How Much Do Touring Musicians Actually Get Paid? 

Excellent info! My experience (But over 10 years ago) was $50 to $100 unsigned band in NYC and $250 to $500 with cover/ wedding band, but very sporadic. So, in order to survive I became a sound engineer, first as a club sound mixer (steady $150/ night) and then started doing TV/ Films and the pay went way up to $250 to $1000 a day and pretty steady and easier on my ears.

As a working high end freelancer musician from the 70’s through the early 2000’s, this is great, solid and accurate information from a professional that is doing it. I worked with many many acts like tony Bennett, Ella, mel torme, temps, theatre, you name it. My three kids are all professional musicians in Miami, nyc and chicago. All play with big names in the commercial and jazz fields. This is totally accurate and just really good information to know for young musicians entering the business. Thank you!

As a musician myself, these are definitely accurate numbers.

EXCELLENT!!!! As a drummer at 52 years old playing for 40, this video has Enhanced my knowledge. I played drums for a Major Ministry almost 2 years that paid for airfare, food, hotel accommodations, and they supplied the drum equipment. When I say they paid bountifully where I didn’t ask how much I was being paid because I love playing drums, They Exceeded And Beyond where I didn’t think I was worthy of it. Again, Vital Information!!!!!

In my experience for just bar gigs that are 2.5-4hours and selling a few different outfits. Acoustic duos 300-750 Full band 800-1500 Private event 1.5k-3k Wedding 2-6k Per musician Pre covid avg 150-250 Post covid avg 200-300 Imo as a full timer, musicians got a much bigger raise than most ppl. If u play like 2-4 times a week, it's pretty livable. Playing church helps a ton. But if i gig 3 times thats about 600 plus tips.

Thank you for this video Travis! Really valuable info for the musical community and very well done. Best

Wow! Incredibly helpful information! Thanks for sharing!!!

Been a recording engineer and musician for longer than you've been on earth! I can't think of a better breakdown of life in the bizz! ThxU

Big Fan from the Philippines! I learn a lot from your content, please keep uploading. Thanks Travis!🎉🎉

Bro amazing content, ever since I started my bass journey you’ve been a blessing to me every step of the way 🙏🏽💯

What a great informative video, keep up the good work Travis.

Wow, Travis, you really got it on point. I‘m not just marvelling at your truthfulness, but also at your skills of delivering such a topic with ease. Keep on rockin man! 💪😎🎸

Great content! Greetings from the Philippines 🖐️

Excellent info here and very well presented! Thanks Travis!

Mr Dyke I have been searching on the Internet for years for information on the pay for gigs and now you come out with a video that is needed. Thank you very much

One band I was in (rock/blues/country) was kind of the house band at a bar. They paid us in drinks, until they figured out it would be cheaper to pay us 500 a night ... heh heh. I never looked at music as a way to make money, and your amounts look about right. The one thing that surprised me in one band was playing wedding gigs, and also fancy hotels. They paid 1000 to 2000 a show or weekend, and my wallet filled up pretty fast. I could even make a house payment with that money. But, yeah, I never looked at music as a way to make money. Your advice was spot on. Sometimes the 250 dollar gig at the pizza joint with some other really good musicians is worth it to make great music.

Great info -- finally I know what the questions are! Thanks

Hey thank you for posting sir...this stuff helps me explain to my students what is current!

Feeling blessed after watching, thank you!

Crushed this dude! Great explanations, this is valuable knowledge for pros!

This is super helpful thank you so much!!

Thank you Travis, this was very informative ❤

Thanks Travis! Awesome video

Excellent content and you are an awesome speaker.The very best to you sir.

Great video Man, I get asked these questions a lot.

not a lot musicians do this! appreciate the real talk Travis.

Very insightful and revealing, thank you.

Thank you so much travis . Wonderful video.

Thank you. This is very informative. 👍

Thanks Travis! Really Insightful.

Great info and video! Thank you!

This was very helpful. Appreciate it

Great info Travis, Thanks man!

