Hosts

Hosting in an Unique Space

Sofar Hosts play a vital role in shaping the tone of every event. Whether you're reaching out to a new venue or they’ve approached you, each Host gets to experience the unique magic of Sofar Sounds. Please note, the term “Hosts” and “Venues” are used interchangeably. Discover where it all began with this video from Sofar’s Founder, Rafe Offer, as he shares the magic of being a Host

 

Sofar Host

What makes Sofar exciting is its unique choice of venues. We’ve hosted shows in airports, speakeasies, tennis courts, and, as you saw above, living rooms. As you build your rolodex of Hosts, keep these guidelines in mind. A good Sofar Host will have:

  • A manager or owner who’s excited about the concept of a Sofar show

  • A space that represents the Sofar vibe: comfortable, creative, and inclusive

  • Capacity to hold at least 30+ Guests comfortably for at least 2.5+ hours

  • Plenty of room for a stage and audio setup

  • Clear directions and/or easy accessibility

  • Sound-friendly features (good acoustics or the ability to support audio equipment)

  • Clean and operational bathroom(s)

  • Safety measures in place, such as obvious fire exits, insurance (depending on local laws), and any required permits

  • For public businesses, enough separation between your Guests and distractions from other patrons

Check our host series “ This Must Be The Space”

Venue Types

Venues fall into two specific categories, each with different details to consider:

  • Residential Spaces: These are in someone’s home. Sofar began in living rooms, and we love keeping that tradition alive! Living rooms, rooftops, and backyards are all great options. Remind Hosts to notify neighbors about the show and apologize for any noise. Better yet, invite the neighbors as Guests! Since it’s a residential neighborhood, encourage Guests to be mindful of loitering and noise when they exit. Residential Hosts typically support Sofar for personal reasons.

  • Commercial Spaces: These include stores, office spaces, cafes, or galleries. If a venue isn’t residential, it falls under this category. If food and beverages (F&B) are involved, discuss the cleanup and recycling process. Review insurance and safety licenses with the Host. Commercial Hosts often support Sofar for both personal and business reasons, such as marketing opportunities, foot traffic, or photo and video content.

Host Benefit

Similar to understanding why artists play Sofar shows, it's important to have an understanding of what's offered to our host community when hosting in their space! At this time, most Sofar venues are donated without any additional compensation offered for use of the space, so it’s important to discuss our Host Benefits in detail with the host prior to booking a venue.

  • Support local artists: We offer a unique experience for performers to share their art with a captivated room full of people who have likely never heard of them before, creating an opportunity for new fan generation, not typically possible through other types of gigs. 

  • Engage your current community: We allot a handful of complimentary tickets and an unlimited 15% off promo code for hosts to share with their friends and community. 

  • Attract new folks to your space: We do all the promotion and ticket sales for the show. This means that hosts can sit back and relax knowing that we'll fill the room. Many guests may have never been there before and will hopefully leave excited about the business! We can also give the business owners an opportunity to speak directly to the audience about what they do between the 2nd & 3rd sets. 

  • Generate promotional material: Sofar shows are a great opportunity to showcase a unique event within hosts’ space. Though professionally filmed events are rare, our event staff and guests often capture content to post on socials. We'll make sure to tag the space, and save some content for any sort of host spotlights in the future. Hosts are able to repost on their accounts, as long as they credit the photo source. 

  • Get revenue through sales: We encourage our commercial hosts to use our shows as an opportunity to sell or showcase their product, whether that’s F&B, retail, or something else. Since we handle filling the room, our shows are a great opportunity for revenue generation.

Different venues may be interested in certain benefits more than others, for example commercial spaces often are looking for sales on the night while residential hosts may be more interested in free tickets for their friends. Make sure you're thinking about this when interacting with the host so they have a great experience and would be excited to continue hosting Sofar events in the future! Here’s a deck to share with Hosts about benefits.

