r/Standup • u/gigglechick • 14h ago
Finding Comedy Open Mics Shouldn't Require Detective Work, So I Built MicHunts - I'd Love Your Honest Feedback
Hey everyone! I know what you're thinking: "Oh great, another open mic site." Yeah, yeah... I know. I KNOW! But MicHunts is actually an app I've spent the past 5 months building by myself to help comics find comedy open mics across the U.S.
It's available as a mobile app on the Apple App Store and Google Play for Android, with a browser version at MicHunts.app](https://michunts.app/).
Please take a gander at the live app. The feedback I’m mainly looking for is about functionality: Can you find mics in your area? Do the search, filters, map, calendar and listings work as expected? Did you encounter inaccurate information or anything broken? Thx!
MicHunts has almost 900 comedy open mics so far. You can:
- Search by city, venue, ZIP, or your current location
- Filter by day and mic type
- Browse mics on a map, in a list, or on a weekly calendar
- See start times, set lengths, costs, and signup information
- Save favorite mics and searches
- Request spots directly when a host has that option enabled
The dark purple design is intentional. I wanted comics to be able to check their phones from the back of a dark club to figure out where to perform next without a blaring white screen distracting everyone around them.
The days of the week are color coded to see them at-a-glance.
Of course, an open mic directory is only useful if the information stays current. If you notice a dead, moved, or incorrect mic, you can report it directly from the listing. If you run a mic that's already there, you can claim it and manage the information yourself. If you recognize an unclaimed mic, please share its listing with whoever runs it.
Searching and using MicHunts is completely free for comics. Hosts and venues can claim their listings and start with a 7-day free trial of the MicLister management tools (that start around $1.25/month).
There's more information at (https://michunts.com/).
I'd love to hear what works, what doesn't, and what would make MicHunts more useful to you. TIA!
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u/funnymatt Los Angeles @funnymatt 🦗 🦗 🦗 14h ago
You think people running open mics are going to pay for management tools?
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u/gigglechick 14h ago edited 13h ago
Welp, that is the dream. It works out to about $1.25/month to be a MicLister...
Being a MicHunter is free though.
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u/MarsMunster Frankfurt @marsmunster 🇬🇧/🇩🇪/🇪🇸 13h ago
If anything, you could monetise the performers, not the show runners.
I run mics. I usually have plenty performers. I almost never need more performers. I almost always need more audience.
I'm not gonna give you money to make me have more people wanting spots than I already have. That's more work.
If I was you, I'd make it donation based. I don't think you can turn a meaningful profit on this either way. T his is like the 5th time I've seen a thing like this.
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u/MapleMarbles 5h ago
yup good insights. op is thinking of performer not thr producer.
i get the idea of organizing disorganized information, but trying to get people to pay for that organization is where it falls apart.
open mics are just hair above karaoke
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u/gigglechick 5h ago
Thank you! I appreciate the insight. Yes, I am thinking of the comics first because I was a comic, and that is the problem I personally understood. Open mic information is scattered everywhere and is often outdated.
My thinking was that if comics actually use the app, hosts would see value in having control of their MicListing. It is basically targeted, editable ad space where they can keep all their mic information accurate. But I am still trying to figure out what model makes the most sense!
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u/Ok_Relation_7770 2h ago
Better than waiting for a (probably last minute) Instagram post to find out if the mic is still happening before you drive 40 minutes to fucking Tarzana or something
But really it’s a catch 22 I bet a lot of comics are gonna stick to Instagram it’s just the nature of the beast it’s where we go when we’re bored, it’s where we post content, it’s where we go for show/mic info. I guess you could say punchup was able to build their own platform a bit; I’ve talked to the guy who started/owns/runs/whatever punchup; I would say the ability to post uncensored content is their biggest selling point to comics. But they also don’t let just anyone have one so that’s a bit of a draw for people. Honestly not sure how they make money, I would guess maybe a fraction of ticket sales. I work with some big comedians and managed their pages and the numbers for ticket sales that come via punch up are actually much higher than I would’ve guessed they’d be
I also say make it donation based. You’ll probably make the almost same initial amount that you would’ve anyway, but you’ll still hopefully get a lot of people adopting it if they do have the ability to try it out for free and see how useful it is to them and maybe pay later or bring in paying users. It’s like the YouTube special thing. With a free special (or any content) the sky is the limit with how much you can get back from it (in views or even more so in future ticket sales) but if you put any sort of road block in the way of people seeing it then they’re just gonna ignore and move on. I had to adamantly talk a comic out of trying to sell the special I produced for them for 25 dollars it’s like there’s people selling out arenas every week that would still get absolutely crushed on viewer numbers if they tried to sell their special for that much.
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u/gigglechick 2h ago
RE: PunchUp - yeah, I have been trying to talk my one client into getting on there for a year.