Great topic. Good things to know. Great vid! I own my own business but I play at church most Sundays, played the local scene but never went on the road. And even in my later age I am getting calls still to play guitar as a hired gun. I never considered a scale for the work. It’s always been a passion to play and it becoming a job I always felt would take the fun away. But still your info is very valuable. I just subscribed

This was great, and def made me supremely grateful of my situation

Good morning my Brother I love your videos. They are so helpful. Thank you so staying humble and for letting God use your gifts for His Glory.

Very interesting information! Thank you!

Very helpful info thank you for the insight I run and manage my own coverband and this gave me great info maybe next make a video about playing for private events or Corp gig or City Events 😎. Sending love from Los Angeles CA

Right on point. These are realistic. Many other “pay scales could be discussed in future vids. Music directors, Low, med. high level radio commercial producers, show gigs. Helpful info. Thanks.

thanks for the candid vid

Thank you so much! This is the first time I've heard about the different levels of pay. I'm playing casuals for the same rate of pay that I got years ago. You've gotta love it!!!

Great info. Thanks for sharing

Great Video Bro!🤝🏾

Super good info!!

Before I accept a gig, I asked the same 3 questions you stated. I call them the 3 categories based upon for accepting/declining gigs. Number one is the Business. Is the gig pay market value par, below par, above par? Second is the Musical Integrity. This is usually contingent upon the caliber of musicians playing on the gig. I have a personal rule that I must play with players who are at least on my level or better. Even if the music material for the gig isn't the greatest, if the players are outstanding professionals, the musicality and performance will usually be good regardless of the material/genre. The third category is the Fun Factor. That's similar to whether the gig is a good hang. The fun factor is highly influenced by the musical integrity of the situation, which depends upon your musical colleagues. The nature and extraneous circumstances of the gig may make the gig a fun or not so fun experience. If one of the categories is low, then the other two categories need to be above par. If two of the categories are low, then the third one needs to very high. When all three are low and below standards, the gig is untenable, which I firmly but politely decline. I had a gig where the pay was above par, the musicians were outstanding, which made the Musical Integrity high, but the Fun Factor was quite low. The load-in/out and travel to the gig was so labor intensive and kinda f'd up, that it really made the gig suffer in the enjoyment of it. I knew the circumstances coming and chose to do it because the pay was good and the players were great, which made up for the shitty fun factor. I declined a couple gigs recently because the pay was under par, the musical integrity was questionable, and the fun factor would be very low. The pay was low because the leader asking me to do the gig wanted me to have an unpaid rehearsal in addition to the gig, the leader struck me as not very good and the players he mentioned I knew were mediocre, and the gig was about 5 hours one way and 5 hours back. Low pay, mediocre musicianship, and not fun whatsoever long distance travel made this an easy decline. Sometimes, I've done gigs when all 3 categories are low. The reason: the shitty money. All pro musicians I believe have done this to an extent in their careers usually because we didn't know any better. Also just trying to scrape a living together as a working musician, and needing to pay the bills anyway you can. Sometimes you just gotta do what you gotta do. Being a professional working musician is hard like any creative occupation. But, over time I've developed those 3 categories to really filter out what's worth it to my time and my own integrity. When called upon as a sideman musician, accepting or declining a gig is the most basic prerogative one has. If you decide to accept a gig then you must fulfill the work with the utmost professionalism and musicality no matter what. Going through a process of asking those three questions in the video, and my own three categories, empowers the musician to know exactly what they are about in relation to the work being offered to them. Therefore, this allows one to make gig choices with certainty and clarity.

The last tour I did was in 1992. I got paid $75 per show, plus daily travel, food and lodging provided by the tour. So we didn’t starve on the road, at least, but it wasn’t real money heavy.

Awesome - appreciate this.

Great info. Thank you.

Great video. Accurate stuff.

Great info!

Awesome video. Very informative. You cover alot, but did not touch on recording sessions. Would love you to do a video that covers rates for recording sessions.

Good stuff dude!

What a cool guy , very genuine, blessings to you Travis

This is accurate good stuff 👍🏻

Working production in Nashville, this is a great video.

Great advice thank you

Great info.

This is probably one of the best videos I've seen on this

Congratulations brother for 146k plus subscriber 🎉👍👏

Interesting breakdown of yes or no. I was taught a different set of qualifications. 1, money, 2, career connections, 3 hang/enjoyment. Your message to folks hiring is solid. All in all, this was a well explained, well thought out video. Nice one!

