Cold Emailing for Musicians: How to Secure More Bookings

This article comes from the team over at gigmit and dives into using cold emails to maximise your chances of getting booked as a band.

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Email marketing tips for musicians

When it comes to cold emailing as a musician, the key lies in creating an engaging message that stands out to your recipient. Let's get stuck into how you can grab their attention.

Craft an engaging cold email

Start off with a personalised introduction, demonstrating your knowledge and appreciation of their event or venue. 

Highlight your unique selling points, such as your musical style, any previous performances of note, or accolades that you’ve collected along your music career.

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Have you sold out your hometown venue or played at this summer's Glastonbury Festival? Get those headlines in there.

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Be concise, clear, and persuasive. Focusing your content on how your talent can benefit their event or brand. Remember to include relevant links to your music, videos, and social media profiles - making things as straightforward as possible.

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Imagine you're a gig booker receiving hundreds of emails from artists and managers. They don’t have time to sift through every single email so make sure your message is easily scannable. The same goes for brands too, so stick to these general guidelines when reaching out about getting sponsored or brand partnerships.

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Our PRO tip: Social proof! Mention any cool collaborations, reviews or music awards you have received. This helps establish credibility and builds trust in your abilities as an artist.

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Artist tools like gigmit help you gather and share all relevant information about your music. The platform can also help you create an EPK that you should attach to your emails. Find out more about gigmit’s services here.

Use festival and venue databases

To step up your outreach strategy, you should utilise comprehensive festival & venue databases. These resources provide a wealth of information about various events you can apply for, allowing you to discover new performance opportunities for your band.

Try getting hold of festival organisers and promoters via these databases, whilst also using Instagram and Twitter to find other relevant email addresses.

Platforms like gigmit specialise in music contact databases, offering members access to extensive address books to a wide selection of festivals and venues across the world. Ditto users can create their gigmit profile today and start applying to 11,000+ global festivals & venues.

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Personalise and follow up

Tailoring your cold emails is crucial to your success. Address the recipient by name and mention specific details about their event that caught your interest. Show genuine enthusiasm and explain why you believe your performance would be a great fit. 

Find a way to establish a personal connection with the venue or festival. Have you been to an event there before? Does their mission align with your band values? This’ll show them that you've done your background research and increases the likelihood of a positive response.

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Following up is equally important. Send a friendly reminder after sending your initial email, as event organisers receive numerous inquiries. This follow-up demonstrates your dedication and keeps your request on their radar. Perseverance is key here.

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Our PRO tip: Mention that you will be following up in a specified timeframe (e.g. one week) if you don't receive a response. This demonstrates your commitment and persistence.

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The gigmit Festival & Venue Database enables you to track your email performance to see if venues and festivals have received, opened or clicked your emails. This helps you identify which promoters are worth following up with!

Securing bookings is essential for artists looking to build their careers in the music industry. Cold emails are still highly valuable for reaching out to festivals and venues in 2024. By crafting engaging messages, leveraging comprehensive festival and venue databases, and personalising your outreach, you can maximise your chances of securing more bookings. 

Remember to follow up to stay at the forefront of event organisers' minds. With a well-rounded outreach strategy, you can take your career to new heights and showcase your talent to the right audiences.

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