Tips and tricks on how to apply to play at festivals

[Sounds of Snow 0]

Hi there

I was wondering if anyone knows any tips and tricks on how to apply to play at festivals etc. 

I heard going to FMbooking agency is a good one but they deal only with big mainstage artists plus i am more of a psychill artist.

I have tried to email festivals directly but i dont get a reply most of the time. 

I kind of get the feeling its who you know rather then what you know in this game.

any tips/tricks will be very welcome

 

Thanks for reading 

[Gagarin Project 400]

Hi man !

 

getting to festival lineup is not that easy, there are 1000* artists out there , and much less of spots to play.

 

i know many artists who got bookings just by sending email to festival.

 

you need to understand what festival needs, and usually they need a combination of two:

A - high quality music that people would enjoy (music must be compatible with concept of event)

B - artist that would attract visitors

 

So my tips would be to gain both quality and popularity : 

release music (ektoplazm, compilations)

promote yourself in internet and your circle of friends

join "notorious" label 

play at small parties 

play at smaller festivals

 

Another trick is to investigate who is making the lineup and to talk directly with this person, but if you are not A and B that will not lead anywhere serious. 

When i was starting nobody wanted to book me, so my solution was to make a lot of DJ mixes in order to be noticed in internet, and probably more importantly - organize my "small" events in order to get confidence, build fan base and by this - get noticed.

 

Good luck

[Gagarin Project 400]

Another trick is to ask your friends who have played at a festival to recommend you to the "booker"  

If you don't have friends who play - you can go to a festival and make that friendship happening.

[Sounds of Snow 0]

Thanks for your reply brother!

thats some sound advice, it seems like  patience and persistance is the key I got an e,p coming out soon with nutek and small gigs coming soon so it sounds like all i have to do is go party more and meet people haha. so easy to be a hermit and stay in and make beats 

[andorra 117]

I would like to add that the introduction/application should be somehow professional and clear. I think it matters how you introduce yourself and try to sell your music to organisers. Be polite and humble, send applications to same places also next year. It will pay off some day

[Sounds of Snow 0]

Kitos pikka! yes being too cocky never helped anyone, i will start apllying in jan/feb to festivals and see what happens