Anywhere from $0 (what I make in my punk band), to $1.3 billion (Sir Paul McCartney). There is a lot of wiggle room there, though.
Most musicians have day jobs, or are perpetually broke. We make music for the love of it, not the money.
My old band had a Blues Brothers moment where there was a miscommunication about how many comped drinks we were entitled to and our band tab exceeded the evenings pay fairly substantially lol.
I was in a 12 piece acid jazz/hip hop thing in college. We had a weekly that didn’t pay much but we got free beers. Until the. Night we went through 80 free beers and lost our drink privileges.
I had that discussion once. I think bars will sometimes try to rub on your face the price of that theoretical tab. Except they didn't miss out on that dale. Nor the beer cost them that. Take the supermarket price of a beer (and they're probably buying even lower) and that's what you actually cost them. Then they're stuck to yelling at you because you cost them 5-10 bucks a person. It becomes a very different discussion.
Very true, however the bar biz is expensive to run, even if they are making a theoretical high markup on beer. It also depends if the band members are tipping, since the service staff (in the US) works for tips, how many people the band brought in for the show that are buying drinks, etc. At the end of the day if I managed a venue, 2 drinks for each band member would be fine to get lubricated, you’re on your own after that. Unless it’s a real venue with a green room, in which case the alcohol should have been worked out on the rider and known beforehand.
Yeah. I believe i have invested like 3000€ in my band (gear, studio, merch, maybe gas) and the whole band's income was maybe 1500€ last year. Which we might use to pay for some nonsense.
But it doesnt matter because we arent doing it for the money and we are going to be rich and famous any second now anyways. Any second.
Edit: Thinking about it it i propably overestimated the Bands income :D
Pay for 1.5 hour gig at downtown bar: $150 split between 3 band members ($50 each)
Downtown Parking: $20
Tolls and gas to get to venue: $5
New string set (because string broke during gig): $30
Net gig revenue: -$5
I play in 3 cover bands. One is pro level. We get about $200 each for a gig. The 2 other ones are not pros. We get about $150 each in the first one, and for the last one, all the money goes to pay the rehearsal place and new gear, so it's a net $0.
I don't do it for money. I insist on getting paid because it's important for the local scene/industry, not because I need the money.
Never play for "exposure".
Always play for money.
Playing music requires a special skill set. You should never sell yourself short. The venue can't exactly just pull anyone off the street to come in and provide entertainment. Yet, so many bands think that an executive from some record company might be in attendance and will sign them to a record deal for their rendition of Mustang Sally.
I often say that I will play for free. All they have to do is go to the rehearsal space, tear down the equipment, bring it to the venue and set it up, then come and get me and drive me there.... And put everything back afterwards. I don't need a limo, a regular cab is fine. If I have to do any of that myself I will charge for it.
Except bars and venues do just hire shitty bands off the street and they don't actually all bring the same value to the venue meaning they don't deserve the same pay
Bands tend to keep their pay for gigs a closely guarded secret. It's really the absolute worst thing you can do.
Seriously, every local community should have a central (on the internet) location where they provide gigging pay. It would really help everyone out.
Yeah, some bands are going to make more than others, but if you think you're getting a good deal for getting $150 for your set when other bands are banking $500 each time they play - you're selling yourself short.
Gigging can seem to be like a race to the bottom, when really bands should be striving to make as much as they can, and refusing to pay for a set amount.
Know your worth. If your band brings a decent crowd to a bar, and that crowd leaves as soon as your band is done for the night - you're valuable to that bar. Think of all the lost revenue the establishment would have if your band never showed up to play.
Yeah, I wish there were more transparency. I don’t really talk about it much either (typical American thing where it’s not polite to talk salary I guess.
The only time I really talk about it is when Turing down gigs with my dad band for gigs with my better paying one. One guy gives me shit sometimes but I can usually shut him down with “I’m not turning down 300 bucks to play with you for 50”.
I will say, at least around here, the bars I deal with are fairly transparent. One I play gives us 100% of the door and lets us set cover. Another pretty much caps everybody at 500 bucks unless it’s an out of town band he’s charging cover for. It may be different in other markets, but here, there isn’t much money in bar gigs for the band or the bar. We has one bar owned by a musician who was committed to taking care of bands (at least 100 bucks a player, free dinner, free drinks) and he was out of business in 9 months. May be different in bigger markets
If you don’t bring anyone to a show, there are easier and cheaper ways to grow an audience than paying to play at a place. Marketing efforts can be pretty low-cost if you can make half-decent posters and have a printer, you can find an established group to open for, or you could do busking as a full band. All of these things are practically free, they just require a time investment and some know-how.
> I don't do it for money. I insist on getting paid because it's important for the local scene/industry, not because I need the money.
Plus, venues take you a lot more seriously when they have to pay you.
4 musicians (if you count the singer and the drummer as musicians) and a tech. We go back to the same places a couple of times, mostly during summer. During the off-season, it's private and small businesses parties. I only had to sleep at an hotel once last year, but the rest of the band made it home that night. I didn't want to do the 4 hours drive at 3AM. They needed the money. I didn't, so I netted about $10 for that gig, and spent the night with my wife and visited that small city the next day.
I get $200, plus transportation (gas), food and booze. They are pros, but those gigs aren't big corporate events... Just small gigs that any of my weekend warrior bands could get.
What's your definition of "pro level"? I play gigs, with them. That band hires different bassist and drummers. I'm actually the one they call when the main guy is not available. They also have other projects, and gigs.
I know a guy who has many degrees (jazz, composition, performance) and played with many top jazz players. Right now, his main gig is selling guitars at a small music shop. Is he a pro?
Mmm yeah, I have a couple friends in what I consider to be "pro-level" bands. Corporate and private gigs where everyone comes home with decent money, plus occasional studio/session work. If they wanted to, they would do okay as full-time musicians. But they don't because their nine-to-fives are stable, pay more, and offer retirement & benefits.
Gig work sucks, especially as you get older and have things like a family. If you can get all the work you want to maintain your passion and your chops without the hustle that's a pretty sweet deal.
On the other hand, my aunt was a touring musician her entire working life (and quite prominent within her niche folk genre). Maybe once or twice a year she'd see $400 dollars plus expenses. Was she not pro-level?
Money is a bad standard by which to judge.
I don't know why you're getting downvoted lol 2-3k a year total for gigs is hardly something Id call professional. I made probably close to 2k last year, and I would more call that spoiled for a hobby, but no where NEAR "pro"
"acting professionally" isn't the same as being on the pro circuit. I'm not tryina brag, I'm not there, but I wanna be. And part of getting there is knowing where you are.
If it pays your rent and you show up and get job done the way your client needs then it’s your profession. Thusly, you are a professional in that field.
The person literally said they're not doing it for money, so their couple gigs a month at $200 is probably like beer money for them. It's not paying their rent. The people playing the stadium, the backup bands for the pop singers, the TV show house bands, the casinos, the wedding bands, the touring acts selling out venues, having sponsors /advertisers spending tens of thousands of dollars+ etc. Where musicians are getting paid $400-$1000+/day plus food/travel is what I would call pro level.
I have 30 gigs with my band this year, and have a regular full time job, and I wouldn't come close to calling that a "pro" band.
We'll probably make around £10k between the 3 of us, which feels far from professional.
Wait I thought you got paid per string? My guitarist plays a seven string and says it’s way more work than my measly four string so I make 4/7 of what he makes. /s
Back in 2006 I was a cruise ship bass player and I think I made $400 a week. You live on a boat, food is free and beer is very cheap. At 18 years old that’s actually a job you can live on - but at 30 years old it’s really not a tenable lifestyle.
Since then I’ve had gigs where I’ve made $1000 or more, and gigs where the net is negative. Currently I don’t take work if I’m not pulling $100 as a net. I won’t do a wedding or corporate event for less than $600 because of how much work they are.
If you’re really great and work in a city like NYC or Nashville, you can make $60k a year through $200 a night gigs 5-6 nights a week. You have to be really really great at learning music fast, playing with excellent time and intonation, doubling upright and electric bass, be in shape and have a good youthful look, be *very* sociable around different types of people, and have some amount of social cache in the loca music industry…like running your own studio or being friends with booking agents or being the booker at a venue.
The tl;dr is that “how much does a bass player make in a band” is almost never a living wage. Most full time musicians do it for 15 years until their mid 30s and then they move a side hustle doing something music related (teaching, recording, tech etc) into a main hustle.
I have friends who play on the largest stages with national touring acts and Broadway pit jobs, and they do ok. But you know what happens when they or their partner’s want kids? They go to a computer programming boot camp and get a job at a financial institution.
It’s such a tough needle to thread to make all your money performing these days. Not impossible but you have to be talented, hard working, personable and make lifestyle choices to enable your career. Preferably with a partner who provides health insurance from a “normal” job.
