At this time of year, we’re in the most demand as musicians. Venues, companies and individuals are all vying for live music to jazz up their events!
So why play for free?? Read on to learn more…
Networking
By playing for free, you can open up doors you never thought were possible. There will be many places who ask you to play for Christmas fairs or charity events. By playing these events, you never know who you’ll meet who will refer you onto other opportunities.
Example: I was recently contacted by a venue asking to invite any corporate clients along to their venue – I wasn’t booked that day and have offered to perform at the event for free. In doing so, I will network with professionals who will book me in the future! Remember, companies often have trouble finding a good act, so if you’re available, they’ll come to you repeatedly!
Reliability
If you are trying to get to a venue and had no luck, performing for free will give you an opportunity to show them what you’ve got. They’ll see that you turn up on time and act professional and therefore get an opportunity to build some rapport, which will lead to further opportunities!
Your performance is a literal sale – people see who you are and how you work which will lead to future work.
Practice
If you’re just getting started, often your only way to practice in a live environment is through open mic nights. Free shows can give you between 1-2 hours worth of time on stage where you can practice all your set and hone your skills!
The more you improve, the more work you’ll get!
Charities
Charities are run by very wholesome and generous people. Here are three reasons why it’s good to play for them if you can:
- You performance is your donation
- Charity workers will refer you to other events, often paid
- Having a cause that you support is great for branding and will encourage true fans to follow and support your journey
These individuals are usually very wholesome people, who will go to the end of the world to help you if you are willing to help them!
Branding
By supporting a cause you reinforcing your image as an artist – where possible, choose a cause you genuinely believe in!
Example: When I had released a number of songs, I put together a live show with a full band (usually I’m solo). When the audience arrived they were given a token with their ticket and asked to nominate a charity between wildlife conservation, marine conservation and reforestation. This gave the audience the opportunity to become part of my act and now I have planted over 750 trees through various donations. This support the image of my songs being about nature and democracy.
In summary, by playing for free, you’re showing that you’re determined and people will respect that and book you down the line!
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