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Thursday, June 16, 2016

Canadian Musician's Pay-to-Play Survey. Maybe You Should Participate?

The survey has only six questions, and will take a couple of minutes total.

It's an important subject for all of us.

Here's the link:

https://freeonlinesurveys.com/s/se3HiXQc#/

If you'd like to see my own comments which I added to the survey, read on:

When the venue takes absolutely no risk to the point of expecting up-front money on the table from the band, especially to cover the sound guy's pay as well, a line has been crossed. No way is this acceptable! Shameful practise. How can the venue have no skin in the game? 

It's not so bad when the band is invited to sell their own tickets, when they get all the revenue for their efforts. But in addition, the venue should agree to buy a block of tickets up front and assume a part of the risk of the show. If the band sits on their ass and does nothing, then they get paid a paltry sum for the few tickets the venue bought. Will they ever come back, or be invited back? No way.

My big beef is when festivals offer free spots based on giving value to a band that is "in-kind" ie. not cash, but potential to build audience, gather fans, get "exposure." Depending on where the artist is in their own career stage this may be a viable prospect, but too often it just become a ploy to increase the festival's profits. I would like to see an honest approach where every artist gets paid for their performance. The fact that artists agree to perform for no cash is often a sign that they don't really have a clear business plan in place, and I think venues take advantage of this.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

We are trapped in a scene where shitty music teachers sell tickets to their students and untalented high schoolers bringing their friends. Until society can be educated to recognize quality and craftsmanship music is a hobby.

GB said...

The music teachers are the key, just like you said. How they teach and what they teach is what makes the difference in building the audience of the future. Thanks for your comment! ~GB