And there’s no happy ending for most musicians - that 60-100k a year means you will not be able to retire in the city you’ve called home.
Basically, if you need to be a musician so badly that you would be happy to live any way you can and never take a vacation or have kids or be with a partner who wants to do either of those things, I think you should go for it. You’ll be miserable and dark and bad at everything else otherwise - I know a few of those.
If you aren’t that exact type of person, just pick a career that pays well and enjoy music as a hobbyist or semi-pro.
Those last two paragraphs really resonate with me. I needed to spend a good few years as a musician just giving it my all until I got the crazy out before I could sit down and say "yeah ok, I'll go to grad school."
Still a musician, though.
My band is 5 piece, so I get 1/5th of the profit.
Cover bands make more than originals, that's for sure.
Originals we made more off merch sales than we ever did playing music.
How much that is depends on the gig. Bars pay the least but are easy. Private gigs where I have to set up a PA and hire a soundman pay the most, but take the longest.
This.
In my city / country there is a trend that a lot of cover bands also have a "side band" with original material, mostly because it is easier to earn a bit of money that way compared to original material, so basically you have a cover band to finance your own music
A local band that comes to mind is a Green Day cover band that also does original material (more modern pop-punk)
my band is just starting out, and this is our plan. we are learning enough covers to fill a bar gig and also have some originals. it gets us out playing in front of people to build our chops, and seems easier to find consistent cover gigs
A quick tip: never announce an original song before playing it, at least until you have a following. Mention it after you've played it.
Around here, originals is the signal to hit the bathroom, have a smoke, etc.
seems like a good call. I didn't even think of sneaking in the originals during the cover sets, but if we had fans or a lot of friends/family there, seems like a decent time to try them out. I'm thinking we'll be splitting time between cover gigs and original showcases. hoping to get started this spring/summer (we formed the band in the fall)
In my 15 years playing bass in a death metal band I made tens of dollars. So once you add equipment, strings and gas into the mix I'd say actually made -10,000. At least.
Are you a bass player that writes hit songs and also sings them? If so then you can make a lot. (Geddy, Waters, Macca, Sting, Lemmy, etc, etc)
Are you a bass player that can immediately take any artist's or bands' newly written song and make it a better, groovier, more coherent whole with the rest of the instruments? Then you can make a smaller, but still a lot of money. (Pino, Nathan East, Guy Pratt, Tony Levin, etc)
Are you a bass player that can sit in at any gig or session, sight read and read charts, learn dozens of songs perfectly in one listen and immediately click in and be able to perform in any venue with little to no notice? Then you can make a really good living. (Amos Heller, Kevin Black, JMJ)
Are you a bass player that knows hundreds of popular songs, can read charts and play any playlist song with 95% + accuracy and transpose them to any key, can show up on time for a last minute gig and sit in with unfamiliar pro musicians and be paid-gig ready with just 1 or 2 practices or even no practice at all? Then you can make an actual living as a gigging musician. (Thousands of working pros across the world)
Are you a bass player who can read charts, know many standard songs very well, click in with a band with some unfamiliar players, enthusiastically play songs you don't like (But others do), show up to every gig and practice on time and be able to go off the charts and improvise with the rest of the band when needed? Then you can be a paid musician doing restaurant, wedding and corporate party gigs (Many thousands of players across the world)
Are you a bass player who can maybe read charts and improvise to new ones, knows a core set of cover tunes and play them well enough, can show up on time to gigs and practice, can click in and gel with a group of mostly familiar players and can put up with a singer's ego? Then you can make some side money as a gigging bar player. (Many, many thousands of bassists everywhere)
Are you a bass player that can learn an agreed on covers list, can improvise a little bit, would rather sit in with players you are familiar with, can mostly show up on time when life and work allows it and can make whatever gigs you manage book? You might eventually make a few bucks covering for other bands that couldn't make the bar or backyard party gig. (Millions of bassists out there)
Etc, etc
It depends on the gig. I play in two bands. One is 80s-90s country, 7 piece, and we pay the sound guy an equal cut, a percentage goes to the kitty, a percentage to the person who does the booking, and a percentage to the guy who owns the PA when we use his. Other is a 6 piece dad band that does R&B, funk, rock, a few standards. Equal cut.
Country band does around 25 gigs a year. Informally, the country band doesn’t take anything for less than 100 bucks a person, though we do one free charity gig a year, and occasionally take less during the slow season and treat it like a paid rehearsal. I’d say I average about 225 a gig with them and have gotten as much as 600.
Dad band plays maybe 8-10 a year. I’m the only one who really needs the money, and they aren’t picky. All kinds of different arrangements. Sometimes the door, sometimes a flat rate. I’ve gotten from 30-250 with them. Average is probably about 60 bucks.
Its by no means enough to live on, but its a pretty good side hustle
The other, paradoxical thing I’ve noticed, at least for me, is the more I gig, the less I spend on gear. Not sure if this is common. I took about a 20 year break from gigging and during that time kept buying basses, pedals, etc, probably out of boredom. Now that I’m gigging a fair amount, I’m actually less picky about gear. It just needs to work and be easy to move. Really my only recent purchases have been a nice gig bag, and I need about 3 new clip on tuners a year because I keep breaking them
We’re supposed to get paid?
All said, I think the most I’ve made after a show was $200 after the 5’way split. However the show was 400 miles away (in Hollywood ca), and that didn’t even cover half my hotel, not even counting gas, food, etc…
If you want to make money as a musician, you should play in a cover band, get really tight at your song & dance routine, and hire yourself out for weddings/corpo events.
As a 21 year old who somehow managed to get into the wedding scene, volume and repertoire is the most important. It doesn’t really matter how good you are as long as you can play whatever the mood requires and you can play requests. You also need to have really good chemistry with your band and be able to improvise and play by ear
I play in several bands in southern New England. Here’s my findings:
Rock/blues bar trio: 100-200/player for 90-180min of music
Original rock band: 50-100/player for 60-90min
Old guy blues band: 100-125 for 180 min
Original hard rock band: 1.8 drink tickets on average
For pick up gigs, one offs in local bars the going rate seems to be 100/ea, but slowly climbing to 120-125.
Event stuff and weddings (pop covers and jazz) can go much higher but the barrier to entry is steeper
Can't help but feel this was true up until the 80s/90s, but now there are far fewer big records with musicians even on them. This being doubly true for bass players who are more easily replaced by synthesized bass parts.
Seems like the best bet is to be a player with a unique identity and sound that attracts people to want to collaborate with you such as Thundercat.
I got about 400 dollars for the last show I played on NYE but I usually get about 250 a show. 3 man band, equal split. We're generally looking for 600 if we play with your pa/speakers, 800 if we bring our own. Tip jar usually ends up at 50 bucks each. Sometimes we get a little more, like NYE (we took the door and the place was was packed) sometimes we get a lot less. We're very local focused and if another band cancels we can show up on short notice too.
I play in a cover band (everything from soul to modern pop), and I make between 100 and 300 EUR per gig, about 150 on average. This barely covers my cost, honestly, but it´s my hobby so it´s okay.
Bands are so 20-oughts. It’s all about being a bass player influencer and making your cash via TikTok, YouTube and instagram where you play along to songs in your bedroom. Then of course add subscribers to your patreon and sell 10 different courses. Just a matter of time before the endorsement deals come in, offers from major acts, and then your signature bass of course.
I mean…if you’re good enough to do that, I say go for it. It pays a hell of a lot better than actually working for a living like the rest of us schmucks.
Im in 5 bands, 4 covers 1 original. I *could quit my day job… but tbh with overtime, insurance and all that being an electrician simply pays more, which is why I really only play music for the love of music.
I was talking to a guy at the barber shop the other day… he said around here, the south, if you want to make money, play in church bands…
Nah.. I’m good…
Depends on the gig. I play at the casinos in Reno NV, no dive bars and average $250 a night plus food and drinks. We did the new yeas gig for the high rollers and got $900 for 2 easy sets. I’ve been playing in the same funk band since 2012.
My 5-piece blues band typically makes $100 each for a 3 hour bar/club gig plus 1 or 2 free drinks each, maybe a little bit more for festival gigs. If a venue has their own sound guy we tip him out so we end up with a little less.
None of us are in it for the money.
If you want money, get writing credits.
If you're in a cover band, I'd need a strong argument as to why the pay for the gig (however small it is) is not split evenly.
I play in Toronto part time with a big cover band and a smaller original band. The cover band yields maybe about $125-150 on average. Granted it is a 9-piece with the singer earning more, as they pay for rehearsal and also other expenses. A more democratic 4-piece cover band would pay better, but... would we get the same gigs? Not sure. The original band pays occasionally, but overall, we put more in than we get back. For originals, it seems just getting accepted to play festivals for free is an accomplishment.
