Positioned between artists and event organisers or the press, booking agencies and agents play a crucial role in music. Within the competitive atmosphere of the music industry, there is a new generation of agencies – spanning DIY formats, to collectives, to more hierarchical organisational structures – that are trying to do things differently. How do these see and define their position and role in promoting a healthy music ecosystem? What room is there for different gestures, ideas, practices, and models? What should artists take into consideration as they (first) approach someone to represent them? And what kinds of considerations are taken by agents?

This panel brings together representatives from three very different kinds of booking agencies. Mina suspension is a fledgling DIY artist collective based between Lisbon and Berlin; NYC-based Discwoman has been navigating a rapidly-rising success while maintaining a collective identity and spirit; and Poly Artists has established itself as an agency that discovers and supports emerging talent as well as seasoned artists. The session begins with short presentations by each representative about the specific perspectives and working models they are exploring, before launching into a discussion about how their approaches compare, contrast, and ultimately enhance each other.