The full
lifecycle.
From posting a slot to confirming a show — the whole booking process, in plain English.
Choose your view:
Create your performer profile
Add your act name, type, location, availability, and links to your work.
Browse open slots at local venues
See which bars and breweries need entertainment — and when.
Submit interest in a slot
Takes seconds. The venue gets your profile and ratings automatically.
Venue reviews your profile
They check your reliability score, ratings, and samples.
Receive a formal booking offer
Date, time, and compensation terms — all in writing.
Accept — show confirmed
The booking is locked in. No more handshake deals.
Show syncs to Google Calendar
Confirmed gig appears automatically in your connected calendar.
Venue rates your performance
Great shows build your reputation and get you more bookings.
Show Reliability
The percentage of booked shows completed. Both sides have one. Agreed cancellations don't count. New users show 'Too New' until 3+ shows.
Approval Rating
After every show, venues rate their experience working with the performer. Approval Rating is the share of those ratings that are positive — a simple thumbs-up signal, shown once a performer has 3+ completed shows.
Audience Draw
After every show, venues also report turnout. Builds a public Audience Draw profile tracked by venue-size tier. A venue viewing a performer's profile sees the single tier matching its own capacity — how well that performer fills rooms like theirs; performers see all of their tiers when viewing their own profile.
Google Calendar Sync
Confirmed shows appear automatically in the performer's connected Google Calendar. One-way sync — deleting the event doesn't cancel the booking.
Offer Expiration
Booking offers have an expiration window set by the venue — min 24 hours, max 14 days, default 72. Pass the Hat / Tips Only offers use a fixed 48-hour window. Keeps the pipeline moving.
The rules are the rules.
Payment
Venues set the compensation model when posting a slot — Flat Fee, Door Split / Percentage, Guarantee vs. Percentage, Pass the Hat / Tips Only, or Other / Custom — and it locks once the slot is live. Performers submit a pricing ask, the venue issues a formal offer with the model fixed, and the performer accepts — there's no in-app negotiation after an offer goes out. The platform records the agreement, but payment is handled directly between the two parties. Small Venue Music does not process or hold payments.
Cancellations
Either party can cancel a confirmed booking. Cancellations within 7 days count as “late” and are reflected in the cancelling party's public Show Reliability score. Agreed cancellations (e.g., severe weather) don't affect either side's score. Cancellations more than 7 days out don't affect anyone's reliability. After a cancellation is complete, the slot re-opens and both parties are put right back in — the venue can send a new offer, performers can submit interest again.
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