how does your band divvy up the $$$$?

Twiggy Jr. · #1 05-29-2008, 12:31 AM

i've been playing for a while but never got onstage. i finally have a cover band i'm pumped about, and we're going to start playing in late august/early september when we all get back in town. we already have 25 covers to play (we are each kinda learning the songs on our own, then will practice a few weeks as soon as we get back to norman). being a bar fly, bartender, and in the restaurant business for years (as well as attending and living in a college town, as well as our drummer is an established musician who knows alot of people), i already talked to the owners of some bars and we have 6 bars that we can play at pretty much any night...
my question is, how do you all divide up the pay?
i was thinking
1. give whoever drives $4 per 20 miles for gas (we are a 3 piece cover band, and probably use my truck for the equip and have the other 2 drive together)...however, if we play there in norman, don't even worry about the gas...the gas mileage is basically when we drive to where i have all my connections, n. okc, about 30-40 miles
the rest is from what's left over
2. 15% in a "band account" for stuff like t shirts, maybe some fliers, if we travel to tulsa or dallas or some other towns for hotel rooms, and buying "band" equip, such as PA system, maybe even through in for if the drummer breaks a symbol or something
3. split the remainding 85% between us
i figure that won't be bad, since ithe bar owners have agreed between $500-$1000/night, cash, and complimentary drinks
do you all have an agreement similar to that?
i realize if we travel to dallas (about 180 miles one way), that might cut into the non-driver's share, but we won't do that unless we have 3 or 4 or so gigs lined up...
just wondering...thanx,

Twiggy Jr. · #2 05-29-2008, 12:32 AM

*throw

Mutant Corn · #3 05-29-2008, 12:35 AM

Most of us usually drive seperately, so we divide it up evenly and if it comes out uneven then whoever didn't drive gets shorted a little.

Luke73 · #4 05-29-2008, 12:40 AM

Why on earth would the band contribute if the drummer broke a cymbal?

Will the band pay for your strings if you break one?

greencow · #5 05-29-2008, 12:45 AM

If the drummer is broke then will he just play without a cymbal?

Makes seance to me but hey I'm just an Estonian : P

Beej · #6 05-29-2008, 01:07 AM

In my own experience its always been equally divided. We each have had our own equipment and shared rentals for the backline when necessary. Flyers and such are so cheap we've never paid for it together, we split the studio rental evenly and t-shirts/cd's will eventually pay for themselves. We've paid back the original payer first and split any profits thereafter.

Personally I would not want to have a band account or earmark money as a group because players come and go and keeping it in a group setup just makes the potential for enmity that much greater.

Just my 2 cents...

**Stumbo** · #7 05-29-2008, 01:09 AM

1. Since you're a 3 piece group, can everyone fit in the truck?
Payment for equipment transportation should be about $8/20 miles. If repairs/tires need to be made to the truck, the owner shouldn't have to pay for the total.

2. "15% in a "band account"
a)You have to have plan for the money. If it's not spent in a certain time, kick it back to the guys, if it gets over a certain amount. Question is, who actually has the cash and access to it?
b) "buying a PA system"
For a new band that hasn't played together long, it's probably not the best thing to do to invest a lot of money in a P.A. Maybe rent one to start with, if needed. If someone has an extra guitar amp, use it for vocals at rehearsal.

c) if the drummer breaks a symbol or something"
IME, each person's equipment was maintained by themselves. Cost of doing business.

3. "split the remaining 85% between us"
With travel $, it will be less than 85%.

"...complimentary drinks"
Not too many of those.

Luke73 · #8 05-29-2008, 01:17 AM

In my band we have four members.

We split costs 4 ways.

We split profits 4 ways.

It's a very easy system and works well.

Rudyboy98 · #9 05-29-2008, 01:28 AM

Splitting cash?

Wow! I haven't seen any cash payment in a long while...

Anyway, my .02:

You won't be able to split up cash very easily, since most of it is going to your gas tank anyway....

jar546 · #10 05-29-2008, 01:29 AM

Split it evenly for routine gigs.
Split the cost of a PA system instead of buying one early on.
Whoever booked the gig can be entitled to a larger cut.
If the drummer breaks a cymbal, it is his/her responsibility, not the bands.

If you drive, ask for gas money. It is your truck, you are responsible for that too.

Joey3313 · #11 05-29-2008, 03:07 AM

Cymbals break due to poor technique, not circumstance, there is no reason you'd pitch in for that. That's like smashing your bass and asking for some help buying a new one.

