The organisational support that Hop Till You Drop offers to musicians
Representation on the Hop Till You Drop website
In conjunction with the bandleader, Hop Till You Drop will create five linked webpages. The first of these features four photographs and offers the client a clear idea of the style of music the band plays; the second lists the band’s repertoire; the third consists of a series of short mp3 downloads so that the client can hear the band in action. These three pages can be created and edited by the bandleader through the WYSIWYG editor in the Bandleader's Dashboard. Once the bandleader has finished creating the pages, Hop Till You Drop should be informed and the team will check them over and approve them. The fourth is a video page, and the fifth lists all previous reviews and testimonials of the band. These additional pages are created by the Hop Till You Drop team. We will actively solicit more reviews from clients and add them to the relevant page on an ongoing basis.
Once the band is included in the website they will be given a username and password which will allow them access to the Hop Till You Drop Bandleader’s Dashboard. This is where the band’s information can be edited, enquiries managed, contracts stored and you can notify and update the agency regarding dates booked through other sources. Follow this link to find out more about The Bandleader’s Dashboard.
Excellent optimisation of webpages in Google
The Hop Till You Drop website is well optimised in Google for the keywords most commonly selected by clients when searching for musicians, bands, and ensembles to perform at events they are organising in the UK. The five different regional websites are designed to further improve this search engine optimization, and we anticipate upgrading our Google rank for a wide range of keywords, therefore directing more traffic towards the site.
The site is statistically monitored by web-stat.com. Throughout 2010 the site has received an average of 180 visits per day, and of these visitors at least 14% have come back for a second look. Typically, each visitor views an average of 3 - 4 pages, and stays long enough to read the text and to download the soundfiles. On the basis of these statistics, the site anticipates a minimum of 65,000 visitors in 2011, and of these, we expect around 10,000 to come back for a second look. These are conservative estimates, as the site's popularity is constantly growing.
Providing the band is offering a performance product that appeals to clients, bookings will inevitably result from inclusion in the site.
Professional rates of remuneration
Prior to the launch of the webpages, we will have negotiated a net fee for the band or ensemble with the bandleader. Depending on the style of music, the area of the UK the band predominantly works in, and the amount of technical equipment the band carries, the fees that can be expected for individual musicians generally range from £100.00 - £250.00.
Hop Till You Drop then adds the agency's surcharge to the net fee. It is 22% of the total fee and it is paid by the client as a deposit. The client either pays the bandleader the net fee in cash on the day of the engagement, or by cheque to arrive not less than seven days before the performance is to take place.
A well-formulated contract
Hop Till You Drop draws up a reciprocal contract between the client and the band. The contact name, home address and phone number of both parties are included in the contract, allowing final details to be "tweaked" directly, without unnecessary agency involvement. Arrival time, set-up times and performance times are all stipulated, so that both parties know exactly what is expected. The agency asks the client to nominate someone from their party to liaise with the bandleader on the day. We suggest that, if possible, this person introduces himself or herself while the band is setting up, and that payment takes place at this point. We also ask the client to organise a dressing-room near the stage for the band (if possible), and to provide either a hot meal or sandwiches and drinks for the band.
In the first instance, a link to the contract is e-mailed to the client, who is invoiced separately for the deposit (the agency's surcharge) which is payable at this point. The client accepts the contract online and pays the deposit within seven days of the contract's date of issue. A link to the contract is then e-mailed to the bandleader, who also accepts the contract online. The completed contract is then made available to all parties in .pdf form. It should be downloaded and a hard copy printed by both parties. We also make a copy for our records, thus sealing the agreement.
Cancellation
If, for any reason, the client changes his mind regarding the engagement after contracts have been signed and exchanged, the cancellation clause on behalf of the band is self-explanatory: however, if it needs to be actioned, it is the bandleader's responsibility to enforce it. If the musicians in the band are members of the Musicians Union, that organisation will, where necessary, follow the matter up on the band's behalf. In our experience, a letter from the union to the recalcitrant client, making it clear that court action might ensue, usually does the trick. It is also worth noting that the Musicians Union offers free public liability insurance to its members, with cover of up to £10,000,000. If all the personnel of your band are union members, there is no need to purchase further public liability insurance for the group.
In the event of cancellation by the band or performer through accident, injury or illness, a doctor’s certificate or other appropriate documentation will be required. In the event of such cancellation by the performer, Hop Till You Drop will endeavour to provide a replacement on behalf of the client. An exact replacement, in terms of style of music and price, cannot be guaranteed. If no appropriate or acceptable replacement can be found, the deposit will be refunded in full and the engagement deemed null and void.
