I was in an acoustic trio back in the late 90's (yes, we did a lot of CSN&Y...lol) we all pulled our fair share with every aspect. We, eventually, got a booking agent. Although we were a 3 piece, we divided our $$ by 4, because we needed a safety net if anything went wrong on the road (e.g. $1000 gig = $250 to each member and $250 to our "band fund") It actually came in handy one time on the road...our van..,3/4t Ford mini-bus, which we considered our 4th member...lol...the engine fried when we were in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Anyways, as far as performance...we all sang lead/harmony vocals, we all played guitar, 2 of us played bass guitar, and 2 of us did percussion...so we all treated each other equally. Cheers!
I use to pay everyone the same as I got...and I was the lead singer, lead guitarist, booking agent, flyer maker/sender outer etc. AND would drag the P.A. system around and get there early to set it up. We never made big money anyway so, it was worth it to me to have good players, to do the extra it takes to have my own band and call the shots on material, scheduling etc.
In my minimal past experience, this always worked best. There seems to be even less money now in music than there was years ago (unless you're at the tippy tip top Taylor Swift level), so you better be doing this for love above all else anyway. None of us are getting rich (unless you're a major shareholder in UMG or Spotify! LOL!)
The one member that books the gigs, organizes rehearsals and acts like a tour/stage manager should get more. Also the musical director should get more and the member who does the band's promo on social media should get more than the guy who just shows up, does nothing else but play and go home.
We have a 4 piece band and typically get $800-$1000 per night. Our method of payment to the band is: 1) we take some gas money off the top for the player who drives the furthest distance to the gig 2) then we divide the balance by 4. Each gig is in a different town or city so the “off the top” amount changes, but we always split the remainder equality.
Here are three examples of gig money issues. Many years ago I used to guest on sax (I'm a guitarist but also play sax) with one band occasionally where the drummer had managed to get himself a guaranteed rate - so, he'd get a guaranteed amount regardless of how much the gig was worth, or an equal split if the gig money per person worked out as more than his usual fee. It was a five piece band, so if they were playing a £200 gig he'd get his fifty quid, and the remaining £150 was dividend equally between the other four members. I hated that - they were all playing the same songs and were there for the same amount of time. He wasn't anything special as a drummer, I presume when he joined they were desperate for a drummer, and he saw a chance to make demands. I also used to be in a four piece band run by the singer/rhythm guitarist. As he got the gigs the deal was we all got the same once he'd had his extra 10% off the top. That was fair enough, he worked to get the gigs. Then he said if we got a gig we'd get the ten percent, but it turned out we'd only get the first ten percent, and any repeat gigs (which usually came by asking at the bar at the end of the gig we'd just done) went to him. After a few years he came up with the idea of expenses gigs - he'd tell us three or four times a year, sometimes on the night, that 'this one's an expenses gig' where all the money went to him to cover his phone bill, the cost of getting posters printed, etc. we had all assumed that was what his extra ten percent had been for, and his new policy led to at least one member of the band leaving. I went with it because I wanted to play, but I didn't agree with it. Lastly (sorry this has been a long post), I was in a successful covers band for years. We had static lights just to illuminate the band, but eventually a workmate of mine joined as light man and P.A. lugger on a percentage - we got a lighting unit with faders, and he'd turn up with the P.A., set it up, sit at the other side of the gigs and operate the lights, and break down and take home the P.A. at the end of the night. After a while he mentioned he used to play trombone, so I mentioned this to the rest of the band, and he brought it along to a rehearsal. As I played sax as well as guitar and the rhythm guitarist also played trumpet we worked out some songs with a two piece horn section (trombone and sax, or trombone and trumpet), so from then on he was lighting and P.A. man and occasional horn section member. We did really well with this set up - we looked professional with the lights, the new songs went down well, and we only had to break down our own gear at the end of the evening. After about a year he asked, as he was there all night and was also now a member of the band, if he could have an equal split with us. I was all for it as he added so much to the band, but the others said no, so he left and we were back to static lights, lugging out own P.A. around, and no horn section songs. I thought it was a shame, and the band didn't last much longer.
