, every follow-up, and every show you play is a step forward. Over time, you’ll develop relationships, build a reputation, and eventually, you might reach the point where venues start reaching out to you.

Until then, be your own best advocate. Book yourself. Believe in your value. And stay relentless.