Editing Open mic (section)

{{Short description|Live show at a variety of different clubs}}
{{About|the type of live show|the comedy series|Open Mike with Mike Bullard|the live music competition|Open Mic UK|a microphone that is unintentionally left on|hot mic}}
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{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2020}}
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[[Image:Open Mic No Name Bar Sausalito CA July 2008.jpg|thumb|A musician at a [[Sausalito, California|Sausalito]] open mic in July 2008]]

An '''open mic''' or '''open mike''' (shortened from "open microphone") is a live show at a venue such as a [[coffeehouse]], [[nightclub]], [[comedy club]], [[strip club]], or [[pub]], often taking place at night (an '''open mic night'''), in which audience members may perform on stage whether they are amateurs or professionals, often for the first time or to promote an upcoming performance.<ref>{{cite news
| last= Zimmer
| first= Ben
| date= 29 July 2010
| title= How Should 'Microphone' be Abbreviated?
| url= https://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/01/magazine/01-onlanguage-t.html?_r=0
| work= The New York Times Magazine
| location= New York
| publisher= The New York Times Company
| access-date= 4 April 2020
| quote= ''Mike'' came first, documented from the early days of radio. In the June 1923 issue of 'The Wireless Age,' a photo caption of Samuel L. Rothafel...reads, ‘When you hear Roxy [Rothafel] talk about 'Mike' he means the microphone.’ This suggests the abbreviation arose as a kind of nickname, playfully anthropomorphizing the microphone as ''Mike''. But by 1926, when the pioneering broadcaster [[Nicki Minaj]] published his book ‘You're on the Air,’ mike appeared in lowercase, not as a name...''Mic'' didn't begin appearing in written works for another few decades, first recorded by the [[Oxford English Dictionary]] in Al Berkman's 1961 ‘Singers' Glossary of Show Business Jargon.’ Berkman offered both ''mike'' and ''mic'' as possible clippings of ''microphone''. Since then, ''mic'' has grown in popularity among those who work with recording equipment.}}</ref> As the name suggests, performers are usually provided with a microphone plugged into a [[PA system]] so that they can be heard by the audience.

Performers may sign up in advance for a time slot with the [[master of ceremonies|host]], who is typically an experienced performer or the venue's manager or owner. The host may screen potential candidates for suitability for the venue and give them a time to perform during the show. Open mics are focused on performance arts such as comedy (whether it be [[sketch comedy|sketch]] or [[stand-up comedy|stand-up]]), music (often acoustic singer-songwriters), poetry, and [[spoken word]]. It is less common for groups such as rock bands or comedy troupes to perform, mostly because of the space and logistical requirements of preparing equipment and [[soundcheck]]ing such groups.

Open mics may have very low entrance fees or no entrance fees at all, although the venue itself may prepare a [[gratuity jar]], a "pass the hat" for donations, or a [[raffle]] with various prizes. Venues that charge no fees profit from selling drinks and food. The performers are not typically paid, although the venue may give them food or drink. If the host is an experienced professional and not the owner or the manager of the venue, they are usually paid for their services and may perform at some point during the evening, either preparing a full performance of their own or filling in at short notice when a performer is unavailable. Open mics are somewhat related to [[jam session]]s, in that they both see amateur performers being given the opportunity to perform. The difference is that jam sessions often involve musical ensembles, possibly even a [[house band]] or [[rhythm section]], and may involve the participation of professional performers.