Guitar Forums

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?

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.

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.