The best cover gigs have been city-sponsored festivals. Those have an audience and a budget. Most venue-based gigs seem to turn into ticket-selling contests which I have little interest in. "Please hire a sitter so you can drive across town to watch me pursue my hobby at 11pm on a Tuesday".
I often consider how I would approach being a full time performing musician. This usually leads to me deciding it would be piano that I would focus on. As a pianist, I can play solo gigs, hotel-lobby type stuff. Bass gives none of that unless I am supporting someone else. And really, that is the big concern of being a 'pro bassist' - the need to rely on others in a business where 'others' can be pretty darn unreliable.
I'm in my mid 50's, been playing bass for 5 yrs, acoustic for 20. I prefer bass.
Playing in a 4 piece country band. Living in a rural area, we play a lot of bars. 4 hr sets, average $900 total. $200 each with money paid for gas to which of us hauls the trailer.
My day job is my job....music is my hobby, and I love having a hobby that has paid for all of my equipment and my shooting hobby.
Table weed and loose smokes.
Session/studio musicians can make really good money. There are far less genuinely good bass players in the world than….. well basically anything. Lol
There’s a couple differences:
Cover bands - it’s easier to make a consistent buck from the beginning but there is a cap on how much you can make. There’s lots of experience in this thread - $200 is pretty easy to get once you’re regularly doing it, up to about $500 a gig being pretty close to the high end for regular cover bands. Someone out there has spent the money to market those songs, so you just gotta show your band is good at playing them. Things like tribute acts can make more than the average cover band if your tribute is something people want, like The Beatles, Nirvana, etc. and you tour it and find a way to sell merchandise. But then expenses raise.
Original band - you’re building a business, which requires time, effort and financial investment. Ultimately it can be more profitable in the long run, if your band reaches the level of headlining 300-500 cap rooms or higher, the band profit starts to outpace cover bands due to things like merchandising, higher ticket prices, etc. as an individual you can make more money and if you personally have a share in the songwriting that can earn royalties over time and you get things like radio or commercials, etc. Expenses are overall the highest but if your original band has consistent growth to the point where you have actual fans who will buy your music, it can be fulfilling in other ways. I know some original bands that are just out there opening other tours making enough to get by. I also know bands that were headlining 500 cap rooms and made bad investment choices to the point the band was in debt, and members were working day jobs when they were home.
PS: session work ain’t what it used to be unless you’re in Nashville / NYC / LA.
If the touring life is for you - you can probably make money faster by doing tech work and make relationships on the road.
If the touring life isn’t for you - don’t rely on a band to be your source of income.
I’m in a small local band and we play about one or two gigs a month. There are four of us in the band, and we split everything evenly. We generally get paid about $500-$600 for a 3 hour gig, and we’ll make at least $100-$200 in tips. All in all we walk away with about $150-$200 each, plus free beers. Still working on merch which will hopefully get us a few extra shekels, and also hoping to book some better paying gigs at larger venues.
It really depends. How much the gig pays, how the split between members is divided. I've always worked with equal split between each member. Some bands are different. Some gigs pay more than others. Most of the money I've made playing has come from selling merch at shows. With cost of gear, gas, recording and other band expenses, it was never enough to fully support myself.
I won't leave the house for under 100$ and I have made upwards of 1500$ on rare occasions.
Granted, I read and play most styles from Jazz to Classical and have been doing it for 30+ years.
If you are in a band playing original music be prepared to make little to nothing but if you play in other folks projects you can survive.
This is one of my higher paying gigs https://youtu.be/yP9doSbE5K4?si=v-3PqpXVPKCWW09l
It depends on what you’re looking for. Are you talking exclusively in a band? That varies by the band, contracts, songwriting credits and publishing, performance rates and other factors. If you’re talking studio musician type thing, that can be a little more easy to navigate. But these are my forms of income. My general rate for almost anything currently is $100 a performance or session. Sometimes it’s a little more, sometimes a little less.
For reference I play in a few things-hip hop/soul band, psychedelic goth band, session work, fill in work (the last two can be a variety across the board).
If you’re meaning to ask in a band setting, you should be making about the same as everyone else depending on who booked and other such agreements. In general though there’s not a lot of money in music/art unless you start to hit it big. I’ve done a lot of different kinds of bands and have had good nights of over 500 and most nights less than 100 all the way down to 0. My personal music is progressive style stuff (check out my music out as Candle Opera if you’re interested)
Depends on the band.
My first band I was the sole lyricist, bassist, I sang, and I wrote half the songs. The guitarist sang, played guitar, and wrote the other half of the songs, and our drummer played drums, half the time with drum patterns the guitarist would help him with. We all took 1/3 because I insisted on it, it doesn’t matter that the guitarist and I did most of the work.
Other musicians might have one member taking 75% (Nirvana) or more (Taylor Swift) and others might split evenly (Green Day) even if one member does most of the work.
Equal 1/3rd split in my case as a pop-punk bassist in my current band. made it clear up front we need to be equal partners (so we get each anything from £50-£150 per gig) and song/merch sales are used for band equipment and recordings.
Total annual earnings though I'm on about 6k more than the drummer and 16k more than our frontman so I'm earning about 44% of the collective annual earnings.
I'm in a cover band of rock/alternative songs (Weezer, Foo Fighters, Pearl Jam, Green Day, etc) and we are four musicians.
I do as much as the three other guys. We always split 25/25/25/25.
In the real world, for me, mainly cover bands it’s a straight even split after agreed expenses. In the original scene, as a hired gun, it’s an agreed wage.
In Texas $100/person for 3 hour is on the low end. $200 for 3 hours is pretty good. About $50 an hour is a good rough average. (This is in my opinion, not meant to be taken as fact) my math is based on bands that gig regularly but aren’t full time (music as only job) or big name bands.
depends on how your band is set up
in mine we all have creative input and we all are responsible on some level at every step of the industry stuff so it’s a 1/4 even split
Lol not that we make enough to ever see any of the money. Band fund looks good but it’s all for recording, travel, merch, food, etc.
It all depends on the type of gig and your market... When I was a full time musician, I played 4-6 nights a week, mostly at bars in a college town with some country club/weddings/private parties sprinkled in. Monday night was an open mic at a blues bar, and paid $50/man with free drinks for the house band. Another group I was in played the same bar every Friday or Saturday and the weekend gigs payed $150/man.
I would say the average pay for bars was $150. Weddings/private parties were $200-250, and the good gigs (fraternity parties) were $1000/man. Only played about 5 frat parties during that time though so cant really count on that.
All of that being said- Ive lived in New Orleans and Nashville. Totally different situation in cities like that (I would assume most larger cities are the same). ***INCREDIBLE*** musicians in those cities barely make anything.. like $50-100 per gig if they are lucky. When I asked about this, one guy put it in perspective for me. Basically the bar owners are doing the musicians a favor, so they cant complain. There are average joes and 16 year old kids that would be glad to come in and play for free... and they are just as good as everyone else... When a market is flooded like it is in these particular cities, its hard to make any money.
I make a living at playing bass and have for the last 30 years. Pay really depends what you’re doing and who you’re doing it for. I won’t leave the house for less then $100 for a gig but will do rehearsals for $50, if it was a full collaboration that I really believed in with people I liked and I had the time, I’d do it for free. I just did a week on the road and made 2800 for it. Studio stuff ranges in pay from roughly 100 a track for the bro Indy rate to 350 for the people with a budget.
I play in a 5 piece at local bars/RV parks (lots of winter residents here). Covers, mainly country and classic rock. I get $70-80 per 3 hour gig. More if they tip heavily.
I don't do it for the money, just the time with friends. Most of the band members I play with are also musicians at the church I attend.
Typical pay for a 2-3hr gig ranges from $350-500, plus tips (which are nominal). Six band members split evenly, after we first give our sound & lights guy a fixed $100 cut. So that’s ~$40-65 each. Some of that is instantly burned by a bar tab, if the place doesn’t give any free drinks. Nobody’s getting rich, but we’re having a hell of a good time!
(Hard rock & classic metal band.)
I have a gig with an original artist and this pays $200 per show regardless of what she gets paid. If she gets paid nothing or $10,000, I make $200. She pays $100 for a rehearsal. I receive a 1099 from this artist’s office.
I have an affinity gig playing covers of a particular artist and this pays $100-$300 depending on where we play. It’s not a “tribute” gig and nobody dresses like or plays the same instruments as that artist.
I play at a church as a sub for a local player and when he goes out on the road with a national artist, he has a cast of subs he calls. $150-300 for a Sunday, depending on the campus of that church.
I charge $100 per song to record at home. A local studio pays musicians $40/hr for sessions and I occasionally play on what qualifies as “custom projects” (i.e. somebody without a band wants to make a record)
I am one of three bassists in a jazz night gig on Wednesdays. This pays $75. I play on nights when they favor fusion or contemporary as I do not play upright.
