What is Gig Salad?

Gig Salad is the talent directory of local and regional performers, speakers and entertainers, spanning the spectrum of entertainment genres, from Fire Breathers to Folk Singers, from Ballet Dancers to Beatles Tribute Bands. Our website gives talent buyers, event planners, agents and consumers free universal access to our constantly-growing roster of talent, searchable by name, genre and location, throughout the United States and Canada.

We are well on our way to becoming the most recognized, visible and accessible talent roster in North America. Gig Salad connects people by making it easy and user-friendly on both ends. Anyone looking for entertainment for concerts, corporate events, weddings, music festivals, private parties, fundraisers, launch parties or any other event can easily mine Gig Salad’s deep and constantly growing roster of talent. Entertainers can sign up with Gig Salad knowing that our team is working hard to get them gigs, all at a reasonable cost. Once you join, there are no hidden costs, finder’s fees or commissions.

Unlike other internet talent directory websites, we offer a variety of ways to direct talent buyers back to the members (phone, email, website link, etc), so you can book the gig yourself and save on the commission that other sites like to charge.

Does this site really work for performers?

While we can't guarantee that you'll be playing Carnegie Hall by this time next week if you join Gig Salad, we do guarantee you'll receive exceptional exposure for your talent. Our members have shared countless success stories with us and have gotten high-paying gigs and tremendous opportunities through their Gig Salad membership. It's a small investment to make for potentially huge rewards. Just one open door can get you into the feast! So, in answer to your question... Yes, Gig Salad really does work for performers!

Why do I need Gig Salad?

Unlike most of the free sites, Gig Salad is a website that is targeted specifically to event planners, agents and talent buyers. We don't clutter the site up with ads. We have great relationships with talent buyers throughout the country and are closely connected with Steiner Talent, so there are many avenues through which you can be contacted for gigs once you join. Joining Gig Salad gives you more than just a listing; Gig Salad gets you connected.

Serious talent buyers typically do not search through pages of MySpace and "community" sites like that to hire entertainment. MySpace serves a "networking" need, and we provide a real-time exposure/gig booking need. We strongly recommend taking advantage of what MySpace offers, as well as posting video on YouTube and other such "viral promotion" sites, without neglecting direct response opportunities like the one we offer on Gig Salad.

If I can get a free listing on other websites, why would I pay to join Gig Salad? There are about a zillion sites out there that let you advertise your services for "free". If you have found any to be useful, then you should absolutely stick with them. Some, however, have a catch: either they charge you money to show you a gig lead, or they want a commission if you book something through them. And some are even outright malicious, selling your personal information, placing you on spam lists, and other horrible stuff. The bottom line: spread yourself out, test the waters and see what works. But we never recommend listing your talent on just one site, even if it's ours!

Any recent developments?

We recently launched the first of many sites in the Gig Salad network: Magician Salad. We have developed the network to bring even more value to our members: more exposure, greater search engine visibility, and an opportunity to be featured prominently on a quality website. The best part: a listing on any of our network of websites costs nothing additional for Gig Salad members! And because we don’t want to leave everyone out in the cold, even those who are not members of Gig Salad can also get a free text listing on the Gig Salad network websites. There are many more to come. Check back here again shortly for an update on launches in the Gig Salad network.

There's much more to say, and our blog has more info about our beginnings, our philosphy and other stuff. Get your gig on!