Musicians struggle to profit from live shows: Survey reveals

Record-breaking concert grosses and soaring ticket prices are making headlines, but a new survey finds that the resulting profits are not trickling down as most musicians struggle to profit from live shows.

A survey by rehearsal and recording studio chain Pirate of 1,700 band members, solo artists, and DJs found that 54% reported that despite higher ticket prices, gig fees have remained the same over the past years, while 29% reported a decrease.

Just 17% say that their gig income has gone up.

Lower or flat gig fees, inflation, and increased competition combine to make it increasingly difficult for most musicians to perform shows and tour profitably.

72% of surveyed artists are not making any profit from their tour, while 48% say they break even, and 24% operate at a loss. Among those incurring losses, 81% reported a significant impact on their overall income.

While the survey was done in the UK, musicians contacted by Hypebot say that touring conditions are as problematic in the US.

Urma

Musicians struggle to profit from live shows

“This research reconfirms what the Featured Artists Coalition has been saying for some time: artists are facing a cost-of-touring crisis,” said David Martin, CEO of the Featured Artists Coalition.

“One of the biggest obstacles to a decent fee is that no one speaks about what they’re paid, and people don’t know how to negotiate,” according to Urma, who is just 18 months into their career as a professional DJ.

“no one speaks about what they’re paid”

“My understanding is that the bar to entry for DJing is lower than ever, but the bar to success, particularly financial success, is higher than ever. This makes it easy for promoters to exploit new talent, particularly female talent,” she continued. “For my industry, underground electronic music, more and more venues are closing, which makes it harder for promoters to put on events. This is also massively contributing to the issue, particularly for smaller events and local venues.”

Bruce Houghton is the Founder and Editor of Hypebot, a Senior Advisor at Bandsintown, President of the Skyline Artists Agency, and a Berklee College Of Music professor.