Let’s dive into the music world and see why cold emails are so useful when it comes to contacting other industry players. A cold email serves as a powerful tool for reaching out to potential collaborators, promoters, or industry professionals without any prior interaction.
Musicians, managers, and DJs often use cold emailing for outreach purposes, such as introducing themselves, promoting their art, seeking employment opportunities, or initiating a collaboration. The goal of sending such an email is to capture the attention of the promoter you are addressing, and establish a connection or interest in your offer.
Have you heard of the Festival & Venue Database? This is a tool that we created at gigmit, to facilitate cold emailing. It helps you connect with 10,000+ promoters, festivals and venues worldwide and considerably reduces your research time!
So, once this has been explained, what do we have to consider if we want our cold email to be eye-catching? When addressing a venue or festival as an artist, it’s important to include key information and elements to increase your chances of being liked by the recipient and securing a booking. Below you will find 10 tips that will make your cold email a total success.
1. The Perfect Subject Line to Your Cold Email
Create a compelling subject line that grabs attention and clearly indicates the purpose of the email. For example, “Talented Indie Rock Band Available for Unforgettable Performance at [Venue/Festival Name]”.
When writing a subject line for a cold email in the music industry, there are several key factors to consider. Here are some important points to keep in mind:
Be concise and compelling
Keep your subject line short and to the point, ideally under 50 characters. Make sure it grabs the recipient’s attention and creates a sense of curiosity or intrigue.
Personalization
If possible, personalize the subject line with the recipient’s name or mention something specific about their work or recent projects. This demonstrates that you’ve done your research and adds a personal touch to your email.
Purpose and relevance
Clearly communicate the purpose of your email in the subject line. Make it evident that your email is relevant to the recipient’s interests or professional goals. For example, if you’re pitching a collaboration opportunity, include a phrase like “Exciting Collaboration Proposal” or “Opportunity for Joint Project.”
Create urgency (if applicable)
If there’s a time-sensitive element to your email, such as an upcoming event or limited availability, consider incorporating words like “Special Invitation” to create a sense of urgency. However, make sure the urgency is genuine and not overly exaggerated.
Avoid spam triggers
Stay away from spam trigger words and phrases that could cause your email to be flagged or filtered out by spam filters. Aim for a subject line that sounds professional and avoids sounding like a sales pitch.
Remember, the subject line is the first impression you make on the recipient, so it’s crucial to make it compelling, relevant, and respectful of their time.
2. Write A Personalized Introduction
Address the recipient by name and express your genuine interest in their venue or festival. Mention something specific that you appreciate about their event, such as a previous lineup, atmosphere, or values. For example, if you saw one of your idols play at that venue or festival in previous years, that could captivate the promoter!
3. Come Up With Brief Artist Introduction
Provide a concise overview of yourself or your band. Highlight your musical style, genre, and any relevant experiences that make you stand out. Keep it focused and engaging, emphasizing why your performance would be a great fit for their audience. If you were applying to play at Sziget Festival, you could mention that your music shares the same values as the festival: diversity and inclusivity.
4. Share Relevant Work Samples
When presenting your music to a promoter in a cold email, it’s essential to make it as easy as possible for them to listen and evaluate your work. Here are some tips for presenting your music effectively:
Include links to your music
Provide easily accessible links to your music, such as your website, SoundCloud, Bandcamp, or streaming platforms. Make it convenient for the promoter to listen to your work. Choose high-quality samples that showcase your talent and represent your style accurately.
If you decide to use the gigmit Festival & Venue Database, all this information will be directly attached to your email! Just make sure that your Artist Profile is up-to-date and all the info will be synced and sent.
Select your best tracks
Rather than overwhelming the promoter with a large number of songs, focus on showcasing your best and most representative tracks. Choose songs that highlight your unique style, musical abilities, and overall sound. Aim for a diverse selection that showcases the range of your music.
5. Display Social Proof
The objective of a cold email is to receive a call back. There is nothing better than sharing what people say about you to convince promoters.
Showcase your achievements
Highlight any significant achievements or milestones in your music career, such as awards, positive reviews, notable performances, radio play, or a growing fan base. This helps build credibility and demonstrates that you are a serious and promising artist!
