The Philadelphia Music Co-op: Guidelines for Applying
As we grow here at PFS, so does our number of artists in the Co-op. With this growth comes increasing skills and talent, and therefore makes the application process more difficult than it has been in the past, both for the applicant and the folks here making the decisions. While we understand that you are enthusiastic about joining, please understand that not everyone can be accepted into the Co-op at once. However, if you don’t become a member now, we encourage you to apply again in the future and we will be happy to offer our constructive criticism on how we think you can grow into what we are looking for.
We have set some guidelines and offer suggestions to help you determine whether you are ready to apply. If you have any questions or concerns about the process or any of the following, please send an email to dhaney@pfs.org. Thanks and good luck!
Guidelines and suggestions for Co-op Applicants:
- HAVE ORIGINAL MUSIC
- It is acceptable to have covers, but you must apply with one original.
- If you think you have an exceptional version of someone else’s song, consider including it after you have included your original.
- Part of our mission is to preserve traditional folk music, so if that’s what you are playing, that is acceptable. When we say have originals, we just mean that this is not the platform for cover and tribute bands.
- It is acceptable to have covers, but you must apply with one original.
- HAVE LIVE VIDEO
- Well-made, artistic music videos and videos from lofts and outdoor spaces are beautiful and we appreciate seeing these, but we need to see how you perform on a stage in front of an audience, as well.
- Don’t have a live video? Get a show together and have a friend take one! It doesn’t need to be high quality, a phone video can give us just as good of an idea about your performance as a professionally shot video.
- Well-made, artistic music videos and videos from lofts and outdoor spaces are beautiful and we appreciate seeing these, but we need to see how you perform on a stage in front of an audience, as well.
- HAVE SOME SHOWS UNDER YOUR BELT
- We know a common reason to join the Co-op is to get more and better shows, but we need to see that you are far enough along in your musical career to have played live.
- If you are new to booking shows, consider hosting or having someone you know host a house show and get some fans and friends to come support you!
- We know a common reason to join the Co-op is to get more and better shows, but we need to see that you are far enough along in your musical career to have played live.
- HAVE CURRENT CONTENT
- Apply with songs and videos that are no more than two years old.
- Update your website and social media regularly (Please see below).
- HAVE ONLINE PRESENCE
- Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Youtube are the gold standard of an artist’s social media presence. These are free to create, but difficult to maintain.
- Website hosting can be pricey and the task of building a site can be daunting, but with all the free platforms online today, there’s plenty of places to promote yourself before you’re ready to make the leap to having your own site.
- Consider scheduling weekly updates to keep content current and your fans connected.
- Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Youtube are the gold standard of an artist’s social media presence. These are free to create, but difficult to maintain.
If you have read all of the above guidelines and are still ready:
