Promoter vs. Artist

Promoter vs. Artist. It's a constant issue in many local music scenes and communities, especially those rooted in DIY (do it yourself) themes. Over the last few years, I'm seeing more and more social media feuds over the idea of pay to play, bands selling tickets to their shows, and promoters not "doing their jobs." This is a double-edged sword I will happily break down for you.

It's 2017, the age of the Internet, FB events, Instagram photos, instant communications—there's nothing wrong with any of this. In fact, it's fantastic! However, it does mean that the title and job of a promoter has changed drastically compared to, say, even ten years ago. A promoter or talent buyer's job is to bring live entertainment to your community. This entails securing a venue, hiring security, if necessary, working with agents and managers to secure a guarantee for touring acts, hours and hours of communication between managers, bands and venue staff, to make a single show happen.

Most talent buyers or promoters rely on locals drawn to fill these guarantees and other expenses. If your local promoter asks you what your usual draw for the area is and your reply is 100 people, but you're really only going to draw 20, it is a huge gap in the expected final numbers. This is why many promoters use the system of "pay to play." Selling tickets prior to a show ensures the local artist is promoting their own art and helping secure the ability to pay touring bands/venues you utilized to present said entertainment. This is why it's so important to accurately portray your reach and draw to the promoter you are working with. Your promoter will work with you, many of whom will let you keep profit on tickets sold after you sell a certain amount. If you have any issues with this, you or your manager should be setting realistic expectations from your promoter AHEAD of time. Let your promoter know you're expecting a certain dollar amount for gas, food, etc.

A talent buyer only has so much reach. I can't express this enough. Your promoter or talent buyer may have a Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and other social media platforms to promote upcoming events, and still they are not going to have access to every single person who may want to see you perform. Promote your shows; it's a two way street. Tell your friends, invite them to events, message people who are local that may be fans of your genre, get out and let the world know your art exists. The more of a draw you can accumulate, the more money you will eventually make. Everyone needs to pay their dues in this industry. You are not going to be paid for getting five people to a show. It's not realistic. Networking is important; make friends with other artists, go to their events, support them, and you will receive the same support, those bringing a greater possible fan base between the two or, heck, three of you as artists. Talk to your fans, express your sincerity and appreciation for them. A loyal fan base is your entire career.

Back to my point: does your promoter make money off of your sold tickets? No. Nine out of ten times, your promoter is making next to nothing for organizing the event and spending hours trying to make everyone happy. I have personally seen promoters take money out of their own savings to pay artist guarantees or venues back. These expenses were originally budgeted in because of the unrealistic numbers artists have given the promoter for a draw.

You should never feel as if it's you against your local promoter or talent buyer. There should be open communication and realistic expectations between all parties involved. Do I feel as if pay to play is a poor system? No, I do not. It's securing the event, giving an artist the opportunity to make money, expand their fan base, and create a relationship between promoter and artist. Honesty is key.

If selling tickets or pay to play isn't your personal preference, talk with your promoter about other options, or explore the local community for other promoters who fit with your ideals. Just remember, individuals go to college for degrees in entertainment business and management. Everyone needs to make money and the music industry IS a business. Your promoter deserves money in their pocket the same as you, and as long as both parties are holding up their word and representing themselves honestly, the pay to play/ticket selling system will work in everyone's favor.