How to book an artist on Crackerjack
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In short
To book an artist on Crackerjack: find a performer, send a booking request with your date, place and brief, agree the quote and contract, then pay the full amount up front. Crackerjack holds that payment and does not send it to the artist until you confirm the set actually happened. If the booking is cancelled, the Refund Policy decides what comes back to you, by how far ahead of the event you cancel.
Who this is for
For anyone booking live talent — weddings, corporate events, festivals, college events, resorts, private parties and venue programming. It covers finding and comparing artists, requests, quotes, contracts, payment and cancellation. It does not cover selling tickets to your event.
Key facts
- Cost to browse and request
- Free. You pay only the agreed booking fee.
- What you pay
- The full agreed fee, up front, before the booking is confirmed.
- Where the money sits
- Held by Crackerjack — not with the artist — until you confirm the set happened.
- Platform commission
- 10%, taken from the artist's side at release. It is not added on top of your quote.
- Cancellation
- 48 hours or more before the event: 100% refunded · 24–48 hours before: 50% refunded · Less than 24 hours before: 0% refunded
- Refund processing
- Approved refunds are returned by the original payment provider, typically within 5–10 business days.
- Disputes
- Raised in-app. Disputed funds stay frozen while the dispute is open — they are not released to either side.
How it works, step by step
Find an artist
Browse public artist profiles for craft, genre, city and rate. Each profile carries the artist's own description, media and public availability summary.
Send a booking request
Give the date, place, duration and what you need. The artist can accept, decline, ask questions or quote.
Agree the quote and contract
Both sides accept the same recorded terms — fee, date, duration and cancellation.
Pay the full amount
Payment is taken up front and held by Crackerjack. The date is locked for you, and the artist is not paid yet.
The show happens
You confirm the artist arrived, and then that the set happened. Neither confirmation moves money on its own except the last.
The money is released
Once you confirm the set happened and the artist's release window is reached, the full amount is released to them.
What this does not cover
- Crackerjack does not vet artistic quality, guarantee a performance, or act as an agent for either side.
- A verified badge means identity was reviewed by a person. It is not a statement about someone's ability.
- Cancelling inside 24 hours of the start time returns nothing.
- Public event listings and ticket sales are not currently available on the public site.
Frequently asked questions
How do I book a DJ or band for an event?
Find the artist's public profile on Crackerjack, send a booking request with your date, venue and brief, and agree the quote they send back. When both sides accept the contract you pay the full fee up front; Crackerjack holds it and only releases it to the artist after you confirm the set happened.
How much does it cost to book live talent?
The artist sets their own fee, and it varies by craft, experience, date and city — Crackerjack does not set or cap it. Some artists publish a rate range on their profile; others take quote requests. You pay the agreed fee and nothing else: the platform commission comes out of the artist's side, not on top of your quote.
How is my payment protected?
Your payment is held by Crackerjack from the moment the booking is confirmed until you confirm the show happened. The artist cannot draw it before that, and if the booking is cancelled the Refund Policy decides what comes back to you. The funds sit in a Crackerjack-controlled account and are not held by an independent third-party escrow agent — we do not describe this arrangement as escrow.
What happens if I cancel?
Refunds follow the Refund Policy and depend on notice: 48 hours or more before the event, 100% of what is still held is refunded; 24–48 hours before, 50% of what is still held is refunded; less than 24 hours before, 0% of what is still held is refunded. Approved refunds are returned by the original payment provider, typically within 5–10 business days.
What if the artist does not turn up?
The money is still held by Crackerjack, because release requires your confirmation that the set happened. Raise a dispute in-app and the funds stay frozen while it is reviewed — a dispute can be escalated to Crackerjack after five business days without a direct resolution, and review typically takes ten business days.
Can I compare artists before requesting?
Yes. Public profiles show craft, genres, city, description, media and — where the artist has chosen to publish it — a rate range, so you can shortlist before contacting anyone. Sending a request costs nothing and does not commit you.