How to get gigs as a solo musician: work the pipeline

Booking sites, your site, referrals and venues: work the pipeline. Lesson 2.6, Where Gigs Come From, is a game you play as your own act, for solo acts, duos and bandleaders.

Lesson 2.6 · about 20 minutes

Where Gigs Come From

Booking sites, your site, referrals and venues: work the pipeline.

It's January and March is empty. Here's where the gigs come from, and how to keep them coming.

Skill: Fill the Pipeline

Booking pipeline game, Lesson 2.6 Where Gigs Come From: the first call on a phone screen, a GigSalad lead: a 50th birthday, Saturday March 14, 3 hours, 20 minutes from home.... — The first call, as you see it in the game. Your act's name goes where it says Your Act.

Your first call

A GigSalad lead: a 50th birthday, Saturday March 14, 3 hours, 20 minutes from home. Budget on the form: $200. Your 3-hour party number is $400. The lead went out to six acts.

APass. $200 is half your number, and a quote takes 20 minutes.
B"3 hours is $400. For $200 I can do a one-hour dinner set." Plus one line from a client.
CSend the full quote: rate sheet, three packages, the song list and two videos, so she sees the whole value.

Every option is something a working player really does. Which one would you pick? The game shows you what each one costs or earns.

▶ Play 2.6 free Get Unit 2 · $49

What you walk away with

The skill: Fill the Pipeline.
Your after-lesson checklist: clear steps and "say it like this" scripts, with your act's name on it. Print it or save it as a PDF.
About 20 minutes, on your phone or laptop. Replay it until you hit the top rank.

Everything in the game is made up: the venues, the people, the money. General information, not financial, legal or tax advice.

Unit 2 · Get Booked

Lesson 1.1 is free, plus one more lesson of your choice. Make this one your free pick, or get all of Unit 2.

▶ Play 2.6 free Get Unit 2 · $49 Everything + every tool · $179

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Free guides for this lesson

Part of Unit 2: Get Booked in the Thriving Musicians course. Pick your free lesson.

◀ 2.5 Name Your Price and Keep It All of Unit 2 2.7 Getting Heard ▶

Where Gigs Come From

What you walk away with

Unit 2 · Get Booked

Book gigs without paying a gig site.

Free guides for this lesson