The GigTools Blog

Career advice for working performers.

Practical, no-fluff articles on booking, fees, contracts, travel and the business side of life on stage. New every week.

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A performer working through numbers at a kitchen table with a laptop, notepad, calculator and microphone
Money

How to Set Your Performance Fee (and Know When to Raise It)

A practical way to price your act, quote with confidence and move your rate up without losing the clients you already have.

The GigTools Team · · 5 min read
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Hands signing a printed performance agreement at a wooden desk next to a tablet and microphone Contracts

What Every Performance Agreement Should Include

The clauses that protect your fee, your time and your sanity, explained in plain English for performers and speakers.

· 4 min read A performer on the phone with a checklist, walking through an empty venue as the stage is set Gig Prep

The Advance Call: 12 Things to Confirm Before Every Gig

A ten-minute call a week or two out prevents most show-day disasters. Here's exactly what to cover, and a script to make it easy.

· 3 min read A performer with a suitcase and instrument case waiting at an airport gate at dawn On the Road

Travel Day Survival: Flights, Delays and Backup Plans for Performers

Getting to the gig is half the job. A practical guide to planning fly dates so delays and cancellations don't become no-shows.

· 4 min read A performer in headphones editing a live show video on a laptop in a home studio Marketing

Building a Demo Reel Bookers Will Actually Watch

Bookers often decide in the first few seconds. Here's how to plan, shoot and edit a reel that gets you hired.

· 3 min read A performer sitting on a road case backstage, smiling while sending a message on a phone Business

After the Applause: How to Follow Up and Get Rebooked

The easiest gig to book is the one you just played. Here's what to do in the days and months after a show to turn one booking into many.

· 3 min read A performer writing an email on a laptop at a cafe table Booking

How to Write a Booking Email That Actually Gets a Reply

Bookers are busy and their inboxes are full. Here's how to write a short, specific pitch that earns a response.

· 4 min read A wall calendar and an open planner covered in colored sticky notes beside a phone and coffee Booking

Holds, Options and How to Never Double-Book Yourself

How to manage tentative dates so you don't lose good gigs, annoy good clients or end up promised to two places at once.

· 4 min read