Host & Artist

If you don’t have seating for the maximum number of guests you will invite, consider borrowing extra chairs so everyone can be comfortable during the performance.

Some artists prefer to play indoor concerts, while others will welcome an outdoor venue!

This will help the artist know that there’s enough space for their performance and an adequate number of guests.

In the absence of correct mapping abilities on Google or Apple Maps, artists may assume they are headed in your direction only to find themselves off course (and running late as a result). If you need to provide specific directions or a gate code to the artist, you will have a chance to do that at the time you book your event.

An average house show performance is between 60 and 90 minutes. There’s a lot of flexibility, but it’s good to have a number to shoot for.

It's important to communicate whether or not you want your address or contact info publicized. It's also important to make sure that you invite enough people. Most hosts report that between one-third and two-thirds of their invitees show up for the event. If the artist has enough attentive listeners in the room, the concert is more likely to feel fun and engaging.

The artist may have some listeners in your geography whom they would invite, with your permission. However, if you plan on making all invites yourself, that's great, too.

Many hosts provide food, but it's not required. Some will invite the artist for a meal before anyone else arrives to the concert. It's your event, so anything you want to provide to guests is probably fine with the artist. If they know in advance, they can make sure to grab dinner or not, based on your plans.

Some artists will want to stay in a home on the night of the show, while others may prefer to arrange their own lodging. If you prefer not to house an artist, that's completely fine. Artists who know your preference beforehand can either ask for help if they need it, or simply focus on putting on a great show.

Young children are wonderful people who, on occasion, find it hard to stay quiet during an intimate musical performance. Maybe you have children who need to be in the room during the show, or maybe you’d like them to watch a movie or something in another room so that your other guests can focus on the concert.

Some artists may have a preference as to whether young children are present, because they either have content that’s specifically for children, or because they’d prefer a less distracting concert. Other artists may have some content that’s suitable for grownups, but not young children.

Whatever your situation, it can be helpful to communicate and prepare in advance so that the evening is a great time for everyone.

It's important to create an environment where all your guests can pay close attention to the artist's performance in a quiet setting. If you have pets with a tendency to make noise, it's worth thinking through whether or not you will have them in the room while the concert is happening.

Some artists may have an allergy to certain kinds of pets, and if they know in advance of any furry friends, they can ask you about your pets and/or plan ahead in order to perform at their very best.

We recommend that you bring merch to sell to guests, and that you bring a tip jar. We recommend that you ask the host for a table that you can use to display merch.

Also, we recommend that you ask the host to take time to make an introduction before the show starts, that they call attention to your merch table as a way of supporting you, and that they point out your tip jar and and mailing list signup at some point during the evening.

Perhaps you perform with multiple setups, so you’ll have a chance to update this for every booking you receive. Some hosts are looking for a specific setup, and others are flexible. It depends on the aesthetic they’re going for, the guest list, and the space they have available.

This will help the host know that there’s enough space for your performance and an adequate number of guests.

Some hosts may want you to play in their backyard or on a patio (especially if social distancing is a factor), depending on the weather. If you prefer to play indoors, let them know.

An average house show performance is between 60 and 90 minutes. Hosts who ask you to play for longer or shorter time frames may simply be unaware of your preferences, so it’s good to let them know what you’d like to shoot for. In our experience, just over an hour is the sweet spot!

It's important not to publicize a host's address or contact info unless you have their express permission to do so. It's also important that enough invitations are sent out, from the host alone or in collaboration with you, to make sure that enough people show up. Most hosts report that between one-third and two-thirds of their invitees show up for the event. If you’re performing for a room full of attentive listeners, the concert is more likely to feel fun and engaging.

Some hosts may be grateful to hear your advice for promoting the concert and filling the room. Some may welcome you to invite listeners you have in their geography. Still others may have the guest list for their friends and family and host an event that’s more private.

In any case, ask the host before you share their information, and ask them how you can help make the night a success.

