How it works
House concerts are communal, artful, personal evenings, among the most memorable concerts a thoughtful host, a talented artist, and their guests can experience. Artists are in continual need to find the space and the audience to share their meaningful work with the world. Hosts are excited about giving them a place to play and showing their friends what's so great about their music.
Whenever I’m in an intimate setting—no sound system, no fancy lights, no band—and the listeners are just a few feet away, I’m struck all over again by why I fell in love with songwriting in the first place: a story, a string of a few words in a certain order, all planted in a bed of chords and rhythms, can arrest someone’s attention for a few precious minutes. In a world of clamor and distraction, that’s nothing short of miraculous. In that space, it’s not about how good or bad the song is, how perfect or imperfect the performance is; in that space we’re all reminded that we’re not alone, that our stories intersect—and if the artist and the audience are courageous enough to open themselves to a little bit of wonder, or a little bit of light, we can all come away a little bit changed. Over time, those little changes can shape our lives in big ways. All because of a song.
Questions & Answers
- What should I pay the artist? Do I tip them? Ask for a suggested donation? Should I promote buying CDs and merch?
- How long will the artist play? One long set or two shorter ones?
- What type of sound equipment, if any, do I need to provide?
- How much space are the musicians going to take up?
- Who do I Invite? How do I make sure there's a good turnout? What do I need to do do promote the event?
- How do I find a date that works for everyone and get confirmation from guests?
- Is my living room large enough? Should I borrow chairs?
- Is it going to be loud? Are my neighbors going to mind?
- Do I have enough parking space?
- How much communication/preparation time is this going to take?
- Are children welcome at the event?
Our goal is to get these kinds of questions answered easily between the host and the artist, so that nothing is standing in the way of the magic of the evening.
Using Host & Artist, the host and the artist are guided through a step-by-step process navigating all the details and agreements about the show, so they can focus on creating a welcoming experience for their guests.
For Hosts
- Join Host & Artist.
- Create your host profile by uploading a photo and setting your preferences.
- Find an artist and invite them into your home by offering a specific date and amount of compensation.
- Use our messaging feature to talk directly with the artist about the event.
- If accepted, pay a 15% deposit to reserve the artist's time and confirm the date.
- Read guidance compiled from experienced hosts to know everything you need to do to make the show a success.
- Decide if you will use a suggested donation per guest to fund the event.
- Use the event link to invite your guests to reserve a seat and support the artist.
- Your card is automatically charged for the remainder (minus guest donations) after the concert is complete.
- Share the artist and your experience with a friend who might want to book their first house concert!
For Artists
- Join Host & Artist.
- Create your artist profile by uploading a photo and a song, and setting your preferences.
- See where our hosts are located and add your calendar availability.
- Share your profile link with your listeners so they can book you!
- Hosts can invite you to their home by offering you a specific date and amount of compensation.
- Use our messaging feature to accept proposals from hosts and talk directly with the host about the event.
- Read guidance compiled from experienced artists to know everything you need to do to make your shows a success.
- When you accept a proposal, receive a 15% deposit and confirm the date (the remainder is paid automatically after the concert is complete).
- If the host has an open guest list, share the event link to invite guests to pay an optional suggested donation to attend.
- After the show is complete, the balance for the event is paid to you automatically.