(VIP-News) – Despite soaring ticket prices for gigs and festivals, a recent survey by artist website Pirate.com revealed that only 17% of artists have seen performance fees rise, highlighting a disturbing aspect of the UK music industry Unsettling trends.
The survey, which covered 1,700 artists, including band members, solo artists and DJs, found that 54% said performance fees had not changed, while 29% said performance fees had decreased.
The figures highlight what Featured Artists Coalition (FAC) chief executive David Martin (pictured) calls a “touring cost crisis”. Speaking to the Guardian, Martin stressed that rising costs were crippling the live music industry. Survey results back this up, with 88% of touring musicians reporting an increase in expenses and none seeing a decrease. As a result, 72% of artists make no profit from touring – 48% break even and 24% are in the red. Of those facing losses, 81% said their overall income had been severely hit.
David Martin called on the government to address the issue, citing recent proposals from the Parliamentary Culture Select Committee to directly fund artists:
“This research reaffirms what the Featured Artists Alliance has been saying for some time; artists are facing a touring cost crisis. In May, the Parliamentary Select Committee on Culture agreed with our view and asked the industry to take action to ensure artists receive direct funding to enable them to develop and growing our industry. The bottom line is, there is no live industry if artists can’t afford to perform live.
The new government must take steps to implement the committee’s recommendations.
Increases in touring costs include travel, accommodation, venue fees, staff salaries and promotional expenses. Playing gigs, or gigs booked by promoters or festivals, can also be a huge financial drain. Only 26% of artists typically make money from their performances, compared to 29%.
Regarding performance fees, 54% of artists said fees have remained stagnant and 29% said fees have decreased. For many, minimal performance fees mean virtually no profit after travel expenses, which points to a wider “performance cost crisis.”
Despite their critical acclaim, Cardiff-based duo Papaya Noon share their struggles:
“Performance fees have varied a lot for us, but the costs of rehearsing, paying musicians and traveling have all increased so we’re mostly overwhelmed when we play. Musicians are being taken advantage of because we’re just doing it for the love of it Do, it’s a shame.
In addition, 86% of artists surveyed noted increases in performance ticket prices – 54% reported increases of 10-25% and 32% reported increases of 25-50%. However, 71% believe these higher prices do not enhance the fan experience.
With rising ticket prices not translating into better remuneration for artists and their costs continuing to rise, many musicians face an unsustainable situation. The survey found that 54% of artists were less likely to tour again after suffering a loss. David Borrie, CEO and co-founder of Pirate.com, warned of the potential long-term effects:
“If the touring cost crisis is not resolved, we expect there will be real impact across the industry, with the most exciting new acts forced to stay at home.”
Artists are considering various strategies to cope, such as playing smaller venues, joint tours, shortened tours and seeking additional income from sponsorships and merchandise sales. However, 36% of artists said they were likely to focus on local gigs rather than long-term tours, reflecting the significant financial pressures they face.
