5 TIPS FOR HIRING MUSICIANS

It can be a daunting task to hire live music for an event, but it doesn’t have to be. Here are five tips that can help you feel confident and prepared for initial contact.

1. Know generally what music you want - if you want polka, don’t hire a heavy metal band

   • While there are probably countless bands and musicians available in your area, most of them don’t specialize in what you want. What generally do you want (classical, popular, jazz, R&B, something culturally specific, etc.)? If you answer this question, you already have a great search limiter. From there you can narrow your search even more.

   • It is also worth considering the purpose of the music, whether it’s it for background, dancing, as the center of entertainment, or something else.

     
     

2. Know your budget - you can’t spend money you don’t have

   • Research standard rates in your area. Some musicians post rates openly, some will require initial contact.

   • How long do you want them to perform, and how many musicians do you anticipate performing? The amount of time and the number of musicians hired can greatly affect rates.

   • Could less musicians perform for a longer time to meet your needs? Possibly. This really depends on the individual group and should be addressed with each that you contact.

3. Make sure your venue has appropriate space for the musicians – look at that big band in that small chapel

   • Sometimes the ideal venue is not great for you ideal music. Here are a few scenarios to consider, which may or may not have a good solution depending on the space:

     • Outdoors and the weather doesn’t cooperate

     • Outdoors away from a power source, and the band needs to plug in

     • Indoors and the space is small

     • Indoors and the space is large but has a layout that isn’t ideal

4. Look for reviews/references – social proof, because sometimes it’s helpful

   • Through musician websites and through various review platforms you can generally get a good idea of the quality and reliability of a group or musician.

   • Venues often have “approved vendor” lists that include musicians they have had past success with. If you event is at a venue, ask if they have a list.

   • If you’re working with vendors, they may also have “approved vendor” lists.

   • If you get the opportunity, go see them perform for yourself. Nothing builds confidence in you choice like seeing them in action… plus you get to see some great live music.

5. Allow enough lead time – there’s no time like yesterday

   • There are a number of constraints you might run into when booking a group or musician, the primary being that they are already performing at the date/time you need. This issue can be amplified if your event is in a peak season (holiday party in December, wedding in the spring, etc.).

   • You may also need to secure additional equipment (such as covering, heaters, chairs, etc). to accommodate a group. This is generally more of an issue with outdoor events, but it helps to be ahead of the curve.

With these 5 items considered, you can now contact the musician(s) with knowledge that you are prepared, and will hopefully only need to refine the details.