Frequently AskedQuestions
Answers to the stuff comedians and bookers ask us most. If you don't see your question here, just get in touch.
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Getting Started
Open Comedy is a free platform where comedians and bookers find each other. If you're a comedian, you build a profile with your clips and apply for gigs - open mics, paid spots, support slots, whatever's going. If you run a night or book acts for a venue, you post your events and comedians come to you. No fees, no commission, no catch.
Completely free - for comedians and bookers. There's no subscription, no listing fees, and we don't take a cut of any bookings. If a booker offers you a paid gig through the platform, that money is between the two of you.
Head to the sign-up page and fill in the basics. You pick whether you're a performer, a booker, or both - and you can change that later if you need to. Most people have their profile set up in about five minutes. Once you add a bio and your location, you'll start showing up in searches and can apply for gigs straight away.
A performer account is for comedians - you get a profile page, can upload clips, and apply for gigs. A booker account is for anyone who puts on shows - venue owners, promoters, comedy night runners. You can have both on one account, which is handy because plenty of comedians also run their own nights.
Open Comedy works anywhere, but the busiest communities right now are in the UK, USA, Canada, Australia, and Ireland. We've got comedians and bookers signing up across Europe and beyond. If there's a comedy scene where you are, you can use the platform.
For Comedians
Head to the Gigs page and set your location filter. You can narrow things down by date, distance, and the type of opportunity - whether you're looking for an open mic to try new material, a paid weekend spot, or a headline slot. When something looks good, hit Apply and you're in the running.
When you find a gig you like, click Apply and write a short message to the booker - something about your style, your experience, or why you'd be a good fit for that particular night. They'll see your profile and videos alongside your message. You'll get a notification when they respond, so you're not left wondering.
Go to Manage Videos in your account menu. Paste in a YouTube or Google Drive link and it gets added to your profile. This is the first thing most bookers look at, so pick clips that show what you actually do on stage - a solid five-minute set is worth more than a flashy sizzle reel. Two or three good clips is the sweet spot.
Yes - we send email alerts when new gigs pop up in your area. Make sure your location is set on your profile and that notifications are turned on in your account settings. That way you can apply early, which genuinely helps - bookers often start reviewing applications within hours of posting.
Think of your profile as your pitch to bookers. Write a bio that says what kind of comedy you do and how long you've been doing it - keep it honest, not salesy. Add two or three video clips of your strongest material, a decent photo, and your location. Bookers booking a weekend club night or a pub gig want to quickly see if you're the right fit, so make it easy for them.
Filter by Open Mic in the Gigs section and you'll see what's coming up near you. Some open mics let you reserve a slot in advance through the platform, while others are walk-up on the night - the listing will tell you which. It's a good idea to check regularly since new mics get added all the time.
Not at all. We've got people who haven't done their first open mic yet and we've got full-time pros. A lot of gig listings mention what level of experience they're after, so you can filter for stuff that matches where you're at. Everyone starts somewhere - there are plenty of beginner-friendly nights on the platform.
For Bookers
Go to My Events in your account menu and hit Create Event. Fill in the basics - venue, date, what the night is about. Then add your spots, which are the individual performance slots you need to fill. You can set the spot type (open mic, paid, headline), the set length, and whether there's pay or travel expenses. Bookers typically get their first applications within a day or two of posting.
Once your event is live with open spots, comedians apply directly through the platform. You get notified when applications come in, and from your event's Applications page you can watch their clips, read their messages, and accept or pass. It's a lot quicker than chasing people on social media or email.
Yes. The Comedians page lets you browse and filter by location and experience level. You can watch clips right from the search results and reach out to anyone who looks like a good fit for your night - whether that's a new act for a friendly open mic or a seasoned headliner for a weekend show.
Visit their profile and click the Contact button to send a direct message. You can talk through the details - date, set length, pay, what the audience is like - all within the platform. It keeps everything in one place instead of scattered across DMs and email threads.
No fees at all. You can post as many events as you want, and we never take a cut of anything. Whether you're running a weekly open mic in a pub basement or booking a full weekend lineup at a comedy club, it costs you nothing to use the platform.
Yes - there's no limit. If you run nights at three different venues or have a weekly and a monthly show, you manage them all from the same dashboard. Each event can have its own set of spots with different requirements, and your My Events page gives you a clear overview of everything upcoming and past.
Browse the comedian directory and look for acts who mention corporate gigs or after-dinner speaking in their bio. A lot of experienced comedians offer clean, tailored sets for work events, award nights, and conferences. Once you find someone who looks right, message them directly to discuss your event, the audience, timing, and their fee.
Technical Support
Hit Forgot Password on the login page and enter your email. You'll get a reset link within a couple of minutes. If it doesn't show up, check your spam or junk folder - email filters sometimes catch it.
This almost always comes down to privacy settings on the video itself. Your YouTube video needs to be set to Public or Unlisted - Private won't work. If you're using a Google Drive link, make sure sharing is set to Anyone with the link. After fixing the settings, refresh your profile page and the video should appear.
Go to Edit Profile in your account menu. From there you can change your bio, location, profile photo, social links - everything. Just make sure you save before you leave the page. It's worth updating your profile every few months, especially if you've got new clips or your act has changed.
Start with your spam or junk folder - that's where our emails end up most often. Adding our email address to your contacts usually fixes it going forward. Also double-check that notifications are actually turned on in your account settings. If you've done all that and still nothing's coming through, reach out via the Contact page and we'll sort it out.
You can delete your account from the Settings page. If you run into any issues, reach out through the Contact page and we'll handle it. Just know that deletion is permanent - your profile, videos, and application history will all be removed and can't be recovered.
Still have questions?
Couldn't find what you were looking for? Send us a message and we'll get back to you as soon as we can - usually within a few hours.
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