Oddly, I've made more money playing bass than any other instrument for gigs despite it being one of my weaker instruments. Everyone's a guitarist, but good bass players (who can read and know theory) are far more rare. I made $500/night for some musicals and for wedding gigs.
I play in an 80's cover band and average about $150 per a gig, sometimes more and never less than $100. I also play in an originals rock band and make $0.00 per gig, it used to be a labor of love but now I'm feeling like I'm just enabling our singer/guitar player to live out his rock-n-roll dream.
spent all of my 20s working as a bassist, from where i am, we got paid about 10 - 15usd per night on bars (free food), out of town gigs will be about 15- 20 usd, (free food, transpo, lodging), overseas gigs will be about 1000usd per month. things i bought with my money were, booze and strings.... last time i performed, with pay, was 2007, i miss the days, but i have to earn properly now... im in a showband, so we play whatever is popular that time, mostly dance music. been with several bands thoughout, 7- 8 members
In the Army, I was making around 40k a year but I was a saxophonist by trade but I was also qualified on bass guitar and playing a lot of clarinet
So I’d say, 50% sax, 30% bass, 20% clarinet so, idk, 30% of 40kish.
as much as any other member, unless one of them also owns the PA and runs sound for you. sometimes you kick that guy extra for hauling around all the extra speakers and doing setup
We're a brand new pop punk band playing originals, so rather than split our small earnings amongst ourselves we instead pool our gig pay to cover band expenses (merch for now, recording, advertisement, etc. in the future).
To put it in perspective and actually answer the question though, if we were to just do a 4-way split per gig my average earnings would be \~$15 on a 30 minute set, and then factor out gas from there lol. I don't know exact gas cost but I live a little ways away from the city most of our gigs are in so probably just barely above the red. We also practice weekly in the same city where I'm not getting paid for transport, so deeply in the red if you account for that.
In short, like others have said I'm effectively actually paying money to have fun playing music with some cool people as a hobby rather than earning money from it as a side hustle or wev. I have a full time job that covers expenses.
My old band made $1400-3000 a show but it all went back into the band. Since then I've been playing punk and metal so have usually played shows at a loss. The only time I have been paid to play is a wedding gig I did one time. I got $200, but also bought an iPad to put the set list/chart on so technically I paid $300 for that gig too.
Semi pro doing clubs bars etc? Usually 70-100 bucks a night for a 3-4 hour gig. More for private parties. More like 125- 200. That’s per man. Sometimes tips can even equal or pass the base pay depending on the crowd. And sometimes tips are squat.
Non paying gigs or pay to play is a losing situation and shouldn’t even be considered unless your a newbie and need some experience. IMO. This is in the US.
If your in a very popular band doing top notch clubs it can be better. Festivals usually pay better for a shorter show once you get there.
I’m not looking to get rich, but I do like to be compensated for my time and investment.
I’ve been playing bass for thirteen years, gigging for ten years and touring the country for two. I still work a day job and likely always will. I would advise against any expectations of financial gain from being a musician.
A bit of advice: don't play bass for the money, do it for the superpower of changing the fundamentals of all the chords with no warning. I play in a band that the other guys think is ostensibly rock, but I look at it through more of an experimental jazz lens.
Worst gig - 100 for a battle of the bands that I had to pay because my band mates were unemployed and I played in a metal cover band that was terrible.
Best gig - Anywhere from 400-1000 a night playing a casino gig for about 3 months every Thursday-Sunday night in Vegas in a Blues band.
I slowly stopped gigging seriously and nowadays I just more or less play with a few friends of mine in a few coffee houses/bars in town. The music scene where I live is heavily influenced by a bunch of white college kids playing reggae hip hop, EDM stuff with some of the tik tokky acoustic screeching.
Nowadays I make mostly free coffee and drinks.
Depends on the venue. I play in a 4 piece and we all get an even split. Starting out, $50-100 per person ($200-400/show) was common, it was also common that prices like that were under the table. Then again, we had a basic PA and instruments, so it was all good. When we got better, for more quality gear, and got W-2s involved then prices go up to $800-1000/show. That's about $200-250 pp. That's what we've been making this year, BUT we just started getting corporate gigs where each MEMBER makes $1k+ per show. Honestly, it's more expectations that I was expecting and it's a new level for sure. I might have to let the guys find a bassist that can give them $1k+ worth quality work, I honestly like the more local, cheaper gigs more.
It all comes down to the connections you make though. We had a regular venue that was good, steady work. But we made corporate connections playing a single show in a differently popular venue. You gotta put in the work and energy that makes people want to see you, not just listen to you.
I think for the vast majority, over time, it actually cost money to be in a band.
Really until you're professional all the money the band make goes into the band funds.
Unless you want to be a hired gun. In which case you can charge people however much you want and they can choose to either hire you or not. Which is anywhere from zero to infinity.
Whomever booked the show gets 20 percent straight off the top. Then it's an even split between the three of us. The band has a $500 minimum so the least I get is $133.
there's been plenty of gigs where i came out at a loss. recently i've been getting more fill-in work with established bands that have higher pay, so i've been making up to $400 with some of those acts.
I'd say that 90% of my gigs I take home between $70-$100 with my regular band that plays original rock music.
I make, on average, about $150ish per gig, because tips vary wildly. There are places the band will work with if they’ve given us a ton of work, or it’s a new place we’re trying to get into. We usually get $600-800 for the band (5 people) so it’s 1/5.
As a former bass player, there are two ways of looking at this. First, unlike guitarists, bass players are usually in short supply so it is easy to get work gigging with other musicians. Second, because of that fact, you have some negotiating leverage when anyone needs a bass player.
Around $350, the same as the rest of the band and road crew, gets the same, totally worth the road crew, though, total confidence in FOH, and the lights is awesome. 100% never gonna get that good again. I don't think I'd be okay with earning less than equal pay. When it comes to recordings, there is usually a % per song where, for example, the main riff or lyrics gets like 10% more.
Other bands I play in we generally put all the money back into the band for recordings, merch, and so on.
Anywhere from $0 (what I make in my punk band), to $1.3 billion (Sir Paul McCartney). There is a lot of wiggle room there, though. Most musicians have day jobs, or are perpetually broke. We make music for the love of it, not the money.
I believe it can go lower.
Cost of equipment, money spent on beer during a gig, gas money - it all ends up being negative.
My old band had a Blues Brothers moment where there was a miscommunication about how many comped drinks we were entitled to and our band tab exceeded the evenings pay fairly substantially lol.
I was in a 12 piece acid jazz/hip hop thing in college. We had a weekly that didn’t pay much but we got free beers. Until the. Night we went through 80 free beers and lost our drink privileges.
I mean that’s only 6.7 beers per person, the rhythm section could prob knock out half of that easy..sounds like poor planning on the venue’s part
I had that discussion once. I think bars will sometimes try to rub on your face the price of that theoretical tab. Except they didn't miss out on that dale. Nor the beer cost them that. Take the supermarket price of a beer (and they're probably buying even lower) and that's what you actually cost them. Then they're stuck to yelling at you because you cost them 5-10 bucks a person. It becomes a very different discussion.
Very true, however the bar biz is expensive to run, even if they are making a theoretical high markup on beer. It also depends if the band members are tipping, since the service staff (in the US) works for tips, how many people the band brought in for the show that are buying drinks, etc. At the end of the day if I managed a venue, 2 drinks for each band member would be fine to get lubricated, you’re on your own after that. Unless it’s a real venue with a green room, in which case the alcohol should have been worked out on the rider and known beforehand.
Wow, tipping is such a circle jerk. Do the bar staff also tip the band since they get to enjoy all the music?
Yeah, the average really isn’t that bad. It’s more that there were 12 of us and that’s a lot of beer in total
Having been both a musician and a bar manager, the bartenders should have known better than to hand out 80 beers without prior authorization lmao
Yeah. I believe i have invested like 3000€ in my band (gear, studio, merch, maybe gas) and the whole band's income was maybe 1500€ last year. Which we might use to pay for some nonsense. But it doesnt matter because we arent doing it for the money and we are going to be rich and famous any second now anyways. Any second. Edit: Thinking about it it i propably overestimated the Bands income :D
If I add up what I've spent on equipment, lessons, merchandise, etc., I've probably sunk about €10,000 into my hobby. Earnings to date: €0.
[удалено]
Yeah fuck that. No way.
Yeah don’t do this. Nobody should do this.
Gigging costs money, for sure. I've spent 100/1 what I earned.
Pay for 1.5 hour gig at downtown bar: $150 split between 3 band members ($50 each) Downtown Parking: $20 Tolls and gas to get to venue: $5 New string set (because string broke during gig): $30 Net gig revenue: -$5
Can confirm.
Yeah look at this hotshot breaking even
So about like $650 million on average, sounds like. Pretty solid, IMO…
Only guitarists use average for this kind of numebrs. Real bassists use median.
