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Music Booking Agents

Discover the best music booking agents for your act

By Kristina Seleshanko
Whether you're a professional musician or have been asked to organize a music event for your business or charity organization, you'll need music booking agents. As a professional musician, a booking agent allows you to focus on your real job--music. Some music booking agencies also have exclusive rights to book certain venues, so you can only break into those markets with their help. And as a producer for a business or charity event, concert booking agents also save you endless hassle and frustration trying to locate particular artists within your budget.

There are a vast number of music booking agents in the United States. How do you choose the right one to represent you or your business? Begin by recognizing three basic categories of music booking agencies:

1. Music booking agents for nationally recognized musicians

2. Music booking management for regional acts

3. Booking agents for music that's considered "specialty"

 

Entertain nationally known music booking

If you're seeking nationally known musicians, bands and singers for an event, there are booking agents who concentrate on helping you obtain them. Some book big-time stars like Celine Dion, while others will help you find one-time radio hit performers.
Try: Grabow does live music booking for national, high budget singers, bands and musicians. National Booking Agency provides nationally known musicians and musical groups for casinos, conventions and similar venues. JL Entertainment is a tour booking agent with nationally recognized hip hop, country, jazz, rock musicians, as well as well-known performers from other genres. Millionaire Concierge books a wide variety of famous singers and musical groups.

Score regional booking agents for music

Whether you want more affordable, professional musicians and acts for a local event, or you desire representation from a smaller-scale booking agent, regional sources are a great place for quality talent. Most regional booking agents provide entertainment for corporate events, weddings, clubs, festivals and similar locales.
Try: Open Booking Agency of WI books regional musical acts for weddings, clubs, festivals, fairs and corporate events. Musicians Booking Agency of NC does live music booking for rock, big band, classical, country, new age, oldies and more. For corporate events, private parties, fundraisers and similar events, Booking Entertainment of NY provides musicians from a wide range of genre styles. San Francisco Booking Agency provides jazz, big band, classical, Latin, dance and solo acts.

Rediscover favorites through music booking agencies

If you perform in a speciality act--or if you're seeking a unique act for an event--there are booking agents ideal for you. Some specialize in look-alikes, others in nostalgic music, and still others in "smaller" genres of music like folk or gospel.
Try: Sparkle Agency offers bookings for look-alike and tribute performers, like Michael Jackson. The Richard De La Font Agency provides folk, African, gospel, musical theater and many other musicians for a wide variety of events. Classic Rock USA is an event and concert booking agency with well-known but "nostalgic" musicians like Chubby Checker and Little Anthony and the Imperials. Gig Salad has a large number of oldies available for events.

 

  • For booking music, agencies receive a percentage (typically 15%) of any money you or your band earns. However, booking agents for musicians should not take a percentage of any merchandise you sell, nor should a reputable agent ask a musician to pay them directly for their services.

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