The Top 20 Live Music Booking Agencies in Switzerland
Our picks for the most active and influencial agencies booking everything from Hip Hop to Indie Rock
For such a small country, Switzerland is big on live entertainment. The summers are packed with open-air festivals, and clubs and theatres are filled to the brim year round. To serve this demand, Switzerland's booking and promotion agencies are ever-growing and evolving to supply the best national and international talent to audiences. While the live music business is booming across the globe, Swiss markets in the industry are no different. We've compiled a list of what we think are the coolest booking agencies working hard to import and export high profile and newcomer acts into and out of the country.
Here they are in alphabetical order:
ClaxMusic
Here's a large agency specializing in booking, management, promotion, publishing and label services - the whole package. The founder, Claudio Zahnd, has years of experience booking high profile artists, and his current roster includes Swiss favourites, One Lucky Sperm, Pablo Infernal, and MYKUNGFU. The genres they represent range widely from indie rock to reggae. Clax is based in the hipster capital of Switzerland, Winterthur.
Damenbart
Benita Andres is the head of this boutique management and booking agency that takes care of some of Switzerland's biggest names in entertainment: Sina, Kunz and Michael von der Heide. They're high profile artists with longstanding, loyal fanbases. Damenbart is located in Zürich.
Deepdive Music
Death by Chocolate and Veronica Fusaro are notable Swiss acts represented by this agency. They book, manage, promote, publish and run label services primarily for indie rock and pop artists. Deepdive focuses on building sustainable careers within Swiss markets. They're based in Zürich.
Frontline Music
This credible agency runs three full-service labels including FarMore Records, NoHook! and UB Records. Their roster includes the platinum-selling Swiss-Latin heartthrob, Loco Escrito, as well as Ta'Shan, and Landro. Frontline focuses on maintstream genres like pop, urban and electronic, and is based in Zürich.
Gadget
One of Switzerland's largest music agencies handling a roster of high profile national (e.g. Hecht, Pegasus) and international (e.g. Rita Ora, Muse) mainstream artists. It was founded in 1994, and boasts a comprehensive, experienced team of bookers, managers, publishers and label crews. Gadget is based in Zürich.
House Artists
DJ's and electronic artists with a commercial bent are the focus of this Swiss booking agency. The medium-sized roster includes both national and international names, some of whom are represented by the agency's subsidiary company, Cheeky Bookings. They're based in Wangen an der Aare in Bern.
Intermusic
This boutique agency includes notable artists like Meshell Ndegeocello, Mich Gerber and Damian Lynn. They're providing booking, promotion, consulting, management and production services to their roster which is made up of jazz, blues, soul, world and singer-songwriter artists. Intermusic's home is Bern.
Just Because
"The company specializes in promoting and booking concerts within Switzerland and as such focuses on developing the careers of a wide range of international newcomers as well as established artists, and some promising Swiss talents"
Just Because is a relatively big company with an impressive roster of artists in the pop, indie rock, jazz, and electronic genres. They're a hip company with a strong presence on socials and in concert venues throughout the country. Just Because is based in Zürich, just because!
Mainland Music
"Rock and pop fans in Switzerland can count on our passion and hard work, commitment and love for live music. We have just one single goal: to promote good shows!"
With artists like, Snow Patrol, Tom Walker and Left Boy on board, this agency is clearly at the top of their game. Focusing on rock, pop and urban acts, Mainland's medium-sized team does great work of booking and promoting their artists within and outside of Switzerland. They have offices in both Zürich and Lausanne.
Odaras Productions
Associated with Odaras Produção de Eventos Culturais Ltda. out of Brazil, this small-but-mighty agency leans towards services for world, jazz, blues and experimental artists. It's a lively company that specializes in booking, promotion, and production. Odaras is located in both Rio de Janeiro and Montreux, which is also home to the famous Montreux Jazz Festival.
Radiclis
If you're an artist making indie rock, indie pop, alternative, urban or electronic music, you'd find yourself in good hands at Radiclis. They represent a mix of national and international acts like Animal House, Bilderbuch, Abu and Zola, and provide booking, promotion, management, publishing and consulting services. Radaclis is a formidable agency with a strong team. They run offices in Basel, Zürich and Hamburg.
Shaktimusic
"We work with a broad network of festivals, venues and specialist promoters to develop the live careers of our Artists throughout Europe, Asia, North & South America and the rest of the world."
Started by Danilo Pellegrinelli in 2004, this agency prides itself in building long-term relationships with its artists who are mainly making world, experimental and electronic music. Shakti focuses on booking and management, and is based in Aranno, Switzerland and Belgrade, Serbia.
Sirup Artist Agency
Swiss DJ's and electronic artists make up the majority of Sirup's roster. They also provide booking and management for international clients, and maintain a strong presence in the coolest clubs throughout Switzerland and Europe. The boutique agency is based in Baar, Zug.
Soldout Productions
Primarily servicing the French regions of Switzerland, Soldout Productions is home to DJ's and electronic and urban artists. They are in the business of booking and promoting, and keep their fingers on the pulse of what's hot. They're based in Lausanne.
Starfish
Recognizable Swiss artists ZiBBZ and Kunz are among the roster here. It's a booking, management and promotion agency working with musicians of varying genres, actors, comedians and entertainers. They're experienced in event promotion and PR, and hold nothing back when finding the best deals and events for their artists. Rotkreuz, Zug is where you'll find Starfish.
Straix
"With five world championship titles, two vice championship titles and several national awards, Straix reinforces the ambition to be the largest and best DJ crew in Switzerland in Hip Hop and Open Format."
A booking and promotion agency for DJ's, Straix is well-known for its elite crew of artists and agents. They are the kings of the castle in Zürich.
Takk
"TAKK is a concert promoter and artist booking company which brings the best and hottest acts to Switzerland."
Sebastien Vuignier is the founder of this ultra cool agency that works with high-profile national and international artists. Indie pop, rock, alternative and singer-songwriter genres are well represented by TAKK; their client list reads like a "who's who" on Pitchfork. They're based in Sion.
TOURBOmusic
"TOURBOmusic is a production management and consulting agency, specializing in folk, traditional and experimental musical genres."
Something more for the singer-songwriters out there, this agency has a tight grip on the Mundart and alternative-traditional music scenes in Switzerland. Along with supporting a number of national acts, they also book, promote and run a label for international clients, particularly in the Celtic genre. TOURBOmusic can be found working throughout Switzerland.
Two Gentlemen
"Two Gentlemen functions as a multi-level enterprise capable of taking on all the different aspects of an artist's career, whether it be management, publishing or distribution."
Booking is also a large part of the workflow at this hip agency. Their roster includes the best names in international indie music, bringing artists like Cat Power, Father John Misty and The War on Drugs to stages around the country.
Top Swiss acts, Sophie Hunger and Faber are also privy to the work of Two Gentlemen. This award-winning company is based in Lausanne.
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