(Hypebot) — A graphic posted by the Wall Avenue Journal as a part of its protection of the U.S. Division of Justice’s Stay Nation-Ticketmaster antitrust lawsuit exhibits 98% of ticket income going to artists.
“The spoils of a live performance ticket are shared by many events,” reads the accompanying WSJ narrative, “together with the performer, live performance promoter, ticketed, and venue.
Some latest media accounts put ticket income to artists barely decrease at 90%.
How a lot do artists earn?
The WSJ and different media retailers fail to elucidate that venues and promoters sometimes withhold 50% – 60% of ticket income to cowl present bills, together with staffing, sound, lights, charges to PROs, and hire or mortgage funds. In some circumstances, these venues are owned by Stay Nation.
Along with deductions from ticket income retained by venues and promoters, artists often pay charges to their reserving agent (10%), supervisor (10 – 15%), and enterprise supervisor (5%). Artists are additionally liable for journey prices, resorts, crew salaries, gear, insurance coverage, and so forth.
Who earnings from excessive ticket charges?
Many media accounts of the antitrust go well with and pending state and federal ticket laws additionally suggest that artists revenue from ticket charges.
Whereas which may be true for a couple of top-tier artists, 99% of artists don’t management or revenue from the ticket charges set by the venue, promoter, and ticketing firm. As a substitute, many artists are involved that top charges make it harder for followers to afford tickets to their exhibits.
The Backside Line
Because the courts resolve Stay Nation-Ticketmaster’s future and laws to manage secondary ticketing strikes ahead, the media and the business should be cautious to not falsely implicate the 99% of touring musicians fighting rising prices and elevated competitors.
Bruce Houghton is the Founder and Editor of Hypebot, a Senior Advisor at Bandsintown, President of the Skyline Artists Company, and a Berklee Faculty Of Music professor.