We are the music makers

Topic

Touring

  • Merch commission explained: who takes a cut, the 700-plus venues that take nothing, and how to negotiate

    Some venues take 25% or more of an artist's gross merch sales, sometimes with VAT on top. The Featured Artists Coalition says more than 700 UK venues charging nothing have joined its 100% Venues directory. Most grassroots rooms never charged, though, so the real fight is at bigger and corporate venues, and the best tool an artist has there is a rate agreed in writing before the show.

    Industryvia Featured Artists Coalition

  • Booking gigs and small tours in India: a practical guide for independent acts

    How an independent Indian act can go from a few local shows to a five-city run: building a venue list, pitching promoters, agreeing a deal in writing, getting paid with tax handled correctly and routing a short tour. It complements our touring budget worksheet and GST guide. Laws and official pages checked on 25 Oct 2026; this is a starting point, not legal or tax advice.

    Workflows

  • How to build a small tour budget: a practical worksheet for indie acts

    A short run of shows is a small business with a start and an end date. This guide sets out a simple budget worksheet: fixed costs, per-show costs, per-day costs, income lines and a contingency. Mileage and record-keeping points come from the IRS, read on 24 Oct 2026; everything else is a method, not a fact claim.

    Workflows

  • Touring Europe after Brexit, 2026: still no deal on visas, cabotage or carnets

    Ten months into 2026, the core rules for a UK band playing the EU are the ones that applied in 2021. Brussels has floated longer short stays for touring artists, MPs have asked for a deal, and a youth scheme is still being negotiated, but none of it changes the 90/180-day clock, the van limits or the carnet. Here is where things stand, and a checklist built only from official guidance.

    Industryvia European Commission

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