Economics of Touring Musicians

#3
So Anyway, just read Three Chords And The Truth by Laurence Leamer. Book is from the 90's, and it paints a pretty dim picture of Nashville's star making machine and all the debt an artist racks up while making and promoting a record. Even the top artists had to develop income streams away from the record companies.

I doubt if things have changed too much.

I always knew I'd earn my living outside of music. Playing gigs has always been a little bit of fun and a little bit of money.
 
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#4
I'm still watching the video but a few points, imo. I'm not shocked but its all relative.

Nashville might be very oversubscribed with players and when I visited a classic Broadway weekend, I wasnt knocked out with the standard in the bars.
Legacy. I can see certains acts paying decent plus really looking after the players.
2000's Pays more and looks after guys. Might pay a retainer.

Todays Crushers... sound like new acts trying to put money in the bank.

But the things i got from this is that there are low to high rates within the genres, ie legacy etc.
And that the way to build that bank balance has changed because sales money is so different.

All the guys I know that did stuff in the past and got to a national level seemed to have accrued nice houses and a semi retirement plan...in that they do not have to work a 9-5 today.
In todays digital world, the money might be there, but who is making it.
As always, when you are young and 'dumb' you work for nothing.

The video hints at a few names to set an understanding of the level involved, but I dont think the rate is that 'standardised'.

A 60's act that that a friend does and are just nostalgia these days pay $400 a show, but travel concerns means ppl may decline most dates. Particularly older guys who migh think $400 for 12hr round trip is too much work for the money...but..
they have money in the bank meaning they can 'pass'
 
#5
pepj said:
A 60's act that that a friend does and are just nostalgia these days pay $400 a show, but travel concerns means ppl may decline most dates. Particularly older guys who migh think $400 for 12hr round trip is too much work for the money...but..
they have money in the bank meaning they can 'pass'
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Old joke:
Q: What's the difference between Country Music and Rock & Roll?
A: Country Music is five guys in a station wagon driving four hours to play for $150. Rock & Roll is what they do when they get there.
 
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#7
LoTone said:
The algorithm on Youtube suggested this video: How Much Do Touring Musicians Get Paid? Nashville.

It is obviously only one person relating their experience. There must be outliers. It is a bit grim.

I think I will stick to my software development job until retirement. ;)
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Have been offered gigs with two big name acts , but I turned them down because my job paid more . Toured the UK with an act for ten days , but I was still living at home and bills were covered ...........Thanks , Mom !:thumbsup:
 
#8
Rush toured for almost 3 years in a FIAT! They all slept facing forward (including the tour manager).
Purportedly there was tour money back then.
Closest I get to touring was last night. Hour there, hour back. $122 for me after contract and tips. Rained out at the beginning of third set, full pay per contract.
We were setting up in 90f full humidity sunshine, playing in 85f sundown until the rain came.
At its fullest the audience was 6 people - apparently the Panthers were playing a home game scrimmage.
Good thing I remembered, because my "short path" through Charlotte would have gotten me stuck in post game traffic...
 
#9
Somewhat germane: I remember reading an article in ...it was either Forbes or the Wall Street Journal, some print publication for folks interested in finance ...about Nathan East.

Nathan East, an A-List, triple-scale, cream-of-the-crop session player who's been on million selling albums for decades...and also has penned some of the songs on said million selling albums, so he's also earning publishing royalties. Dude has to be one of the highest paid bass players on the planet. Top 10 I would bet.

And this article said that despite all his successes in music, the bulk of Nathan's wealth -- which is indeed substantial -- came not from playing bass or writing music. It came from investing.

In other words, we're screwed. :)
 
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#10
There are no economics.

The hard truth is, popular music for everyone except those couple dozen top A-list performers (Taylor, Beyonce, etc.) is a field that does not obey the law of supply and demand - there's only supply.
 
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#11
i’d be very interested to hear from any tb’ers that tour extensively. i’ve done a handful of tours and i can only reiterate what’s already been said… i could add that it’s also really hard on your body. so there’s that lol

i feel like it’s the perfect lifestyle choice for a very specific type of person. i’m just not that person!
 
#12
LoTone said:
The algorithm on Youtube suggested this video: How Much Do Touring Musicians Get Paid? Nashville.

