Although most people know that the best spot for a gig at a bar or club is Friday or Saturday night, taking any day or time slot available is a great way to start playing live. Bar and club owners want to know what kind of crowd you’ll be able to pull before giving you the headlining spot.  The bar owner is only concerned with sales, so if you can fill his bar on a Tuesday night, he will be sure to ask you back. When you get a time slot, make sure you tell all of your friends and family to come and bring their friends so you pack the place out. When there are multiple bands fighting for a spot, having a personal interaction with the owner might just give you the edge over anyone else. Deliver demos to any venue you want your band to perform at.  Research to find out who the owners are and how to contact them. Then, ask for five minutes of their time to personally deliver your band’s demo. When you meet with them, give them a quick overview of your band and let them know you’d be happy to take any available openings. Be professional and genuinely nice when you talk to them. You need to be networking all the time to land a gig. Work your music into every conversation; you never know who may be able to give you a lead.  Carry demo CDs at all times to be able to give them to anyone you think might be able to get you a gig. Contact other bands in your area who are already playing gigs. Ask them how they landed their first gig and see if you can use their resources. See if you can open for them one night. Go to other bands' gigs, especially the bigger ones. Most likely there will be talent agents, industry people from labels, radio stations, and other booking agents there for you to give your demo to. Make a digital file of information about band members, song reviews, and samples. Share the file with your social media accounts for people to download.   Compile all of your band’s info into a presentation file such as a PowerPoint. Email your electronic press kit to bar and venue owners. If you've tried a few tactics and still can't seem to book a gig, it might be time to set up your own. Many bands just starting out must play for free and to a small audience.  Play in a public place like a park. Set up your band and let passersby take notice. Engage with the crowd in a friendly way, and you may get some new fans. Just keep in mind that many areas require that you register for a permit to do this. You should also pay close attention to your city's noise ordinance laws and go acoustic if necessary. You can also start an underground venue. If your band plays music belonging to a less mainstream genre, like noise and many types of punk, it can be especially difficult to book gigs until you build up a sizable local following. Many artists go the DIY route, renting out practice spaces for performances. While a common feature of underground scenes, these venues are often illegal. Know your local laws and keep your venue a safe place for your guests. Stay away from residential areas where you're more likely to get shutdown by noise complaints.
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One-sentence summary -- Take whatever you can get at first. Deliver your demo to venue owners personally. Network with people. Create an electronic press kit. Make your own venue.


An EIN is an Employer Identification Number, and it’s like a Social Security number the IRS uses to keep track of businesses. Even if you don’t have any actual employees, you’ll still need to apply for an EIN, but it’s fast, free, and easy. All you’ll need to know is some basic information about your nonprofit, including a contact person, the address, the type of business entity, and what your foundation does. Fill out the online application at https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/apply-for-an-employer-identification-number-ein-online. Form 1023 is the IRS application for 501(c)3 tax exempt status. As you might expect, the IRS wants to vet any non-taxpaying organization very carefully. As a result, Form 1023 is really an application packet, and at nearly 70 pages, a long one at that. The application fee is anywhere from $400-$850.  When the stringency of the application process is coupled with potential impact of a rejected application, Form 1023 is not considered a do-it-yourself type of application.  It is strongly recommended you use the services of an attorney, accountant, or otherwise experienced professional to complete Form 1023. Anticipate that cost being anywhere from $2500-$5000. Even the IRS’ very conservative estimate cautions that Form 1023 will take a layman 100 hours or more. If you do choose to complete Form 1023 yourself, be prepared to provide detailed information on your nonprofit’s purpose, financial picture, corporate structure, activities, and compensation to employees and members of the board or trustees, as well as copies of corroborating documents.  You can examine Form 1023 at https://www.irs.gov/uac/about-form-1023. Form 990-PF (PF stands for private foundation) is like an income tax return for foundations. Even if your organization is applying for (or has received) tax exempt status, you’ll still have to complete Form 990-PF.  In essence, Form 990-PF is a detailed financial report of your foundation’s activities. You will need to know anything relevant to your balance sheet and current accounts, including revenues, operating expenses, and in particular, charitable distributions and income or losses from investments. At “only” thirteen pages, Form 990-PF is more manageable than Form 1023, and it’s more feasible for a novice to complete it. Nonetheless, it’s the type of tax form for which most people would enlist the services of an accountant. You can find a copy of Form 990-PF at https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-access/f990pf_accessible.pdf. Form 5227 is a tax form applicable to trusts specifically. Both charitable trusts and non-charitable trusts must file Form 5227 (in addition to Form 990-PF for charitable trusts). It asks for much the same type of information Form 990-PF does—identifying information, gross income, investments, etc.—so it shouldn’t require much extra time to complete if you choose to tackle it yourself.
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One-sentence summary --
Apply for an EIN. Fill out Form 1023. Fill out Form 990-PF. Fill out Form 5227 (if you are organized as a trust).