The question of whether or not to hire a booking agent depends on where you are in your music career and what you hope to get out of working with an agent. There are pros to having an agent book your tour:
Booking tours is time consuming and involves lots of juggling of dates and other information. Having someone to do the job for you can free you up to work on your music.
Agents have contacts at venues and with promoters that you may not have, so they can get you shows you might struggle to get on your own.
Agents may have familiarity with out of town venues that you don't have, so they can save you from booking inappropriate shows.
Existing relationships with venues and promoters may help agents land you a better deal for shows than you could have secured on your own. In fact, since they get a cut of your earnings, it is in their interest to get you the best deal for the show that they can!
However, naturally, you have to be able to afford working with an agent. If you are just playing shows in your own town right now, you don't need to pay an agent to get you those shows. Agents should only come into the picture when you are ready to tour.
Further, be sure you are going to be getting value for money when you work with an agent. If the benefit of having someone else book your tour is worth any price to you, that's fine. Otherwise, make sure that when you work with an agent, you are working with one who may be able to bring a little something extra to the table for you - better shows, better deals, opening slots on high profile gigs, etc. If you are not at a point where you can get an agent who offers these benefits to take you, then you might not yet quite be at the point where you need an agent.
Learn More About Agents and Booking Shows:
