Can artificial intelligence book a concert tour? Inside Music Mogul AI

For years, planning a concert tour has been a mysterious process, relying heavily on who you know, gut feelings, and a good reputation – often involving countless emails with no results. But as tour costs rise and artists need to manage their careers more like businesses, people are starting to explore how artificial intelligence can help.

The real issue for the live music industry isn’t if AI can assist with booking shows, but whether it can do so without simplifying a process that relies heavily on personal relationships and artistic judgment, alongside information and analytics.

As a huge music fan, I’ve been following the tech side of the industry, and this new platform, Music Mogul AI, really caught my eye. It’s the brainchild of Brad Stewart, a seasoned booking agent, and it’s aiming to seriously streamline the whole touring process. Think about it – everything from finding the right venues and reaching out to promoters, to hammering out fees, coordinating show details, and even getting the word out about concerts – it’s trying to automate a lot of that. What’s really interesting is that it’s one of the first times anyone’s tried to use artificial intelligence in a field that’s always been so much about personal connections.

Fans believe this technology could empower artists who struggle to find traditional representation, giving them more control. However, some worry it might further automate the music industry, adding to the already massive volume of unwanted emails people receive.

Stewart explains he didn’t create this tool because he believes AI agents are useless. Instead, he built it because the current system isn’t serving the needs of many artists.

The touring squeeze

For over 20 years, Stewart has been arranging tours, most recently as the owner of Stewart Entertainment Agency. During this time, he’s noticed touring expenses – including gas, lodging, staff, insurance, and venue costs – consistently increasing, while it’s become harder for new artists to make a profit from touring.

According to Stewart, agencies generally require artists to be earning at least $200,000 annually from live performances before they’ll commit to full-time representation. It’s simply difficult to dedicate the necessary time and resources to artists earning less than that amount.

This economic situation puts many musicians in a difficult spot. They’ve outgrown playing only local gigs, but aren’t earning enough to attract the consistent support of a booking agent who manages many artists. As a result, they often end up doing all the work themselves – contacting venues, agreeing on prices, promoting shows, and handling all the logistical details – usually without much help or advice.

According to Stewart, athletes either push themselves to exhaustion or get cut from the team. And if they’re cut, they have to start all over again.

Music Mogul AI is designed to fill that gap.

How Music Mogul AI works

The platform uses three AI tools, called ‘agents’, to help artists: one for booking gigs, one for marketing, and one for management. Artists can choose to use any of these tools individually or together, but the booking agent is the core service.

Artists start by providing specifics about their music, what they hope to achieve with touring, and their financial needs—like how much they charge for shows on weekdays versus weekends, the lowest amount they’ll accept, and the types of deals they prefer. The software then uses a unique database of venues, festivals, and promoters, narrowing down the options based on musical genre, venue size, and location.

According to Stewart, you can select a city, define a search area—typically around 350 miles—and the system will display relevant venues.

The system then creates draft emails to send to event organizers. Artists always review and approve each email before it goes out. While the system helps prepare follow-up messages, responses to offers, and negotiation points, a person always checks everything before it’s sent – it’s never done automatically.

“This isn’t blasting emails into the void,” Stewart says. “Nothing goes out without approval.”

After a show is confirmed, Music Mogul AI instantly creates both a digital contract and a promotional poster, making announcements faster. The marketing agent then prepares social media posts, drafts a simple email newsletter, and guides fans toward buying tickets and signing up for email updates.

The management agent acts as a central hub for each show, handling everything from initial booking through post-event analysis. They communicate with venues and promoters via email, gather important details about accommodations and technical needs, and then track how well the show performed in terms of ticket sales and merchandise. This data is then used to plan future tour routes and set ticket prices.

Stewart explains that the platform captures the proven methods he’s used throughout his career, but allows them to be implemented much faster and on a larger scale than any single person could achieve.

After two decades of handling everything by hand, I have to say this new tool is a game-changer. It simply speeds up the process and delivers remarkably consistent results – something that’s always been a challenge when you’re doing things the old-fashioned way.

A tool, not a replacement

Stewart emphasizes that Music Mogul AI is designed to help people, not take their jobs. It’s meant to work alongside human skills, not replace them entirely.

He explains it like using a nail gun: you can still get the job done with traditional tools, but this just makes the process quicker and more efficient.

Emails sent from the platform appear to come directly from Stewart Entertainment, not a standard AI email address. This helps ensure messages aren’t marked as spam and encourages promoters to take them seriously. Artists can also give their AI a name, making it seem like a dedicated agent – which can often lead to better deals.

The service is priced to be affordable, costing $300 a month for each AI agent, or around $8,000 annually for the complete package – about the same amount you’d spend on a small PR campaign.

“If it books you one show a month you didn’t have before, it pays for itself,” Stewart says.

