Guide · Booking
Artist booking workflow: request, hold, offer and contract
Booking an act runs through the same steps every time: a request, a hold on the date, an offer, a negotiation, a confirmation and a contract, followed by advancing and the settlement after the show. This guide explains each step and what to keep track of.
Key points
- Every booking moves through the same statuses. Track them in one place, not in inboxes.
- Holds and offers expire. Give each one a date and follow up before it lapses.
- Agree on the deal type up front: flat fee, guarantee or door split.
- The rider is part of the deal and part of the budget.
- In Germany, the artist social levy and, for artists from abroad, withholding tax come on top of the fee.
01Request: who, when, what for
A booking starts with a request to the artist or their agency: event, date, venue, capacity, the slot you have in mind and a fee range. The more complete the request, the faster the answer. Agencies receive many requests and answer the clear ones first.
Check the budget before you send it. The request is the first moment a fee becomes a likely cost.
02Holds: reserving the date
A hold reserves the date while both sides clarify the details. Agencies often rank holds: a first hold has priority, a second hold moves up when the first is released. Holds usually come with an expiry date. Track it and confirm or release in time, because a lapsed hold can cost you the act.
03Offer and deal types
The offer puts the terms in writing: fee, set length, slot, what you provide (backline, hotel, travel, catering) and the deal type. Offers usually have an expiry date too. The common deal types:
- 01Flat fee: a fixed amount, independent of ticket sales
- 02Guarantee versus percentage: a guaranteed fee or an agreed share of door income, whichever is higher
- 03Door split: the artist receives an agreed share of ticket income, often after agreed costs
04Confirmation and contract
Once both sides agree, the booking is confirmed. The contract follows: fee and deal type, payment terms, set time and length, cancellation terms, a radius clause if there is one and the riders as annexes. Until the contract is signed, a confirmed booking is still at risk.
05Riders and costs beyond the fee
The technical rider lists what the act needs on stage: backline, monitoring, input list and stage plot. The hospitality rider covers dressing room, catering, drinks, hotel and ground transport. Both cost money. Put them into the budget as soon as the offer is accepted, next to travel and hotel.
06Levies and taxes on artist fees in Germany
Two items often come on top of the fee for organisers in Germany:
- 01Artist social levy (Künstlersozialabgabe): organisers pay it to the Künstlersozialkasse on fees for self-employed artists. The rate is 4.9 % in 2026 and 5.0 % in 2027.
- 02Withholding tax (§ 50a EStG): for artists without residence in Germany, the organiser usually withholds tax from the fee and pays it to the tax office.
07Advancing and settlement
In the weeks before the show, advancing confirms the details: arrival, soundcheck and set times, backline, guest list, hotel and contacts on the day. After the show, the settlement pays out the fee. For guarantee and door deals it includes the ticket count and the costs agreed in the contract.
Keep the fee actually paid with the artist's profile. Next year it is the best reference for the next offer.
How Evnty helps
Artist booking and line-up
Artist booking
Proposals and team votes, a booking board from hold to contract, a timetable per stage.
Event budget and controlling
Event budget
Categories, plan vs actual, forecast and break-even per event, with alerts and a PDF report.
Questions about artist booking
Sources
- Künstlersozialabgabe-Verordnung 2026, § 1 (rate 4.9 %)
- Künstlersozialkasse: the artist social levy in 2027 is 5.0 %
- Künstlersozialversicherungsgesetz (KSVG), § 24: who pays the levy
- Einkommensteuergesetz (EStG), § 50a: withholding tax
This guide is a practical overview and does not replace legal or tax advice.
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Put it in Evnty: line-up, budget and the first shift. The team fills in the rest when it's time.