On average, 32 million people attend at least one U.S. music fest every year. Coachella (an annual music and arts festival held in Indio, California) alone sees an estimated 99,000-per-day attendance during its six day event. Over the next few months, creators from around the world will have the chance to reach an entirely new audience, gain massive exposure, all while spotlighting their content to hundreds of thousands of people at big time fests. With over 800 music fests in just the U.S., it’s evident that they are becoming an extremely important circuit for creators to enter, here’s why:

Why You Want to Get Booked at Music Fests:

An increasing amount of creators have been choosing the festival circuit over touring due to the fact that it provides creators with a multitude of benefits– one major benefit being massive exposure. Obtaining a coveted slot allows you to connect with current fans, grab the attention of new ones at the actual event, and gives your brand the opportunity to be featured by the event in any promotional materials leading up to it. Music fests are also a great way to network with other major creators or industry professionals that can lead to new business opportunities down the road. Finally, some creators even have the possibility to make more money playing at music fests than they would playing at clubs and small venues. Rolling Stone reported that American hip-hop duo OutKast, for example, made $60M from playing 40 music fests in one year–compared to the $4.8M they made during there Stankonia Tour.

Tips to Get You Booked at Music Fests:

The process of getting your act booked at a music fest will be a highly competitive process, however, there are a few strategies you can incorporate to get a leg up on the competition.

Do Your Research and Target the Right Music Fest

  • There is a variety of different festivals throughout the year and each one is tailored to a specific crowd. For instance, Stagecoach is a giant country music fest while Firefly is targeted more towards the indie genre. Do your research and determine which is best suited for you.

Get Yourself Organized

  • Create a spreadsheet and calendar to keep track of all the music fests you intend on applying to to help keep track of important deadlines and any other requirements needed for the submission process.

Polished Socials Go A Long Way

  • Having a polished and professional social presence is extremely important. Many labels, promoters, and agents will go straight to your online presence to check out your personal brand and see what your fan base is like. Stay active and consistent with the content you share and make sure it’s as professional and organic as can be. A good way to market your brand as professional, is to get your account verified. A verified account adds credibility and authenticity, learn how to get verified on different social channels here.

Prepare Your Festival Application:

 It’s extremely important to make sure your application stands out above the rest. You want to make sure you have included all of the following:

  • A clear and concise bio that is attention-grabbing and highlights what makes you unique. Make sure it’s relevant and engaging.
  • High Quality Professional Photos: amateur looking photos tend to get glazed over.
  • High Quality Live Video: you’re competing with a variety of different creators so prove you can put on an awesome show that commands the crowd with a great stage presence.
  • Digital Press Kit: Once you have everything ready, you’ll want to package it in the form of a digital/electronic press kit which is a pre-packaged set of promotional materials of a person, company, or organization distributed to members of the media for promotional use. The essential elements of an EPK include your bio, high-quality photos and video, sample music, performance calendar, press coverage, and contact information. A well-packaged EPK alerts promoters that you are a true professional who is serious about their music career.

Submit Your Application

  • Once you’ve completed your application, don’t forget to submit that and anything else required for the submission process. Keep in mind that you don’t want to flood the talent acquirer’s inbox with emails asking when you can expect to hear back. There will be a lot of creators submitting to perform at music fests so a flooded inbox is the last thing they want to deal with. However, if you happen to book another festival gig, get a high-profile interview, secure an opening slot for a well-known artist, etc… you’ll want to send a follow-up email letting them know.

This year, Vydia is humbled to have an array of creators who will be performing at multiple music fests. Our very own Grammy-nominated Daniel Caesar will be showcasing his smooth R&B talent at Coachella, Bonaroo, and Panorama this year. Fellow Vydia sensations Lil Xan, Flint Eastwood, The Glorious Sons, and Keith Urban can be seen performing at Firefly and/or Stagecoach later this year as well. If you get booked, let us know by sending us a tweet @VydiaOfficial, we can’t wait to see rockstar our creators kill it at this year’s hottest festivals. To keep up with our helpful hints, hacks, and industry news, be sure to read our weekly blogs.