South Dakota musician and podcaster Bubba Startz, who is learning to use Music Mogul AI to plan a tour with Stewart’s help, explains that the AI provides tools independent artists usually lack. He calls it ‘the keys to the castle’ for them.

Many artists aren’t prepared to work with a booking agent. They often lack the necessary organization and planning. According to Startz, a significant part of the initial process involves helping artists get ready for tour – things like arranging travel, planning marketing, and creating a budget. This preparation is crucial because it ensures the artist understands the logistics of touring just as well as the agent understands the artist’s needs.

Startz praised the platform’s simple and user-friendly design. He explained that using it felt similar to initial discussions about his performances – like figuring out the best types of events for him, his preferred touring schedule, and how his availability differed between weekdays and weekends.

Startz explained that he used an AI-powered software to help with booking gigs. He inputted details about himself and his business plan, and the AI then created concise email pitches to venue bookers. He believes this will significantly reduce the time artists spend on booking shows, crafting descriptions of their performances, and figuring out how to best present themselves to potential clients.

Many bands and musicians struggle with reaching out to venues and getting noticed by the right people. Music Mogul AI helps you present yourself effectively to land more gigs. This isn’t for bands that only play occasionally; it’s designed for artists serious about touring and building a career on the road.

Why agents are wary

Still, automating booking strikes at the core of how the live music business operates.

Avery McTaggart, who represents artists like Jungle, Big Thief, Remi Wolf, and Ethel Cain at the TBA Agency in Los Angeles, believes the idea of an AI booking agent doesn’t fully capture the complexities of the job.

According to McTaggart, booking shows is more than just coordinating dates and venues. It’s about strategic, long-term planning, considering how live performances support an artist’s album releases, build their fanbase, and contribute to their overall career goals.

McTaggart believes AI could be very helpful for agency tasks like managing proposals, creating consistent contracts, and compiling sales information. However, he’s worried about using AI to handle initial contact with clients and price negotiations.

This job relies heavily on personal interaction. Things like trust and understanding the situation are really important, and I don’t think those can be completely replaced by computers or automated systems.

He’s also concerned about how these pitches will be received. With so many people already getting bombarded with AI-written emails, sending automated messages could easily be ignored – or even annoy recipients.

McTaggart expresses concern about how emerging artists are supported during crucial moments in their development. She emphasizes the importance of direct encouragement, like someone simply reaching out to say they have faith in the artist’s potential.

From the promoter’s side

Those concerns are echoed by promoters who work closely with emerging artists.

Kyle Wilkerson, who runs Sid the Cat Presents, organizes concerts for musicians at all career levels – even those who don’t have representation or a strong online following.

Wilkerson explains that he often works with artists who are brand new and haven’t shared their music online yet. He focuses on how good the music is, rather than relying on things like streaming numbers or online popularity.

He figures about half of the artists he collaborates with handle their own representation, frequently contacting him directly after meeting at events or sharing their work.

“I don’t think AI can really help with that,” he says.

Wilkerson isn’t opposed to AI as an introductory tool — but only up to a point.

He’s okay with AI helping to find music and get in touch, as long as the information is accurate. However, when it comes to discussing the feeling of a performance – things like which artists it complements and the overall atmosphere – that’s when AI falls short and real human insight is needed.

Where automation ends

As a lifelong movie lover, I’ve often wondered if you can really apply a ‘business logic’ approach to something as creative as filmmaking. Can you truly run an artistic career – or build a film – using systems designed just to make things fast and efficient? It just feels like something gets lost in translation, you know?

Both agents and promoters agree that successful career planning goes beyond just analyzing data. It also requires good judgment – understanding when to hold off on pursuing certain opportunities, when a smaller venue is a better fit, or when opening for another artist can be more valuable than headlining yourself. It’s about taste, timing, and building trust.

Stewart acknowledges the software’s limitations and explains that’s why Music Mogul AI offers optional consulting services – personalized strategy sessions to help users get the most out of the tool.

“Technology builds the infrastructure,” he says. “Humans handle the relationships.”

A test case for live music’s future

Many musicians today are handling not just the creative side of their work, but also tasks like marketing, planning tours, and analyzing data – often without the support of a full team. Music Mogul AI aims to help with this, potentially acting as a stepping stone between self-managed careers and professional representation. However, some may see it as another example of automation taking over an industry that thrives on human connection.

AI is poised to become a major force behind the scenes in live music, helping to simplify operations, lower expenses, and manage information more effectively. However, it’s still unclear whether AI can replicate the human expertise and decision-making that are crucial for successful music careers.

According to McTaggart, artificial intelligence offers huge potential in this field, but he believes completely eliminating human involvement isn’t the right approach.

Right now, Music Mogul AI is an experiment – a way to see not only what tasks technology can handle automatically, but also how much of the feeling and artistry of live music should remain human-driven.

2026-02-13 14:04