Very interesting. I've often wondered about this topic and it seems like a lot of musicians are complimentary about its accuracy.

Travis, love your content mate! You cracked me up with your "pay rates are the rates that people pay" comment. Even drummers could understand that. 😅

Really helpfully going to my first gig

Great information, great content. Anytime someone provides quality work, I’m puzzled why no one’s comments are acknowledged . It’s off putting, just my opinion.

Nice job on the video! I’ve been gigging for almost 65 years and still going….. My brother is a longtime Nashville studio musician, played on over a dozen Grammy winning albums. Have you ever crossed paths with Jeff Taylor? He was an original member of the Time Jumpers.

I've had the privilege of playing around the world with musicians in all types of genres like pop, reggae, and funk, and I can say that you're spot on when it comes to the average pay.

You come across as a great caring person Travis ! I hope you have a good , successful blife 🙂

In Australia a basic musician playing day an acoustic set at a pub gets between $300-1000 a night… depending on size of the gig…. Average would be $5-600…..

Travis, thats an amazing topic to talk about, but brooo, it's very interesting to see how different it's the payment gap it's between USA and the rest of latinamerica, believe me we are not even close to that hahahs. P.D: Nice video bro

This is very helpful. I have an 80's coverband and have been paying 60 dollars per rehearsal plus food, and shows 200 dollars for a 2 set 2 hour show plus dinner. I was worried I wasn't in the range. When we do a corporate gig I can pay 500. I have heard so many different things, this helped me make sure I am respecting my team.

Thank you bro

Right on! 🎉

Wow really nice to hear this side from a paid musician thnx

REMEMBER also normally you are paid as a 1099 which means you provide ALL medical insurance and pay your taxes plus a self employment tax that is in addition to FICA and SICA tax. When you deduct all this it is a big chunk.

Back in the 70s and eighties,i played all over northern California in a country rockband. I'm talking about honky tonks, biker bars hippie clubs you name it. I played a pedal steel or a telecaster 'or both. I made $75 or a $100 each night Depending and those were dollars that were worth more than those today. Usually beer was free and there was plenty of weed in the parking lot. Life was good indneed and I won't mention the benefits.

I spoke with a guy who worked with Cher's band leader. He was paid $5000 a week during the runs in Las Vegas. Some band touring musicians also get royalties from songwriting or percentages of ticket sales. However the rule for many musicians is poor wages. I even know some signed artists with record deals who don't have high album sales. Some of them even had to open their homes as bed and breakfasts to make ends meet.

Wow , as someone that has a nice 9-5. In information technology and was hoping to take Sunday only and turn it into more after the kids fly the coop , that is a shock to my system , as the does not include health Insurance or retirement 😢 Guess I will keep my Sunday worship gig and start working on my Cisco ccie wireless certification Thanks again for all the insight from the music business

Thanks!

Hey Travis, Thanks for a really informative and useful video. I loved the 3 Questions. Right on. The author Neil Gaiman talked about his three questions in hiring someone (or getting hired): Are you on time? Are you a pleasure to work with? Are you really good. Again, 2 out of 3 gets you the gig. I also learned that back in the early 2000s I was probably getting reasonable beginner/entry level gigs wages. At that time about $75 a show. Thank you, thank you.

This advice is it!

Excellent video, did you cover per diem, if so I missed it, but if not can you please explain it ✔💯💪🏾✊🏽🎶✌🏾🙏🏽

Thank you ❤

Very interesting video. I had a career in Biotech and Metical Devices, and have been an amateur musician and singer (including gospel) my whole life. I always wondered about the “road less travelled”. Seems like you have to be in the Lee Sklar level to match professional Biotech salaries. I travelled a lot for work - business class flights and 3-star hotels. When we travelled with the Gospel Choir, I had to lower my expectations , but the music was fantastic and the hang was incredible. I now have lifelong friends with a solid spiritual connection. We even performed at Montreux. If you want to have the musician experience but keep your day job, find a great local choir.

Hey Travis, Thank you for sharing. What’s the best resource to find high level gigs, thank.

