What belongs in an entertainer contract

A handshake is not a date. Hosts forget. Agents move rooms. The act that thought they were confirmed finds a DJ in their slot. An entertainer contract is the short paper that names the night, the fee, and what happens if someone blinks. Magicians, musicians, circus artists, clowns, and variety all need the same spine. The craft on the letterhead can change. The clauses should not.

This is not legal advice for every country. It is the list working acts actually use. Housecue can generate the agreement from a booking — one free on Rehearsal, more on Studio Pro — then you send a private link. A lawyer still wins for a tour or a television buyout.

The eight lines that hold a night

1. Parties — legal name of the act or company, and the host or agency paying.
2. The work — format, duration, and what is not included (encore, second set, fire).
3. When and where — date, start, end, load-in, venue address, room name.
4. Fee — currency, total, deposit, balance, when each is due.
5. Cancellation — how many days, who keeps the deposit, what force majeure means here.
6. Space — power, stage, quiet for the set, parking, a table. Musicians add backline. Circus adds height and rigging.
7. Recording — phones in the room are one thing; a professional shoot is another. Say so.
8. Independent contractor — you are not their employee for a Saturday.

If a clause is not on the page, it will be invented at 18:40 by a stressed coordinator. Write it while everyone is calm.

Deposits make the hold real

A hold without a deposit is a courtesy. A deposit with a numbered invoice is a booking. Put the deposit due date in the contract, not only in a chat. When it is paid, mark the invoice paid so the paper and the diary agree.

One generator, many crafts

A musician needs duration of sets and backline. A magician needs a table and a quiet pocket. A circus artist needs a written rigging note. A clown needs the age of the room. Housecue’s agreement is generic on purpose: you fill the included and extras lines in the language of your craft. Do not paste a rock-tour rider onto a parlor.

Agencies use the same paper between office and client, and keep the artist file in the roster. The artist does not get the office login. That is the whole point of two desks.

Send it, do not bury it

Generate the agreement from the booking. Send the private link. If they sign, date it. If they do not, you still have a paper that shows what was offered. Keep the PDF in the studio files if you are an agency. The public classifieds card is not a contract.