Music Submissions
Submit to be a music performer at ArtsQuest’s various festivals and venues today! Below you will find information on ways to perform as well as information on our stages and festivals.
All submissions will be presented to ArtsQuest’s Music Programming Department as well as and our Music Arts Committee and for evaluation based on type of programming, quality, content, diversity, and potential appeal to our audiences. Based on the committee recommendations, someone from the Music Programming Department will be in touch with artists and groups we are interested in engaging in one of our opportunities.
Performing Artist Submission Form:
If you are interested in being considered for year-round programing at ArtsQuest, including Musikfest, please utilize this form and fill out appropriately. The Music Programming team utilizes this form to book musicians for our various venues, festivals, and events. We reference submissions through this form throughout the year for existing and new events coming to the calendar.
For a list of our venues, click here.
For a list of our festivals, click here.
Please note, due to the volume of submissions received, you will NOT receive status updates on your submission. You will receive a confirmation email once submitted and if there is interest from the Music Programming team once reviewed, a representative will be in touch.
Musikfest Submissions:
Apply by: Friday, February 28, 2025
Every August, Musikfest presents over 400 performances representing a diverse array of genres, disciplines, ethnicities and genders. Our primary tool to collect submissions is called Sonicbids (linked above). This is a paid service. If you would like to submit to Sonicbids to be considered for Musikfest, there is a $10 fee as well as an account subscription to Sonicbids. This payment ensures your submission will be reviewed and you are guaranteed to receive a status update by the deadline, be it confirmation or rejection for that year’s Musikfest.
Please note, you are not required to utilize this paid submission tool for Musikfest, we have a free form above. Utilizing Sonicbids will simply guarantee a reply on your submission status. Sonicbids may also be able to provide tools for growing artists to improve their online presence to venues in your area.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Q: How do I submit to play Musikfest?
A: There are two options to submit to play Musikfest. You may submit via Sonicbids, which is a paid subscription service. By using Sonicbids, you are guaranteed a response by a specific date whether or not you were selected to play Musikfest. Sonicbids can also help you find other gigs across the country!
The other option is to use our year-round submission form. The Music Programming team uses these submissions for events all year, including Musikfest. Please note, due to the volume of submissions received, you will NOT receive status updates on your submission. You will receive a confirmation email once submitted and if there is interest from the Music Programming team once reviewed, a representative will be in touch.
Q: Do I have to pay to submit for Musikfest consideration?
A: No, you do not have to pay to submit to play Musikfest, you can use our year-round submission form which is free.
Q: When is the deadline to submit to play Musikfest?
A: The deadline to submit to play Musikfest is February 29, 2024. After that date, we cannot guarantee your submission will be reviewed for Musikfest.
Q: How do I submit to play other venues or events at SteelStacks?
A: You can submit to our year-round submission form for consideration on all our events and festivals, new and existing!
Q: When will I hear about the status of my submission?
A: If you submitted to play Musikfest via Sonicbids, you will receive a response by April 30, 2024. If you submitted via our year-round submission form for Musikfest or any other events, due to the volume of submissions received, you will NOT receive status updates on your submission. You will receive a confirmation email once submitted and if there is interest from the Music Programming team once reviewed, a representative will be in touch.
Q: How do I make sure my submission was received?
A: Once you have submitted, you will receive an email confirming that submission.
Q: We haven’t heard from anyone on our submission. Is there someone we can reach out to?
A: You may reach out to programming@artsquest.org Please note, due to the volume of submissions received, you are not guaranteed a reply. If there is interest from the Music Programming team once reviewed, a representative will be in touch.
Q: Do I have to submit every year? If not, how long do you retain submissions?
A: If you’ve submitted via our year-round submission form, we would suggest re-submitting every 1-2yrs, or if your group has undergone significant and noteworthy changes. We will retain submissions on average for 2 years.
