Side Door offers $200 tour support payments to emerging artists in US
D.I.Y. booking platform Side Door is offering stipends to help artists struggling with rising costs on the road and encourage more shows in non-traditional venues.
Side Door’s $200 stipend might not seem like much, but it can be the difference between making it to the next gig or not for an emerging artist. If they invested the $200 in merch to sell at gigs, it could net many times that.
‘On the Road with Side Door’ payments are available to Artists showcasing at Folk Alliance International (FAI) in Kansas City or the South by Southwest (SXSW) Conference & Festival in Austin and playing ticketed Side Door shows between January and March 2023. The $200 is in addition to the net ticket revenue split from each show
Side Door connects artists with mostly non-traditional presenters, including house concerts, coffeehouses, art galleries, and fans. But it’s not just small artists that use the platform. One of my favorite Canadian singer/songwriters, Valdy, who has sold more than half a million records, has a gig posted on SideDoor.
“De-risking touring is essential at the moment. It’s harder than ever to make it work,” says Side Door co-founder Dan Mangan, “we want to help artists find meaningful shows while alleviating some of the financial burden associated with touring.”
The $200 is also designed to encourage new presenters.
“With a dearth of music venues and revenue opportunities for artists, it’s essential to increase the number of spaces where touring artists can play. Side Door is helping to turn music fans and supporters into DIY presenters to make this happen,” says Laura Simpson, CEO, and co-founder of Side Door. “With the US Touring Program, we’re incentivizing artists to help us spread the word and reach new hosts to grow the ecosystem overall.”
How to sign up for ‘On the Road with Side Door’ gigs and payments
Artists should create a profile on Side Door’s website, select their desired dates/show locations with a Show Call and connect with Side Door’s music venue hosts directly to book shows. Artists can also use Show Calls to attract new hosts from within their existing fanbases.
Now they can submit an application for a chance to receive $200, which will be issued on a first-come-first-serve basis. Artists can apply for any number of Side Door shows as part of this program.
Learn more and apply here.
Bruce Houghton is the Founder and Editor of Hypebot and MusicThinkTank, a Senior Advisor at Bandsintown, President of the Skyline Artists Agency, and a professor for the Berklee College Of Music.
