Most bands around here say they won't work for less than $100 per person but the reality is that, with few venues, most of us end up working for less than that. I made far better money doing this in the 1980's than I do now. The dollar amounts literally haven't changed.
Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
What do you typically get paid per gig?
- Thread starter Axtman
- Start date
$75-100 per person plus 3 free drinks per person. We made more years ago...just the way it goes, I guess.
We’ll go with “usual” meaning likelihood, and it is $50 for me too. Although that includes a $50 to $75 bar tab for the band to share, which would cover both food and drinks.
A few places still have unlimited drinks and 1/2 priced food, usually breweries. Complete free meals (anything on the menu) and free drinks is sort of a thing of the past around here.
A few places still have unlimited drinks and 1/2 priced food, usually breweries. Complete free meals (anything on the menu) and free drinks is sort of a thing of the past around here.
4 primarily originals bands (i.e. ~80% original/20% similar style covers). 3 are Americana/Roots/Rock-ish, 1 is a jazz/world music/fusion band. In total I do about 70-80 gigs/year.
Unless it's specifically a charity event that the band supports (maybe 2-3/year), I don't go out for less than $100/man for 3 sets. Festival gigs (1 hr set) are usually $100-200/man, some venues (maybe 10%) are $200-250/man for 3 sets. Tips happen too, but its too hard to estimate the impact of that so it just ends up as "beer money"
I tried to average out my per gig rate last year (2018) and I came up with ~$135/gig (average).
I don't do it for the money any more (good thing), but I don't do it for free either (unless, as I said, it's a charity type event that I personally support).
Unless it's specifically a charity event that the band supports (maybe 2-3/year), I don't go out for less than $100/man for 3 sets. Festival gigs (1 hr set) are usually $100-200/man, some venues (maybe 10%) are $200-250/man for 3 sets. Tips happen too, but its too hard to estimate the impact of that so it just ends up as "beer money"
I tried to average out my per gig rate last year (2018) and I came up with ~$135/gig (average).
I don't do it for the money any more (good thing), but I don't do it for free either (unless, as I said, it's a charity type event that I personally support).
$200 AUD minimum ($140 USD) per member.
$400 AUD minimum for New Years Eve per member ($280 USD).
$300-400 for Corporate Gigs, Weddings per member ($210-280 USD).
$200 AUD + meals/accomodation for out of town gigs >2hrs drive (rare).
We’re a high quality, in-demand Band with Agency Promotion and gigging continuously for 20 yrs.
$400 AUD minimum for New Years Eve per member ($280 USD).
$300-400 for Corporate Gigs, Weddings per member ($210-280 USD).
$200 AUD + meals/accomodation for out of town gigs >2hrs drive (rare).
We’re a high quality, in-demand Band with Agency Promotion and gigging continuously for 20 yrs.
Playing originals for a 45 min set in a 3 band showcase style show, we tend to make somewhere between $10-$100 AS A BAND. But, always at least one free drink, and we don’t travel out of town. Needless to say, we don’t do it for the money.
I played a gig a few months ago, and it was my first in over 20 years. I got paid $100 for about 45 minutes' to an hour's worth of playing.
Back when I gigged regularly in the 90's, I would typically make from $150-300 a night, but those were 4-5 hour gigs.
Unless I were just starting out, I wouldn't consider less than $100 a night.
Back when I gigged regularly in the 90's, I would typically make from $150-300 a night, but those were 4-5 hour gigs.
Unless I were just starting out, I wouldn't consider less than $100 a night.
This is interesting. Obviously a lot of bands don't get paid very well. The Seattle Musician's Union has a lot to say about all of this, how musicians should be paid better--but what they don't seem to realize is that there is less demand for live music every month, at least in the Puget Sound area.
The bands I play in are small and relatively unknown, and I have played for nothing, $50, and I think $100. These are classic rock cover bands. For every gig there seems to be a few dozen bands. Better venues, like casinos, are pretty much unapproachable for us. We look for festivals and events in warm weather, and advertise for private parties on Craigslist.
Slim pickins.
The bands I play in are small and relatively unknown, and I have played for nothing, $50, and I think $100. These are classic rock cover bands. For every gig there seems to be a few dozen bands. Better venues, like casinos, are pretty much unapproachable for us. We look for festivals and events in warm weather, and advertise for private parties on Craigslist.
Slim pickins.
$0 to $300. I only made the upper number once, a private party in a rich part of Ann Arbor that wanted a “gritty” blues band. We figured out how to deliver that. A more realistic range is $0 to $150.
What cracks me up about this is that I've talked to a dozen bandleaders from Craigslist who quite adamantly assured me they were working to provide $100 per person. When I gig with those guys, though, that number drops dramatically. It's not that they're paying me less. It's that nobody in town is paying enough for that to be a realistic aspiration, at least not for those kinds of shows.
I really don't believe what people say about pay anymore.
I really don't believe what people say about pay anymore.
$100-$150 for your typical bar/Restaurant gig in Ft Lauderdale - WPB area. More for country clubs and the rare corporate gig.
Joeykun
pronounced ジョーイくん
- Jun 22, 2007
- 4,200
- 16,150
- Disclosures
- Endorsing: LAKLAND SADOWSKY GENZLER DARKGLASS NORDSTRAND TEMPLEBOARD KIRLIN DRSTRINGS ACCESS
Get into a Tribute Act and you’ll never play bars again. 2 one hour sets. Done by 10pm. Free food, hotel and a 4 figure (per person) paycheck!
$0-$300 for the band (3 here). We play all originals, and don't expect to get paid, and don't care either way. We're there for the exposure (and the fun of course). Hell, we've paid to play plenty of shows (bought out tickets, etc), just for the exposure. If I wanted to get paid regularly for playing local gigs I'd just do covers... ugh, I'd rather quit. Lol. The phoenix area's music scene is non-existent unfortunately, so we travel a lot. Always lose $ in the end. But, it's fun, so who cares?
$12.50 + one low-end beer. I go for quantity, which is usually a 24 oz. Tecate, but sometimes I have to settle for a 16 oz. Pabst or something. I only get annoyed about the beer when they only have regular 12 ozers.
