Contracts
The performer's contract: what to put in it.
A contract isn't about distrust. It's about both sides knowing exactly what was agreed, so a friendly booking stays friendly. You don't need a lawyer to have a good one — you need the right sections.
The sections that matter
A working performance agreement doesn't need to be long. It needs to be clear. At a minimum:
Who and what. Your act and the client, and exactly what you're performing — the show, its length, and anything included (or not).
When and where. Date, start time, and venue. If you need setup access or a specific space, say so here.
Fee and payment. The total, the deposit and when it's due, and when the balance is due. Ambiguity here is where friendships go to die.
Cancellation. What happens if the client cancels — and, fairly, what happens if you have to. A non-refundable deposit plus a window for the full fee is common.
What each side provides. You bring the show and the gear; they provide the space, power, and access. Spelling this out prevents the day-of surprises.
Keep it human
Plain language beats legalese for a booking like this. A parent booking a birthday party shouldn't need to decode a wall of clauses. Short, clear sentences that a normal person can read in a minute get signed; intimidating ones get "I'll look at this later" and never come back.
Get it signed without the printer
The old flow — email a PDF, hope they print, sign, scan and return it — loses contracts. Clients sign what's easy. An agreement they can sign in the browser, on their phone, gets returned the same day.
Two ways to start: grab a clean template from our free contract generator (fill in the details, copy or print), or let ActBook build the contract from your booking automatically, collect the e-signature online, and take the deposit at the same time. Electronic signatures collected this way are legally binding under the US ESIGN Act and UETA.
Practical gig-business notes, occasionally.
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