Great topic! usually split evenly unless one member does a lot more work or supplies major equipment like PA, etc. A bigger question for me is how to negotiate what fee to charge? Flat fee vs. cover vs. percentage of profit. What about food and drink for the band, is that open for negotiation? I'd be really curious to hear what others have negotiated for bar and festival gigs? Weddings and corporate gigs are on another level, they can make thousands per night, but you're right, best to be open and forthright, or else suspicion and bad feelings start to fester. Cheers!
I like this video. I played with 3pc band back then and the pay was splitted evenly though i was the the singer, songwriter and owned most of the equipment .but I did get a higher percentage from merchandise sales like cds, t shirst etc as I was the artist behind all that. I believe moneys should be divided based on a mysician's input or role in the band for most pay . I presently operate that way. My keyboardist who plays both base and keys at the same time and does some harmonies and drives to the gigs gets more than my lead guitarist who has to be picked up and only plays lead and help break down and set up. I also get more than the keyboardist as i am the lead singer, own the sound system, use my vehicle for the gigs , driver , works the drum machine , does the bookings and write songs.
One method you didn't mention is everyone contributing equally. Then splitting pay evenly. So you have one guy supplying the pa, another guy getting the gigs, another guy doing the social media. Generaly if everyone contributes equally then you can split the pay even.
Okay, so your the band leader who is the main guy that sings and is your band.. you also book the gig and also provide the sound system and lights not to mention taking care of the music being played in between sets and also calls out the set list. Thats 5 times the work the others are doing for the one or however many gigs. Do you not think its fair to get paid a booking fee and also for the extra hours you spend setting up the sound system and also running it from the stage and being the band leader getting the work?. I believe as long as the guys are getting paid a decent amount say between 250 and 300 per man.. you have plenty of room to justify yourself for the hustle and professionalism you provide that gets the gigs also. You also have a list of professional players who are on rotation meaning you might not be using the same guys on every gig because they have other gigs booked on their calendars also. As long as the band is getting paid good it should not really matter how much is going to the kitty in my opinion but whenever those great money gigs come along then everybody gets a slice of the pie meaning now you just bumped up their pay to maybe 500 or so per man.
Pretty much every band I play in splits money equally. I can see how that could change with a band earning big bucks but most local bands (I am based in the Midlands, UK) split equally.
5 piece bands are still taking $250 gigs? This should be outlawed. Last time I did that was almost 8 years ago... Every band I've been in it was split evenly, but I was never ok with that as usually there were only 1 or 2 people doing the booking and without them there's NO $ at all. That takes a lot of time and energy to keep the schedule filled. I'm usually musical director for every band I'm in by default because no one else is capable or I just do it so I know everything is played correctly, but it definitely never positively affected my rate of pay.
i don't personally like the idea of the rate of a musician staying the same regardless of the kind of gig being done. Being in a country where everyone gets paid on average 50$ if lucky, id hate to do a corporate, ticket sale or festival gig knowing the band leader is making millions. To be honest its really depressing being stuck at this rate.
I played with a band where the singer thought up this sucker game with the money, here's how is worked: All money made went into the band for equipment. If you needed guitar strings or drum sticks then the band would buy them, but all money went into the band for amps, PA, Monitors, etc. Big ticket items. Sounds great right? No if you leave the band all the equipment stays with the band/singer. I told this joker that I don't spend hours and hours of pratice and a couple of thousand in equipment to play for guitar strings and the singers equipment. I told them later!
