Festivals can put an independent artist in front of hundreds or thousands of new listeners.

But waiting for a festival booker to discover you is not much of a strategy.

Many festivals actively accept applications from unsigned and independent artists.

Ditto currently maintains a frequently updated global directory of festival, gig and competition opportunities, showing how much ongoing demand there is for this information.

Find the right festivals

Don’t apply everywhere.

Look at:

  • Genre
  • Location
  • Stage size
  • Previous lineups
  • Audience
  • Application criteria
  • Artist level

A 200-person specialist festival can be more valuable to you than an enormous event where your music doesn’t fit.

Apply early

Festival programming often happens months ahead.

Build a spreadsheet with:

  • Festival
  • Location
  • Date
  • Application deadline
  • Contact
  • Submission URL
  • Status
  • Follow-up date

Check it every week.

Make the first 30 seconds easy

Bookers receive huge numbers of submissions.

Your application should make answering these questions effortless:

What do you sound like?

Can you perform live?

Will anybody care?

Include:

  • Best track
  • Strong live video
  • Short bio
  • Press photo
  • Streaming links
  • Social links
  • Previous shows
  • Contact information

Use a real live video

A polished music video proves you can make a polished music video.

It doesn’t prove you can perform.

Show a strong live clip with real vocals, stage presence and audience interaction.

Mention relevant traction

Useful evidence can include:

  • Local ticket sales
  • Streaming audience in the festival’s region
  • Previous support slots
  • Press
  • Radio
  • Fan engagement

Avoid filling the application with meaningless vanity numbers.

Follow instructions

If organisers ask for one song, don’t send an album.

If the deadline has passed, don’t pretend you didn’t notice.

Professionalism matters.

Keep looking

Festival applications are a numbers game.

A rejection doesn’t necessarily mean your music wasn’t good enough.

The stage may already be full.

Keep applying to genuinely suitable opportunities and improve the package every time.