u/VanillaInfinite377

Money is the thing nobody posts about, which is exactly why newer artists keep chasing rooms that look great on a poster and pay out like they're doing you a favor. So let's make it less of a secret?

Not the guarantee or gross... The actual money left in your account after the drive, the food, the string you snapped, and the round you bought the promoter.

To start off, here's an anecdote (typical scenario):

• 200 cap room, headline as a duo, sell about 140 tickets
• $400 guarantee plus 60% of the door after that
• Settle at $620
• Costs: fuel $85, food $40 for two, $30 cable that needed to be replaced, $25 at the bar (Total: $180 out)
• Take-home: $440 split two ways ($220 each)

Sounds fine until you count the booking, drive, load-in, show, load-out, drive home, and chasing the rest of the money the next week. Then it's under $15 an hour. Still worth it? Maybe. Would love to hear your stories!

Hi music industry peeps. I worked with a selecta a few years back (well, he called himself a selecta) and I've always wondered whether selectas are considered real DJs/artists or not? Seems from outside the industry people generally just think of the DJ as 'the person manning the desk', and within the industry I've heard some really rowdy opinions from all walks of life.

What do y'all think?

Here's something I come across quite often: a lot of self-booking artists sign a venue offer like it's set in stone, not realizing that they're allowed to negotiate clauses that they don't agree with. Months down the line, they get bitten in the ass over something they could've disputed in the first place before signing.

Some examples I've seen artists win:

• Deposit. Percentage upfront, paid on signing. Plenty of artists get this just by asking.
• Cancellation. What happens if a show gets cancelled for whatever reason, and the terms depending on who cancels it.
• Hospitality. What it means for both parties and what it covers. Most often disputes happen here because the expectations differ on both sides.

Where did the lines cross for you, and did you dispute and win any clauses before signing?

Also, did you learn anything that wasn't worth fighting over?

Every self-managed artist has at least one war story. Let's share the minor details or social mishaps that cost us a gig - lessons learned, and how you moved on.

One that stuck with me: an artist once replied to a venue's Instagram message from the band account with an emoji, thinking that they were being cool and friendly. Turns out the booker took offense and thought they weren't serious about getting the show. Ghosted - they never got to play that room.

This sub is partly here so new artists don't have to pay that stupid-tax like the rest of us did. So what's your story?