# Show Booking Email Templates

Practical outreach templates for landing shows — cold pitches to talent buyers, support-slot asks, and follow-ups. Copy a template, fill the brackets, and send. Keep it short: buyers skim dozens of these a day.

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## Subject-Line Tips

Your subject line decides whether the email gets opened. Aim for clarity over cleverness.

- **Lead with the value or the date.** `[ARTIST] avail [MONTH] — [CITY] routing` beats "Booking inquiry."
- **Name-drop only if it's true and relevant.** `[ARTIST] (just supported [BIGGER ACT]) — [CITY] date?` works if it's recent.
- **Reference their room.** `[ARTIST] for a [VENUE NAME] Friday?` signals you did homework.
- **Keep it under ~50 characters** so it doesn't truncate on mobile.
- **Never use ALL CAPS, "RE:" fakes, or "URGENT".** Buyers blacklist spammy senders.
- **One ask per subject line.** Don't cram routing + EPK + guarantee into the subject.

Good examples:
- `Snooko — tech-house, avail Sept West Coast`
- `[ARTIST] support slot — [HEADLINER] [CITY] 11/14?`
- `Following up: [ARTIST] [VENUE] hold`

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## Template 1 — Cold Outreach to a Talent Buyer

> **Subject:** [ARTIST] avail [MONTH/RANGE] — [CITY/REGION] routing

Hi [BUYER FIRST NAME],

I manage **[ARTIST]** — [ONE-LINE DESCRIPTOR: genre, lane, what makes them a draw]. We're routing **[CITY/REGION]** around **[DATE RANGE]** and **[VENUE NAME]** is at the top of our list.

Quick context:
- **Draws:** [HARD NUMBERS — e.g., "sold 300 in [CITY] last tour," monthly listeners, ticket counts]
- **Recent:** [RELEASE / TOUR / PRESS / PLAYLIST that's current]
- **Pull in your market:** [STREAMING NUMBERS for their metro, past local turnout, or relevant local support]

Asking **[GUARANTEE RANGE or "open to a deal that works for the room"]**. Happy to discuss support, a door deal, or a co-pro.

EPK / music / socials: [SINGLE LINK]

Would **[SPECIFIC NIGHT/WINDOW]** work on your calendar? Glad to send an avails sheet.

Thanks,
[YOUR NAME]
[ARTIST] Management — [COMPANY]
[PHONE] · [EMAIL]

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## Template 2 — Support-Slot Ask

Use when a bigger act is already booked and you want the opener slot. Buyers love a support act that helps sell tickets at low cost.

> **Subject:** [ARTIST] for support — [HEADLINER] [CITY] [DATE]?

Hi [BUYER FIRST NAME],

Saw you have **[HEADLINER]** at **[VENUE]** on **[DATE]**. We'd love to put **[ARTIST]** forward for the support slot.

Why it's a fit:
- **[ARTIST] shares fans with [HEADLINER]** — [evidence: similar lane, label, playlist overlap, past co-bills]
- **We'll work the date** — [ARTIST] will push to our **[# followers / email list / Laylo]** in [CITY] and run [specific promo: story takeovers, a flyer push, presale code].
- Low-lift on your end. Flexible on set length and fee — **[SUPPORT FEE RANGE or "open to your standard support budget"]**.

Music + assets: [SINGLE LINK]

If the slot's spoken for, keep us in mind for the next routing through [CITY].

Thanks,
[YOUR NAME]
[PHONE] · [EMAIL]

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## Template 3 — The Follow-Up

Most shows get booked on the second or third touch, not the first. Wait **4–7 business days** after no reply, then send this. Reply in the same thread (don't start a new one).

> **Subject:** Re: [ORIGINAL SUBJECT]

Hi [BUYER FIRST NAME],

Bumping this in case it slipped by — totally get how full the inbox gets.

Still holding **[DATE/WINDOW]** for **[ARTIST]** in **[CITY]** and **[VENUE]** is our first choice. One new thing since I wrote: **[FRESH HOOK — new release date, added tour date, press hit, a confirmed nearby show that helps your routing]**.

If it's not a fit this cycle, no worries — just let me know and I'll stop crowding your inbox. If it might be, I can send avails and a deal structure today.

Thanks,
[YOUR NAME]
[PHONE] · [EMAIL]

*(If still no reply after this, send one final "last nudge" 1–2 weeks later, then move on. Three touches max.)*

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## Electronic / DJ Act Variant

DJ bookings move differently: the room's vibe, BPM/genre fit, set time (open vs. peak vs. close), and crowd draw matter more than a live band's production needs. Lead with night, slot, and local pull.

> **Subject:** Snooko (tech-house) — [CITY] [MONTH], open to [CLUB NAME]

Hi [BUYER/PROMOTER FIRST NAME],

I manage **[DJ/ARTIST NAME]** — [genre lane, e.g., "house / tech-house, [LABEL] artist"]. We're routing **[CITY]** in **[MONTH]** and **[CLUB/ROOM NAME]** feels like the right room for the sound.

- **Set:** Flexible — can open, warm up, or take a peak/close slot. Plays **[BPM range / genre]**, reads a room.
- **Draw:** [local monthly listeners, past [CITY] turnout, Laylo/email size, residency or past sets at comparable rooms]
- **Recent:** [latest release/label, notable festival or club sets, a remix or premiere]
- **Tech:** Standard — [USB/CDJs (Pioneer CDJ-3000 / DJM), or own controller]. Full rider on request, nothing exotic.
- **Fee:** **[RANGE]** for a [SET LENGTH] set; open to a deal that fits the night.

Music + recent sets: [SINGLE LINK — SoundCloud/mixes + socials]

Got a **[FRI/SAT or specific event]** that could use this sound around **[DATE]**? Happy to send a tech rider and avails.

Thanks,
[YOUR NAME]
[PHONE] · [EMAIL]

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## 5 Do's

1. **Lead with proof of draw.** Hard numbers (tickets sold, local streams, list size) beat adjectives every time. Buyers book ticket-sellers, not "great live acts."
2. **Do your homework on the room.** Reference the venue's capacity, the buyer's other bookings, and why your act fits *their* calendar.
3. **Keep it to one screen.** Five sentences and one link. The EPK holds the detail; the email earns the click.
4. **Make the ask specific.** Name a date or window and a deal range. "Let me know if you're interested" gives them nothing to say yes to.
5. **Follow up, politely and finitely.** Two to three touches in the same thread. Persistence books shows; pestering burns relationships.

## 5 Don'ts

1. **Don't mass-BCC buyers.** Personalize every send. Buyers can smell a blast and delete it.
2. **Don't oversell or invent numbers.** Inflated draws get exposed at settlement and end the relationship permanently.
3. **Don't bury the lead under attachments.** No giant PDFs or 12 links. One clean EPK link.
4. **Don't lead with your fee demand.** Open the conversation; negotiate the guarantee once they're interested.
5. **Don't go silent after a "no."** Thank them, ask to be kept in mind, and route back through next cycle. Today's no is next quarter's yes.

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## Reusable Fill-In Structure

Every booking email is the same five beats:

1. **Who** — Artist + one-line descriptor (genre/lane).
2. **What** — The ask: date/window, city, target venue, slot (headline/support).
3. **Why you** — Proof of draw: numbers, recent wins, local pull.
4. **The deal** — Guarantee range or openness to a structure.
5. **The link + the close** — One EPK link, one specific question, signature with phone.

Keep a swipe file of your best-performing subject lines and opening lines, and track reply rates by buyer so you learn who actually responds.
