I was fortunate enough to see these 3 artists in 2024.
Ally Venable
Sue Foley
Ana Popovic
I cannot understand how they are making any money touring. I saw them all at very small venues. A quick estimate of ticket prices x number of seats yielded a very small $$$ total. After payroll, travel costs, venue fees, etc, it doesn't seem possible that they are actually making a profit. Any real world experience and comments would be welcome to enlighten me. How are bands doing it profitably? And please, check out these 3 artists - they are amazing!!!

Merch is a large part of how indie artists make their money.

Barely

Travel light.

Smaller venues also regularly go under. High expenses and tight margins. On top of that they depend on alcohol sales but young adults just aren't drinking. I think overall in a generation the percentage of people drinking alcohol slipped from 75% to 65%.

Just started on this a few days, he has an excellent podcast but also tour manages Stephen Pearcy from Ratt. Up to episode 6 in early 2022. The usual touring drummer gets Covid and they enlisted Pearcy's petsitter! No word if anyone is feeding the cats though.

[www.youtube.com]

Quote
CrackBaby
I was fortunate enough to see these 3 artists in 2024.
Ally Venable
Sue Foley
Ana Popovic
I cannot understand how they are making any money touring. I saw them all at very small venues. A quick estimate of ticket prices x number of seats yielded a very small $$$ total. After payroll, travel costs, venue fees, etc, it doesn't seem possible that they are actually making a profit. Any real world experience and comments would be welcome to enlighten me. How are bands doing it profitably? And please, check out these 3 artists - they are amazing!!!

Ana Popovic has many endorsements, Fender, Dunlop, Mesa Boogie. I'm sure she doesn't struggle.
Indie artist Ani DeFranco from my hometown of Buffalo is a multi millionaire. She invested in a banquet hall/concert venue in the city which brings in tons of money.

I know Foley has a few endorsements also.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2025-01-18 03:12 by More Hot Rocks.

It absolutely depends on the venue:

Bar

Club

Theatre

Generally a bar and/or club will have a percentage of "bar vs door" so if artist agrees with that condition then... to nuance it:

1. if not many come in, with no "cover charge", there's most likely a "fee" they pay the band/artist, usually not much, so bar "wins"

2. if x amount show up and it's over the venue pay vs cover charge or "at the door", artist gets all of that money. Venue still makes money but that relies on crowd size - people buying drinks (and food when applicable).

3. Theatre - Unless artist/band front money to rent, promoter says 123 and theatre agrees, ticket prices are set because of.

1 and 2 are realistic.

Not that much $.
Endorsments from big companies bring money, and top gear.

Young musicians today are smart. They play in multiple bands, often within different genres, to make ends meet. And many succeed.

They play a lot of shows and live frugally. Sell merch to get gas money to next gig. Alynda Segarra from Hurray For The Riff Raff said as much at a gig I attended. Many artists also have other things going on to make money, other businesses or money from other sources. I think we all can agree they are not getting rich from touring.

I went to quite a few shows with Bill Wyman in Norway in the past. He played in small nearby places like Rjukan and Notodden. They had a tour bus, because he don't like to fly, and they stayed at local hotels, same hotels as us, the fans, budget prices of rooms. They played in tents or local halls, had a crowd of 100 some times. I guess it was break even.

One time I was at a show in my own small town Asker, 20 km from Oslo, the band was one of the leading ones in Norway, but they were past their peak. I looked into the hall and asked to be let in for free. There were less than 30 people in a hall with space for more than 400. They let me in for free. I was embarressed to be in such a tiny crowd, with almost nobody around me. It was strange, but the band were brave and talked to us like we were a big crowd.

I guess you adust to your income. Smaller bands must have side jobs, studio musicians, or other incomes. But they love what they do, one time musician, always musician.

Bjornulf



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2025-01-18 18:50 by bv.

I always wondered how Mick Taylor managed it after, say 1990, getting no royalties etc. Last time I saw him play was in a club near Amsterdam. There were about 30 people, half of them hanging out there anyway, not knowing there was an ex Rolling Stone on stage. There stood my first guitar hero, lonesome in the corner. Unbelievable.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2025-01-21 17:01 by TheflyingDutchman.

It must be difficult. If they want to earn an average gross salary of 3,000 euros per month, they must earn 100 euros per day from performing, if they work 7 days a week. Or earn more and perform less. I don't know how much an emerging musician makes per gig.

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bv
I went to quite a few shows with Bill Wyman in Norway in the past. He played in small nearby places like Rjukan and Notodden. They had a tour bus, because he don't like to fly, and they stayed at local hotels, same hotels as us, the fans, budget prices of rooms. They played in tents or local halls, had a crowd of 100 some times. I guess it was break even.

One time I was at a show in my own small town Asker, 20 km from Oslo, the band was one of the leading ones in Norway, but they were past their peak. I looked into the hall and asked to be let in for free. There were less than 30 people in a hall with space for more than 400. They let me in for free. I was embarressed to be in such a tiny crowd, with almost nobody around me. It was strange, but the band were brave and talked to us like we were a big crowd.

I guess you adust to your income. Smaller bands must have side jobs, studio musicians, or other incomes. But they love what they do, one time musician, always musician.

They certainly would have to adjust their income with people asking to get in for free!!! That took balls.

Rod

About letting in for free:

I was at the Stones show in Zaragoza Spain 2003. There was a pit front stage, which cost a bit more, may be 50 Euro, not very much, I can't remember exact. One hour before the show there was just me, a couple of friends, max 10-20 there. I walked out to the "big crowd", and notice crew handing out pit wristbands secretly, hand to hand. This is done when the venue, or part of the venue, looks very very empty...

Bjornulf