Download Your Contract: Sorted by Gig & Venue Type

Select your performance category below to get a professional, ready-to-use agreement tailored for your specific gig.

I. Traditional Venues & Performance Spaces

  • Concert Halls & Performing Arts Centers: (Symphony, solo recitals, chamber music)

  • Clubs & Nightclubs: (Jazz clubs, blues clubs, DJ venues, cover bands)

  • Bars & Pubs: (Solo acoustic acts, duos, small bands – often background or featured entertainment)

  • Restaurants & Lounges: (Background music, jazz trios, piano/vocalists – crucial to specify volume/break timings)

  • Hotels & Resorts: (Lobby musicians, lounge acts, poolside entertainment, wedding bands for hotel events)

  • Theaters: (Pit orchestra for musicals, live sound effects, pre-show/intermission music)

  • Casinos: (House bands, lounge acts, featured touring artists in casino showrooms)

  • Coffeehouses & Cafés: (Singer-songwriters, acoustic acts, open mic hosts)

II. Private & Special Events (A major income source)

  • Weddings & Wedding Receptions: (Ceremony musicians, cocktail hour, reception band/DJ)

  • Corporate Events: (Conferences, holiday parties, product launches, galas – background music or featured act)

  • Private Parties: (Birthdays, anniversaries, house concerts, family reunions)

  • Fundraisers & Galas: (Charity balls, auction events)

  • Religious Ceremonies & Houses of Worship: (Weddings, funerals, holiday services, contemporary worship bands)

  • Festivals & Fairs: (Community festivals, arts fairs, cultural celebrations, food & wine festivals)

  • Street Performing & Busking: (Designated public spaces, subways, pedestrian malls – check local permits).

III. Educational & Institutional Settings

  • Schools & Universities: (Assemblies, dances (proms), athletic events (pep bands), educational workshops/artist residencies)

  • Libraries & Museums: (Lecture series accompanists, opening receptions, background for exhibits)

  • Hospitals & Healthcare Facilities: (Therapeutic music, lobby performances – often volunteer or paid through arts-in-medicine programs)

  • Senior Living Facilities & Nursing Homes: (Background entertainment, interactive sing-alongs, period-specific acts)

IV. Commercial & Business Settings

  • Retail Stores & Shopping Malls: (Holiday carolers, grand opening entertainment, ambient music)

  • Breweries, Wineries & Distilleries: (Tasting room entertainment, tour background music, release party featured acts)

  • Cruise Ships & Riverboats: (Long-term contracts, multiple house bands, soloists, DJs)

  • Amusement & Theme Parks: (Strolling characters, stage shows, area-specific bands (e.g., Dixieland in New Orleans Square))

V. Media & Broadcast

  • Recording Studios: (Session work for other artists, jingles, film scores, demo recording)

  • Film/TV/Video Game Sets: (On-camera performance, background source music, recording for soundtracks)

  • Radio & Podcasts: (Live performance interviews, jingle creation, theme music)

  • Live Streams & Virtual Events: (Concert live streams, paid virtual private events, tip-based platforms like Twitch)

VI. Other Gig Types

  • Background/Atmospheric for Film & Video: (Recording music that will be heard in a scene, e.g., a band in a bar scene)

  • Session & Studio Work: (Hired to record parts for another artist’s album, commercial, or project)

  • Tour & Backup Supporting Acts: (Hired as a touring member for a larger artist, or as the opening act on a tour)

  • House Bands: (Residency for a TV show (e.g., talk show), weekly club residency, or for a recurring event series)

  • Musical Theater & Pit Gigs: (Contract to play in the orchestra pit for a run of a show)

  • Circus & Variety Shows: (Live music for acrobatic or theatrical shows)

  • Composer/Arranger: (Commissioned to write original music or create arrangements for specific ensembles/events)

Musicians Guild International

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