Yes, the hang factor is big. Connection is important. Getting ssked back for repeats is huge. As a recent jazz fest clinician, drummer and master class it got me $400. It was 14 hours from start to finish. Great hang. Top teir musicians. Dinner included that was very nice. So a 2 hour break for that. Otherwise, a serious push all day. Some studio sessions recently were $200 flat fee up to 4 hours. We basically were done in 2. More of those coming. I paid musician friends for my son's graduation party 150.00 each for 2 sets of outdoor patio jazz. Some gigs I do to gain connection or to be a good guy to help out a band with rehearsals in a big band. Another jazz fest coming up will pay 275.00, but only about a 6 hour commitment. So hourly, it pays really well even if overall it is not high pay. Did a 2 show jazz concert series the last years that required a few rehearsals and 2 days with q concert each day. 1,000 for that. So, it's all over the place.

So are we talking per person , say in a group? Is it 100$ per person? Groups might range in size, from 2-5 or even more. Also a local gig is usually 3.5-4 hrs. If we make 300$ - 400$ thats average

Great vid and fairly accurate. For financial reasons, I never had the courage to be a full time musician because I've played mostly in church. If I were to try to make a stable living in the music industry I would go more towards production/sound engineering or being a studio session musician. Musician pay can be so inconsistent and can take a long time to to establish yourself to command a liveable wage in my opinion.

Thanks bro

Thank you so much for this video I have liked and subscribed. I recently had to quit a rock band. I was made to jump through loops like bringing gear and supplying sound for the gigs, and I was never paid once while they were making money. I have confidence in my abilities and know my worth I just do not understand the whole business side even after being around it for so long, just doing it some of the most very skilled musicians/band leaders have no business skill at all even, professional musicians still borrow gear and don’t pay for their own things I feel so confused and like I’m on the outside looking in I’m 35 years old, and I have been playing in punk bands since 14 years old. if I had the choice to rob a bank with thieves or play in another band, I think the thieves would be more transparent and truthful, and let you know the high risk versus higher reward, as opposed to some band and band leaders that think things are automatic and will try to squeeze you for everything without reciprocation. it’s very frustrating for someone who thinks they love music, or truly loves music to be exiled in the world

"Is the money good, is the music good, is the hang good?" Words to live by in any type of work I reckon.

In film ove heard it as the 3R rule. I'm a local 600 AC and steadicam operator, and what I 've heard is: R1 Rate. R2 Reel. R3 Relationship. 2 of them will do as well. This seems to cross all platforms so I second that as a truth in most creative industries! Great wrap out btw!

This is a great video with a ton of great info; however, I would be curious to get your thoughts on a few items. For the lower to mid range paying musicians (smaller gigs), how do you go about issuing a contract or discussing those terms? I have found from my experience that many musicians who start down this route loose gigs because most people don't like paper work or discussing compensation. While music is fun and fulfilling, one must be compensated for their time and some gigs of which promise pay don't fulfill those obligations. How do you handle circumstances like this where you've provided your time and services and have been under paid or not at all? Thanks for the awesome content!

A local musician once told me, “If you aren’t at the top - you’re at the bottom. There is no middle in local music.”

Could you make a video that shines some light on session players ?

Great advise spot on for young musicians! Nashville is a great place to work and live.

Nashville starting rates are better than most other spots. Some nights my bandmates and I make less than $50 a player. Often, those of us on the local scene here in San Francisco lose money to pay our musicians at least $50 a player. The rest of your tiers, though, are 100% accurate.

thank you

GREAT INFO T.. I just left an artist that I've played with for almost 15 years because he turned out to be a BIGGER A-hole than I was warned about when I first started playing for him. ... AND he was taking credit for creativity that didn't come from him, especially when it came to me. So at my last gig with him, I told him that from then on it was cost HIM $200 cash upon my arrival at the venue before I would unpack and plug up an extention chord... let alone plug in my axe... I feel so much freedom now🔥🔥🔥

Pretty accurate video I have a label/bus gig and I’m sitting at $550 per show. My previous label/bus gig was for a fairly big artist and it only paid $325 per show plus per diem and travel days.

I was not expecting to get jump scared by Fellowship church at 5:48 😂 I used to work there!