According to some estimates, comedians make just over $30,000 a year, if they even get paid or discovered at all. It’s no secret that comedy and the rest of the entertainment field is fraught with failure and crony restrictions that prevent entertainers from ever even getting started. If you aren’t managed then chances are you’ll never get paid.
Fortunately, there’s an app for that. Introducing the Special Guest App, which is attempting to flip the entertainment industry on its head by getting entertainers paid. This app allows individuals and venues to book entertainers directly without having to go through talent managers. With a detailed profile setup, entertainers can upload their work and collect ratings and recommendations to get hired for more jobs on their own.
Created by comedian Damon Wayans Jr. and entrepreneur Kristopher Jones, the Special Guest App is attempting to scale a two way marketplace to give talent paid and individuals like you and I a better live entertainment experience. Using digital marketing and geo-based advertising, the app is attempting to scale across cities across the country, starting with L.A. It recently got spotlight at this year’s Collision conference.
The app first became mainstream after an appearance on Planet of the Apps, Apple’s first original TV show. Wayans Jr. and Jones secured $1.5 million in venture funding from Will I.M. who is now a principal investor in the project. With the addition of Kevin Hart and Wilmer Valderrama to the app, the team is attempting to scale this two-way marketplace by filling the talent side of the app first.
With in-app payment services, geo tracking, and chat services, local bands can now get booked by their local venues and showcase their talents. With wide enough appeal, you will foreseeably be booking your next clown or magician through the app for your kid’s birthday. With unlimited potential, the Special Guest App threatens to disrupt entertainment entirely and become the new Airbnb or Amazon of live entertainment.