Managing Artists

Artists are the heart of your festival. Stagecraft makes it easy to build your artist roster, store important information, and associate artists with specific events. This guide covers everything you need to know about managing artists.

Understanding Artists

In Stagecraft, artists exist at the festival level, meaning:

• You create an artist once in your festival
• The same artist can perform in multiple events
• Artist information (bio, images, links) is shared across events
• You control which artists appear in which events

Adding Your First Artist

Viewing Your Artist Roster

The Artists page shows all artists in your festival:

• Artist name displayed prominently
• Bio preview (if provided)
• Hero image thumbnail (if URL provided)
• Social media icons for quick access
• Edit and Delete buttons for managing

Editing Artist Information

To update an artist’s details:

Adding Social Media Links

Social media links help festival-goers discover and connect with artists. The form displays all available social link types upfront, each with its icon and label, making it easy to add links for any platforms the artist uses.

Supported Platforms

Stagecraft supports these social media platforms:

• Website - Official artist website
• YouTube - YouTube channel
• Facebook - Facebook page or profile
• iTunes - Apple Music/iTunes artist page
• SoundCloud - SoundCloud profile
• Twitter - Twitter/X profile
• Instagram - Instagram profile
• Spotify - Spotify artist page
• TikTok - TikTok profile

Adding Links Properly

When adding social links:

1. All platforms are shown upfront

   • You’ll see all 9 social link types displayed with icons
   • No need to select from a dropdown—just fill in the URLs you have
   • Each platform has its own input field ready to use

2. Use complete URLs including https://

   • ✅ Good: https://www.facebook.com/artistname
   • ❌ Bad: facebook.com/artistname

3. Test links before saving

   • Copy the URL from the artist’s actual profile
   • Paste it in a browser to verify it works
   • Make sure it points to the right artist

4. Don’t worry about missing links

   • It’s okay if an artist isn’t on every platform
   • Only add the links that exist
   • Empty fields are automatically ignored when you save

Adding Artists to Events

Artists you create exist in your festival roster, but you need to explicitly add them to events where they’ll perform:

Adding Artists to an Event

Viewing Event-Specific Artists

When viewing a specific event:

• Only artists associated with that event appear
• You can add or remove artists from events without affecting other events
• The same artist can be in multiple events

Managing Artist Images

Hero images make your program and marketing materials more visually appealing.

Image Requirements

For best results:

• Format: JPG or PNG
• Size: At least 800x800 pixels (larger is better)
• Aspect ratio: Square or landscape works best
• Quality: High resolution for print programs

Where to Host Images

You need to provide a URL to the image, not upload it directly. Options include:

1. Artist’s website - Most reliable
2. Social media - Right-click an image to copy its URL
3. Image hosting service - Imgur, Cloudinary, etc.
4. Your festival website - If you host images there

Adding or Updating Images

1. Get the image URL (must be publicly accessible)
2. Edit the artist
3. Paste the URL in the “Hero Image URL” field
4. Save changes
5. The image should appear in the artist list

If the image doesn’t appear:

• Verify the URL is correct
• Check if the URL requires authentication
• Try a different image hosting source

Removing Artists

There are two ways to remove artists:

Removing from an Event

To remove an artist from a specific event without deleting them from your roster:

1. Navigate to the event
2. Find the artist in the event’s artist list
3. Click Remove from Event
4. The artist remains in your festival roster for other events

Deleting Permanently

To completely remove an artist from your festival:

Best Practices

Keep Information Current

Update regularly:

• Add bios when you book an artist
• Update social links if they change
• Keep hero images current (artists sometimes update their promo photos)

Be consistent:

• Use the same naming format for all artists
• Keep bio lengths similar
• Maintain professional language

Organize as You Go

Add artists early:

• Create artist profiles as soon as you book them
• Don’t wait until program-building time
• Spread the work out over time

Group similar information:

• Add complete information for each artist before moving to the next
• Don’t skip sections you’ll need later
• Save partially complete profiles and finish later if needed

Work with Your Team

Divide responsibilities:

• One person manages bios
• Another handles images and links
• Coordinate to avoid duplicate work

Communicate changes:

• Let your team know when you add new artists
• Mention updates to existing artist information
• Keep everyone on the same page

Common Scenarios

Artist Name Changes

If an artist changes their performing name:

1. Edit the artist profile
2. Update the name
3. The new name appears everywhere automatically

Multiple Artists with Similar Names

To avoid confusion:

• Use full names or distinguishing details
• Example: “John Butler Trio” vs. “John Butler (Solo)”
• Add clarification in the bio if needed

Artists Performing Multiple Times

If an artist performs in multiple events:

1. Create the artist once
2. Add them to each relevant event
3. Schedule performances in each event’s program

The artist information stays consistent across all appearances.

Guest Artists or Special Appearances

For one-time performers:

• Create them like any other artist
• Add them to just the relevant event
• You can remove them from future events easily

Common Questions

Can I upload images directly?

Not currently. You need to provide a URL where the image is hosted. This keeps the system simple and ensures images load quickly.

Why can’t I see an artist’s image?

Check that:

• The URL is correct and publicly accessible
• The URL starts with http:// or https://
• The image host allows embedding
• Your internet connection is working

Can I import artists from a spreadsheet?

Not directly through the interface. Artists must be added one at a time or through the database directly (contact support for bulk imports).

What if I don’t have all an artist’s information?

That’s fine! Add what you have now. You can always edit and add more information later. The only required field is the artist name.

Can I reorder artists?

The artist list displays alphabetically by default. There’s no custom sorting currently available in the interface.

Troubleshooting

Can’t create artist

If you’re unable to create an artist:

• Verify you have Editor or Admin role (Viewers cannot create artists)
• Check that you’ve filled in the required name field
• Ensure your subscription is active
• Try refreshing the page and trying again

Artist not showing in event

If an artist doesn’t appear in an event:

• Make sure you’ve added them to that specific event
• Check that you’re viewing the correct event
• Verify the event is active
• Refresh the page

Social media links not working

If links aren’t clickable or don’t work:

• Verify you included https:// at the start
• Test the URL in a browser separately
• Make sure you copied the complete URL
• Check for typos

Changes not saving

If your artist edits aren’t saving:

• Check your internet connection
• Verify you clicked the Save button
• Try refreshing the page and editing again
• Check if another user is editing the same artist

What’s Next?

Now that you know how to manage artists:

• Manage activities →
• Create stages →
• Build your program schedule →
• Learn about events →