GigSalad

As an independent event entertainer, I use this site for booking leads, but I'm quickly learning that their fees are really, really high. Example: someone booked me for a gig where my total fee was $150. After GigSalad took their portion and deducted another fee for PayPal, my total was only $124.50 and they still charged the client an additional fee as well!
--And this isn't even their subscription service (I don't live in an area with clientele that could support the event fees required to make GigSalad's subscription anywhere near affordable.)

You also have to pay a fee to list other events on the site calendar, leading to booking leads you can't use because the time is already blocked (last check, that fee was between $5-8).

I either have to raise my prices to use this service (which will impact the number of clients I can help) or find another way to get my name out there.

If you're just starting out, it's a helpful way to find leads, but I wouldn't recommend this as a long-term plan.

After many wonderful experiences working with Gigsalad, I wanted to take this opportunity to share how professional and artist-friendly their service is. Their technology is superb and works incredibly well both in terms of helping clients book artist services to how they support individual artists. As a jazz guitarist who is both an individual performer and jazz trio, I could not be more pleased by my association with Gigsalad and certainly plan to continue this rewarding relationship as their web presence and design provides excellent leads and bookings.

Very easy to use, I'm on the free plan and still get quite a bit of leads. Tech support is also very helpful and courteous. Recommended!

This is my second year using GigSalad for Santa jobs. I highly recommend this site for job leads. The jobs were high quality and were truly inspiring.

Gig Salad is a platform that cares about us artists. Thank you for your valuable help in promoting and respecting our profession.

Its a great site to find gigs. You only pay if the client accepts your quote.
It's user friendly and the customer service is great

I honestly didn't expect much when I signed on for GigSalad. But I have been blown away by not only the amount of gigs I have landed, but also the service I have received from GigSalad. They are always extremely helpful and friendly any time I run into an issue. I started out with the FREE account and within a week or two had already received multiple leads. In January I decided to go ahead and pay for the highest level of booking. Less than 6 months in and I have 19 bookings with venues I would not have had otherwise. Thanks GigSalad. An incredible service for performers!

I didn't give it much thought and hope when I registered for a free account on GigSalad, thinking that it might be another platform like Thumbtack that will only get you leads (and fake leads) if you pay a lot of money. I was wrong, they actually much more user-friendly and vendor centric than Thumbtack! My experience with GigSalad has been good so far and I got booked four times within just two months. (Considering how busy I am with teaching).

As a professional Santa, this is the first year I have used any kind of booking service besides myself. GigSalad was highly recommended by many of my "Brothers in Red" It made it easier to reach beyond my local area without spending a lot of money on untested advertising.The online calendar made it much easier to stay organized and allows blocking out unavailable times as well as letting one add in self done bookings. GigSalad provides leads but doesn't commit to a booking. That is up to me entirely. I stay in control.

I have been an entertainer in the private events industry for over 12 years. My experience with the platform and its technicians has been nothing short of stellar! They really care about the artists that use their website for booking private events. I only wish I would have signed up with GigSalad sooner than just a few years ago. I greatly appreciate this group of people and will continue to highly recommend GigSalad to my peers and friends!

Hired David Byrd and his band for a 4th of July house party. Showed up early to set up and started on time.
Music was VERY good
Breaks were tight and my guests were dancing all night
High quality and will have the band back

You will locate most any type, category, or style of entertainment for most any event need on Gigsalad. Musicians, Dancers, Artists, Comedians, etc. You will find options fitting most budgets. Thier online Artist -Client Agreement is simple, efficient and complete. Artist or Performer Payment process is convenient and safe.

I am extremely disappointed with this service. I asked for a musician/instrumentalist and was given a magician, fire juggler, cirque de solei and a robot type acts. Why did they ask what I wanted if they were going to ignore it.

I moved to Austin, TX 3 years ago. The music scene was genuinely intimidating to a newcomer. Gigsalad was recommended by a friend and I hopped on. Excellent idea. My band and I almost immediately began pulling bookings for private parties, corporate events, weddings and a lot of opportunities to even perform our own music.

The fact that you control your own quotes directly with the client makes it easy to grow and thrive at your own pace. In our case we started with a small PA and lighting system that was appropriate for backyard parties and small events. Thanks to the continued work we got from our gigsalad events we were able to reinvest in our infrastructure to include trailers, stage modules, PA and lighting systems and even a band vehicle leading to bigger, better paying opportunities.

I'm very grateful to the gigsalad platform. Their rates are quite reasonable, considering the potential and I keep food on my table largely because of this terrific service.

- Anders Drerup
Austin, TX

Don't purchase the upgrade packages. They promise you will be at the top of searches and you will get more leads but you're not at the top and your leads are the same as a free account. They do not give refunds (even if you ask within 24 hours of purchasing) and there is no free trial. It's just a waste of money and I feel scammed. The free version is fine.

I've only just started (within the last week) my membership with GigSalad. To check them out, I went with the Free Membership option although I'm already considering one of their Paid Memberships for the near future. Setting up my Profile was easy and painless. One thing I really like is the ability to request, and have posted, reviews from previous Event Coordinators (even those not booked through GigSalad). Though I have not yet received a booking through GigSalad I'm looking forward to a long, lasting and successful partnership with them.

It was a pleasure doing business with GigSalad. The performer (Marilyn Monroe) was extraordinary. She
Was on time and looked so much like the late Marilyn Monroe. Our guests were so impressed by her professionalism. I would highly recommend using GigSalad and Marilyn at your next party/business function.

Paid for a singing telegram but they never showed up yet still said they did so Gigsalad refused a refund. Had to do a charge back instead. DO NOT RECOMMEND!

UPDATE: DO NOT TRUST THEIR REVIEW SYSTEM, they remove any unwanted legitimate reviews like mine.

I set up my profile and with in a day I had a request to come and perform and lead worship at a church just a couple of hours away. We negotiated a reasonable fee and now I'm looking forward to being with them this Sunday morning. I hope to gain many new friends and opportunities through gig salad as I continue to expand my music and ministry.

Highly professional, I get a lot of work from them. I have used Gig Salad for many years and even have a featured profile. I find them to be incredibly easy to communicate with and even refund money when it was taken in error. Or if the gig canceled.

It actually was time for me to renew my membership and I like to pay a year in advance. I looked at the amount of money I needed to spend, $479 and then I looked at the leads that had materialized for me and totaled up over $4000. It is definitely worth the investment!

If you're not using Gigsalad to get booked for events, I'd have to ask why? I've been working with them for over 10 years and can only say how glad I am that I do! There are many ways to try and get booked but in my opinion, nothing is as far-reaching. I've used many ways to advertise and this is the most effective way to get more leads. I'm also very happy with the fee structure. Very fair and worth the cost.

I've been promoting my service as a pianist through GigSalad for about a year and a half, and I've been very pleased with the results! Their platform provides a nice level of security and confidence for both parties, and I don't think I could better reach potential clients without significantly more cost and effort.

When advertising as a paid pro, leads were adequate. Now I have a free listing, things are nonexistent.