why.
Most rooms with great speakers are full of people talking over them. A Side A night turns that around: forty minutes of listening together, then a conversation that starts from the same record.
Hosts are the society. You choose the record, set the room and hold the ritual. Side A connects you with the people who want to be in it.
three ways in.
- 1
at home.
Your living room, your record, your people. You open the door; Side A lists the night and runs the guest list.
Set a seat price or keep it free. Guests pay you; Side A keeps 18% of paid seats. Up to 20 guests. Free nights: pour and cook for your guests, free. Paid nights: no alcohol sold or poured by you; guests bring their own, or a licensed bar service or caterer sells under its own licence.
- 2
at a listening bar.
Most listening bars are full of people talking over the music. Take a few hours of a bar's programming and run a Side A night there: phones away, the album in full, then talk. You split the door with the bar.
You and the bar agree a split of the door before the night: a common start is 60/40 or 70/30. Guests pay you; Side A keeps 18%; you pay the bar its share, and the bar keeps what it takes over the bar.
- 3
as a venue.
A bar, café, record shop or studio that wants to run Side A nights itself, with its own staff as hosts.
Your room, your staff as hosts, your nights on your calendar. Guests pay the venue; Side A keeps 18% of paid seats. Food and drink, if any, come from your own licensed bar and kitchen.
for bars and venues →
the ritual.
One album, played in full. Phones away. We listen without talking during the record, then we talk after.
Those are the house rules. Every Side A night keeps them, at home or at a bar.
how it works.
- 1
apply.
Pick your way in, tell us about your room and the record. Five questions.
- 2
we meet.
We hear the room together, or meet you at the bar you want to bring a night to.
- 3
you run a night.
Connect Stripe, choose the album and the date, set the price. You're the organiser; Side A lists the night and takes the booking.
who does what.
you organise the night.
The room, the door, the guest count and everyone's safety are yours. You sell the seats through your own Stripe account. A seat pays for the night, never for food or alcohol: at a free night at home you may pour and cook, free; at a paid one you don't; at a bar, food and drink come only from the bar, under its licence. Check your home insurance covers guests, or take out a one-night public liability policy.
side a lists it and takes the booking.
We list the night, run the guest list and take payment for you at checkout. Every guest confirms the night's rules (age, food and drink, house rules) before they get a seat. Your address goes only to guests you've approved. We never run the door or serve anything.
questions.
- do i need a bar?
- No. A living room that sounds good, with chairs that face the speakers, is enough. If you want a bigger room, bring a night to a listening bar.
- how do i pitch a bar?
- Ask for a quiet weeknight or an early slot. The pitch: most of your room talks over the music; give me three hours and I'll fill it with people who came to listen, and they'll buy drinks after the record. Agree the split and the headcount in writing. Our host tutorial has a script.
- who is responsible for the night?
- The host or venue running it. You organise the night, hold the door and look after the room. Side A lists the night, runs the guest list and takes the booking on your behalf.
- can i serve food and drinks?
- One rule: a seat pays for the night, never for food or alcohol. At a free night at home you can pour and cook for your guests, free, as you would for friends. At a paid night at home you don't pour or cook: guests bring their own, or a licensed bar service or caterer sells under its own licence. At a bar or venue, food and drink come from its own licensed bar and kitchen. List what you serve and its allergens.
- how does the money move?
- Guests pay through Stripe into your own Stripe account. Side A's 18% comes off automatically. You're paid on Stripe's schedule, not ours. As the seller, you carry Stripe's fees, refunds and any chargebacks on your sales. If you cancel, every guest is refunded in full.
- will side a fill my room?
- We list the night and run the guest list. We don't promise a full room: bring your people too.
- who sees my address?
- Only guests you've approved. Everyone else sees the neighbourhood.
a venue, or rather talk first? tell us about your room.