Rates for Subbing

[bluewine]

What do you charge for subbing?

For example a band you auditioned for but didn't make the cut asks you to sub.

Do you charge your own fixed rate?

[Gearhead17]

Equal pay cut of the band is probably the best way to go. I have seen it go many different ways though. You have to take into account if the band is making serious money or not. $100 minimum should be where you start. If you want to charge more and will be getting paid more than the rest, you better bring your A game!

[Spinal Tapper]

I subbed for some guys in an originals band and got paid $75.

I think the band split what they made 4 ways with me included.

You can ask for more, but it also depends on the circumstances.

Around here, original bands don't make much, especially if you're not the headlining act, and I wasn't going to be a jerk and ask for them to pay me out of pocket...but then again, they're just friends of mine...

[jaywa]

I pretty much make it known that I won't leave the house for under $100 for a local job. If travel is involved it goes up from there accordingly.

The only way I'll play for less than that is if it's a short gig (1.5 hrs max), in town, with little to no set-up... and I haven't played in awhile.

But $100 is where I start as a rule.

I would definitely recommend the flat-rate approach but be smart about what the market can bear. I know a guy who got a panicked call from a band the day of the gig, asking if he could sub with them. He took the job but charged them double his normal rate because it was short notice and he had already played a gig with another band earlier in the day. It turns out that what he charged was almost half of what the band got paid that night. That did not sit well with the rest of the band at all and particuarly the BL who had to give up his cut that night in order to pay his sub. This band has never hired that guy to sub again since, even when they've needed one.

[mglabrie]

If you are doing this for the $ you can negotiate the rate, but that usually becomes the fixed deal... Meaning no upside for you if there is more money, tips etc. (unless you prenegotiate that as well of course) In this regard you are just a temp worker, should expect to have no input and it is really quite none of your business what the rest get paid or how they work the gig. I usually feel a little disconnected from the rest of the band when I do it this way and frankly it puts more pressure on me.. Neither of those things helps my playing much.

Personally I do this for fun more than money so I just take the usual cut with no complaints. My goal is to play as much as I possibly can...My bad if I took a gig that i hated and if it wasn't even worth it financially. I even approach gigs with bands I don't care for this way since in the long run I get exposed to a lot of different music and situations that way. I just say yes to anything I can, including the $.. This approach has worked very well for me as I usually become the "no hassle" first call for subbing and have worked my way into two different bands this way. Last year it was pretty funny when I realized that I had played the same local dive 3 times in 3 different bands in only 2 weeks. Two of them were sub calls.

[Gaius46]

Equal cut but I probably will stay home if the dollars are less that $100 for normal bar gig.

[Russell L]

I always take whatever the rest of them take. That way I'm an equal. If it turns out to be less than what I'd like to get, then I have to make a decision whether to play or not.
I don't wanna play for less than $100 locally, unless everyone else is also getting paid the same. If I like the band I'll do it. If I like them enough I might even go for less just to have fun. But, I'm busy enough these days that I don't get many subbing calls. Everyone knows I'm usually busy. Actually, I hate subbing anyway because I prefer to play gigs where I really know the material. Most sub gigs end up being a mystery at some point in the gig.

[KillianRussell]

Based on the princple of good karma, we have been paying subs an equal share of 30 dollars per set, 4 set min. as many as 8 sets max.

[need4mospd]

Usually I'm approached with the dollar amount first, and I decide if it's acceptable. I've never had to name my price. Always let them make the first offer if you want to maximize your take home pay. Thats pretty much true for any money related negotiations...

[denhou1974]

Depends on how busy I am. If I don't have any gigs on the books then I'll ask for less.

$100 seems to be the going rate though. Not really worth it for less than $100 unless I know all the material already.

[Medford Bassman]

When we need subs on occassion, we pay a flat rate pre-negoitated. What the rest of the band makes doesn't factor into it.

Our take is a sub is just that, subbing for one night. Yup, they have to know the material but they don't attend regular rehearsals, help in promotions, set up, maintainence of the gear, etc.