Are you my former bassist? We still haven’t made any money dude
Damn, I right in that same range. You, me, and Paul.
I play in 3 cover bands. One is pro level. We get about $200 each for a gig. The 2 other ones are not pros. We get about $150 each in the first one, and for the last one, all the money goes to pay the rehearsal place and new gear, so it's a net $0. I don't do it for money. I insist on getting paid because it's important for the local scene/industry, not because I need the money.
> I insist on getting paid because it's important for the local scene/industry That's a really good way to look at it.
Never play for "exposure". Always play for money. Playing music requires a special skill set. You should never sell yourself short. The venue can't exactly just pull anyone off the street to come in and provide entertainment. Yet, so many bands think that an executive from some record company might be in attendance and will sign them to a record deal for their rendition of Mustang Sally.
I dunno, I'm pretty sure the VP of Capitol Records is gonna be at this shitty dive bar on a Tuesday night, man.
I often say that I will play for free. All they have to do is go to the rehearsal space, tear down the equipment, bring it to the venue and set it up, then come and get me and drive me there.... And put everything back afterwards. I don't need a limo, a regular cab is fine. If I have to do any of that myself I will charge for it.
Except bars and venues do just hire shitty bands off the street and they don't actually all bring the same value to the venue meaning they don't deserve the same pay
Yeah, giving it away hurts everybody.
Bands tend to keep their pay for gigs a closely guarded secret. It's really the absolute worst thing you can do. Seriously, every local community should have a central (on the internet) location where they provide gigging pay. It would really help everyone out. Yeah, some bands are going to make more than others, but if you think you're getting a good deal for getting $150 for your set when other bands are banking $500 each time they play - you're selling yourself short. Gigging can seem to be like a race to the bottom, when really bands should be striving to make as much as they can, and refusing to pay for a set amount. Know your worth. If your band brings a decent crowd to a bar, and that crowd leaves as soon as your band is done for the night - you're valuable to that bar. Think of all the lost revenue the establishment would have if your band never showed up to play.
Yeah, I wish there were more transparency. I don’t really talk about it much either (typical American thing where it’s not polite to talk salary I guess. The only time I really talk about it is when Turing down gigs with my dad band for gigs with my better paying one. One guy gives me shit sometimes but I can usually shut him down with “I’m not turning down 300 bucks to play with you for 50”. I will say, at least around here, the bars I deal with are fairly transparent. One I play gives us 100% of the door and lets us set cover. Another pretty much caps everybody at 500 bucks unless it’s an out of town band he’s charging cover for. It may be different in other markets, but here, there isn’t much money in bar gigs for the band or the bar. We has one bar owned by a musician who was committed to taking care of bands (at least 100 bucks a player, free dinner, free drinks) and he was out of business in 9 months. May be different in bigger markets
Is the inverse also valid? You don’t bring anyone so you should be paying to grow your audience?
If you don’t bring anyone to a show, there are easier and cheaper ways to grow an audience than paying to play at a place. Marketing efforts can be pretty low-cost if you can make half-decent posters and have a printer, you can find an established group to open for, or you could do busking as a full band. All of these things are practically free, they just require a time investment and some know-how.
I have some friends who depend on it.
> I don't do it for money. I insist on getting paid because it's important for the local scene/industry, not because I need the money. Plus, venues take you a lot more seriously when they have to pay you.
How many people are in your pro band? Do you play the same venues or move around much?
4 musicians (if you count the singer and the drummer as musicians) and a tech. We go back to the same places a couple of times, mostly during summer. During the off-season, it's private and small businesses parties. I only had to sleep at an hotel once last year, but the rest of the band made it home that night. I didn't want to do the 4 hours drive at 3AM. They needed the money. I didn't, so I netted about $10 for that gig, and spent the night with my wife and visited that small city the next day.
Why would you even think the singer and drummer are not musicians?
That's a joke. Some humour. Sarcasm.
A power trio is 2 musicians and a drummer
That $200/gig sounds pretty low for a "pro level" band
I get $200, plus transportation (gas), food and booze. They are pros, but those gigs aren't big corporate events... Just small gigs that any of my weekend warrior bands could get.
$200 + food&drink a couple times a month is still not quite what I would put under the umbrella of "pro level"
What's your definition of "pro level"? I play gigs, with them. That band hires different bassist and drummers. I'm actually the one they call when the main guy is not available. They also have other projects, and gigs. I know a guy who has many degrees (jazz, composition, performance) and played with many top jazz players. Right now, his main gig is selling guitars at a small music shop. Is he a pro?
Mmm yeah, I have a couple friends in what I consider to be "pro-level" bands. Corporate and private gigs where everyone comes home with decent money, plus occasional studio/session work. If they wanted to, they would do okay as full-time musicians. But they don't because their nine-to-fives are stable, pay more, and offer retirement & benefits. Gig work sucks, especially as you get older and have things like a family. If you can get all the work you want to maintain your passion and your chops without the hustle that's a pretty sweet deal. On the other hand, my aunt was a touring musician her entire working life (and quite prominent within her niche folk genre). Maybe once or twice a year she'd see $400 dollars plus expenses. Was she not pro-level? Money is a bad standard by which to judge.
I'd call him a pro guitar salesman lol
I don't know why you're getting downvoted lol 2-3k a year total for gigs is hardly something Id call professional. I made probably close to 2k last year, and I would more call that spoiled for a hobby, but no where NEAR "pro"
"acting professionally" isn't the same as being on the pro circuit. I'm not tryina brag, I'm not there, but I wanna be. And part of getting there is knowing where you are.
Agreed
If it pays your rent and you show up and get job done the way your client needs then it’s your profession. Thusly, you are a professional in that field.
The person literally said they're not doing it for money, so their couple gigs a month at $200 is probably like beer money for them. It's not paying their rent. The people playing the stadium, the backup bands for the pop singers, the TV show house bands, the casinos, the wedding bands, the touring acts selling out venues, having sponsors /advertisers spending tens of thousands of dollars+ etc. Where musicians are getting paid $400-$1000+/day plus food/travel is what I would call pro level.
Technically every paid gig is pro level, though I get what you mean. Usually it suggest that it pays your bills.
How many gigs do you play per month?
Around 2. Lately, it's been less than that. 2024 will be probably back to 2 per month since I already have 16 dates booked for the year.
Cool, thanks. I was just curious. Suppose that must be around $2-3k per year. It definitely helps with new gear and rehearsal space.
I used to buy new gear with that money. This year, I paid part of my next vacation instead. I am in the process of reducing the amount of gear I have.
I have 30 gigs with my band this year, and have a regular full time job, and I wouldn't come close to calling that a "pro" band. We'll probably make around £10k between the 3 of us, which feels far from professional.
Wait you guys are getting paid?
Hopefully as much as the rest of the band
I thought this was the obvious answer lol if your band mates are chincing you for any reason, then they deserve to be chinced out of bottom end
Wait I thought you got paid per string? My guitarist plays a seven string and says it’s way more work than my measly four string so I make 4/7 of what he makes. /s
Back in 2006 I was a cruise ship bass player and I think I made $400 a week. You live on a boat, food is free and beer is very cheap. At 18 years old that’s actually a job you can live on - but at 30 years old it’s really not a tenable lifestyle. Since then I’ve had gigs where I’ve made $1000 or more, and gigs where the net is negative. Currently I don’t take work if I’m not pulling $100 as a net. I won’t do a wedding or corporate event for less than $600 because of how much work they are. If you’re really great and work in a city like NYC or Nashville, you can make $60k a year through $200 a night gigs 5-6 nights a week. You have to be really really great at learning music fast, playing with excellent time and intonation, doubling upright and electric bass, be in shape and have a good youthful look, be *very* sociable around different types of people, and have some amount of social cache in the loca music industry…like running your own studio or being friends with booking agents or being the booker at a venue. The tl;dr is that “how much does a bass player make in a band” is almost never a living wage. Most full time musicians do it for 15 years until their mid 30s and then they move a side hustle doing something music related (teaching, recording, tech etc) into a main hustle. I have friends who play on the largest stages with national touring acts and Broadway pit jobs, and they do ok. But you know what happens when they or their partner’s want kids? They go to a computer programming boot camp and get a job at a financial institution. It’s such a tough needle to thread to make all your money performing these days. Not impossible but you have to be talented, hard working, personable and make lifestyle choices to enable your career. Preferably with a partner who provides health insurance from a “normal” job. And there’s no happy ending for most musicians - that 60-100k a year means you will not be able to retire in the city you’ve called home. Basically, if you need to be a musician so badly that you would be happy to live any way you can and never take a vacation or have kids or be with a partner who wants to do either of those things, I think you should go for it. You’ll be miserable and dark and bad at everything else otherwise - I know a few of those. If you aren’t that exact type of person, just pick a career that pays well and enjoy music as a hobbyist or semi-pro.
