If you are a performance artist looking to build your career, reach more clients, and get paid reliably for your talent, idlidu is designed for you. This guide walks you through every step of setting up and succeeding on the platform, from your first login to your hundredth booking.
Step 1: Sign Up
Getting started takes less than a minute. You can sign up with your Google account, your Facebook account, or a standard email and password. If you use email, you will need to verify your email address before accessing your dashboard. Once signed up, set your role to Artist during onboarding. This unlocks all the artist-specific features: profile builder, service listings, availability calendar, EPK generator, and earnings dashboard.
Step 2: Create Your Profile
Your profile is your digital storefront, and it is the first thing potential clients see. Start with your headline — a short, punchy description that appears on your artist card in search results. Something like "Soulful Bollywood and Sufi Singer" or "Bharatanatyam Dancer and Choreographer" works well.
Your bio is where you tell your story. Go beyond a list of credentials. Share why you perform, what inspires you, what kind of events you excel at, and what clients can expect when they book you. Fill in your location and travel radius, languages you speak, event types, skills, and any relevant physical attributes. If you have an intro video, upload it — profiles with intro videos consistently receive more bookings.
Step 3: Add Portfolio Items
Your portfolio is your proof of talent. Upload high-quality photos from past performances, link YouTube videos of your best work, and add audio samples if relevant. Aim for variety: a mix of stage shots, close-ups, different venues, and different types of events shows clients that you are versatile and experienced. Quality matters more than quantity — five excellent portfolio items are better than twenty mediocre ones.
Step 4: Create Services with Packages
Services are how clients book you. Each service has a title, description, type, duration, and base price. For each service, you can create tiered packages: Standard, Silver, and Gold. Tiered pricing gives clients options and increases your average booking value. Set your prices thoughtfully — research what other artists in your category and location charge. Many successful artists start at a competitive rate and increase gradually as their reviews and reputation grow.
Step 5: Set Your Availability
Your availability calendar has two parts: your weekly schedule and blocked dates. Set your recurring weekly availability by choosing which days and time slots you are open for bookings. Then block out any specific dates when you are unavailable. Keeping your calendar accurate is essential — clients can only book you on dates you have marked as available. An outdated calendar leads to declined bookings, which hurts your response metrics and search ranking.
Step 6: Generate Your Electronic Press Kit
The EPK feature compiles your profile highlights, best portfolio items, services, and reviews into a clean, professional page with its own URL. You can share this link with anyone, even people who do not have an idlidu account. It is perfect for sending to event planners, venues, or potential collaborators. Your EPK updates automatically as you add new content to your profile.
Step 7: Get Verified
Verification builds trust with clients. idlidu offers three levels. Bronze verification confirms your basic identity through a government-issued ID and selfie. Silver verification adds professional credential checks — you provide documentation of your training, certifications, or professional affiliations. Gold verification is the highest tier, requiring a proven track record of successful bookings, consistently high ratings, and a comprehensive portfolio review. Gold-verified artists receive the most prominent placement in search results.
Step 8: Manage Bookings
When a client books you, you receive a notification. From your dashboard, you can review the booking details, accept or decline, and open the booking chat to coordinate event specifics with the client. Once you accept, a performance agreement is auto-generated as a PDF. After the event, the booking is marked as completed and the payment is released from escrow into your earnings balance.
Step 9: Track Your Analytics
Your dashboard provides a comprehensive view of your performance on the platform. Track profile views over time, see how many bookings you have received, monitor your revenue trends, and keep an eye on your average rating. These insights help you understand what services are most popular, which months are your busiest, and where there is room for improvement.
Step 10: Grow with Premium Plans
The Free plan gives you everything you need to get started. When you are ready to accelerate your growth, consider upgrading to Silver or Gold. Paid benefits include reduced commission rates, priority placement in search results, and access to advanced analytics. For artists earning consistently from bookings, the commission savings alone often exceed the subscription cost, making it a smart investment.