When a musician can’t make a gig, BookLive lets you initiate a substitute search directly from the seat. If your performance has more than one roster assigned — for example, both a Regulars list and a Substitutes list — you can now choose which list BookLive contacts when looking for a replacement. This gives you precise control over whether you’re reaching out to your core players or your dedicated sub bench.
Before You Begin #
- You must be a group leader or co-leader to request substitutes.
- The performance must already have a musician assigned to the seat you want to replace.
- To see a list-selection menu, the performance must have at least two rosters assigned (a Personnel List and a Sub List). If only one list is assigned, the Substitute button works as a single action — no menu appears.
Step 1: Open the Seat on Your Performance #
- Log in at https://booklive.com/login.
- Navigate to the performance where you need to find a replacement.
- Click the Musicians tab to see the list of seated musicians.
- Click the seat for the musician who needs to be replaced. The seat detail panel will open on the right.
Step 2: Choose a Roster and Request the Substitute #
At the bottom of the seat detail panel, you’ll see a Substitute button.
If Two Lists Are Available #
If the performance has both a Personnel List and a Sub List configured, the Substitute button becomes a dropdown. Click it to see your options:
- From [Personnel List Name] — Contacts musicians from your primary roster (typically your Regulars list).
- From [Sub List Name] — Contacts musicians from your substitute roster (typically your Substitutes list).
Click the option that fits your situation. A confirmation prompt will appear: “Initiate a substitute search from [List Name]?” Click OK to proceed.
If Only One List Is Available #
If the performance only has one roster assigned, clicking Substitute will show a standard confirmation: “Are you sure you want to initiate a substitute search?” Click OK to proceed.
Step 3: What Happens Next #
Once you confirm, BookLive:
- Creates a duplicate open seat linked to the original, so your original musician’s record is preserved until a replacement is confirmed.
- Looks up every musician in the selected list who matches the seat’s specialty (instrument or role) and is not already staffed or already invited to this performance.
- Sends each eligible musician an email and, if they have a cell number on file, a text message with the performance details and a link to accept.
- The first musician to respond and accept the request gets the seat.
Tips & Notes #
- Which list is “Personnel” vs. “Sub”? By default, BookLive creates two lists for every group: Regulars (your core players, used as the Personnel List) and Substitutes (your backup bench, used as the Sub List). Your group may have custom names for these lists.
- List assignment is per-performance. A performance inherits its Personnel and Sub List from your group’s default Staffing Settings, but you can override these on individual performances.
- The original musician stays in place until a substitute accepts. This avoids leaving the seat completely empty during the search.
- Group leaders are notified. When a substitute search is initiated, all group leaders receive an email alert with the seat details and the number of musicians contacted.
- Musicians who are already seated or already have an outstanding invite for this performance are automatically excluded from the substitute outreach, regardless of which list you select.
