Concert ticket prices are higher than ever. It’ll set you back at least $139.09, including taxes and fees, to see Bon Jovi with Bryan Adams on June 25 at American Airlines Center. The week before, on June 17, you can see Lennon Stella for a minimum of $42.22, including taxes and fees, at the House of Blues. That’s an expensive weeknight.
Exorbitant ticket retailer fees aside, when you buy a concert ticket, you are paying for much more than simply seeing your favorite artist perform live.
A large concert — such as those held at American Airlines Center — might gross hundreds of thousands if not millions of dollars. But artists are often the last to get paid.
It all depends on the deal, but stakeholders such as agents and managers may even take their commission from the gross revenue, before other expenses have been deducted.
And in recent years, with the increased popularity of “360” deals — which can allow record labels to take a bite out of income streams aside from recorded music, including live performances — more stakeholders are taking money off the top.
/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-dmn.s3.amazonaws.com/public/SVK3O22ZRFDEXB4K7UJPCSCVYI.jpg)
Wanz Dover, a longtime Dallas musician and DJ, says that artists can’t book their own tours as easily as they once could — meaning they can’t just cut out an agent or promoter to save money. Live Nation, a large concert promoter and producer, acquired the House of Blues brand in 2006, for instance. The fewer independent venues, the harder it is for independent artists to get their foot in the door. On top of that, the venue gets a cut and might take a portion of merchandise sales.
Once all the stakeholders take their cut, expenses for putting on the actual show still have to be paid — including crew, equipment, travel and insurance.
Touring artists don’t normally play a show every day they are on the road, meaning they don’t bring in income every day. But if they have a crew, side musicians and dancers with them, “a day away is a day of pay,” says artist manager Liam Killeen of Coalition Music.
The cost of travel, food and accommodations also adds to the ticket price. Smaller artists can tour smaller markets to keep costs down, but they will play smaller shows and therefore get paid less. And as ticket prices and venue sizes increase, the crew size generally increases along with them, adding to travel costs.
/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-dmn.s3.amazonaws.com/public/ZMN2BIBTIJE6PJLHE5D7ZZZ7KY.jpg)
Equipment can be a huge expense for all artists. A pop star needs to spend on extras such as fancy lighting and costumes to keep up with the competition. “You have to make something that’s gonna look incredible on YouTube and Instagram,” Killeen says.
Meanwhile, local artists might need to factor in basic sound equipment rental to their fee for performing at a small bar, which could in turn raise the cover charge.
Mike Bogle, a longtime Dallas musician who has played with the likes of Burt Bacharach, Diana Ross and Lynda Carter, says that even for small gigs, equipment rental costs can fall on the artist and run $500 — when a bar wants to pay a musician only $100 a night.
/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-dmn.s3.amazonaws.com/public/LYBVU4ZYXBFKNOHYC5YEMALM3E.JPG)
Dover, meanwhile, says he now DJs several nights a month because he can make more money than he would in a band; less equipment is required, and he doesn’t have to split his pay with anyone.
Dover points out that there isn’t much room anymore for new artists to get paid for playing live. Many of the venues that used to take a chance on the new guy have been forced to shut down because of issues such as rent increases. Many of the remaining venues prefer to book artists who are more likely to fill the room.
/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-dmn.s3.amazonaws.com/public/V665T3QEPFFKRDIGVDEBAAUVAQ.JPG)
After all this, artists still need to make money. And they need to make that money last. That’s true even when an artist is paid a flat fee or if a promoter has bought the show or tour.
Artists at any level need time to practice and write or learn new material. “There’s just a whole lot of preparation that goes into this stuff that’s not necessarily billable,” says Bogle, who recalls spending an hour on the phone with a musician in preparation for an hourlong gig at The Star in Frisco. Prep time adds up, and the bigger the gig, the more you need.
In addition, artists don’t know how long they will be able to tour. They need to generate as much income as they can for as long as they can, because the next tour might not ever happen.
Live music creates jobs and contributes billions of dollars to the U.S. economy. According to the Recording Industry Association of America, as of 2016, the music industry contributed $143 billion annually to the economy and created 1.9 million jobs. It might not make your concert ticket money any easier to part with, but at least now you know there are reasons beyond artist profit for those expensive tickets.
"expensive" - Google News
March 01, 2020 at 08:03PM
https://ift.tt/2TqZ2i5
Why are concert tickets so expensive? Because you're not just paying for the artist - The Dallas Morning News
"expensive" - Google News
https://ift.tt/2GwwnlN
Shoes Man Tutorial
Pos News Update
Meme Update
Korean Entertainment News
Japan News Update
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Why are concert tickets so expensive? Because you're not just paying for the artist - The Dallas Morning News"
Post a Comment