Jeff Howard - Booking Agent at Agency for the Performing Arts (APA) on Artist Development and Building a Successful Career as a Booking Agent
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This episode kicks off our booking agent series, and features Jeff Howard from Agency for the Performing Arts (APA). In today’s music business, an artist's main sources of revenue come from touring, merchandising and licensing. There is still a significant amount of money that can be made from physical music sales at shows, and from streaming. However, in today’s business you either need to have success on the road, or be a great songwriter. Those are not the only two ways, there are definitely lots of artists that think outside of the box and come up with unique business models. But for the majority, touring is where it’s at. The touring business has been growing every single year since 1990, and is only continuing to go up with the touring side of the business having its best year yet in 2016, beating its previous best year in 2015. With that said, having a booking agent can be a game changer for your career. One of the lines from Macklemore that has had a big influence on me was the line in his song “Ten Thousand Hours” where he says “I got signed the day I got an agent.” Agents have all the power of the touring business. There is a lot that goes into getting an agent, and in this series, we’re going to explore some different stories and perspectives.
Jeff Howard is a booking agent at the Agency for the Performing Arts (APA) in Nashville. His journey started at the prestigious Berklee College of Music. Throughout his time at Berklee, Jeff made a lot of important connections. In this episode, he talks about his experience at Berklee and some of the instructors he’s learned from. We also talk about how he landed his first internship with Rounder Records, whose headquarters were in Cambridge, MA at the time. Also, you’ll learn how meeting Tim Collins, the former manager for Aerosmith, has lead him to his first job with Monterey Peninsula. Jeff also shares some history of Monterey Peninsula, how he transitioned to APA, and the history there, and much more about agencies. You’ll also learn about what he looks for in an artist that he represents, artist development, how to become an agent, and much more.
Some additional resources on Booking Agencies.
Here is an article I wrote for the blog on How to Open for National Acts
My interview with College Booking Agent, Ari Nisman
One of my early interviews, with United Talent Agency booking Agent Alec Vidmar
Keep in touch with Jeff Howard
http://www.apa-agency.com/
jhoward@apanashville.com
Credits:
Host: Chris Goyzueta
Producer: Jason Trosclair
Executive Producer: ONElive Creative Agency
Music: Emily Kopp
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