![Baby Kia - GLOVES & DRACS (BLACK AF1s) [Official Music Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/ajm8LeB0qQk/mqdefault.jpg)
I was in an acoustic trio back in the late 90's (yes, we did a lot of CSN&Y...lol) we all pulled our fair share with every aspect. We, eventually, got a booking agent. Although we were a 3 piece, we divided our $$ by 4, because we needed a safety net if anything went wrong on the road (e.g. $1000 gig = $250 to each member and $250 to our "band fund") It actually came in handy one time on the road...our van..,3/4t Ford mini-bus, which we considered our 4th member...lol...the engine fried when we were in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Anyways, as far as performance...we all sang lead/harmony vocals, we all played guitar, 2 of us played bass guitar, and 2 of us did percussion...so we all treated each other equally. Cheers!
I use to pay everyone the same as I got...and I was the lead singer, lead guitarist, booking agent, flyer maker/sender outer etc. AND would drag the P.A. system around and get there early to set it up. We never made big money anyway so, it was worth it to me to have good players, to do the extra it takes to have my own band and call the shots on material, scheduling etc.
In my minimal past experience, this always worked best.
There seems to be even less money now in music than there was years ago (unless you're at the tippy tip top Taylor Swift level), so you better be doing this for love above all else anyway. None of us are getting rich (unless you're a major shareholder in UMG or Spotify! LOL!)
The one member that books the gigs, organizes rehearsals and acts like a tour/stage manager should get more. Also the musical director should get more and the member who does the band's promo on social media should get more than the guy who just shows up, does nothing else but play and go home.
We have a 4 piece band and typically get $800-$1000 per night. Our method of payment to the band is: 1) we take some gas money off the top for the player who drives the furthest distance to the gig 2) then we divide the balance by 4. Each gig is in a different town or city so the “off the top” amount changes, but we always split the remainder equality.
Rush split everything equally. Hopefully, that mindset contributed, in small part, to a hall of fame career and decades of great music.
You got a point that's why I'm not playing for a band right now
Here are three examples of gig money issues.
Many years ago I used to guest on sax (I'm a guitarist but also play sax) with one band occasionally where the drummer had managed to get himself a guaranteed rate - so, he'd get a guaranteed amount regardless of how much the gig was worth, or an equal split if the gig money per person worked out as more than his usual fee. It was a five piece band, so if they were playing a £200 gig he'd get his fifty quid, and the remaining £150 was dividend equally between the other four members. I hated that - they were all playing the same songs and were there for the same amount of time. He wasn't anything special as a drummer, I presume when he joined they were desperate for a drummer, and he saw a chance to make demands.
I also used to be in a four piece band run by the singer/rhythm guitarist. As he got the gigs the deal was we all got the same once he'd had his extra 10% off the top. That was fair enough, he worked to get the gigs. Then he said if we got a gig we'd get the ten percent, but it turned out we'd only get the first ten percent, and any repeat gigs (which usually came by asking at the bar at the end of the gig we'd just done) went to him. After a few years he came up with the idea of expenses gigs - he'd tell us three or four times a year, sometimes on the night, that 'this one's an expenses gig' where all the money went to him to cover his phone bill, the cost of getting posters printed, etc. we had all assumed that was what his extra ten percent had been for, and his new policy led to at least one member of the band leaving. I went with it because I wanted to play, but I didn't agree with it.
Lastly (sorry this has been a long post), I was in a successful covers band for years. We had static lights just to illuminate the band, but eventually a workmate of mine joined as light man and P.A. lugger on a percentage - we got a lighting unit with faders, and he'd turn up with the P.A., set it up, sit at the other side of the gigs and operate the lights, and break down and take home the P.A. at the end of the night. After a while he mentioned he used to play trombone, so I mentioned this to the rest of the band, and he brought it along to a rehearsal. As I played sax as well as guitar and the rhythm guitarist also played trumpet we worked out some songs with a two piece horn section (trombone and sax, or trombone and trumpet), so from then on he was lighting and P.A. man and occasional horn section member.
We did really well with this set up - we looked professional with the lights, the new songs went down well, and we only had to break down our own gear at the end of the evening. After about a year he asked, as he was there all night and was also now a member of the band, if he could have an equal split with us. I was all for it as he added so much to the band, but the others said no, so he left and we were back to static lights, lugging out own P.A. around, and no horn section songs. I thought it was a shame, and the band didn't last much longer.
