Why do some musicians get booked all the time, while others who seem to be just as good are left out of work?
In a perfect world, the best musicians would always be the ones out gigging. But in reality, we know that’s often not the case.
Being a musician today is so much more than just being an exceptional instrumentalist or singer. How you present yourself and communicate with your clients can have just as big an impact on your success as the hours you’ve spent in the practice room.
We’ve cut through the fluff by drilling down into our data to give you the most accurate predictors of success online.
With spring being a quiet time for bookings, there’s no better time to polish up your Encore profile and make sure you’re ready for summer bookings.
Our 4 top tips for becoming the most booked musician are:
Let’s dive in…
Upload the best media
The insight:
Last year we watched the videos of all active musicians on Encore and assigned them a quality ranking based on the quality of the audio/imagery, the level of musicianship on display, and the range of skills displayed. You can learn more about how and why we undertook this “online audition” process here.
We found that:
musicians with media that was rated “Excellent” were 3 times more likely to be booked than those with “Poor” media.
Excellent: video and audio quality is professional, the musicianship on display is of an exceptionally high standard.
Poor: video is not professionally shot and the musicianship on display contains some mistakes.
What you can do:
- Upload your best videos and photos from 2023
Your profile is your shop front. Put outdated, poorly positioned imagery there and you’ll turn away potential customers. Put up your best photos and videos and you’re much more likely to have customers pouring through your door.
- Book a photo or video shoot
Our data shows that having a brilliant showreel is one of the best ways of ensuring you win bookings. Online, your showreel is the closest a potential client gets to see you live before booking. Wow them with your video, and the bookings will follow.
Joey’s story
Joey’s been an Encore member for 2 years. Until recently he hadn’t been booked. Then in November 2018 something changed.
He uploaded the beautifully shot video below. He’s since been booked 3 times in the last 3 weeks and is rapidly becoming one of our most popular singing guitarists.
3. Make sure you have a great cover photo
Our new profile design places a lot of emphasis on imagery.
Get ahead of the curve and make sure you have a brilliant cover photo uploaded and rearranged on your profile.
Be the fastest responder
You might be the best musician in the world, but when shopping online people can be impatient. If you can improve how quickly you respond to customers, you’ll see an increase in the number of bookings you receive.
The Insight
Our data shows that:
musicians who respond to clients within 3 hours are 4x more likely to win bookings than those who take longer than 3 hours to respond.
What you can do
Download the NEW app
Our new app makes it incredibly simple to reply to clients quickly and easily. It’s the fastest way to get back to clients when you’re on the go.
Use cover note templates
The message template feature makes it easy to store your most popular response to clients. Next time you write a wedding cover note, why not store it in your templates and so you can use it again for a future wedding client.
Quote clear, competitive prices
The Insight
20% of client feedback we received in 2018 asked for clearer pricing information.
Add your price guide
Thoughout 2018, our clients consistently asked for clear upfront pricing. Instead of waiting for quotes, clients prefer to see prices. Complete your price guide now to increase your chances of receiving enquiries.
Check your pricing against the competition
We’ve added a link to the search page from your profile so you can easily compare your profile with top-ranking profiles in your category. You should try to take into account how popular your service is likely to be, where you are placed geographically. Browse other Encore profiles here.
Stay current
Learn popular songs and add them to your Song list
Get familiar with the most popular songs for your instrument and event type and then become an expert at performing them!
Articles like this guide to romantic wedding songs are a great place to start.
Trends in Musician Booking for 2023
More and more clients want experiences rather than simply a plain vanilla musical performance. We’re seeing an increase in demand for niche musical entertainment like mariachi bands and Bavarian oompah bands as well as interest in “Mumford and Sons-style” bands.
If you’re not planning on forming any groups soon, no worries! You can also spice up your act by offering services that most musicians leave out. For example, why not show off your musical ability by mixing a few of your songs into a mash-up or taking requests