Welcome to the second of our guides. This one is for new acts starting out in the entertainment industry.

It can be very hard for new acts to find agency representation, due to the fact that they are new, and as such have no pedigree. A pedigree or experience if you prefer is what most agencies are looking for.

So what is a pedigree and how do you get one? Firstly a pedigree is the experience of playing or performing in front of a live audience. This is not just once but over a period of time and in different locations. This experience allows the act to be able to read a crowd and also deal with any problems efficiently should any arise. It is not about musical experience, as a group made up of professional session musicians can be great instrumentalists and singers, but still fall flat in front of a live audience.

It is possible to be a brand new act and yet also have a pedigree, if say the act or members of an act have all worked with other acts live previously.

So how does a new act overcome these problems? The most effective way to do this is find a management company. A good company will help an act develop and advise on presentation etc. A good management company will also work to promote the act so getting it bookings and through those experience. It will work to market and publicize the act and that will allow the act to develop it’s own pedigree.

Admittedly the type of gigs a new acts can expect to start with will be of low grade which also means the money will not be very good, but that said an act will be learning what is known in the industry as its craft. Once an act has gained experience then the agencies will look on them more favorably and the quality of bookings and also the money will increase proportionally.

Many acts will also self promote although because of the experience they have a management company is the best option. They can help polish an act and increase professionalism, that is what agencies are also looking for.

You can find many great management companies via the web nowadays, one we recommend is Henderson Management, but there are plenty of others.

We wish all new acts good luck and success.

© Paul Sims 2008

CEE Worldwide Entertainment Agency