Press and media coverage
If your music has received positive reviews or coverage in reputable music publications, mention these accolades in your email. Include excerpts from the reviews or links to the articles. This shows that industry professionals have recognized and appreciated your work, which can enhance your perceived value.
Awards and nominations
If you have received any awards or nominations for your music, make sure to highlight them. Mention the specific accolades you’ve received and the significance of the awards. This showcases that your music has been recognized and celebrated within the industry.
Collaborations and features
If you have collaborated with established artists or have been featured on prominent tracks or albums, mention these partnerships in your email. Highlight the names of the artists you’ve worked with and describe the nature of the collaboration. This demonstrates that respected musicians have recognized your talent and have chosen to work with you.
Performance history
If you have played at noteworthy venues, festivals, or events, mention these experiences in your email. Highlight any performances that are relevant to the promoter’s interests or showcase the scale and caliber of your live shows. This indicates that you have a track record of delivering compelling performances. By the way, this is also directly available on your gigmit Artist Page!
Fanbase and engagement
If you have a substantial and engaged following on social media platforms or streaming services, mention these numbers in your email. Highlight the size of your fanbase, streaming statistics, or the engagement you receive on your posts. This indicates that there is existing demand and interest in your music.
Testimonials and endorsements
If you have received positive testimonials or endorsements from industry professionals, fellow musicians, or fans, include them in your email. Share quotes that highlight the quality of your music, your live performances, or your professionalism. Testimonials from respected individuals can significantly boost your credibility.
Charts and playlists
If your music has charted on music platforms or has been featured on popular playlists, mention these achievements. Highlight the positions you’ve reached on the charts or the number of streams your music has accumulated. This demonstrates that your music has gained traction and popularity among listeners.
6. Find A Personal Connection
Find a way to establish a personal connection with the venue or festival. Mention if you have attended their event before or if you have a shared interest in their mission. This shows that you’ve done your research and genuinely align with their vision. For example, you could explain that you realised you wanted to become an artist when you attended a particular edition of the Festival you are contacting. Sharing intimate details with promoters will make them feel closer to you.
7. Build A Customized Pitch
Tailor your email to the specific venue or festival. Highlight why you believe your performance would be a great fit, whether it’s the audience demographics, similar artists they have booked in the past, or any unique aspects that make your act particularly suitable for their event. It’s about convincing the promoter that you have a lot in common, for instance if you were contacting an electronic music festival you would have to assure them that your music would perfectly fit such a party atmosphere.
8. Remember the Call to Action!
If you are writing a cold email, it is because you want promoters to engage with your music! For that, promoters need to know where to contact you, how to listen to your music, how to follow you on socials and the list goes on.
For that, you need to clearly state your intention and desired outcome. Ask if they have any availability for booking and express your interest in discussing the opportunity further. Make them a clear and concise offer, such as: “I am available on Saturdays and Sundays from 19:00 onwards, and I would be happy to play at your venue as often as you let me for the next three months”.
Clear and accessible contact details
Ensure that your contact information is easily visible and accessible. Include your email address, phone number, social media handles, and website links. This allows the promoter to reach out to you easily if they’re interested in discussing potential opportunities further.
9. Close Your Email Politely
Thank the recipient for their time and consideration. Sign off with a professional and friendly closing, such as “I am excited about the possibility of collaborating with you and contributing to the success of your festival”. Being friendly and polite will help you give a good impression and create a good relationship with the promoter.
10. Your Follow-up Plan
As you may know already, sending one email is not enough! You need to make sure to follow up with promoters at least a few times. This will increase your chances to get a response.
In your initial email, you can 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.
In order to better identify the promoters you should follow up with, gigmit has developed a new feature of the Festival & Venue Database. You can now see if the promoters have received, opened or clicked on your email! Find out how it works in this article.
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Our PRO tip: Never give up! The Habit Tracker is a very helpful tool, available on your artist dashboard directly. It helps you track how many cold emails you have already sent and if you should send more.
Remember to keep your email concise, professional, and engaging. Proofread it for any errors before sending and ensure that your email is visually appealing by using a clean and well-formatted layout.
Good luck and, if you follow all these steps, you won’t leave any promoter indifferent!
And remember: the more promoters you contact, the more chances you will have of getting an opportunity.
Upgrade to PRO and you will have access to a much larger database of festivals & venues to contact and play at.
Start messaging as many promoters as you can!
