I’m regularly asked by Artists as to how they can get the attention of Promoters, Booking Agents, Labels, etc.
This is what I tell them:
• Many of my peers think they are uniquely busy, that no other industry is quite as busy as ours, which is a bit daft, but it’s worth bearing this in mind when you approach them.
• There are 1,001 reasons for someone not getting back to you, and only one of those is because they are being intentionally rude to you specifically, which is pretty unlikely. If someone doesn’t get back to you, even after prompting, it almost certainly has nothing to do with you. Most of us have a tendency to get annoyed when people (often strangers, in public) don’t behave in the way we’d like them to, but unless people know what our rules are – and agree to follow them – they can’t be expected to. It’s frustrating, but one knows what your version of being polite and respectful is, and these things mean different things to different people and different cultures. Also, we have no idea what is going on in the person’s life when they receive your message.
What can you do to better your chances?
Fewer and fewer people in the music industries are willing to take a chance on brand new Artists with very small followings, so make sure your public profile (socials, website etc I) makes it look like you know what you’re doing. Not every Artist likes to think of their creative output as being part of a business, but it is. Ultimately, there’s only so much most people will do for you for free, so if you present yourself in a way that makes it appear that you’re worth investing in, you’ll increase your chances.
Then, in your message to them:
1. Immediately tell them who you are
2. Tell them what you want (I get many emails from people who aren’t clear about this)
3. Tell them why you want it from them specifically
Everyone has an ego. Everyone likes to feel special, to feel seen and recognised for what they’ve done. No one likes to be the 20th person you’ve copied and pasted a “Hey!” email to, especially if they can see that it is.
If you’re looking for a gig, tell them you’re looking for a gig, but do your homework first and tell them you want to support X show, and why you’re specifically suited to that show/bill/headliner. And if you’re able to say that you like their venue and or programming, and that you’ve been to X or Y show at their place, then that’s great. You’ve something in common.
Don’t over-promise. If they can see you have very few fans, they’ll know you’ll probably not be able to bring an audience with you, but not every promoter needs every single show to make a profit. Some can and will take risks on new things, and the better your connection with them, the better the chances you will be one of those new things.
If you’re emailing a label, tell them you’re looking for a label, and try to speak specifically to your belief in a connection between you and what you do and what they’re doing/have done. For example, if you love a particular song on a particular album that they’ve released, tell them that.
If you’re emailing a Manager, specifically state that you’re looking for a Manager. Many Artists get in touch and use phrases such as “looking for someone to help” or “someone who can help me realise my vision” or such. You need to make it clear that you know the person you’re emailing is a manager – they may do many things so you need to be clear in which capacity you’re getting in touch – and it’s advisable to be more specific than just saying you like their roster. Give them more, talk about their Artists, find a connection.
Maybe you’ve heard someone speak at a conference and it really resonated with you, or a social media post they made really struck you. If that’s the case, let them know.
Then, remove as much friction as you can:
- Don’t add any large files
- Don’t make them scroll for ages; if it’s possible, everything should be visible to them without scrolling on a laptop or desktop screen, and since they might be reading your message on a phone, all the more reason to keep things to the point.
Re-read your email and remove any words that don’t need to be there, so long as the email still reads as being personal and professional. Remember, everyone thinks they are very busy, and some sectors (promoters particularly) get a lot of emails from Artists looking for shows. Be different.
Of course, you might still not get an answer. None of the above is a guarantee, but generally in life people get along better when they have a connection, a shared interest or experience. See if you can find one with the person you’re cold-emailing.
Good luck!