Last updated: April 2026
Working as a promoter is a tough job – you’ve booked the bands and sorted the venue, your job now is to do the marketing and promote the gig. Hopefully, that will mean that people turn up, enjoy the music and, with a bit of luck, give you the confidence and resources to put on more gigs in the future.
In this blog, we’ll discuss a few simple steps to help ensure that your venue is full, and that everyone has a great time!
1) Promote to a specific audience – don’t blanket promote to everyone
One common mistake made by first time promoters is to target too wide an audience. Take the time to find your USP as a musician or band so you know exactly who you’re promoting to.
This is especially relevant for gigs of a certain genre and sub genres, as promoting to the right crowd of people means that the gig is more likely to be attended by those who will enjoy the music.
A good (if a little cheeky) way of doing this is attending local gigs of the same genre, and politely asking the promoter if it is okay to hand out flyers for the gig you are promoting.
Social media also plays a big role, as it allows you to specifically target your ads at people in a certain location, with specific interests.
If your genre is one that could be considered a little niche, then this will be your best friend.
2) Invite the press
Depending on the size of the gig you are promoting and who is performing, there is a chance that journalists may decide to attend the gig.
Convincing a local journalist to cover the gig is a great way of getting free promotion for future gigs, and establishing your pedigree as a quality promotor.
The musicians you are putting on will also be grateful for the coverage! In many cities there are also gig guides in music magazines, so promoters should always aim to get their gigs listed in gig guides and blogs.
Singer Joy Shaw suggests that working closely with owners/landlords at venues is often a big help:
One great venue I played in put a poster in a picture frame in the entrance, on the bar, even on the inside of the toilet door and then they wrote our names and when we were appearing on the chalk board outside. The landlord knew how to promote events well.
Singer Joy Shaw
Simple top tips for promoting
- Promote over multiple platforms
- Be realistic
- Set up a mailing list
- Leave no stone unturned
3) Don’t expect the bands or the venue to do all the leg work
Unfortunately, you hear far too many stories about promoters who fail to do their job properly. For first time promoters, it is important to keep in mind that you cannot really do too much promotion.
Singer-songwriter, Tara London, condemns promoters who only pay musicians £1 a head after the first 25 through the door.
If musicians were to ask the promoters to learn an instrument, learn and rehearse 3 x 45 minute sets and then perform surely the promoter would say ‘that’s your job!’ Touché!
Tara London
Whilst shameful self promotion is sometimes frowned upon, spreading the word through posters put up in venues and music shops will help get a certain amount of attention.
It is also recommended, and rather obvious in todays 21st century society, that promoters make use of social media to promote gigs.
From Facebook events and Instagram Stories to targeted posts in niche communities on Reddit, ensuring that everyone knows when and where the gig is happening is crucial.
Set up your own channels as a promotions company, and start creating some quality content. Hire a photographer/ videographer to get as much footage as they can at your events, and use this to help build your brand as a promotions company.
Set up a mailing list, so that you can build up a database of people who are specifically looking to come to the events you specialise in putting on.
Use ticketing and event listing platforms
One of the quickest wins when you’re learning how to promote a gig is to get it listed on every relevant ticketing and event discovery platform. Services like Skiddle, Fatsoma, Dice, Eventbrite, Bandsintown and Songkick let fans search for live music near them, and many will surface your event to users based on their listening habits or location. Even if you’re selling tickets on the door, a free listing adds a useful search result and gives journalists and curious fans a page to share. If you have a promotional video or poster image, upload it to every listing so the event looks professional wherever it appears.
Use short-form video (TikTok, Reels and Shorts)
Short-form video is now the dominant way younger audiences discover live music. A 15 to 30 second clip of rehearsal footage, a behind-the-scenes moment, or a teaser of the headline track usually outperforms static event posters in 2026. Post consistently in the three weeks before the gig across TikTok, Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts, and always include the date, venue and ticket link in the caption. Our Instagram for musicians guide and Facebook for musicians guide both cover how to set up event pages and run geo-targeted ads on a small budget.
Set a realistic promotion budget
Promotion is rarely free. Even a local pub gig can eat into your margin once you factor in printed posters, paid social ads, ticketing platform fees, photography and the odd flyer drop. Decide upfront how much of your expected door take you’re willing to reinvest in promotion, and track where each booking comes from so you know what worked. A simple spreadsheet with columns for channel, spend and tickets sold is enough to sharpen your next campaign.
Note: ticketing platform fees, ad costs and printing prices vary by region and change regularly. Always check the current rates before committing spend.
Sources
Want to go deeper on band marketing? Check out our companion guides on how to promote your band online and our list of 60 top tips for promoting your band. And remember that timing matters: plan your gigs around the popular and quiet times for gigs in the musician’s year.
Do you put on gigs? Let us know your tips in the comments below!
