Wow... $100. That's not much to work with. Most gigs would have Unkle Sam tellin' me that it legitimate travel expense to and from would probably be $30 or so. The equipment I'd need (keyboard, sound system, etc.) would probably be $4k or so for just me. I sometimes play with a 3 piece, equipment at that point is more like $10k. $100 really is about the least amount I'll even show up for in the band and I'm not happy about that, $150 being the standard minimum. Even at gigs of only one hour, there is still the exact same setup and tear-down. I know there are reasons other than money... some gigs are really good advertising, I get that. But there are also a lot of cheap people who just don't wanna spend the money. Fine, go buy a radio. You want live music, live musicians, people playing for real, we gotta be paid. It's great if people like playing for a hobby. I'm to the point it's not a hobby anymore and I expect to be paid for my services, same as the caterer, who doesn't lower their price just because you cry poor.

Great video

Ya I won't even set up my P A for less than 200 bucks, I would find something else to do bro.

yeah… sell all your gear!

Good video. Now it’s 2024. I get $300 for 2.5 hour gig at cafes in northeast Florida (Jacksonville) + about $20-$30 tips.

I almost forgot, I played a "dictator" once, but it was only a costume. It involved a potato (a "tater") & a d...oh, well, nevermind!

Every band that gigs, even occasionally must have a "Leader" to sign contracts & be held accountable. Most musicians (part time hobbyists) don`t understand or respect the business of music & treat it as a "4 letter word" Businesses are NOT democracies & as we find ourselves in this divisive election year here in the U.S. I have to point out our Nation is NOT a business. (It is people, neighbors, citizens, community, LIVES) As a band seeking a gig you are a business dealing with another business & THAT business does not want YOUR business mucking up THEIR business. As a band Leader you leave a lot hanging on the line, not the least of which is your respect & potential for future business opportunities. So, you don`t want unprofessional band members mucking up YOUR business either! & while some aspects of a band are less important & can be up for a "band vote" It`s really important as a Leader to surround yourself with solid, dependable people & like any endeavor, in any economy, good help is hard to find & it will cost you. To be successful in any business one must be savvy, on point & honed sharp. Of course one needs talent too & being likeable & fair minded are only a few of those needed talents. Oh, ya, brown shoes, don`t make it!

I recently retired from 25 years of doing weddings in NJ and NY. Now I'm doing bar gigs for fun. Certainly not for the money.. When I stopped doing weddings my pay was $500 for the 4-hour reception and $150 each for ceremony and cocktails. It wasn't uncommon to do two gigs in a weekend and come away with $800 per gig, plus the occasional tip which was usually a $50 bill. I'll never get paid that kind of money again to play music, that's for sure. But it's okay. Going forward I play for fun and for charity.

$100 a night as a solo artist? Man, that means you're definitely playing for the love of music and performing, not the money.

Not true. Our 6 piece makes 1200-1500.. The duo makes 100-125 TOPS

Have had standing ovations at gigs but never asked to come back!! Figure that one out!! Started half hour early, played extra hour to!!! Customers requested me, still no call backs!!!! Only charged 150, sometimes for donation!!!!

Im doing exposure gigs now, customers like it but now what??

Put together a video for them? What if they don't like that song or style??? Even if you killed it youll not get the gig!! So, what song do you send them???

Ive contacted dozens of bars and asked them if they are looking for new solo acts!! They never even ask for demo, i even offer it for donation/tips!! They never ever reply back, how they know im not better than what they have??

I have the exact same White Parker Fly guitar, except bought it in 1999!

Loved this video mate! very helpful. Definately a bit low on charging $100 per gig. The going rate here in the uk is around 150-250 per gig depending on the venue and that's for x2 45 min sets.

Play in a bar man a play on Street yeah

Well, it hasn't changed much. I will say that there are bars that book week by week or month by month. Yep, covers are important but you can sneak some originals in there. Patrons love to participate and feel like they're part of the music. Also, if you can draw people to your show, owners will love you.

Standard good advice. Some places actually want full songs and not just your high points, making sure you really are good and didn't just get lucky with part of a song or two. So that goes back to your original point of being prepared! Thanks for the vid.

