How to book more gigs, tours, and festival dates — step by step.

Making great music is essential.
But if you want to tour more — especially internationally — it’s only part of the picture.

We’ll show you how to simplify gig booking so and how to make consistent progress, without waiting for an agent.

Jump to the course

The reality of booking jazz gigs

Booking gigs isn’t rocket science — but it is a skill.

At its simplest, it comes down to four things:

☛ making strong music
☛ identifying clubs & festivals that book similar projects
☛ contacting the right people
☛ presenting your project clearly and confidently
☛ having a system for following up & tracking results

“I need a booking agent to get good gigs”

A good agent can help accelerate a career — once demand already exists.

But many gigs are booked directly with artists, especially at the early and mid-career stages.
In practice, it’s very hard to secure a strong agent before you’re already getting some good opportunities.

That’s why most of the resources here focus on DIY booking that builds momentum and leverage — whether or not you plan to work with an agent later.

Where to start?

If you want a step-by-step structure for your entire booking process — with feedback from booking agent Matt Fripp – the How To Book More Jazz Gigs course has helped hundreds of musicians to date.

If you’d rather explore at your own pace, these guides are a good place to begin:

☛ Booking agents vs Music managers
☛ Inside a Jazz Booking Agency
☛ 3 Gig Booking Timesavers
☛ Jazz Promoter one-sheets (free download)
☛ Break into a new territory without an agent
☛ Keeping momentum with your tour booking
☛ International Jazz Musician Survey
☛ Your guide to the jazzahead! conference

Jazz clubs & festivals

Knowing where to ask is half the battle.

Alongside strategy and tactics, Jazzfuel publishes venue & festival guides, interviews with promoters, agents, and artists, plus behind-the-scenes perspectives on how bookings are made.