We don't low ball subs and we treat them well. They do however get paid less than the regular members of the band.

The going rate in my area for musicians is about $100 per show. We travel more and make a higher wage. our subs usually make between $200-300 a show. So far, no one has complained and the subs we use are always happy to work with us because they have told me their usual sub fee is generally $125-175 a show.

[Muttleybass]

Usually $100 - $120.

Might come down for a house party or BBQ 'cuz of the fun factor, or go up for casinos or travel.

[Marko5657]

Originally Posted by bluewine

What do you charge for subbing?

For example a band you auditioned for but didn't make the cut asks you to sub.

Do you charge your own fixed rate?

I just assuming that you’re thinking about the band you auditioned for… may I ask what you think their bass player would be making per gig?

Not that it would necessarily matter, I’m just curious.

[jmattbassplaya]

$100 or an equal cut off the gig money (whichever is higher).

[onosson]

Pretty much agree with the points made here. For a low-paying, local bar gig, I'm usually offered an equal share - and I know what most of the bars pay. For bigger $$ gigs and touring, I don't expect to make as much as the rest of the band, and that's fine. I can't and won't tour for less than $150 per day take-home pay (all my travel costs - food, transportation, lodging - are covered).

[fdeck]

Granted I play mostly jazz, but I do a fair amount of subbing and sideman gigs.

Bar gigs typically pay sidemen an equal share. Other sorts of engagements will be all over the map. It's true that sidemen don't share in the expenses and rehearsal time commitment of the band, but OTOH, a bassist who can handle that kind of work has made their own investment in gear, lessons, practicing on their own, and so forth.

A fair price is whatever it takes to ensure yourself that when the bassist says: "Yes I am available, thanks for the call," that you can stop thinking about it because you're taken care of.

For me, it's not just the pay, but also whether the band is actually prepared to work with a sub.

[Edward G.]

It depends on the circumstances, but short money is simply not acceptable. If they call you, they had better come correct.

[lowfreq33]

I'm in the middle of getting a new project together, so I'm doing a lot of subbing right now to keep some money coming in. The situations vary. Here's what I've got lined up so far in October.

Band #1: Hard rock cover/original band I played with for a few months last year before passing the gig to a friend of mine. They do 2-3 nights a week, on the weekends. All out of town.

For this one I don't even ask, I played enough shows with them before to trust that I'll be fairly compensated. I'll get no less than $125 a night, maybe up to $250 if it's a casino. Usually it's three 45 minute sets. Not a hard gig as I already know most of their current material.

Band #2: Singer/songwriter/Americana guy that called me to do a couple of gigs and a showcase because his bassist is on the road this month, presumably with another band that pays better than this guy can afford. The gigs are an hour and a half each, the showcase is 3 songs. He can afford $50 per night, and $25 for a rehearsal.

Normally I might turn those down, but they're short gigs, and all on a Sunday or Monday. Nights I probably wouldn't be working anyway. Plus he seems like a nice guy, and has good management and a well known agent who will be at the showcase, which could lead to more work with other artists in the future.

Band #3: Broadway type gigs in Nashville, typical country covers, 4 hours with no official break. Generally people just take turns going to pee and maybe have a smoke, someone will do something to fill the time. These vary a lot, all are somewhat tips dependent, anywhere from $25 a man + tips to $125 - $150 a man + tips. The $25 plus sounds like a bad deal, but you can actually make plenty at the right place.

Everybody in town knows the deal with these gigs, and the main reason most people are doing them is to network. Most of the folks that play down there use subs regularly because people float in and out going on the road with different people. I have friends that may do a couple of nights down there during the week and then fly out to Do a Friday and Saturday with a big artist and make a grand.

So really it's a matter of supply and demand. Generally I won't take a gig for less than $100, but there are certain exceptions.

[bluewine]

Originally Posted by Marko5657

I just assuming that you’re thinking about the band you auditioned for… may I ask what you think their bass player would be making per gig?

Not that it would necessarily matter, I’m just curious.

No just a made up example. I have never had a band take me up on my offer to sub.