Many hosts provide food, but it's not required. Some may invite you for a meal before anyone else arrives to the concert. If you have food allergies, hosts can know that in advance in case they’re able to provide a meal, if your schedule and preferences allow. And if both sides communicate on a plan in advance, you can know if you need to grab dinner before you arrive.

You may need the host to provide a place to stay on the night of the show, or you may prefer to make your own arrangements. Some hosts don’t have the space or ability to house an artist overnight. Hosts who know your needs or preferences beforehand will often try to help you however they can. In any case, ample planning can enable you to focus on putting on a great show.

Young children are wonderful people who, on occasion, find it hard to stay quiet during an intimate musical performance. Perhaps your host has children who must be present in the room during the show, or perhaps they’d rather put on a movie or something in another room so that the other guests can focus on the concert.

Maybe you have content that’s specifically for children, or maybe you’d prefer to have a grownup audience. It's important to let a host know if any of your content is not suitable for young people.

Whatever your situation, it can be helpful to communicate and prepare in advance so that the evening is a great time for everyone.

It's important for a host to create an environment where all your guests can pay close attention to the performance in a quiet setting. If they have pets with a tendency to make noise, it's worth thinking through whether or not they’ll be in the room while the concert is happening.

You may have an allergy to certain kinds of pets, and if you know in advance of any furry friends, you can ask the host about their pets and/or plan ahead in order to perform at your very best.

Host & Artist is a house concert community. We exist to encourage meaningful moments of truth, goodness, and beauty through house concerts.

Host & Artist is also an online platform that allows house concert hosts and performers to create a profile and connect with one another.

Host & Artist was started by Andrew Peterson and a team of friends who wanted to see two great gifts come together: hospitality and music.

Please get in touch with the team to let us know how we can help you!

Every artist charges a different amount based on a variety of factors such as travel expenses, number of musicians, length of the performance, and experience level.

Host & Artist allows a host to begin a negotiation with any artist, starting with a minimum proposal of $100.

Our goal is to help hosts book a house concert (and support the artist) as simply as possible. Artist compensation is negotiable, and can be covered by the host, or through guest contributions. Here are the steps:

1. Hosts will see an artist’s normal fee range when they place a booking inquiry. A host offers an amount (minimum of $100), and proposes a date and time for the concert. The artist may accept the offer, or negotiate the date/time/amount by sending a counter-offer (which the host may accept or decline).

2. Through our messaging platform, the host and the artist will be able to see how the other’s event preferences match up with their own, so that they can quickly ask and answer any questions along the way.

3. The host confirms an event by paying the artist a 15% deposit to reserve the date. We provide an RSVP page that can be used to invite guests to join and pay an optional suggested donation. The host will be charged the remaining 85% (less guest contributions) after the event.

As a matter of fact, we can:

Example A: At an agreed fee of $300, the artist receives $45 from the host to reserve the date. If 20 guests contribute $15 apiece, the artist receives an additional $300 in suggested donations. When the concert completes, no further money is due from the host. The artist is paid a total of $345, minus the platform and credit card fees.

Example B: At an agreed fee of $500, the artist receives $75 from the host to reserve the date. If 30 guests contribute $10 apiece, the artist receives an additional $300 in suggested donations. When the concert completes, the artist receives the remaining $125 from the host. The artist is paid a total of $500, minus the platform and credit card fees.

We provide an RSVP page for each event that can be used to invite guests to join and pay an optional suggested donation. If the host and artist invite their guests to visit this page, the artist will receive any fees contributed in advance of the event, and the host’s guarantee will be lessened by the same amount.

Depending on the level of publicity the host is agreeable to, we encourage you to use any and all means desired to invite your guests, including email, reaching out by phone or in person, and social media. The artist may have some ideas from a wealth of experience in promoting events, so feel free to ask them!

In addition to the RSVP page, we provide a printable poster for each event that will allow guests to RSVP after scanning a QR code. We also provide a printable poster for each artist that can be used at any event to invite guests to send the artist a tip, book the artist, listen to the artist’s music, and read more about the artist after scanning a QR code.

If you’re thinking of a question that’s not answered on this page, please contact us and let us know!