How Do I Get Discovered As A Stand-up Comedian?

How do I get discovered as a stand-up comedian?

And my immediate reply would be…

What are you actually doing to get discovered as a stand-up comedian?

Let me cover some factors that can affect a comedian’s chances of getting “discovered”:

Factors That Affect Getting Discovered As A Stand-up Comic

Here are the factors that will have a direct impact on “getting discovered” as a comedian:

1. Do you have a stand-up comedy act that kills audiences?

Now before you say yes to that question…

I am not talking about what you may think is killing an audience.

I am specifically talking about killing audiences to the extent that it will grab the attention of a comedy club owner, manager, talent agent, comedy booker, talent buyer, etc.

The bottom line is this, whether you choose to accept it or not (the secretary will disavow any knowledge of your actions 🙂 )…

Until you are able to closely approach or exceed generating audience laughter at a rate of an average of 18 seconds per performing minute, your chances of getting “discovered” are greatly reduced.

The reason is simple — there are already other comedians who can do that on a consistent basis, whether they have taken advantage of my online course or not.

2. Do you have enough high-level stand-up comedy material to get hired for a paying gig?

A comedy club opening act usually needs a minimum of 10-15 minutes of solid stand-up comedy material (depending upon the venue) to be considered for an opening act spot. More time is needed for spots beyond that (feature and headliner positions).

Outside the comedy club market, a comedian usually needs 30-45+ minutes of solid stand-up comedy material.

If you can’t deliver the time, you won’t get the gig.

Ideally, the new comedian has enough solid stand-up comedy material that they are able to rotate their material when they perform 3-5 minute sets.

This lets the powers that be know that you have more stand-up comedy material than you actually get time to perform.

Unfortunately, sometimes a comedian will get a gig opportunity for which they don’t actually have enough solid stand-up comedy material to do the gig. They then opt to riff or stretch their time by interacting with the audience.

More times than not, this approach backfires and doesn’t get the laughs the comedian had hoped to get — which can knock them out of consideration for future performances.

3. Do you have a stand-up comedy act that is suitable for audiences outside the comedy club market?

If you only have an “adult” act, then you are confined to comedy clubs, one-nighters, and other “adult” comedy venues as far as gig opportunities go.

For those who can develop and deliver a clean act, there are far more potential gig opportunities — which means more opportunities to get discovered for other gigs, such as corporate events, golf events, weddings, cruise ships, after-dinner shows, etc.

4. Do you have an electronic press kit (EPK)?

If not, your credibility as an entertainer is reduced. Talent buyers, promoters, and agents want to know who you are and what you have done as a comedian.

That’s why I have a lesson in my online course on how to set up a professional EPK at no cost.

Having a Facebook page or a MySpace page is not usually an acceptable substitute for an EPK that has your bio, comedy resume, select performance videos, etc.

5. What are you doing to promote yourself as a comedian?

If you are a nightclub comedian with an adult act, are you showcasing for comedy work at every possible comedy club or comedy venue in your area?

Have you contacted national and regional comedy talent agencies that do handle adult nightclub acts?

If you have a clean act, have you contacted local talent agencies in your area for possible work? Have you contacted national and regional talent agencies for possible gig opportunities?

Like I said, there is a potential abundance of stand-up comedy gigs that pay handsomely for those who can deliver a clean act.

That’s why I included the Corporate Comedy Secrets audio training module in my online course.

6. If you are using stand-up comedy as a vehicle to get acting gigs, are you enrolled in an acting class?

Related Article: Trying To Use Stand-up Comedy As A Vehicle To Break Into Acting?

Final Thoughts

If you can’t deliver a stand-up comedy act that truly kills audiences on a consistent basis, then your chances of getting “discovered” are greatly reduced, if not eliminated — no matter what stand-up comedy market(s) you choose to develop comedy material for.

If you can’t develop the amount of solid stand-up comedy material needed for any particular type of gig, you won’t get the gig, which automatically reduces your chances of getting discovered.

If the stand-up comedy material you develop only works for a specific type of audience, again your chances of getting discovered are reduced.

If you are unwilling to actively promote yourself, your chances of getting discovered are reduced.

Hopefully, you can see that the process of getting discovered is largely in the hands of the stand-up comic themselves.

My online course primarily focuses on providing talented people with a fast and proven system to develop stand-up comedy material because…

Your stand-up comedy act is an entertainment product — it is also the best marketing tool you have as an entertainer. The better that product is, the better the opportunities that are available for you as a stand-up comic.

As a matter of fact, if you are able to cause audiences to laugh so hard that they are waving like wheat in the wind during your performances, other bigger and better-performing opportunities can come very quickly — seemingly out of nowhere.

So it should be obvious that learning how to be a comedian is a bit more involved than just developing a few minutes of stand-up comedy material and hoping to get “discovered”.

Here’s the bottom line:

• Killer Act: You need a stand-up comedy act that consistently kills — not just something you think is funny, but material that makes audiences laugh uncontrollably.
• Enough Material: You must have enough high-level stand-up comedy material to fill the time required for various types of gigs. A minimum of 10-15 minutes for an opening act and 30-45+ minutes for headliner spots outside the comedy club market.
• Versatility: Your act should be versatile. A clean act opens up many more opportunities than an adult-only act.
• Professional Presentation: An electronic press kit (EPK) is essential for credibility and promotion.
• Active Promotion: Actively promote yourself through showcases, contacting talent agencies, and utilizing any available platforms.
• Skill Development: Enroll in acting classes if you’re using stand-up comedy to break into acting.

By focusing on these factors, you can significantly improve your chances of getting discovered and advancing in the competitive world of stand-up comedy.