Great topic! usually split evenly unless one member does a lot more work or supplies major equipment like PA, etc. A bigger question for me is how to negotiate what fee to charge? Flat fee vs. cover vs. percentage of profit. What about food and drink for the band, is that open for negotiation? I'd be really curious to hear what others have negotiated for bar and festival gigs? Weddings and corporate gigs are on another level, they can make thousands per night, but you're right, best to be open and forthright, or else suspicion and bad feelings start to fester. Cheers!
The money usually goes towards the band fund or merchandise. It takes a while to actually get paid
I like this video. I played with 3pc band back then and the pay was splitted evenly though i was the the singer, songwriter and owned most of the equipment .but I did get a higher percentage from merchandise sales like cds, t shirst etc as I was the artist behind all that. I believe moneys should be divided based on a mysician's input or role in the band for most pay . I presently operate that way. My keyboardist who plays both base and keys at the same time and does some harmonies and drives to the gigs gets more than my lead guitarist who has to be picked up and only plays lead and help break down and set up. I also get more than the keyboardist as i am the lead singer, own the sound system, use my vehicle for the gigs , driver , works the drum machine , does the bookings and write songs.
One method you didn't mention is everyone contributing equally. Then splitting pay evenly. So you have one guy supplying the pa, another guy getting the gigs, another guy doing the social media. Generaly if everyone contributes equally then you can split the pay even.
Okay, so your the band leader who is the main guy that sings and is your band.. you also book the gig and also provide the sound system and lights not to mention taking care of the music being played in between sets and also calls out the set list. Thats 5 times the work the others are doing for the one or however many gigs. Do you not think its fair to get paid a booking fee and also for the extra hours you spend setting up the sound system and also running it from the stage and being the band leader getting the work?. I believe as long as the guys are getting paid a decent amount say between 250 and 300 per man.. you have plenty of room to justify yourself for the hustle and professionalism you provide that gets the gigs also. You also have a list of professional players who are on rotation meaning you might not be using the same guys on every gig because they have other gigs booked on their calendars also. As long as the band is getting paid good it should not really matter how much is going to the kitty in my opinion but whenever those great money gigs come along then everybody gets a slice of the pie meaning now you just bumped up their pay to maybe 500 or so per man.
Thanks a lot my brother!!🙏🏼
I always enjoy your videos. Thank you
Great video. 🎉
Pretty much every band I play in splits money equally. I can see how that could change with a band earning big bucks but most local bands (I am based in the Midlands, UK) split equally.
Mine too
How would you incorporate the expenses associated with booking and doing gigs?
5 piece bands are still taking $250 gigs? This should be outlawed. Last time I did that was almost 8 years ago...
Every band I've been in it was split evenly, but I was never ok with that as usually there were only 1 or 2 people doing the booking and without them there's NO $ at all. That takes a lot of time and energy to keep the schedule filled. I'm usually musical director for every band I'm in by default because no one else is capable or I just do it so I know everything is played correctly, but it definitely never positively affected my rate of pay.
i don't personally like the idea of the rate of a musician staying the same regardless of the kind of gig being done. Being in a country where everyone gets paid on average 50$ if lucky, id hate to do a corporate, ticket sale or festival gig knowing the band leader is making millions. To be honest its really depressing being stuck at this rate.
I played with a band where the singer thought up this sucker game with the money, here's how is worked:
All money made went into the band for equipment.
If you needed guitar strings or drum sticks then the band would buy them, but all money went into the band for amps, PA, Monitors, etc. Big ticket items.
Sounds great right?
No if you leave the band all the equipment stays with the band/singer.
I told this joker that I don't spend hours and hours of pratice and a couple of thousand in equipment to play for guitar strings and the singers equipment.
I told them later!
first! lol