Jools4001 · #12 05-29-2008, 03:51 AM

For us...5 piece band, 5 way split, easy

Everybody is responsible for their own transport, their own equipment and all their own costs, it's up to the individual what individual profit they will then make and up to them whether they think it's worth it

As for a larger split for people who book the gigs? Nah...what goes around comes around, everybody books the occasional gig and each individual contributes more than others in some area or another of band life - when you work it all out it's all fairly even and it just gets too picky to start analysing the value of each persons input; how do you start saying "Well, you get an extra 16th because you own the PA and I get an extra 24th because I do all the rehearsal arrangements" Nah....life is too short.

The only exception to an equal split is when we decide that we need to replace some collective equipment. Our PA was a bit of a lash up with an 12 channel main desk that was fed from the vocal mikes, Instrument DI's, plus feeds from another four channel sub mixer for the keys and another sub mixer lash up for drum mikes. We recently replaced it with a very nice 24/4/2 mixer. To fund that we collectively agreed that we needed it, took the cost of the mixer and said "OK, that's two gigs worth" then we simply played for nothing for two local gigs (so nobody was out of pocket for transport) and put all the gig money into the new mixer

Lemoore-on · #13 05-29-2008, 06:38 AM

This is pretty much how we work too. We are talking about a band bank account on another thread. Even our sound guy gets an equal share. Thats 6 of us.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jools4001

For us...5 piece band, 5 way split, easy

Everybody is responsible for their own transport, their own equipment and all their own costs, it's up to the individual what individual profit they will then make and up to them whether they think it's worth it

As for a larger split for people who book the gigs? Nah...what goes around comes around, everybody books the occasional gig and each individual contributes more than others in some area or another of band life - when you work it all out it's all fairly even and it just gets too picky to start analysing the value of each persons input; how do you start saying "Well, you get an extra 16th because you own the PA and I get an extra 24th because I do all the rehearsal arrangements" Nah....life is too short.

The only exception to an equal split is when we decide that we need to replace some collective equipment. Our PA was a bit of a lash up with an 12 channel main desk that was fed from the vocal mikes, Instrument DI's, plus feeds from another four channel sub mixer for the keys and another sub mixer lash up for drum mikes. We recently replaced it with a very nice 24/4/2 mixer. To fund that we collectively agreed that we needed it, took the cost of the mixer and said "OK, that's two gigs worth" then we simply played for nothing for two local gigs (so nobody was out of pocket for transport) and put all the gig money into the new mixer

IanStephenson · #14 05-29-2008, 07:13 AM

Straight split 4 ways.

If we need something like flyers or studio time we just pay for it out of our pockets.

The PA is the guitarists. The lighting rig is mine.

We each put in extra work for the band, so it all balances out.

We'd take travel costs on a case by case basis - if someone is driving, and someone else doesn't want to, then they can split petrol but that's not a band issue. It's up to you to be at the gig with your gear. If you can do that cheaper/easier by sharing a ride that's up to you.

Ian

L.A. Moore · #15 05-29-2008, 07:30 AM

complimentary drinks

When I deal with owners I ask for $1 beer / $2 mixed. Free drinks can get out of control very easily.

As far as money- even split. My last band had a sound man. He was divided an even split of the cash. He helped load in / out + ran sound and lights.

If you need to buy more pa gear make an agreement in case the band disolves. You can split the gear or sell it off and split the money.

Flyers are 6 cents a copy, how many do you really need? Also what kind of promotion are the clubs doing?

Phalex · #16 05-29-2008, 07:41 AM

We split everything equally (including the sound guy). The guy what hauls the bigass trailer gets an extra $20.00 for gas, and website fees (Like $5.00 a man) are taken out once a month. We maintain a "Band Account" with approximately $500.00 (We only chip in when it gets below that thresh hold) for unforeseen things such as speaker reconing, one of the amps blowing up, or replacing the community mic cables. Everybody is responsible for their own personal stuff, but everyone depends on the PA, so if we all use it we're all responsible for it's upkeep.

Rickett Customs · #17 05-29-2008, 07:41 AM

Heres what I'd do (sort of echos the OP)

15% Off the top

85% 3 way split

Anybody who rides, shares in the gas.

Thats it.

5andFretless · #18 05-29-2008, 07:58 AM

Each person is responsible for his own equipment, microphones, and cords.

The PA is owned by the Piano player because he works on the side as a DJ.

I have a corner office white collar job, and the drummer is a technician that technically works for me, so we split the money only 4 ways and I take nothing to avoid a conflict of interest problem with my legal team.

I also pay for most of the misc stuff because I have a much deeper pocket than anyone else in the band. They help out sometimes, but normally if we need something I just go get it.

The reality of live music at the level that most of us play is that the money is just not worth making problems over. On Long Island we take about $400 a night home, once or twice a month - Maybe $2000 a year per person. It just isn't worth it to me.