How to Get People to Come to Your Show: A Two-Week Promotion Timeline

Give each show a reason to matter, then make the invitation easy to act on. Here is what to send, to whom and when during the two weeks before doors.

As soon as it is booked (T-14 at the latest): give the date a real shape

Before announcing, confirm the date, venue and address, the bill, doors, cover or ticket price, age limit and accessibility with the person booking the room. Load-in and set times often come in the venue's advance the week of the show; post set times when you have them. For a house show, say to message for the address and send it privately. Carry accessibility details into the shared graphic or event listing. Ask who makes the show graphic and who answers audience questions. If your group is playing a rare acoustic set, debuting a new track or opening for a touring act, say so. That is the reason to leave home that night.

Send the other acts a compact note: The show is confirmed for [date] at [venue]. The full bill is [names]; doors are [time]. Set times: [confirmed times, or to follow]. Here is the approved graphic and price [advance/door], ages [all ages/18+/21+] and ticket link [if any]. What angle will you share with your crowd? Ask each act for one short clip and a sentence about their set. Put those in a shared folder so nobody has to hunt through old posts. For broader ways to meet listeners between dates, use the local exposure guide.

Hi [booker], confirming [date] at [venue] with [bill]. Could you confirm doors, cover, age limit and accessibility? Please send load-in and set times when the advance is ready. The graphic is attached for your listing.

As soon as the date is confirmed, check the venue listing and send corrections. Submit local calendar notices before their deadlines and put approved flyers in record shops and rehearsal spaces. The bulletin board guide covers placement and upkeep.

T-14 onward: invite people who already listen

Tell previous attendees and email subscribers first. They have already heard you, but they still need a clear answer to why this night is different. Skip a blanket message to everyone you know. Write a short note to people who like this room, this genre or one of the acts. Give the practical details before the ask, and make declining easy. If your friends have attended several recent dates, let this one stand on its own instead of treating their attendance as a favor.

Hi [name], [band] is playing [venue] on [day] with [other act]. It is a [short description] night, with set times [confirmed times, or to follow]. Doors [time], price [advance/door], ages [all ages/18+/21+]. I thought of you because you liked [track or earlier show]. Details are here: [venue or event link]. No pressure; I wanted you to have the date.

Record only the people who opt into future notes. A small, permission-based list is easier to keep useful than a huge list of people who never asked for show announcements.

T-7 and T-3: show what makes this bill worth hearing

A week out, share a brief live moment with the date and room in plain text. Tag the other acts after confirming their handles. Each musician should share the whole bill, not just their own logo. Use a clip that represents the lineup and sound people will actually hear.

Contact a relevant community or college radio host with the bill, sound, room, day and a link to full details. Ask for a calendar listing or a spin of one track, not a feature story. At a public jam or scene night, mention the gig when it fits a conversation. Hand someone venue details after talking, not as an opening line.

At T-3, post one useful update: the running order and a rehearsal clip or the opener's introduction. Repeat doors, set times, price and ages so nobody has to find the original announcement. Save direct reminders for people who asked.

T-1: remind without replaying the announcement

One day out, make the useful information easy to find. Confirm doors and set time with the venue again; last-minute schedule shifts make people miss the act they came to hear. Send a direct reminder only to people who replied with interest or opted into your show list.

Tomorrow: [band] at [venue], set at [time]. New this time: [new song or special guest]. Doors [time], price [advance/door], ages [all ages/18+/21+]. [Other act] opens and [other act] closes. If you asked for the details, here they are: [link]. Come for the full bill if you can.

If a show is far from someone's usual route, add a landmark, parking or transit line under the show details. Make sure your bandmates know who brings cables and merch, and who sends the guest list to the venue. Promotional effort loses its value when the band arrives unprepared and starts late.

Day of and after: make the next invitation easier

On show day, put one short update where your audience expects it: Tonight at [venue]. Doors [time], [band] starts [time]. Price [advance/door], ages [all ages/18+/21+]. [Travel detail]. Ask before filming another act's soundcheck or the engineer at work. Keep the graphic readable on a phone. When someone asks if the show is still on, answer directly. If entry is limited, say what the venue told you; do not guess.

From the stage, thank the other acts and say your next confirmed date once. After the set, talk to listeners and invite anyone who wants future dates to join your email list. Stay for the other sets. Thank the sound engineer, door staff and venue contact before loading out. The next morning, send a short note to the other acts with any agreed photos, anything their fans asked you, and an idea for a next bill. Get the door count when you settle up that night. The next day, ask the booker whether the night worked for them and what would make a return easier. Keep notes on which invitations produced actual conversations rather than treating likes as attendance.

Put the show on your MetroMeet artist page

Give each invitation one place where a listener can hear you and see upcoming shows. Make your free artist page through Menu (More on a computer), Artists, then the plus button; only an artist name and page address are required. See the artist page guide.

Your public link, metromeet.app/artist/<page-address>, opens for anyone without an account; only adults can join to follow. The Share button copies or shares the link. Send it to fans or turn the link into a QR code for a flyer. Visitors can tap Follow on MetroMeet, then join or sign in to follow your page (MetroMeet is for adults 18+).

Add a bio, up to three genres and one 30-second preview of your own recording already on Apple Music or iTunes; there is no audio upload. Up to six links cover Spotify, Apple Music, Bandcamp, YouTube and two Official site slots accepting secure links, including SoundCloud. Bandmates can co-manage. Our Scene holds up to eight other artist pages.

When adding a show, enter the venue's ZIP or postal code (US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, the Philippines or Singapore). Followers within their own reach of that venue get one alert. Publish a show as a Plan for RSVPs and a same-day reminder: up to three upcoming Plans, each at most 60 days away.

Shows are public, so share a house-show address privately.

Published September 23, 2026 · MetroMeet