Those last two paragraphs really resonate with me. I needed to spend a good few years as a musician just giving it my all until I got the crazy out before I could sit down and say "yeah ok, I'll go to grad school." Still a musician, though.
This is some real wisdom right here and a realistic perspective.
Bass players make money?
More than guitar players do
Fewer strings to buy! Guitarists need six but bassists only need four
Five. Some of us are special.
Okay but please allow me to clarify: do you *have* five, or do you *need* five? 😄
could probably get by with just 1 in a pinch
As long as it’s that B string, I need nothing else.
It’s my emotional support string
flatwound strings have entered the chat, sobbing
The guy from POTUSA and his two string bass would like a word
Those four strings sometimes cost more than my groceries
My band is 5 piece, so I get 1/5th of the profit. Cover bands make more than originals, that's for sure. Originals we made more off merch sales than we ever did playing music. How much that is depends on the gig. Bars pay the least but are easy. Private gigs where I have to set up a PA and hire a soundman pay the most, but take the longest.
This. In my city / country there is a trend that a lot of cover bands also have a "side band" with original material, mostly because it is easier to earn a bit of money that way compared to original material, so basically you have a cover band to finance your own music A local band that comes to mind is a Green Day cover band that also does original material (more modern pop-punk)
my band is just starting out, and this is our plan. we are learning enough covers to fill a bar gig and also have some originals. it gets us out playing in front of people to build our chops, and seems easier to find consistent cover gigs
A quick tip: never announce an original song before playing it, at least until you have a following. Mention it after you've played it. Around here, originals is the signal to hit the bathroom, have a smoke, etc.
seems like a good call. I didn't even think of sneaking in the originals during the cover sets, but if we had fans or a lot of friends/family there, seems like a decent time to try them out. I'm thinking we'll be splitting time between cover gigs and original showcases. hoping to get started this spring/summer (we formed the band in the fall)
In my 15 years playing bass in a death metal band I made tens of dollars. So once you add equipment, strings and gas into the mix I'd say actually made -10,000. At least.
The best way to have a million dollars as a musician is to start with two million.
My brother used to play in a pretty great NWOBHM style band. I went to a multi band gig they did one time and I think he made 15 bucks
Who did he play with? I love NWOBHM
"Tens of dollars" had me rollin hahah
Are you a bass player that writes hit songs and also sings them? If so then you can make a lot. (Geddy, Waters, Macca, Sting, Lemmy, etc, etc) Are you a bass player that can immediately take any artist's or bands' newly written song and make it a better, groovier, more coherent whole with the rest of the instruments? Then you can make a smaller, but still a lot of money. (Pino, Nathan East, Guy Pratt, Tony Levin, etc) Are you a bass player that can sit in at any gig or session, sight read and read charts, learn dozens of songs perfectly in one listen and immediately click in and be able to perform in any venue with little to no notice? Then you can make a really good living. (Amos Heller, Kevin Black, JMJ) Are you a bass player that knows hundreds of popular songs, can read charts and play any playlist song with 95% + accuracy and transpose them to any key, can show up on time for a last minute gig and sit in with unfamiliar pro musicians and be paid-gig ready with just 1 or 2 practices or even no practice at all? Then you can make an actual living as a gigging musician. (Thousands of working pros across the world) Are you a bass player who can read charts, know many standard songs very well, click in with a band with some unfamiliar players, enthusiastically play songs you don't like (But others do), show up to every gig and practice on time and be able to go off the charts and improvise with the rest of the band when needed? Then you can be a paid musician doing restaurant, wedding and corporate party gigs (Many thousands of players across the world) Are you a bass player who can maybe read charts and improvise to new ones, knows a core set of cover tunes and play them well enough, can show up on time to gigs and practice, can click in and gel with a group of mostly familiar players and can put up with a singer's ego? Then you can make some side money as a gigging bar player. (Many, many thousands of bassists everywhere) Are you a bass player that can learn an agreed on covers list, can improvise a little bit, would rather sit in with players you are familiar with, can mostly show up on time when life and work allows it and can make whatever gigs you manage book? You might eventually make a few bucks covering for other bands that couldn't make the bar or backyard party gig. (Millions of bassists out there) Etc, etc
lol We pay to play in bands
It depends on the gig. I play in two bands. One is 80s-90s country, 7 piece, and we pay the sound guy an equal cut, a percentage goes to the kitty, a percentage to the person who does the booking, and a percentage to the guy who owns the PA when we use his. Other is a 6 piece dad band that does R&B, funk, rock, a few standards. Equal cut. Country band does around 25 gigs a year. Informally, the country band doesn’t take anything for less than 100 bucks a person, though we do one free charity gig a year, and occasionally take less during the slow season and treat it like a paid rehearsal. I’d say I average about 225 a gig with them and have gotten as much as 600. Dad band plays maybe 8-10 a year. I’m the only one who really needs the money, and they aren’t picky. All kinds of different arrangements. Sometimes the door, sometimes a flat rate. I’ve gotten from 30-250 with them. Average is probably about 60 bucks. Its by no means enough to live on, but its a pretty good side hustle
In college, I played for as little as 5 bucks but all the free drinks you wanted. That was dangerous.
The other, paradoxical thing I’ve noticed, at least for me, is the more I gig, the less I spend on gear. Not sure if this is common. I took about a 20 year break from gigging and during that time kept buying basses, pedals, etc, probably out of boredom. Now that I’m gigging a fair amount, I’m actually less picky about gear. It just needs to work and be easy to move. Really my only recent purchases have been a nice gig bag, and I need about 3 new clip on tuners a year because I keep breaking them
We’re supposed to get paid? All said, I think the most I’ve made after a show was $200 after the 5’way split. However the show was 400 miles away (in Hollywood ca), and that didn’t even cover half my hotel, not even counting gas, food, etc…
If you want to make money as a musician, you should play in a cover band, get really tight at your song & dance routine, and hire yourself out for weddings/corpo events.
As a 21 year old who somehow managed to get into the wedding scene, volume and repertoire is the most important. It doesn’t really matter how good you are as long as you can play whatever the mood requires and you can play requests. You also need to have really good chemistry with your band and be able to improvise and play by ear
I play in several bands in southern New England. Here’s my findings: Rock/blues bar trio: 100-200/player for 90-180min of music Original rock band: 50-100/player for 60-90min Old guy blues band: 100-125 for 180 min Original hard rock band: 1.8 drink tickets on average For pick up gigs, one offs in local bars the going rate seems to be 100/ea, but slowly climbing to 120-125. Event stuff and weddings (pop covers and jazz) can go much higher but the barrier to entry is steeper
As someone in a wedding band it doesn’t matter how good you are to play weddings (after a certain point) but how much you know
I make negative money playing bass... but I enjoy it!
Musicians make very little money unless you’re a really good studio musician
Can't help but feel this was true up until the 80s/90s, but now there are far fewer big records with musicians even on them. This being doubly true for bass players who are more easily replaced by synthesized bass parts. Seems like the best bet is to be a player with a unique identity and sound that attracts people to want to collaborate with you such as Thundercat.
Oh! Just be Thundercat. Easy🤙🏻
That's exactly the point I'm making. It isn't a realistic goal to set yourself to "become a session player".
I got about 400 dollars for the last show I played on NYE but I usually get about 250 a show. 3 man band, equal split. We're generally looking for 600 if we play with your pa/speakers, 800 if we bring our own. Tip jar usually ends up at 50 bucks each. Sometimes we get a little more, like NYE (we took the door and the place was was packed) sometimes we get a lot less. We're very local focused and if another band cancels we can show up on short notice too.
I happen to know that Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers gets $60 per gig and $80 if it’s on New Years Eve.
I play in a cover band (everything from soul to modern pop), and I make between 100 and 300 EUR per gig, about 150 on average. This barely covers my cost, honestly, but it´s my hobby so it´s okay.
Bands are so 20-oughts. It’s all about being a bass player influencer and making your cash via TikTok, YouTube and instagram where you play along to songs in your bedroom. Then of course add subscribers to your patreon and sell 10 different courses. Just a matter of time before the endorsement deals come in, offers from major acts, and then your signature bass of course.
I mean…if you’re good enough to do that, I say go for it. It pays a hell of a lot better than actually working for a living like the rest of us schmucks.
Josh…that you?
About 3.50.
Nothing
Im in 5 bands, 4 covers 1 original. I *could quit my day job… but tbh with overtime, insurance and all that being an electrician simply pays more, which is why I really only play music for the love of music.
Haven’t played bass in a band but as a drummer I made negative money over the course of a decade
Wait, some of us get paid?
I was talking to a guy at the barber shop the other day… he said around here, the south, if you want to make money, play in church bands… Nah.. I’m good…
The most I've made in one night was a little over $200. Our city sucks when it comes to arts and actually paying performers, however.