Sound advice!

I'm still on the fence about backing tracks/Kareoke. Often, the customers get confused and they want a turn to sing too. Just what you want dumping a drink into your monitor or stepping on a guitar. The idea works but it can be troublesome on expensive equipment. The very drunk lady who used my mic stand as a crutch to drag herself onstage, knocking me off the mic in the process and killed that $120 mic stand? Yeah, show's over kids, well into a 5th set. Load out, get paid and in record time without losing my cool. I can't remember an acoustic gig ever being like that

I'm in Florida too, still $100/head for starting. Other things I've negotiated for: a tip jar, a small bar tab that I'll use to buy customers drinks. PROMOTION tends to fall on the artist but the savvy bar owner will have at least a Facebook and other Social Media to present. Business cards are digital too but the hard card still runs things. Be a Pro, land that gig, be ready for short-notice ideas, contracts don't have to scare you. Work WITH the venue for success.

The promo type video, that's what I'll take from this as something I learned. New Subscriber, I see this is older... I'm a student and a musician so these ideas are perfect for me to see. The opportunities to get going have me in the rehearsal daily, primarily a solo acoustic idea just to build content for an EPK and website. I'll have band ideas just because bands are what is still very popular. songwriters also take heed: originals aren't what most venues will even hire for. Networking with other musicians is the ticket however. In a digital age, computer skills will separate you from the herd.

I recently played a tourist driven tap room restaurant as a dance driven solo act . Been out of that world for years and was put off by playing for people were primarily there to eat and chat and a huge staff that were mostly hanging around . I felt like I was on the partridge family playing one their gigs . My advice, don’t go on till 9 or later otherwise it turns into dinner theater

What would you suggest charging for a live ceremony musician? Approximately 60 minutes of playing including 30 minutes of seating music and accepting special requests for the pre-processional, bridal processional, and recessional. This is a point of contention in my area - most contractors are underpaying live ceremony musicians, and in 9/10 cases the musicians need only to be presentable and reliable rather than truly fine players. Booking gigs yourself seems to be the only solution!

totally agree -no backing tracks. if you want a band, get a band. everyone knows you're cheating. loopers are a compromise and I think they are acceptable. 2. under no circumstances play Ain't no Sunshine 3. or anything by Neil Young 4. don't read off sheets or ipads. you will not be singing to the audience

Here's the way it usually works. You do exactly as suggested in this video, which is good advice, then you get a call from a bar to fill in a particular date, which you accept. Shortly after you hang up the phone, another bar calls with an invitation for the same date, which, being a person of integrity, you turn down, even if it is a better gig. Then, three days before you are to play the gig you booked, they call and tell you they double booked that gig, and sorry, but you're not needed. Or worse, you actually show up to play the gig and the other band is already set up. Which often leads bands to double book themselves, then take the gig they'd rather do, and call off the other (drummer died, or what-have-you for an excuse). Which leads to bar owners doing more double booking themselves, and so on. Every bar wants great bands to come and play, but they also all want other bars to be the proving grounds. One more thing. If you get a gig close to home, work your family, friends, and neighbors. Convince them they have to come out to hear you. Having a reasonably full house helps. Good luck! You'll need it.

You had me until you talked about the money. I make $400. Per three hour gig. And I say no to the cheap skates.

I was talking to a friend of mine who's band had advanced a step or two up the local/regional ladder toward the "big time". When I asked how he had achieved this exalted stature, he replied "I fired my friends and hired MUSICIANS" ...

One of the issues I run into when I'm trying to book my original band at a music festival or venue that wants original music to avoid paying licensing fees... Is that my music is published and I am a member of a PRO. I can't be the only one with this issues. Any advice?

