Why in writing at all
Not because of the worst case but because of the normal one. In the vast majority of bookings nobody ever pulls the text out again — its value lies in the writing itself: putting it into sentences reveals what has not been discussed. „From when to when?“ is the question most often left open verbally, and the one most hangs on later.
The form is secondary. For a booking, an email both sides have confirmed serves the purpose completely: it is dated, it is readable later, and both parties have it. A signed sheet looks more professional to corporate clients and adds nothing in substance. Anyone starting out does not hunt for a template first — they write the six points into an email.
The six points
Each one prevents a dispute that otherwise happens. A normal booking needs no more.
| Point | What it says | Which dispute it prevents |
|---|---|---|
| Date and playing time | From when to when, not „in the evening“ | The point most often left open verbally — and the one most hangs on later. |
| Venue with address | Complete, including access | Prevents hunting for the back entrance with a car full of gear. |
| Fee and when it is due | Amount and when it arrives | „We will transfer it“ is not a date. Cash on the night or by invoice — both work, neither works unspoken. |
| Who provides which equipment | One line: brought, provided, needed | „There is a system“ ranges from a club PA to two bookshelf speakers. |
| Setup time and food | When you can get in, whether food is included | Sounds trivial and decides whether you play four hours without a break. |
| Cancellation terms | The closer to the date, the more is retained | The one point you can no longer negotiate when it matters. |
The deposit protects both sides
A deposit feels like a demand and is in truth a commitment device in both directions. Whoever has paid one does not cancel lightly — and whoever has received one keeps the date free instead of waiting for a better enquiry. That is exactly why you can explain it that way: it secures the date for the client, not just the money for you.
In practice: the further away the date, the more it matters — for a wedding fourteen months out you are otherwise holding a Saturday that cannot be refilled. And the cancellation arrangement belongs in the same paragraph: the closer to the date, the more is retained. Agreeing that BEFOREHAND means not negotiating it in the moment.
The written booking in 5 steps
Written once, it is a copy-paste template for every booking after that.
Agree verbally, then write immediately
The text does not replace the conversation, it records it. Send the email straight after the call, while both of you still have the same numbers in mind.
The six points into one email
Date and playing time from/to, venue with address, fee and when it is due, who provides which equipment, setup time and food, cancellation terms. A normal booking needs no more.
Agree the cancellation terms at the same time
The closer to the date, the more is retained. Settling it BEFOREHAND is the entire point — in the moment you do not negotiate it, you read it.
Get confirmation, do not assume it
An email nobody replied to is not a booking. An „agreed“ in the reply is plenty — but it has to be there.
Ask for a deposit when the date is far off
For a date months away you are otherwise holding a Saturday that cannot be refilled. Explain it as what it is: it secures the date for the client.
Mistakes that get expensive
Trusting the verbal agreement
Not because of bad faith but because two people remember the same conversation differently. The email costs five minutes.
Not getting a confirmation
An email nobody replied to is not a booking. An „agreed“ is enough — but it has to be there.
Discussing cancellation only once it happens
By then one of you is disappointed, and that is the worst possible moment to negotiate.
Adopting somebody else’s template
Clauses nobody has read suggest certainty instead of providing it. Six points in your own words are worth more.
Leaving the equipment question open
The most expensive unspoken point. One line stops you standing there with a controller in front of two bookshelf speakers.
Before you say yes
Five questions that take two minutes in conversation — and cannot be asked afterwards.
Playing time from/to stated
A clock time, not a time of day.
Equipment settled in one line
Brought, provided, needed.
When the fee is due is written down
Cash on the night or by invoice — just not open.
Cancellation terms agreed
Beforehand, not in the moment.
Confirmation received
In writing, from the other side, dated.
⚠️ What this page is NOT: legal advice. Whether a clause holds, how high a kill fee may be, and what applies in case of illness or force majeure depends on the individual case and the country — our source archive holds nothing on that, and with law a plausible guess does the most damage. What is here is experience about which points to discuss. For larger sums, corporate clients or a genuine dispute, a lawyer is worth the money, not a guide.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a contract as a beginner?
A contract in the sense of a multi-page document: no. A written booking: yes, from the first paid gig. The effort is an email with six points, and the benefit shows the first time someone remembers the playing time differently than you do.
How large should a deposit be?
Customary is a share of the fee, not all of it — enough that cancelling hurts, little enough that nobody hesitates. More important than the amount is that it is agreed at all and that it is clear what happens to it on a cancellation. This page names no fixed figure: it depends on fee, lead time and type of client.
The client cancels two weeks out — now what?
Now it shows whether the cancellation terms were agreed. If they were, you read them and it is settled. If they were not, you negotiate at a moment when one of you is disappointed — the worst possible time. That is exactly why the point is on the list above.
Is an email really enough?
For the purpose at hand — both sides know the same thing and can read it back — yes. It is dated, both parties have it, and it takes five minutes. Whether it holds up in court is a different question, and this page does not answer it (see the note below).
Why does the equipment question belong in the booking?
Because it is the point most often left unsaid and the most expensive when it goes wrong. „There is a system“ can mean anything from a club PA to two bookshelf speakers. One line is enough — in booking language that line is called a rider: what you bring, what is provided, and which connections you need. For a normal booking a rider is not a list of demands but exactly that one line.
Is there a template to download here?
Deliberately not. A template suggests legal certainty we cannot verify, and it tempts people to adopt clauses nobody has read. The six points above are the substance — written in your own words they are worth more than someone else’s form.
Be able first
A contract secures the night, not the set
A contract secures the night. Whether it is good is decided by what you can do at the booth.
Start for free