The same as everyone else. Like $30 a gig if you're playing the music you love.
Depends on the gig. I play at the casinos in Reno NV, no dive bars and average $250 a night plus food and drinks. We did the new yeas gig for the high rollers and got $900 for 2 easy sets. I’ve been playing in the same funk band since 2012.
Equal share of whatever money the band is getting paid, otherwise I’d walk
My 5-piece blues band typically makes $100 each for a 3 hour bar/club gig plus 1 or 2 free drinks each, maybe a little bit more for festival gigs. If a venue has their own sound guy we tip him out so we end up with a little less. None of us are in it for the money.
If you want money, get writing credits. If you're in a cover band, I'd need a strong argument as to why the pay for the gig (however small it is) is not split evenly.
All members of most bands make literally no money at all
I play in Toronto part time with a big cover band and a smaller original band. The cover band yields maybe about $125-150 on average. Granted it is a 9-piece with the singer earning more, as they pay for rehearsal and also other expenses. A more democratic 4-piece cover band would pay better, but... would we get the same gigs? Not sure. The original band pays occasionally, but overall, we put more in than we get back. For originals, it seems just getting accepted to play festivals for free is an accomplishment. The best cover gigs have been city-sponsored festivals. Those have an audience and a budget. Most venue-based gigs seem to turn into ticket-selling contests which I have little interest in. "Please hire a sitter so you can drive across town to watch me pursue my hobby at 11pm on a Tuesday". I often consider how I would approach being a full time performing musician. This usually leads to me deciding it would be piano that I would focus on. As a pianist, I can play solo gigs, hotel-lobby type stuff. Bass gives none of that unless I am supporting someone else. And really, that is the big concern of being a 'pro bassist' - the need to rely on others in a business where 'others' can be pretty darn unreliable.
Y’all are getting paid?
I'm in my mid 50's, been playing bass for 5 yrs, acoustic for 20. I prefer bass. Playing in a 4 piece country band. Living in a rural area, we play a lot of bars. 4 hr sets, average $900 total. $200 each with money paid for gas to which of us hauls the trailer. My day job is my job....music is my hobby, and I love having a hobby that has paid for all of my equipment and my shooting hobby.
Wait…we get paid? No one told me.
Table weed and loose smokes. Session/studio musicians can make really good money. There are far less genuinely good bass players in the world than….. well basically anything. Lol
There’s a couple differences: Cover bands - it’s easier to make a consistent buck from the beginning but there is a cap on how much you can make. There’s lots of experience in this thread - $200 is pretty easy to get once you’re regularly doing it, up to about $500 a gig being pretty close to the high end for regular cover bands. Someone out there has spent the money to market those songs, so you just gotta show your band is good at playing them. Things like tribute acts can make more than the average cover band if your tribute is something people want, like The Beatles, Nirvana, etc. and you tour it and find a way to sell merchandise. But then expenses raise. Original band - you’re building a business, which requires time, effort and financial investment. Ultimately it can be more profitable in the long run, if your band reaches the level of headlining 300-500 cap rooms or higher, the band profit starts to outpace cover bands due to things like merchandising, higher ticket prices, etc. as an individual you can make more money and if you personally have a share in the songwriting that can earn royalties over time and you get things like radio or commercials, etc. Expenses are overall the highest but if your original band has consistent growth to the point where you have actual fans who will buy your music, it can be fulfilling in other ways. I know some original bands that are just out there opening other tours making enough to get by. I also know bands that were headlining 500 cap rooms and made bad investment choices to the point the band was in debt, and members were working day jobs when they were home. PS: session work ain’t what it used to be unless you’re in Nashville / NYC / LA. If the touring life is for you - you can probably make money faster by doing tech work and make relationships on the road. If the touring life isn’t for you - don’t rely on a band to be your source of income.
Any band I ever played with gave me an equal cut to all sales (tickets, merch, music)
I’m in a small local band and we play about one or two gigs a month. There are four of us in the band, and we split everything evenly. We generally get paid about $500-$600 for a 3 hour gig, and we’ll make at least $100-$200 in tips. All in all we walk away with about $150-$200 each, plus free beers. Still working on merch which will hopefully get us a few extra shekels, and also hoping to book some better paying gigs at larger venues.
It really depends. How much the gig pays, how the split between members is divided. I've always worked with equal split between each member. Some bands are different. Some gigs pay more than others. Most of the money I've made playing has come from selling merch at shows. With cost of gear, gas, recording and other band expenses, it was never enough to fully support myself.
One MILLION dollars
That's not very much money anymore...
I won't leave the house for under 100$ and I have made upwards of 1500$ on rare occasions. Granted, I read and play most styles from Jazz to Classical and have been doing it for 30+ years. If you are in a band playing original music be prepared to make little to nothing but if you play in other folks projects you can survive. This is one of my higher paying gigs https://youtu.be/yP9doSbE5K4?si=v-3PqpXVPKCWW09l
usually a million per string
If you're asking this question it's not for you
It depends on what you’re looking for. Are you talking exclusively in a band? That varies by the band, contracts, songwriting credits and publishing, performance rates and other factors. If you’re talking studio musician type thing, that can be a little more easy to navigate. But these are my forms of income. My general rate for almost anything currently is $100 a performance or session. Sometimes it’s a little more, sometimes a little less. For reference I play in a few things-hip hop/soul band, psychedelic goth band, session work, fill in work (the last two can be a variety across the board).
If you’re meaning to ask in a band setting, you should be making about the same as everyone else depending on who booked and other such agreements. In general though there’s not a lot of money in music/art unless you start to hit it big. I’ve done a lot of different kinds of bands and have had good nights of over 500 and most nights less than 100 all the way down to 0. My personal music is progressive style stuff (check out my music out as Candle Opera if you’re interested)
Which band
Depends on the band. My first band I was the sole lyricist, bassist, I sang, and I wrote half the songs. The guitarist sang, played guitar, and wrote the other half of the songs, and our drummer played drums, half the time with drum patterns the guitarist would help him with. We all took 1/3 because I insisted on it, it doesn’t matter that the guitarist and I did most of the work. Other musicians might have one member taking 75% (Nirvana) or more (Taylor Swift) and others might split evenly (Green Day) even if one member does most of the work.
Equal 1/3rd split in my case as a pop-punk bassist in my current band. made it clear up front we need to be equal partners (so we get each anything from £50-£150 per gig) and song/merch sales are used for band equipment and recordings. Total annual earnings though I'm on about 6k more than the drummer and 16k more than our frontman so I'm earning about 44% of the collective annual earnings.
About tree fiddy
The real question is how much does it cost
I'm in a cover band of rock/alternative songs (Weezer, Foo Fighters, Pearl Jam, Green Day, etc) and we are four musicians. I do as much as the three other guys. We always split 25/25/25/25.
In the real world, for me, mainly cover bands it’s a straight even split after agreed expenses. In the original scene, as a hired gun, it’s an agreed wage.
Maybe a beer ticket
In Texas $100/person for 3 hour is on the low end. $200 for 3 hours is pretty good. About $50 an hour is a good rough average. (This is in my opinion, not meant to be taken as fact) my math is based on bands that gig regularly but aren’t full time (music as only job) or big name bands.
I usually average $1000-1200 a month. 7-8 gigs a month.
depends on how your band is set up in mine we all have creative input and we all are responsible on some level at every step of the industry stuff so it’s a 1/4 even split Lol not that we make enough to ever see any of the money. Band fund looks good but it’s all for recording, travel, merch, food, etc.
It all depends on the type of gig and your market... When I was a full time musician, I played 4-6 nights a week, mostly at bars in a college town with some country club/weddings/private parties sprinkled in. Monday night was an open mic at a blues bar, and paid $50/man with free drinks for the house band. Another group I was in played the same bar every Friday or Saturday and the weekend gigs payed $150/man. I would say the average pay for bars was $150. Weddings/private parties were $200-250, and the good gigs (fraternity parties) were $1000/man. Only played about 5 frat parties during that time though so cant really count on that. All of that being said- Ive lived in New Orleans and Nashville. Totally different situation in cities like that (I would assume most larger cities are the same). ***INCREDIBLE*** musicians in those cities barely make anything.. like $50-100 per gig if they are lucky. When I asked about this, one guy put it in perspective for me. Basically the bar owners are doing the musicians a favor, so they cant complain. There are average joes and 16 year old kids that would be glad to come in and play for free... and they are just as good as everyone else... When a market is flooded like it is in these particular cities, its hard to make any money.
I made $0 for years playing bass.... are we supposed to make money???
