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Gigwell vs Prism vs Overture: which fits a classical agency?

31 October 2026 · ArtistHub team

Gigwell, Prism.fm and Overture are three established names in music booking software. All three can help an agency manage bookings, contracts and money. They were built with different users in mind, though, and that matters for a classical or opera agency. This comparison is based on what each vendor says about itself on its own site and blog. We do not quote pricing or customer counts; check those with each vendor.

Gigwell

Gigwell describes itself in its roundup of tools for booking agents as an all-in-one artist booking platform covering the process from initial contact to final payment: contract generation, contacts, online payments, calendars, billing, logistics and analytics. Its article on agency pitfalls highlights a live view of bookings, automatic alerts, read receipts on contracts and an activity log.

Prism.fm

Prism started with venues and promoters. Its agency platform launch post describes artist roster management, agency accounting for commission, deposits, settlements and invoices, artist tools for contracts and ticket tracking, and tour and venue analytics. Its guide to booking agent platforms emphasises hold management, integrated ticketing data and co-promotion settlements.

Overture

Overture's homepage says it is built for bands, classical musicians, DJs and corporate acts, with shared contacts and calendars, itineraries, contracts and invoices, artist statements, media pages, reports and integrations. It offers an artist app and, for classical clients, a repertoire report.

Side by side for classical needs

"Not described" means we did not find it in the pages cited; it does not mean the feature is absent. Ask each vendor.

What classical agencies should weigh

Classical agencies book castings and multi-week engagements with rehearsals, plan seasons far ahead, care about repertoire and roles, and rarely need ticketing data because presenters sell their own tickets. Features built around ticket counts and promoter settlements matter less; castings, rehearsal schedules and per-engagement commission matter more (7 features that matter).

Where ArtistHub fits

ArtistHub is built only for classical and opera artist management. It tracks castings from inquiry to contract, keeps rehearsals and performances on the contract and the season calendar, shares iCal feeds with artists, holds travel, hotel and visa logistics on the contract, and includes invoices, finance, expenses, tax, contacts, producers, orchestras, an opera database, mailers, artist websites, automations and a Gap Finder. If your agency is purely classical, compare it directly with Overture in Overture vs ArtistHub.

How to decide

1. Write down your five most common engagement types.
2. Enter one of each in every tool you trial.
3. Check how castings, rehearsals and commission are handled.
4. Ask your artists how they want to receive schedules.
5. If you are still on spreadsheets, read when to switch first.

Questions to put to every vendor

Since public pages do not tell the whole story, ask each vendor the same questions during a demo:

1. How do you model an inquiry or casting before it becomes a booking?
2. Can one engagement hold a rehearsal period and several performances?
3. Can the commission rate and base differ per engagement?
4. How do artists receive their schedules, and can I control what they see?
5. Where do travel, hotel and visa details live?
6. How do you store repertoire and roles?
7. How do I import my current data, and how do I export it if I leave?
8. What does mobile access look like for managers?
9. What is the pricing for my team size?

Write the answers down in the same format for each tool, so you are comparing like with like.

Running a structured trial

Choose one artist with a varied season: an opera production, a few concerts and a recital. Enter the whole season in each shortlisted tool, from first inquiries to invoices. Note how long it takes, how many times you retype a date or fee, how the artist's schedule looks in their calendar, and how easy it is to produce a commission report. Ask a colleague to do the same independently, then compare notes.

Common mistakes when choosing

• Choosing on feature lists rather than a real trial.
• Choosing the tool with the most features, including many you will never use.
• Ignoring how artists will receive information.
• Underestimating migration effort.
• Not checking data export before signing.

Mixed-genre agencies

If your agency represents classical artists alongside other genres, a multi-genre platform may be simpler than two systems. If your agency is purely classical, a tool built around castings, seasons and repertoire may fit more naturally. Neither choice is wrong; it depends on your roster.

Summary

All three tools are serious options for music agencies. For a classical or opera agency, the deciding factors are usually castings, multi-day engagements with rehearsals, per-engagement commission, repertoire and how artists receive their schedule. Test those directly, and include a classical-only CRM such as ArtistHub in the comparison (buyer's guide).

FAQ

Which is best for a classical agency: Gigwell, Prism or Overture?

Of the three, Overture explicitly targets classical musicians and offers repertoire features. Gigwell and Prism describe broader or more touring and venue-oriented tools. A classical-only CRM such as ArtistHub is another option.

Do classical agencies need ticketing integrations?

Usually not, because opera houses and orchestras sell their own tickets.