Keeping your availability accurate in BookLive prevents double bookings, cuts back-and-forth with bandleaders, and ensures you’re only offered gigs on dates that actually work for you. This guide covers how to use BookLive’s availability tools to reflect your recurring schedule — whether you work every weekend, limit yourself to a certain number of gigs per month, or always take specific days off.
How BookLive Availability Works #
BookLive uses an available by default model. Every date on your calendar is considered open unless you’ve explicitly marked it as unavailable. There’s no need to enter every date you’re free — you only need to flag the ones you’re not.
Your availability is visible to any bandleader who has added you to their group roster. Keeping your blackout dates current is the single most important step you can take to ensure accurate scheduling.
Marking Individual Unavailable Dates #
To block off a single date:
- Log in to BookLive at https://booklive.com/login.
- Your calendar appears on the home screen. Navigate to the date you want to block.
- Click on that date. A dialog will appear.
- Select Add Blackout Date.
- Optionally enter a reason (e.g., “Family commitment”).
- Click Save Blackout Date.
The date will appear in gray on your calendar and show as unavailable to any bandleader checking your schedule.
Blocking Off a Range of Dates #
If you have recurring blocks of unavailability — such as a family vacation every August, a semester of school, or a consistent busy season — use the date range option to block multiple consecutive days at once.
- Click any date on your calendar to open the date dialog.
- Click Add Blackout Date.
- Toggle on Blackout a range of dates.
- Select your Start date and End date.
- Optionally enter a reason.
- Click Save Blackout Date.
Every date within the range will be marked as unavailable. This is the most efficient way to communicate an extended period of unavailability without entering dates one at a time.
Blocking an Entire Weekend #
When you click a Friday, Saturday, or Sunday, BookLive will offer an additional option to block the entire weekend — Friday through Sunday — with a single action.
- Click a weekend date (Friday, Saturday, or Sunday) on your calendar.
- Select Add Blackout Date.
- Check the box labeled Blackout entire weekend.
- Click Save Blackout Date.
Use this when you need to clear a specific weekend completely, such as a holiday weekend or a personal event that spans the whole weekend.
Setting Maximum Performances Per Day (Group Managers) #
If you manage a group in BookLive, you can set a hard limit on how many performances your group takes on any single day. This acts as a recurring rule that applies automatically to every date.
- Navigate to your group’s settings.
- Click Availability Rules in the left menu.
- At the top of the page, locate the Maximum Performances Per Day setting.
- Select the maximum number of performances your group can handle in one day.
- The setting saves automatically.
Once configured, BookLive will display a warning if a new booking is attempted on a day that has already reached the limit. This is especially useful for groups that occasionally take double-header bookings and want a safeguard against over-scheduling.
Tips for Managing Recurring Availability Patterns #
- Block out-of-town travel windows in advance. If you regularly travel for other work, add blackout date ranges for those trips as soon as you book them. Early entry prevents conflicts before they happen.
- Keep your calendar current, not just future-looking. Bandleaders and booking systems check availability in real time. If your schedule changes, update your blackout dates immediately.
- Use the reason field for context. Adding a brief reason (e.g., “Out of state” or “Annual school show”) helps bandleaders understand your situation and plan accordingly.
- Clearing a blackout date is easy. If your plans change, click the blacked-out date on your calendar and select Delete Blackout Date to restore your availability.
