Soundscape Studios. Posted September 10, 2003 Share Posted September 10, 2003 I was just curious how much $ everybody is making from playing out. In my area (NY-NJ), I get $100/hr for the average gig, like the Wedding I just finished doing tonight. Most gigs end up between $4-500. However, if I actually book the gig, I can make alot more, provided it's not simply a solo job. A recent wedding I booked had 6 pieces, and I came out with $1,500. The more players, the higher profit margin for me. Of course studio work is preferable, scince I can get $65 an hour for sitting on my butt! Are these normal figures for you guys? Too low? Too high? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Klopmeyer Posted September 10, 2003 Share Posted September 10, 2003 The crappy thing about gigging is that I make the same now as I did in 1987. Really. In a four-piece rock cover band in LA, we take from $200 to $400 for a three-hour gig, depending on the venue and the size of the crowd. We don't do weddings and such...we're more a bar band. - Jeff Marketing Communications for MI/Pro Audio My solo music and stuff They Stole My Crayon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Horne Posted September 10, 2003 Share Posted September 10, 2003 When I worked in the US before I moved here nine years ago, I would earn (as leader) $400 - 450 or so for a four hour wedding. I earned leader's pay which was twice what the rest of the band (a four piece group) would earn. Regular solo cocktail jobs paid about $75 - 90 for a four hour brunch. Those were my prices from nine years ago and earlier. Here in the Netherlands I make _much_ less. I earn 45 - 50 Euros ($50 - 55) per hour and ask about 75 Euros or about $85 for the moving and setting up of the piano and sound system. I made much more (and worked much more) in the US. Fortunately, I invested my weekend monies from 20 years of jobs while I was employed by the US gov't as a military big band pianist (what a phrase) and now live from my pension, my investments, my occasional job and my wife's salary. No guitarists were harmed during the making of this message. In general, harmonic complexity is inversely proportional to the ratio between chording and non-chording instruments. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Tee Posted September 10, 2003 Share Posted September 10, 2003 It really does suck that for the most part what bars are willing to pay these days are much the same as 20 years ago. Music gear has gone up in price etc. The love of music and performing is what keeps me going....the packing/setting up/tear down/load out....that is where you'd like to be able to make a decent buck...not to mention when the credit card bill comes due on your new gear I wonder if we could reserrect the campaign we had in the 70's of "Lets Keep Music Live!!" We had bumper stickers, shirts...the whole bit....guess it didn't work then either... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Klopmeyer Posted September 10, 2003 Share Posted September 10, 2003 Not to go off on a tangent, but this is our fault. Musicians, especially young ones, are so anxious to have a place to play live just for the sake of playing that they'll play for nothing. It's not like a guy who loves accounting...he's not going to work in an A/R department for free, or for drinks, or so on. So, while cost of living has skyrocketed over the period of time that I've been a professional musician, gigs fees have remained unchanged. There's not much to do about it, either. There's always going to be another band that will play for $100 if we balk at the low compensation. It doesn't matter if they're not as good as us, or don't show up on time and so on. The bar owner just looks at the bottom line. - Jeff Marketing Communications for MI/Pro Audio My solo music and stuff They Stole My Crayon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soundscape Studios. Posted September 10, 2003 Author Share Posted September 10, 2003 Originally posted by Joe Tee: It really does suck that for the most part what bars are willing to pay these days are much the same as 20 years ago. Music gear has gone up in price etc. The love of music and performing is what keeps me going....the packing/setting up/tear down/load out....that is where you'd like to be able to make a decent buck...not to mention when the credit card bill comes due on your new gear I wonder if we could reserrect the campaign we had in the 70's of "Lets Keep Music Live!!" We had bumper stickers, shirts...the whole bit....guess it didn't work then either... Well, I don't think gear has gone up that much in price. I think that I, for one, am compensated appropriately for the job I do. I mean, to make $250 for a night of playing is great pay considering how long average people have to work to make $250. Furthermore, I'm not trying to be a "weasel" here (sorry, Jeff!), but - shhhh... it's off the books. C'mon - how many of you are reporting your gigs to Uncle Sam. I doubt that the average poster who gets $250 cash in his hand after a gig is going to file it as income. Then factor in the higher paying gigs that net $500 or $700 or whatever. That is about the amount an average person makes in a week after taxes! I'm not complaining at all about the pay. Should I feel guilty about the tax thing, though? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Klopmeyer Posted September 10, 2003 Share Posted September 10, 2003 Originally posted by Soundscape Studios: I'm not complaining at all about the pay. Should I feel guilty about the tax thing, though?Well, no...don't feel guilty. But you may feel a bit nervous, especially if you play the same venue over and over. If the bar owner reports and writes off the expense of entertainment on his taxes, at some point you could get caught in a checks/balances system. The money's going somewhere, dig what I'm sayin'? - Jeff Marketing Communications for MI/Pro Audio My solo music and stuff They Stole My Crayon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Tee Posted September 10, 2003 Share Posted September 10, 2003 Did I mention that my day job is with the IRS? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
schmoron13 Posted September 11, 2003 Share Posted September 11, 2003 Originally posted by Joe Tee: Did I mention that my day job is with the IRS? if it's a joke, it's in very bad taste... if it's for real, may I shine your shoes, sir? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soundscape Studios. Posted September 11, 2003 Author Share Posted September 11, 2003 Originally posted by Jeff the Weasel: Originally posted by Soundscape Studios: I'm not complaining at all about the pay. Should I feel guilty about the tax thing, though?Well, no...don't feel guilty. But you may feel a bit nervous, especially if you play the same venue over and over. If the bar owner reports and writes off the expense of entertainment on his taxes, at some point you could get caught in a checks/balances system. The money's going somewhere, dig what I'm sayin'? - JeffI don't play venues per se. I play for private people's affairs. On the other hand, the studio business is completely on the books - between that and property tax and taxes for my wife's job, we are contributing about $25,000 a year to Sammy. So I think I do my share. 'Nuff said. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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