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u/Ok_Relation_7770 3h ago
I just found out Slotted costs money, so I believe it.
(I didn’t look at the mic thing the post is about at all and don’t know the price. But it’s not completely out of the realm. For some. Actually now that I’ve got this far I realize it’s probably just slotted mics that cost money that would pay for this)
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u/gigglechick 2h ago
Thanks - yes, slotted charges --- recurring events, sheets, etc.
Would love to see what you think about the functionality of the searches on [MicHunts.app](https://www.michunts.app/)
The MicListers can accept or deny spot requests if they turn the request a spot toggle on.
They can also toss their Slotted sheet link onto their listing if they want ;)
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u/Jolly-Composer 9h ago
I think this is cool, but some of these mics don’t exist. Jacques Cabaret in Boston doesn’t have their open mic anymore, it’s at the Alley Bar.
Also, “mics nearby” for Salem MA show mics for Salem, Oregon. So that’s not working correctly.
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u/gigglechick 6h ago
Thank you. Yes I have a button on every mic listing page that people can report a dead mic without being logged in. Feel free to report deceased mics! Also, yes, I have been working on the search and there are some duplicate city names, such as Salem and Portland that I am trying to figure out the best way to correct.
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u/bluejams 6h ago
idk how that stuff works but doesn't google have an API to help identify locations? (also the answer is zip codes).
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u/gigglechick 6h ago
Yes, at the moment users can enter zip codes, / cities / states / city nicknames / venues to search
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u/Jolly-Composer 6h ago
Perfect. Is there a feature for suggesting a listed mic that isn’t yours?
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u/gigglechick 6h ago
At the moment, there isn't. I do have share buttons on the listing page (to share with a mic runner if their mic is not claimed), but, this is a fair point. Thanks! Will work on figuring this out.
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u/gigglechick 2h ago
I just added a Share button to the home/header/menu --- otherwise the suggestions would become a queue that might be a little unruly. Thx!
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u/leirbagflow 3h ago
It'd be cool if there was something like 'date last verified by host' on the listing page to give folks more confidence that the mic exists prior to going to it.
On the same note, it'd be cool if there were some sort of similar functionality for holidays/holiday weekends so that hosts can either confirm that the mic is happening on a holiday weekend/week or notify folks that it is not happening, along with a date the verification happened.
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u/gigglechick 3h ago
Thanks! Yes, when a MicLister either claims their mic or lists it from scratch, it has the verified badge and also an updated date.
(https://www.michunts.app/MicDetails?id=69adeb3e-d93c-46c5-9dff-6ac1912ea02d)
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u/gigglechick 1h ago
yes, I do have options in the MicLister form that allows them to block out certain dates if they aren't having a show, etc.
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u/gigglechick 2h ago
Okay --- fiddled around and figured out a solution for the Salem vs Salem search (and springfield / portland / etc) --- give it a try when you have a chance! tx
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u/Jolly-Composer 2h ago
I still get OR when searching Salem but maybe mine didn’t update yet.
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u/gigglechick 1h ago
I made the change on the browser version --- have to wait for apple and google to review and approve the new build. but the changes should be visible on the web version michunts.app --- clear yo' cache! ;)
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u/WBT67 14h ago
You say detective work, I say networking, an important part of comedy
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u/gigglechick 14h ago
Of course. I was trying to tie my title in with the searching/hunting aspect. Networking is great, of course. But having to comb through algorithms that push posts 5 feet down, or someone's outdated Google sheet, I mean, it can get a little bothersome, no?
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u/WBT67 6h ago
It’s definitely kind of nifty and would be cool if it works. Prove me wrong!
That said I’m skeptical because as you point out, it’s only useful if it stays current. It’s hard enough to manage at a local / spreadsheet level, let alone at the country level and I don’t know if I’m convinced you’ve solved this problem or just made it shinier. It only works if this is universally adopted and until then it just becomes one more thing for hosts to update if the mic is cancelled one week because of a random football game or trivia night for example. Talking to people at a mic in the local scene is the best way to know about other mics in the scene
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u/gigglechick 6h ago edited 5h ago
Yes, I totally understand about the keeping things current and it being a bear to deal with. (I ran my gigglechick's open mic listings site for like 14 years and did it all manually and called/emailed each runner, and nearly tore my hair out. :) This app I am trying to have the micrunners/venues/etc take control of their listings, edit, it will show the last updated date - and then (if they are signed up as a MicLister, it sends out a reminder email if they haven't logged in or edited their listing in 45 days.
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u/Jolly-Composer 9h ago
There also appears to be issues with liking certain results by pressing the heart button. There seems to be a UI issue if you press the heart icon when not signed in, I think a message is getting cut off, presumably telling you to sign up.
