How do you approach negotiating gig payments as a smaller artist?

[Leeacoustic81]

I’ve started getting more offers to play local shows, and one thing I’m still figuring out is how to negotiate payment without risking losing the opportunity. Some venues offer a flat fee, others offer a percentage of ticket sales, and sometimes it’s a mix of both.

I don’t want to undervalue my time, but I also understand that smaller venues have tight budgets. For those who’ve been doing this longer, how do you decide what’s fair and when to push back on an offer?

[StudioPro]

One thing that helped me was knowing my basic costs first—travel, gear, and time. Once I had that number in mind, it was easier to tell whether an offer was realistic or not.

[MetalPlayer]

It also depends on the exposure and networking potential. I’ve taken lower-paying gigs when I knew the audience or other bands on the lineup were a good fit for my music.