Find New Gigs with Musicians Forums

For a musician, the best way to market one’s talent and ability is through word of mouth. And musicians’ forums are one good way to find new gigs. If you do it right, you can establish your band as great musicians in your genre, get gigs with bars, restaurants and events, and even get signed up by a music label. Here are a few things you can try to help with exposure.

MySpace.

While not really a forum in the strictest sense of it, social networks give you the opportunity to connect with potential clients. Sites like MySpace.com are actually originally meant for artists like musicians and bands. This particular social network lets you set up an online profile and post samples of your music, which anyone around the world can download or listen to right on their web browsers. MySpace also gives potential clients a way of easily contacting you, in case they are interested to have you for gigs or events.

Craigslist.

Craigslist.org is an important listing service, particularly when it comes to location-based listings. You can post items for sale, rooms for rent, and even services you are offering. And posting an ad for possible gigs is no different. The first thing to do on Craigslist would be to click on your city or search for it, unless you want to look for gigs in other locations. Under this, you can look for want ads under the “community” / “musicians” heading. You can also post an advertisement here, which you can list under the “talent” and “musicians” heading.

Craigslist also features discussion forums for various topics, which is intended to help sellers and buyers communicate. Under the “discussion forums” column, you can click on “music” which will bring you to a list of posts under different subject lines. You can browse these for possible want ads in your area. Or you can post a message advertising the availability of your band for gigs. Be sure to leave your telephone number or email address so potential clients can get in touch with you. If you can link to an online sample of your songs and performances, then that’s even better.

BandFocus.

Bandfocus.com is a site that specifically caters to musicians. The site offers tips and advice on different genres, instruments and music production. BandFocus’ community forum is also categorized under instruments, so you can discuss with people whom you share musical interests with. The forum also features a “classified” area, where users can share offers for possible gigs.

Remember that once someone gets in touch with you online for a gig offer, it’s always a good idea to meet in person to agree on rates or fees, and other things pertinent to performing at an event or location. You might also want to ask for a partial or down payment, so you can already block the date and time for the gig. For musicians and performers, getting online is only the first step in marketing your talents and abilities. You need to prove yourself to the crowd during the actual performance.