Onboarding and Outreach

People everywhere are looking for their next favorite artists, and we’re ready to bring them straight to their door! Potential hosts typically come from online submissions, alumni host referrals, word of mouth, or cold outreach. To help you get started, here’s a customizable outreach blurb:  HOST OUTREACH EXAMPLE EMAIL

Venue Directory

When a host’s application is approved, they're automatically added to the Venue Directory. You can find the Venue Directory on the Concert Portal > Host > Venue Directory 

If needed, you are also able to add a host to the directory manually. To manually add a Host:

Hosts can apply to become a Sofar Host directly on our website (via Get Involved > Host a Sofar Show). The Host must list your city under the “Sofar City” field for their application to appear in your database. If they list the wrong city, ask them to reapply or manually add them to the database. Once their application is submitted, you can review it in the Venue Application tab under Hosts.

Here’s what you can do with an application:

  • Approve

  • Archive (aka reject)

  • Email the applicant

To update an application, click “EDIT APPLICATION” on the top right corner. From there, you can update their status. Please note, applications expire 45 days after submission, so review them promptly. Once approved, their profile will automatically populate in the Venue Directory tab.

  1. Navigate to the Venue Directory tab.

  2. Click “+ Add Venue” in the top-right corner.

  3. Complete the Venue profile( More on this below), ensuring all details are accurate.

  4. Once you’ve filled out the required fields, click “Save”. The Venue will now appear as a Venue Card in your database.

When adding a New Host Record, be sure to complete all fields. The fields can be later edited after saving. There will be additional fields you can access and add more detail after saving the preliminary record.

  • Venue Name: If a residential Host, we recommend adding the name and type of building. Example: John Lambert’s Apartment. 

  • Venue Location: Full address, including:

  • Address 1 and 2

  • Sofar City (your city)

  • Neighborhood: Select neighborhood if included in drop down list - If you need to add a new neighborhood, head to the City Directory to add it before creating the venue profile

  • Closest Station (optional)

  • Street View URL (optional)

  • Capacity: Confirm these details directly with the Venue.

  • Tickets Available: The maximum number of tickets available for sale(Commercial)  or application( Non- commercial). This can be overridden on the event level if needed. 

  • Capacity of Venue: The legal limit or the owner's preference for residential venues.

  • Guest Tickets: Adjust the default number for curating specific experiences if needed.

  • PA Required: Specify if the Venue has a sound system or needs one.

  • Venue Fee: Indicate if the Venue charges a fee. If so, include the amount.

  • Characteristics & Venue Type: Select options that describe the Venue. These will appear on event pages and in automated emails.

  • Venue Tags: Internal notes for you and your team about the venue.

  • Contact Info: Include all relevant contact details for the Venue owner or manager.

  • Links: Add any relevant website or social media links.

Venue Visit

Before you book a host for a concert, be sure to check out the space. Visiting a venue helps determine if it’s the right fit for a Sofar Sounds show. Coordinate a date with your Host in which you can conduct a venue visit. During your visit:

  • Introduce yourself and other points of contact that might engage with the host.

  • The host may already have a routine for a tour. If not, ask them to take you through the space from the perspective of a guest. 

  • Ensure the venue could work for whatever show you’re hoping to produce i.e. a Discovery show, a Collections series, or another format.

  • Review a typical show schedule with the host. Here’s an example of a Run of Show. 

  • Confirm the space can be private starting at load-in and that there’s no sound bleed.

  • Remind the host that Sofar handles everything except food and drinks.

  • Let them know they’ll receive a free ticket code to share with their community.

  • Encourage them to promote the show using the Host Toolkit, which they’ll receive 14 days before the event.

If the venue is a good fit but not yet listed in the Venue Directory, either add it manually or ask the host to submit an application so you can approve it.

Host Booking

Let’s walk through the steps of booking a Host via the Event Planner. Once your Concert Card is ready( see here for more info), follow these steps to book a host:

  1. Go to your Concert Card.

  2. Click the “+” sign under Venue.

  3. In the pop-up, select "Select Venue for this Concert" and search for your Venue in the text field.

  4. Choose the Venue from the search results. It will now appear in Draft on your event card.

  5. Press Submit.

Host Booking

All Hosts are added in Draft status by default (grey buffering icon). This means that the Artist is not confirmed for your event and information will not be shared with them or receive automated communications. A Host must be marked as confirmed ( purple check) to show up on the event page and emails sent to Guests. Ensure that this is done at least one week before the event.

To confirm the Host:

  1. Select the Venue on your event card.

  2. Click "Check or Change Venue's Status”.

  3. Choose “Confirmed”.

  4. Press Submit

Again, once confirmed, a purple checkmark will appear, signaling that the Host is ready. The details will populate on the event page and in automated Guest emails, such as the Guest Doors Open email where it shares your lineup.

