Making the Transition From Playing Unpaid Shows to Earning a Living From Gigging: Advice From Angela Sheik

Photo by Sunny Miller

Being a relatively new independent musician often means playing for free. Promoters will reassure you that you're performing for exposure, and sometimes that's the case, but musicians deserve to be paid for their gigs. Singer and multi-instrumentalist Angela Sheik knows what it's like to play for free, and after she punched the clock for nearly a year of play-for-exposure shows, she's finally making a living off of her music. Now with a long resume of awards and impressive performances to her name, Sheik has successfully learned how to negotiate and find gigs that pay well. Even more importantly, she knows how to properly spend the money that she earns from her music. We spoke with this Delaware-based artist to learn more about how to land lucrative gigs and the financial arrangement she has with herself.

Does most of your income come from gigging and touring?

Yes, that and CD sales are my main income. Licensing and royalties are a distant third.

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At what point do you stop performing for free? How are you able to draw that line between playing for exposure and playing for profit?

My first year was full of free shows. Some of them were great; some really sucked. I'm grateful for those shows now. They helped me cut my teeth and become more comfortable on the stage. Now, I have a list of criteria that a gig must meet before I say yes: financial compensation, exposure/draw building, resume material, collaboration and artist connection, venue connection, fan engagement/excitement, or helping a good cause that I care about. These are all on the criteria list. If a gig doesn't hit at least one or two on the list, I don't play.

When I go to book gigs on Sonicbids, I check out the festival or venue's promotional efforts, additional lineup, and social media following. Does it look like someone cares about this? Are they working to make it great? I also look for YouTube videos from the event or venue. These are a great tell. I email the contact and pay attention to their professionalism and general vibe. Do they respond in a respectful tone and timely manner? In my mind, Sonicbids is an audition. A gig isn't a go until both parties agree on details and confirm.

As an independent artist, how has Sonicbids been able to help you earn revenue through your gigging?

I've booked a number of paying gigs and festivals over the years through Sonicbids. I've also been able to secure anchor dates for tours and help fund additional travel through Sonicbids gigs. I check Sonicbids every few days/weeks to see what festival submissions are coming up. It's a great resource and, for me, it has paid for itself.