Thursday, December 17, 2020

3 Opportunities for Entertainers When Venues are Shuttered


With so many venues currently shut down, many entertainers have suddenly found themselves completely unable to do what they love or even earn a living. However, just because the spotlights are dark doesn’t mean there aren't other ways to bring your craft to the masses. Here are just a few ways to share your talent, and maybe pay a few bills in the process, without leaving your home.

 

Book Virtual Gigs

David Walsh Bronxville, New York business tycoon, suggests that when facing a setback, you simply need to find a new way to do business. For a performer, that may mean booking virtual gigs with companies looking to break up the monotony of endless remote meetings for their employees. Be sure to rehearse your material using the same equipment and hosting platform to get a feel for what the new virtual venue will be like before pitching your idea.

 

Find Your Audience

If you’re a comedian used to booking nightclubs or a musician always on the road, it may be hard to imagine any other way to make a living. However, there may be a whole other audience out there watching comedians or listening to music online who are dying to hear from new performers. You can choose to set up your own website or post your videos to existing platforms that generate ad revenue. Unlike physical venues, the sky’s the limit in terms of how large of an audience you may eventually attract.

 

Work On New Material

Sometimes while plugging away at performances, you may forget to freshen up your act. Now is the time to write some new material, work on new songs, or master new tricks while you’re taking a break from the nightly grind. Although you may still find your bank account pitifully anemic in the meantime, think of the time spent as an investment that will grow your income in the future.

 

The good entertainers fill venues, but great entertainers fill hearts. Therefore, just because you’re not performing on stage night after night doesn’t mean you can’t still do the latter.