Depending on the type of music, coffee shops represent the perfect venue for musicians to meet with their perfect audience, and if they are your right audience, what must your audiences be doing if they're not watching you? Drinking coffee :)

Coffee shops are great places for people who want a break from both work and home. It's like the middle space, or the third space. I personally like these places because it's nice and cosy, allowing you to build deeper relationships with the crowds.

Something that works day in, day out is the power of repetition. If people see your name several times, they remember it, and create a link in their mind. By placing several posters in the coffee shops where the same people go everytime

So how do you get booked?

Pay attention to the peak and off-peak times at the coffee shop as you can use this to your advantage really easily. If you play in the morning when it's peak time and attract many customers for the shop, you'll notice that the lunch area may be very low in customers, so pitched correctly, you could ask the shop management if you could play in the afternoon, and attract the customers that way.

Don't expect to be paid by the coffee shop management, but one way to grow your audience is to collect mailing list signups. This way you can inform them by post or e-mail where you are performing next because there will definitely want to be a part of your music.

The most important thing is that you have already built up great relationships so that you can emphasise how you will bring more people to their place.
About the Author

Kavit Haria is The Musicians' Coach. Kavit is the director of InnerRhythm, a company that prides on providing success solutions for musicians worldwide. Kavit sends out a musician development newsletter to over 2000 musicians in 16 countries every fortnight to help them achieve their desired results. Sign up now and experience the huge benefits from www.innerrhythm.org