I’ve been gigging off and on for about 40 years. Your advice is solid and I can verify this from my own experiences in playing everything from blue collar beer bars to high end nightclubs (the kind where they’ll let in one person and tell the next to take a hike…all based on their looks, how they’re dressed and how they conduct themselves at the entrance…btw, these gigs traditionally paid the best). The one thing that I was told by my mentor, back in the day, is that a band is a business and when there is any contact with the venue management, whether it’s the first introduction or relating to one’s band 50th gig at the venue, one must… •Conduct themselves professionally. •Be dressed appropriately (one’s stage getup is not necessarily appropriate but business casual attire is generally considered acceptable). •One must be well groomed, e.g., bathed, hair combed/brushed, clean shaven or facial hair neatly trimmed, etc. If the band rep is a woman, then the U&C grooming measures apply. • One must be sober. Trying to conduct business when one is heavily hung over, wreaking of alcohol or patchouli oil to cover up the smell of cannabis is not professional and will get one not receiving phone calls asking the band to play. •There should be one designated band member who is considered the “business/band manager” and all contacts, whether it be about negotiations, bookings/scheduling, various & sundry issues, etc. should be done through this band member. With all the bands that a venue deals with, it’s more productive if the venue representative only has to remember one name and face for one’s band.

You don't need a guitar to be a solo act, unless you can't sing for shit.

Here in South Africa going rate is comparable, R1500 - R2000 for a duo or solo act for pub gigs, works out to about $100 or so. Weekend for a popular 3 or 4 piece more like R5000, maybe R6000, about $350 - $400,

It's also a lot the drummer that is the leader.

I use an acoustasonic some guitar pedals and loop guitar bass and drums on the acoustasonic. Boss rc202 looper, I use a pedal to make the guitar sound like a bass, I hit the guitar body for bass drum and snare. Then scratch on the strings for high hat. Never use backing tracks. I play for a living in Southern California, turned this video on just to see what you had to say. All good stuff man. Charge 200

subbed before even watching

I used to enjoy playing weddings, it was one of the bands' mainstays, There are a few pretty much unwritten but important rules that need to be followed obvious once you learn them. Some of this was covered in this video, Anyway here goes,... 1: There will be special songs to learn for the gig. Don't half-ass them; nail them to the best of your ability. 2: Watch your volume/loudness. 3: Bone up on the top 40 in the most popular genres for the area 4: Be prepared to make announcements and or hand over the mic. at times. 5: But most of all push all attention to the couple, You are not the star at this gig the couple is, So keep your egos in check.. 6: Oh yeah Guests who sing; be prepared for that. I'm not being a know it all, Just trying t help. This method kept us busy in about a 150 mile radius of home base for more than a few years

There was this gig where I played at a bar and grille, and I played there every Sunday it was my acoustic only type of gig like background music. I had a tip jar it was a big glass tip jar.. One of the employees was drunk and knocked it over and it broke lol. keep in mind this was like 11:00 a.m lol.

Rehearsals pay $0.00 an hour. Same with travelling.

I've worked for a couple band leaders who did everything themselves. It was good to great! I've also gotten the 'we're a team, all for one and one for all BS. You're expected to be a roadie, a grip and a bus driver but express an opinion and you get dissed.

me and my 4 keyboards can stay lol

Nope! If you want a sober legal aged Pro. level "Dependable Player? You have terms and conditions? So do we/I If you hire me ? You pay me for all the time I use/spend for you just like any other employer. And at a flat pay rate, For hours worked. Not some percentage of the gig payout. A reasonable time/pay to learn a song, And rehearsal hours pay too, Equipment transport for out of town gigs. As well. Time is money Mr. Dictator oops Boss.

This was very helpful. I like the Montage idea. Thank you. ~ 🌺

Well said Brian! You just earned my subscription. Even though I am currently in a financial crunch, I have a good day job and found some other great points in this video. 'Keep Doing That Voodoo That You Do!"

what if your "leader" is a total wanker?

Great advice! And you are right on the money.

In Fort Walton Beach FL and kind of starting out, I at least ask for $150.00 for 2 hours. And $50.00 for each hour more. I got that much every time so far. I say to myself, I don't play for free. I have not been hired back for a couple of gigs. But after the fifth gig or so I am a regular at the VFW. That is a 3 hour gig and I get $250.00. That is what they pay. I said $200.00 for 3 hours and they pay me $250.00 for 3. So I am happy playing there while I get more experience.

9:27 minutes to say “message them”

You are 90% better than the other "Music Industry Gurus" you deserve more recognition. Great video as always!🎉

This is exactly what I was looking for, thank you for the advice.