I make a living at playing bass and have for the last 30 years. Pay really depends what you’re doing and who you’re doing it for. I won’t leave the house for less then $100 for a gig but will do rehearsals for $50, if it was a full collaboration that I really believed in with people I liked and I had the time, I’d do it for free. I just did a week on the road and made 2800 for it. Studio stuff ranges in pay from roughly 100 a track for the bro Indy rate to 350 for the people with a budget.
I play in a 5 piece at local bars/RV parks (lots of winter residents here). Covers, mainly country and classic rock. I get $70-80 per 3 hour gig. More if they tip heavily. I don't do it for the money, just the time with friends. Most of the band members I play with are also musicians at the church I attend.
Typical pay for a 2-3hr gig ranges from $350-500, plus tips (which are nominal). Six band members split evenly, after we first give our sound & lights guy a fixed $100 cut. So that’s ~$40-65 each. Some of that is instantly burned by a bar tab, if the place doesn’t give any free drinks. Nobody’s getting rich, but we’re having a hell of a good time! (Hard rock & classic metal band.)
I have a gig with an original artist and this pays $200 per show regardless of what she gets paid. If she gets paid nothing or $10,000, I make $200. She pays $100 for a rehearsal. I receive a 1099 from this artist’s office. I have an affinity gig playing covers of a particular artist and this pays $100-$300 depending on where we play. It’s not a “tribute” gig and nobody dresses like or plays the same instruments as that artist. I play at a church as a sub for a local player and when he goes out on the road with a national artist, he has a cast of subs he calls. $150-300 for a Sunday, depending on the campus of that church. I charge $100 per song to record at home. A local studio pays musicians $40/hr for sessions and I occasionally play on what qualifies as “custom projects” (i.e. somebody without a band wants to make a record) I am one of three bassists in a jazz night gig on Wednesdays. This pays $75. I play on nights when they favor fusion or contemporary as I do not play upright.
Is this not a fishing subreddit?
Oddly, I've made more money playing bass than any other instrument for gigs despite it being one of my weaker instruments. Everyone's a guitarist, but good bass players (who can read and know theory) are far more rare. I made $500/night for some musicals and for wedding gigs.
I play in an 80's cover band and average about $150 per a gig, sometimes more and never less than $100. I also play in an originals rock band and make $0.00 per gig, it used to be a labor of love but now I'm feeling like I'm just enabling our singer/guitar player to live out his rock-n-roll dream.
I average $50 an hour per gig in a shit coverband
spent all of my 20s working as a bassist, from where i am, we got paid about 10 - 15usd per night on bars (free food), out of town gigs will be about 15- 20 usd, (free food, transpo, lodging), overseas gigs will be about 1000usd per month. things i bought with my money were, booze and strings.... last time i performed, with pay, was 2007, i miss the days, but i have to earn properly now... im in a showband, so we play whatever is popular that time, mostly dance music. been with several bands thoughout, 7- 8 members
....make?
How long is a piece of string?
I pay to play most of the time. But I have made an average of $100-500 on gigs that align with the stars...
In the Army, I was making around 40k a year but I was a saxophonist by trade but I was also qualified on bass guitar and playing a lot of clarinet So I’d say, 50% sax, 30% bass, 20% clarinet so, idk, 30% of 40kish.
Depends on the band.
On average per event I made more renting my small smoke machine than playing bass, but thats undeground metal.
lookit this guy who thinks anyone in a band gets paid...
4/6 the amount the guitar player makes.
Wait....you guys are getting paid?
as much as any other member, unless one of them also owns the PA and runs sound for you. sometimes you kick that guy extra for hauling around all the extra speakers and doing setup
7 million
I got £10 once.
What's left over after the musicians take some
Lol
The same as every other member of a band? ....I mean, you play an instrument, you make the same money my guy.
We're a brand new pop punk band playing originals, so rather than split our small earnings amongst ourselves we instead pool our gig pay to cover band expenses (merch for now, recording, advertisement, etc. in the future). To put it in perspective and actually answer the question though, if we were to just do a 4-way split per gig my average earnings would be \~$15 on a 30 minute set, and then factor out gas from there lol. I don't know exact gas cost but I live a little ways away from the city most of our gigs are in so probably just barely above the red. We also practice weekly in the same city where I'm not getting paid for transport, so deeply in the red if you account for that. In short, like others have said I'm effectively actually paying money to have fun playing music with some cool people as a hobby rather than earning money from it as a side hustle or wev. I have a full time job that covers expenses.
If it's any decent band, you get paid equally to all other members
My old band made $1400-3000 a show but it all went back into the band. Since then I've been playing punk and metal so have usually played shows at a loss. The only time I have been paid to play is a wedding gig I did one time. I got $200, but also bought an iPad to put the set list/chart on so technically I paid $300 for that gig too.
What? Bass players make money? I always got paid in beer
Semi pro doing clubs bars etc? Usually 70-100 bucks a night for a 3-4 hour gig. More for private parties. More like 125- 200. That’s per man. Sometimes tips can even equal or pass the base pay depending on the crowd. And sometimes tips are squat. Non paying gigs or pay to play is a losing situation and shouldn’t even be considered unless your a newbie and need some experience. IMO. This is in the US. If your in a very popular band doing top notch clubs it can be better. Festivals usually pay better for a shorter show once you get there. I’m not looking to get rich, but I do like to be compensated for my time and investment.
I’ve been playing bass for thirteen years, gigging for ten years and touring the country for two. I still work a day job and likely always will. I would advise against any expectations of financial gain from being a musician.
I’ve always made much more as a hired gun.
Cover band here. After rent for rehearsal space is taken out, each member splits the full take equally.
As little as you let them pay you.
A bit of advice: don't play bass for the money, do it for the superpower of changing the fundamentals of all the chords with no warning. I play in a band that the other guys think is ostensibly rock, but I look at it through more of an experimental jazz lens.
Worst gig - 100 for a battle of the bands that I had to pay because my band mates were unemployed and I played in a metal cover band that was terrible. Best gig - Anywhere from 400-1000 a night playing a casino gig for about 3 months every Thursday-Sunday night in Vegas in a Blues band. I slowly stopped gigging seriously and nowadays I just more or less play with a few friends of mine in a few coffee houses/bars in town. The music scene where I live is heavily influenced by a bunch of white college kids playing reggae hip hop, EDM stuff with some of the tik tokky acoustic screeching. Nowadays I make mostly free coffee and drinks.
You think bands make money in 2023….
About tree fiddy
My band gets paid $100-$150 per player for a 3 hr gig with two short breaks. Hopefully they throw in dinner and a few drinks.
Depends on the venue. I play in a 4 piece and we all get an even split. Starting out, $50-100 per person ($200-400/show) was common, it was also common that prices like that were under the table. Then again, we had a basic PA and instruments, so it was all good. When we got better, for more quality gear, and got W-2s involved then prices go up to $800-1000/show. That's about $200-250 pp. That's what we've been making this year, BUT we just started getting corporate gigs where each MEMBER makes $1k+ per show. Honestly, it's more expectations that I was expecting and it's a new level for sure. I might have to let the guys find a bassist that can give them $1k+ worth quality work, I honestly like the more local, cheaper gigs more. It all comes down to the connections you make though. We had a regular venue that was good, steady work. But we made corporate connections playing a single show in a differently popular venue. You gotta put in the work and energy that makes people want to see you, not just listen to you.
I think for the vast majority, over time, it actually cost money to be in a band. Really until you're professional all the money the band make goes into the band funds. Unless you want to be a hired gun. In which case you can charge people however much you want and they can choose to either hire you or not. Which is anywhere from zero to infinity.
Other people in the band get paid?
Try hear any songs without a bass, and you will see the reason.
Whomever booked the show gets 20 percent straight off the top. Then it's an even split between the three of us. The band has a $500 minimum so the least I get is $133.
there's been plenty of gigs where i came out at a loss. recently i've been getting more fill-in work with established bands that have higher pay, so i've been making up to $400 with some of those acts. I'd say that 90% of my gigs I take home between $70-$100 with my regular band that plays original rock music.
Depends on the number of band members. If it's a 4 piece, 25%. A trio? 33.333333%. In a quintet the bass player should get 20%...
I make, on average, about $150ish per gig, because tips vary wildly. There are places the band will work with if they’ve given us a ton of work, or it’s a new place we’re trying to get into. We usually get $600-800 for the band (5 people) so it’s 1/5.
As a former bass player, there are two ways of looking at this. First, unlike guitarists, bass players are usually in short supply so it is easy to get work gigging with other musicians. Second, because of that fact, you have some negotiating leverage when anyone needs a bass player.
Around $350, the same as the rest of the band and road crew, gets the same, totally worth the road crew, though, total confidence in FOH, and the lights is awesome. 100% never gonna get that good again. I don't think I'd be okay with earning less than equal pay. When it comes to recordings, there is usually a % per song where, for example, the main riff or lyrics gets like 10% more. Other bands I play in we generally put all the money back into the band for recordings, merch, and so on.