Looking for some guidance as you hire live music for your event? Here's a few tips we've learned throughout the years:

Match the music to the mood
Think about what type of music you want to hear at your event.  Is your crowd one that will dance or do you just need some mellow background music? 

Know your band booking budget
Keep in mind that the price for live music depends on many factors including the time, date, size of group, performance length as well as travel and set-up time. Don’t be afraid to discuss your budget; some bands will fall into your budget, some will not.  Some bands are willing to negotiate, while others have a set price that they stick to for every event. The same is true with live music as just about everything else: you really do get what you pay for.

Think about what specific songs you want to hear
Discuss what type of music you want (and don't want) to hear.  Let the talent agency know what your favorite bands are, that can help them suggest bands that will be a good fit for you.  If you have specific songs you know you have to hear played, discuss that early on as well to make sure the band knows (or is willing to learn) them or if you’re okay with hearing that song played on CD during one of the breaks.

Share the Details
Some say that the devil is in the details. Be sure to let your agent know all the details about your event: location, how formal you need the musicians to dress, exactly what timeframe you want the band to play, how early they need to be set up, where the power is located, how large the performance area is, etc.  All these details will affect the price and possibly the potential bands that will be a good fit for your event.  Sometimes live musicians won’t even quote a price until they know all these details.

Thoroughly Review the Musicians
Be sure you feel comfortable with the amount of information you are presented for your live music choices.  You should review the demo, song list, and hopefully some testimonials from previous clients.  Many acts will also have a live demo to watch them in action, one of the best ways to decide if they are the right choice for you.

Have Fun!
This is live music.  The end result is a lot of fun & you should also have fun hiring live music as well.  

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