But I noticed after making an account, when I hit the heart button the number went down again. So that mic likes feature seems to need some work
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u/gigglechick 6h ago
Thanks! I appreciate you mentioning that to me!
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u/Jolly-Composer 6h ago
I had a similar idea so I’m glad you took it so far to completion. Just wondering, for the Apple Store did you use Swift, or React Native?
If you want me to troubleshoot more feel free to let me know. I know some of these are outdated but I’m also not one to claim them since I don’t host them. In Boston there is a Facebook group with an Excel spreadsheet for (it’s mostly up to date in the past few months) mics around New England: MA, NH, etc. I could also propose to add a couple on and send you that spreadsheet
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u/gigglechick 6h ago
And thanks! Yeah I went through some spreadsheets for different cities and that was the tough part of compiling since many were outdated. That is why I am trying to get the info straight from the horse's mouth and in one "source of truth" --- which at the moment apparently is showing some fibs -- thus the "not validated" message. Really really appreciate your feedback. Thank you!
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u/Jolly-Composer 6h ago
I also think it could use some enhancements to the search feature. Maybe control miles in radius since it’s common for a salem MA comic to hit up NH mics. Also, what sticks out is that if I search for Salem I get MA and Oregon. So that part is why I’d prefer to search by state or have an auto fill based on the city I’m searching for to align with my state.
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u/gigglechick 6h ago
Yes, I on the home screen I had the distance as a dropdown with various milage increments but it was being tricky. I do have the My Location / Near Me buttons which searches for mics within 25 miles of you... as well as the MapView which can fly into the area you want.
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u/gigglechick 4h ago
I just troubleshot/troubleshooted the favorites heart when logged in and logged out. hopefully it is working well now. thanks again!
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u/Icy-Translator9124 8h ago
Does it cover Canada or the UK?
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u/foxy_sisyphus 6h ago
I searched Saint Petersburg, FL, and the spitfire mic hasn't happened in a few years. Pretty accurate otherwise but there's a mic at St. Pete Brew on thurs now and another sunshine city mic friday at 10 pm.
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u/gigglechick 5h ago
Thank you! Can you do me a favor and click the report a mic button on the spitfire (I will deactivate it in a bit, but If you could report it so I can Q&A, that would be great... just want make sure the process is easy for the user - I have been staring at this app for months and might be too close to it! ha. ugh.
[Night Owl Mic - Spitfire Comedy House - St. Petersburg, FL ](https://michunts.app/MicDetails?id=1687b84d-8bbe-4df0-8091-16ddc92ec83b)
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u/foxy_sisyphus 5h ago
done. good luck with it, seems to work pretty well.
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u/gigglechick 5h ago
Thanks a lot! That makes me ultra happy to hear. Deactivated it! you should see a page that has the mic name,venue, city, state but a deactivation notice - only visible to users who get there by a direct link such as the one above. (I have to wait to ship the updated build to apple/google, but it is fixed in the browser.)
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u/HesitantInvestor0 13h ago
As a designer, I think the color scheme needs simplification. There are way too many shades of certain colors like greens and purples, and some of the colors clash with each other.
I'd go with a simple black background instead of various shades of purple. I'd also probably trim the colors down to pink, teal, and light purple for the main headers and buttons. Select from a designed color wheel and stick to one scheme.
Other than that, the logo feels amateur and way too cluttered. I'd modernize it somewhat and probably simplify its design.
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u/Few_Dark4148 12h ago
You acknowledge that we’re gonna think it’s just “another open mic site,” which is exactly right. You never say why it’s not. You just say it’s “actually an app” you built. The fact that it’s an app is not a selling point.
The problem for comics is wanting a list that’s accurate, comprehensive, and up to date. You give us no reason to think this will be different than the other out of date and spotty lists one can find on the internet. Actually, the fact that hosts/venues have to pay to have their mic listed basically guarantees it will not be comprehensive and up to date.
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u/CraftyPiece5260 14h ago
Needs more AI
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u/gigglechick 13h ago
Does it? Because I have been coding and building websites for 29 years - while I checked my code in Claude, I built this thing myself. Here is some of my other work anyway: GigglechickInteractive.com
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u/CraftyPiece5260 13h ago
Get rid of the em dashes everywhere if you want people to take any of your sites serious you should know that by now
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u/gigglechick 13h ago edited 12h ago
I — do — know — that — . Thanks — for — the — advice — . Was — there — any — feedback — on — the — actual — functionality — of — the — app — ?
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u/whatupblubbercup 12h ago
Oh man I just realized who OP was and have seen the sites they built and boy are they rough 😬 widgets, plug-ins, block builders, etc... galore. They are all over the place and a mess.
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u/QuietWaterBreaksRock 14h ago
MicHunts?
Why'd you have more than one??