It is obviously only one person relating their experience. There must be outliers. It is a bit grim.

I think I will stick to my software development job until retirement. ;)
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Yeah, this video confirmed what I already suspected, but its worse than I imagined. I'm working with an artists currently that has a ton of potential as a writer and performer, but if he ever "makes it" (goes on a small tour or has a hit), I will not be involved. He's already told all of us in the band that we'd be stupid to drop our current jobs to go on the road with him and early $150/night (or worse).

Glad I chose engineering for my income, and music can remain a hobby.
 
#13
backin82 said:
Yeah, this video confirmed what I already suspected, but its worse than I imagined. I'm working with an artists currently that has a ton of potential as a writer and performer, but if he ever "makes it" (goes on a small tour or has a hit), I will not be involved. He's already told all of us in the band that we'd be stupid to drop our current jobs to go on the road with him and early $150/night (or worse).

Glad I chose engineering for my income, and music can remain a hobby.
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I got an offer from a small-time original touring band a few years ago. $100/night and I would have been traveling in a van. I countered with my minimum weekly rate knowing they wouldn't accept, and the BL was like "uhh, yeah, no way we could ever do that."

Back around 2005, I had an offer for taking the touring bassist slot for a major-label solo artist. Her record hadn't come out yet, but she'd already finished it. Big name producers, video being filmed, the works. Management offered $500/week, traveling in a van, and I'd be responsible for sharing driving duties. I respectfully declined. Her record ended up going nowhere - not sure whatever happened to her.
 
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#14
LoTone said:
The algorithm on Youtube suggested this video: How Much Do Touring Musicians Get Paid? Nashville.

It is obviously only one person relating their experience. There must be outliers. It is a bit grim.

I think I will stick to my software development job until retirement. ;)
Click to expand...
It's not just his personal experience, he says he came up with the figures by talking to people in his network of musicians in Nashville. Still a bit anecdotal, but it's probably enough of a sample to know what a touring musician should expect.

The impression I get is that going on tour as a sideman to a big name is not so much something you do to make money, as something you do for your resume to get other work, like teaching, studio recording, and producing. Or just to build a network so that maybe your own originals will get picked up and you'll get royalties down the road.
 
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#15
I did it to promote albums on fly and road dates We negotiated per gig basis and BL/artiste arranged this with their local promoter/record company networks.

I think the band guys 'made' money but it was pretty tight. We were happy to come out with money and a shed load of stories.

No, I would not be doing it now unless it was nice festival weekend.
 
#16
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#18
Might have an original blues big for the summer.
Lots of talk about gigs and fees but I can't quite work it out. I've only been involved with recordings so far so hard to see what on earth they will be able to sell to the various promoters they say they are talking too.
(I believe they are actually talking to them and have connections but there is no band atm... so I've no idea what sort of show they will have)
I'm filling this currently as BS and I'll want to hear the live band product before I will commit to dates.

Very weird way of doing things, I think..
 
#19
Discussed long time ago with a professional drummer i was jamming with. He told me that after 35 years, he has only played during 1,5 years the music he was really liking. At one moment, he has all let down and continued as a teacher for income, and kept playing with people only for fun and music he was liking. At this time i've already made my choice to keep my day job and music as hobby, and what he told convinced me i was on my right track.

Years later, a friend with equivalent day job as mine has let it down to become full time musician. He's now a singer/guitarist/foot percussions and plays mainly a duet with a singer/bassist, They play covers from actual top pop/rock commercial songs. To be able to follow and renew quickly, he's listening all day long actual-commercial-radios to look for new songs to add to set list. With that, he found a locally successfull formula: as he renews permanently set list, he plays often in the same venues as they want him. And he convinced me too i was on my right track: he has no time to play, listen, work, discover any music that is not in his working music. All his time is dedicated to pop-rock commercial songs working. promotion, administrative tasks. Hopefully he plays sometimes with a full band with more rock set list for some events. But it's not his main income source and he has to follow somewhere the same logic to stay on the edge with the band. It's all good for him cause it's music he likes, and which people majority likes too.

Definitely happy to be on my track: I dream to have more time to play/compose music; but at least on my music time (1 hour to half an hour per day - already a chance) i can focus only on what i want to play; and that allows me to go further on my musical life path..
 
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