Hiring venues, booking bands, ticketing, sound, promotion – and not accidentally committing financial self-harm.
If you’re an independent band or artist, here’s a truth that will set you free:
If there’s a city you want to play, on a date that works for you: put the damn show on yourself.
When you self-promote a gig, you’re suddenly in charge of:
- which venue you play
- which bands you play with
- where you sit on the bill
- how the night feels
- how much everyone gets paid
It’s more work, yes.
But it’s also more power, more joy, more community – and often more money.
This guide is for:
- touring bands
- DIY artists
- first-time promoters
- anyone who’s sick of waiting to be “picked”
Let’s go.
1. Choosing and approaching a venue
Start with:
- a realistic capacity (a full venue > a large empty one)
- a vibe that fits your music (check their listings, ask around, go to a gig)
- decent sound and accessibility
Email or message the venue with:
- who you are (give them hyperlinks to your instagram/music – don’t make them hunt)
- the date(s) you want
- roughly how many people you expect
- the kind of show you want to put on
Be clear, friendly, and human. You’re not begging – you’re proposing a collaboration.
2. Understand the deal you’re being offered
Venues run shows in different ways. Which one they’ll offer depends largely on how much they trust you to fill the room with happy, drink-buying gig-goers.
Make sure you understand exactly what you’re agreeing to.
1) Ticket split / co-promotion
The venue sells tickets, keeps a proportion, and passes the rest to you.
Often includes:
- promotion on venue socials
- inclusion in their mailing list
This is a great option if:
- you’re new to the city
- the venue has a strong local following
2) Dry hire
You pay a flat fee for the room (often plus sound engineer).
You:
- sell all tickets
- do all promotion
- take all the risk
Very common. Totally workable. Just do the maths first.
3) Promoter-style deal
The venue pays you a set fee or percentage of bar takings, and you pay the bands.
Rare. Usually reserved for established promoters – but good to know it exists.
3. Things you need to clarify with the venue
Before confirming anything, ask:
- Who handles ticketing?
- Who pays for / sources the sound engineer?
- Who runs the door / box office?
- Is there security and who pays?
- Is there lighting, and who controls it?
- Will the venue help with promotion?
- social posts (how many?)
- do they have a mailing list?
- will they print + put up posters in the venue?
- What backline is available?
- is it included?
- is it… usable?
Sometimes house backline is great.
Sometimes it’s hanging on by a cable tie.
If you can, check it out ahead of time.
Also: trust your gut.
Do they seem organised? Friendly? Recommended by other musicians?
If it smells good, go for it.
4. Do the maths (aka: will this ruin me?)
Here’s a very basic example:
Costs
- Venue hire + sound engineer: £150
- Paying 3 bands £100 each: £300
Total: £450
If tickets are £10:
- £450 ÷ £10 = 45 tickets to break even
Ask yourself honestly:
- how many people do you usually bring?
- how many will the other bands bring?
- is the venue helping promote?
If it doesn’t add up:
- reduce costs
- slightly raise ticket price
- add another band
- find a co-promo deal
Do this before you announce the show. Always.
5. Booking bands = scene building (the fun bit)
Offering slots on your gig is one of the best things you can do for a scene.
This is how you:
- meet other bands
- make friends
- build connections in new cities
- grow something bigger than yourself
Don’t know many bands yet? That’s fine.
Start by:
- putting a call-out on socials
- stating the city/date
- what kind of bands you’re looking for
- what the deal is
Make it easy to respond.
If you expect loads of messages, use a Google form and share listening duties with your bandmates.
When choosing bands:
- think about the vibe of the night
- mixing sounds can be brilliant
- crossing scenes brings new people
Most important thing:
choose people who are good to work with.
Red flags:
- slow, standoffish communication
- only talking about what’s in it for them
Short replies ≠ bad vibes though.
Could be dyslexia, overwhelm, or hatred of typing.
It’s fine to ask if they’d rather talk on the phone.
6. Running order
LOUD WOMEN lore says: headliners are bourgeois – we often list lineups alphabetically.
Running order is another matter.
Think about:
- energy flow
- practical logistics
General rule:
- solo artists earlier
- quieter bands before louder ones
- loudest band last
If you’re promoting and playing, it can make sense to go on early – so you can focus on running the night.
This isn’t about ego.
It’s about making the gig work.
7. Promotion (very short version)
This deserves a whole DIY guide (and I’ll get around to writing that some day), but for now:
Social media
- post as much as you realistically can
- check your Insights for when your followers are active
- coordinate announcements with all bands
- ideally: everyone posts at the same time
The algorithm loves a ripple effect.
Yes – even your drummer’s mum counts.
Scheduling tools help:
- Meta Business Suite
- Hootsuite
- Buffer
Consistency beats virality.
Email lists
If you don’t have one: start today.
Email is powerful.
(Full disclosure: LOUD WOMEN’s ezine mailing list consistently sells tickets in a way social media just doesn’t – even with our fairly big follower numbers.)
8. Set the vibe (this is the magic)
This is your night. Make it special.
Ask yourself:
- is there a theme?
- can you make it more accessible?
- is there a quiet space?
- are there snacks at the door? (elite move)
Accessibility ideas:
- seating options
- clear set times
- chill-out space
- clear signage
- friendly door staff
- explicit “unmasking welcome” messaging
People remember how a night felt.
9. One more very important thing (read this)
If you’re reading all this and thinking:
“Hell yes. I could put on a gig — or even a whole damn festival – in my home town, if only I had the backing of an organisation like LOUD WOMEN…”
Well. Babe.
Drop us an email.
That is exactly how LOUD WOMEN has ended up putting on gigs and festivals in cities all over the world.
We love collaborating with bands and organisers who are:
- like-minded
- community-focused
- DIY at heart
You don’t have to do it alone.
Never mind DIY – let’s do it together.
If this guide is ringing bells for you, get in touch.
We’re listening. 💜