Target Venue Merch Pay-to-Play Campaign
The live music industry is a high-wire act, and for touring musicians, the ground beneath them often feels more like quicksand. But a powerful coalition is mobilizing to change the landscape, demanding that the venues that host live music treat artists and crews with the respect and fair compensation they deserve. The Union of Musicians and Allied Workers (UMAW) has officially launched the Raise the Bar campaign, setting a new standard for equitable practices at live music venues.
This initiative is not just a plea; it is a comprehensive framework aimed at reforming the often-predatory practices that plague touring artists. By calling for baseline labor and financial standards, the campaign seeks to establish a more sustainable and equitable live music ecosystem for everyone involved.
The core of the Raise the Bar movement rests on four non-negotiable policies that venues are asked to pledge and implement:
- No Merch Cuts: Venues must agree to take a 0% commission on artist-sold merchandise, ensuring that touring musicians retain all proceeds from t-shirts, vinyl, and physical goods.
- No Pay-to-Play: Eliminating any requirement for artists to pay an upfront fee or purchase mandatory ticket allotments just to secure a performance slot.
- No Door Polling: Ending the practice of requiring attendees to declare which specific opening or support acts they attended at the door to dictate artist settlement splits.
- Contract & Contact Transparency: Providing artists and their representatives with transparent, written agreements in advance, including clear settlement terms, detailed deduction explanations, and accurate contact information.
This commitment is already gaining traction. So far, nearly 70 US venues have signed the pledge, signaling a significant shift in industry behavior. These venues are committed to moving beyond traditional, often exploitative, booking models.
To help artists and booking agents navigate this new environment, the UMAW has created a public, searchable directory of certified Raise the Bar venues. This resource allows independent touring acts, booking agents, and managers to easily find “fair partners” when routing their tours.
Among the venues already championing these equitable practices are notable locations like El Rio in San Francisco, The Crocodile in Seattle, Cervantes in Denver, and Dada in Queens, among others. This growing network demonstrates a real willingness to prioritize fair dealings over outdated, exploitative systems.
The motivation behind this unified effort is rooted in harsh economic reality. For many independent acts, the margins for profit have evaporated. Skyrocketing fuel costs, high hotel rates, and production expenses put immense pressure on small to medium-level acts. Practices like exorbitant merch cuts and opaque door polling only compound this financial strain.
By unifying artists around these transparent standards and providing tangible promotional tools, the UMAW is working toward a long-term solution. The goal is to help both artists and venues win the long game by attracting talent, building goodwill, and creating a live music industry that is fundamentally fairer for everyone.
The coalition is actively seeking to expand its reach. Venues are encouraged to sign up and get listed in the national directory, while artists and crews are urged to sign the Artist Letter and utilize resources designed to improve advance and production planning.
Buy on Amazon
Credit
