Launching Aussie artists into their musical careers.
Ever heard of a little ol’ company called Gig Launch?
If you’re a solo artist or part of a band that are looking to get a few extra gigs, or even just a little bit more exposure, you just may want to read on!
Essentially, Gig Launch is an Australian online booking agency which works to meet the needs of artists and promoters, giving them a chance to get in involved in the global music scene through gigs and promotion.
A relatively new initiative, and only a year and a half in the making, the website went live in April this year, and aims to connect Aussie artists and bands with a myriad of local and international advertisers, and other musical acts, and to push your sweet as tunes into all corners of the world.
So how exactly does this Mecca of musical promotion work you may ask?
The process is simple. It’s cheap, cheap, cheap to join; the first month is free, then it’s either $5.95 or $7.95 a month, depending on how many megabytes you require. Then you create your very own Electronic Profile Kit (EPK) and upload content to your heart’s desire; pictures, audio, video… whatever! This page essentially becomes a webpage which you can dish out to all your mates and prospective promoters, and a hub through which to spread your music.
Okay, so you have a profile, you have your tunes, you have your sexy photos and mad videos, now what?
Gig Launch advertises different events and gigs that you can play at on their website. To apply for a particular gig or promotion, you submit your EPK and pay a small fee.
Now here’s the genius. Advertisers get paid a potion of the fee you’ve submitted when, and only when, they check out your EPK. If they don’t look, they don’t get the cash; it’s an incentive based process. You’re guaranteed that your profile will get viewed, and your music will get listened too, otherwise the promoters won’t get paid. Pretty nifty huh?
Since its launch the response has been overwhelming, and Gig Launch now have a huge and diverse range of acts using their agency. Their database includes over 50,000 acts, and they already have more than 13,000 fans on MySpace.
We asked Jillian Jake, of Gig Launch, to see why the website works so well.
“We’re connecting the artist to the promoter. When I was an artist we had to type everything, and photocopy everything, and then buy the plastic files and put your record or CD or tape in it, and each one would cost you between $10 and $15. But with Gig Launch you’re guaranteed that your submission will be viewed.”
The website also has Band Chat, where you can get in touch with other musicians, and free online guitar tuners and metronomes.
What makes his booking agency so different is that it is all online. There is adequate incentive for both the artist and the promoter to get involved, and there are great rewards for both parties. In a competitive music market, having an agency like Gig Launch on your side could mean the difference between playing a festival and playing your garage. Check it out here and help an Aussie business help Aussie artists.