Inventory Planning

A great venue can be a top attraction for guests.To give our shows the best chance of selling well, we try to follow key guidelines for our ticket inventory:

  • Tickets should be available to buy at least 4 weeks out, this gives you time to promote

  • Friday and Saturday are our highest selling days, prioritize these for shows

  • Prioritize popular neighborhoods in your city and think about neighborhood expansion intentionally to make sure new areas have enough demand

  • Shows and tickets available are spread out across the month, i.e. 4 shows a month = 1 per week (vs. all 4 shows in 1 week).

Host Emails

Email communications to the host will be automated unless you choose to turn them off. To view, go to the “Email” section on your event card. To edit the automation, click “Manage email settings for this event at the bottom of this section.

Emails that go out to hosts are:

  • Venue Concert Advance: This email is sent when the concert is 7 days away. If the venue is confirmed with less than 7 days before the concert, the host will only receive the advance email and not the confirmation email. The email contains the run of the concert and serves as a reminder to the host about the concert.

  • Venue Booking Confirmation: This email sends when a venue is confirmed for a concert in the concert planner. It includes the concert details for the host.

  • Venue Event Promotion: This email is sent 14 days before the event. If the venue is confirmed with less than 24 hours before the event, the host will not receive this email. The email contains tips to promote the event.

  • Venue Post Concert: This email is sent 12 hours after the concert ends. Thanking the host and links to the feedback survey.

Artist Resources

  1. Host Toolkit: This is included in an auto-email through our platform to all Host. It's still helpful to have on hand, though! 

    Messaging: "We encourage you to invite your fans, friends, and family! We've created this helpful Host Toolkit with everything you need to share on social media and anywhere else your community gathers. We just ask that you don't reveal the artists on the bill – only your location and time!"

  2. Host outreach email

Host FAQ

  • Venue cancellations are inevitable, and will happen due to circumstances beyond your control (e.g. spaces double booking themselves, venue malfunctions, etc.)  

    When a Venue cancels on you, your first priority is to seek a replacement space. You can begin searching the Host Directory for your city, and reach out to contacts letting them know you’re seeking a last minute space and see if they’re available. Don’t be afraid to call your Hosts as opposed to waiting for an email. 


    If a venue cancels more than 36 hours before your event:Simply find a replacement venue and confirm directly with your new Host the details for your event. Update your event card with the new Host details and ensure that it has been confirmed (purple tick). This will ensure that the updated details are automatically included in your Guests' Address Reveal email that will be issued 36 hours prior to your event. 

    If a venue cancels within 36 hours of your event:Your first priority should be to find a suitable replacement venue. If you are able to find and confirm a new venue within 36 hours of your event then you will need to make use of our Urgent Email function to inform your Guests of the new address they will need to go to. We recommend you contact Artists directly (using your Sofar Curator email address) to alert them of the new venue address.

    To use the Urgent Email function:

    1. Go to your event card

    2. Expand event details

    3. Go to Emails section

    4. Select Send urgent email (highlighted in green)

    This function will allow you to issue a custom message informing individuals of the venue change. Here are email templates you can use if needed. 

    If you are unable to find a suitable venue in time and need to consider postponing or canceling the event, then please refer to our cancelation process.

  • Traditionally, and with agreement with Hosts, Sofar events operate a "bring your own"(BYO) policy. This means that Guests are permitted to bring their own food and drink to the venue. It is worth consulting your Hosts beforehand and ensuring that they are in agreement with the advice to share with Guests. They can also update these in their Host profile under Characteristics.

    In some instances, your Host may offer onsite food and refreshments which can be sold to your Guests. The Host will then collect 100% of any on-the-night sales.

    Whatever the arrangement, ensure Characteristics are up to date in the Host's profile as this will then populate the information that is shared to Guests.

  • It’s okay with us as long as they are compliant with local laws and IDs are thoroughly checked by their staff.

  • Try to set up your space to allow for as much privacy as possible. Think about how guests and other venue patrons will move through the area, and be mindful of any noise that might carry into the space. Most importantly, coordinate with your host to ensure they’re aware of and comfortable with any adjustments you plan to make.