The key to full time DJ touring?

The Henry Fong Newsletter (3 minute read time)  The key to a successful DJ touring career is as obvious as it seems. DJ agents. You've probably heard me talk about DJ agents a few times in these newsletters. Is a big agency the end-all be-all to having the best touring career you can have though? I saw some interesting data from a new site called bookagentinfo, that broke down the agencies  that had acts on the Coachella line up. It looks like this:           As you can see most of the bookings are from the main top talent agencies: Wasserman, CAA, WME, and UTA. These top agencies alone make up a staggering 66% of the entire line up. Now we can gather an important fact here. The power of the major festival bookings is definitely concentrated in the hands of a few agencies.  But does it matter getting signed to one of these agencies? In my experience, I would say yes it does. I previously have been on a major agency and they have the lifting power to get you on major festivals even as a new signee. Most people won't tell you the truth about this, but I think it does matter.  Don't get me wrong, you still can have a fantastic career on a smaller boutique agency. There are definitely pros and cons to both, as someone who has been on big and smaller agencies. I have found I get prioritized more on the smaller agencies, where on the big agencies you can sometimes get lost in the mix. Now on the other hand, on the big ones you can get the heavy lifting power for major festivals, where on the smaller agencies they are competing for less of share of the major bookings. Now how can you use this info to plan ahead in your career and make moves? What I would do is research your top favorite acts you feel aligned with, and find out who their agents are. Find the agents names, and start piecing together potential ways you can get warm introductions to them via mutual connections. Next I would find potential management rosters that you feel aligned with, and see what agents book their acts. Most of the time management companies have relationships with specific agents at these big agencies that handle their acts. Set some goals to network and meet these mgmt companies too.  Remember the DJ game is a networking game too. The more you can make these connections, you can get closer to the teams that can really put some fuel in the fire for your career. Hope this newsletter gives you guys some clarity around one of the most important pieces to the puzzle for your DJ touring career. -Henry