SLMC

luketemplar · Joined: 04 Sep 2007 Posts: 314 Location: United Kingdom

This guide is under construction and is to be distributed by the SLMC ONLY. Please add your suggestions and corrections below. I will incorporate it into the guide at some point.
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There are hundreds of venues in SL with different goals and agendas. Below are a few broad categories which you can find venues.
a) Corporate venues - these would be associated with RL businesses. Live events are held to attract people to the sim. Examples include Pontiac, Playboy, Ratepoint
b) Commercial venues - these would be associated with SL businesses. Dwell is a commodity in SL - if you see a mall sharing the same parcel as a venue chances are the venue is there to boost dwell for the mall - hence making the mall space more valuable.
c) Venues associated with RL music projects - this is a new category but a growing one. These venues will offer rl exposure for playing there either by internet tv streams, radio streams or streams into rl clubs.
d) Non profit venues - this may be the largest group of venues. Many people in SL run a venue as a hobby and for fun. Certainly 2 of the largest and oldest venues in SL are run this way. However, don't look down on this hobbyist category as those that are serious about it will run it quite professionally too. As with anything -you have to pick and choose.
e) Co-op & community venues: These are venues which are typically non-profit, but don't specialize or focus on music, but still need performances from time to time. For example, a newbie welcome area, or a gathering for a purpose, but then also has background music or an afterparty.
f) For profit and non-profit venues which aren't primarily music venues, but may have music from time to time. Such as an art gallery

Below is a guide by Ticious Trottier (venue owner and promoter) on how to choose a venue wisely:

People should be researching venues before they book at them. This means the artist or their manager should go to the venue and scope it out BEFORE the booking takes place. Questions should be asked. It's not hard to tell a well run venue from a poorly run or disorganized one with just a few questions and a little bit of research:

1. Who will be available to set the stream?
2. Who is the back up person in case person A has a login problem?
3. Is there someplace, either in world or on the internet, where I can see your schedule?
4. Do you post events in the Live Music events listing?
5. How soon before the event do you typically post it?
6. What else do you do to promote the show?
7. Do you have your own stream.

And for research, is the stage in the middle of a mall? Is it big or small? Does it look well thought out, with a theme, or simply something thrown up? If the venue puts up event listings, look at them. Do they promote the venue or the artist or both? Is the artist's name at the beginning of the event name (so it will come up when searched upon) or some kinda after thought at the end of the description after the Sploders, best of prizes and camp chairs? When you read the listings this venue puts up (if they put them up), which do you know more about, the venue or the artist?

Once you have the answers to all these questions and have done your research, you're ready to begin your negotiation and set your fee based on the answers. You'll know if the gig is good promo for you (lower fee) or intended to promo the venue (higher fee) and what the risk of losing the hour due to venue owner screw up or no show (pass on the booking or charge a fee worthy of the risk you're taking).
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EDITED 9/10/07
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The ViBe
::Live, Love, Dance::
http://vibe.slvibe.com

Doubledown Tandino · Posted: Tue Oct 09, 2007 11:44 pm Post subject:

Add these to the types of venues:

Co-op & community venues: These are venues which are typically non-profit, but don't specialize or focus on music, but still need performances from time to time. For example, a newbie welcome area, or a gathering for a purpose, but then also has background music or an afterparty.

For profit and non-profit venues which aren't primarily music venues, but may have music from time to time. Such as an art gallery.
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Second Life: The Music, The DJs, The Nightlife, The Art, & The Creativity

My Music: On Reverb Nation: On TheSixtyOne

luketemplar · Joined: 04 Sep 2007 Posts: 314 Location: United Kingdom

Thanks DD - these have been added.
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The ViBe
::Live, Love, Dance::
http://vibe.slvibe.com

Doubledown Tandino · Posted: Wed Oct 10, 2007 2:25 am Post subject:

Yeah, I think there's a big market (for lack of a better word) of venues that aren't specific music venues, but the owners/managers would absolutely love a musician or dj coming to them offering an event.
Basically I look at every piece of land, every venue where people are gathering as a possibility for music. Alot of these land owners don't even realize they'd like to have music until you offer it to them.

And, hey why not? If you're looking for a place to play your music, why not simply offer it? Just find ANYWHERE you'd like to play, and create a little event around it. Even a sandbox... a sandbox is great, cause there's lots of people hanging out. Lots of people will be staying there for awhile. Lots of people come and go. And there's no pressure. The music isn't the focus. If they like the music, great. if they dont like the music they can turn it off, but will still stay there building. The owner won't mind as long as its not offensive. it only helps them too.

... and from there, that's a great way to build up experience performing in a casual environment. And also a good way, to develop a "packaged performance" that you can begin to market elsewhere.

Me personally, the way I started was simply going to spots (not necessarily music locations), and the ones I really liked, I'd IM the owner and say something like "hey, do you all have any live music here?" And if the owner was cool, and the conversation was good, I'd basically set them up with a show, tell them there's no stress on their end, just do what they normally do, and I'll jam out for a few hours. Afterwards they'd love it.... and soon after they would begin IMing me saying "hey, I loved what you did the last time, wanna do it again?"
and it all blossomed from there.
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Second Life: The Music, The DJs, The Nightlife, The Art, & The Creativity

My Music: On Reverb Nation: On TheSixtyOne

Komuso Tokugawa · Joined: 11 Sep 2007 Posts: 88 Location: Tokyo, Japan

I could not agree more DDT!

Currently I'm in submission stage of my 2nd House Rent Boogie tour @
http://www.sonicviz.com/ls/index.php?sid=24451&lang=en

It's a no charge, tips only grid wide house party tour for my fans [and any one else actually] - no venues allowed, no formal performance spaces allowed - peoples houses and personal space only - in the tradition of the blues and most other roots music cultures around the planet.

The first one I did in Jan/Feb 2007 was a blast...so it's time to do another:-)
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Blog: http://sonicviz.com/wordpress/
Music: http://music.sonicviz.com/