Right now I read a lot of applications for our festival next year. It clearly says on several places that we don't pay a fee and we don't pay transportation. In actually on the site, you can't even choose that option. Still bands add-on in the extra info that they want payment, hotel, and food.
Okay if you are a really famous band, it could be interesting. But the bands doing this probably never make it. Now they actually not even have a chance, these are taken off before they even go to the booking comitté. They even not make it to the progress. It is a good way to not getting anywhere.
One funny band even said if they were going abroad they also had to travel a day before the show to be ready for it so you had to be prepared to have hotels for five people for at least two days and have a dressing room ready for the show with a hot shower (like that exists on a showcase festival).
Come on! Okay if you are in that position you can ask for these things. I looked in on the band's stats.
To be able to claim things like this, one you have to have more than 26 listeners on Spotify a month. It's probably good if you have over a 1000 listings also on the last the ep:s. Just one song that has 1232 streams, but was released in 2014, yay you got a thousand streams on four years.
On top of that, has never played outside their hometown, the past years they have played over a year approximately played twice a year.
It's pretty clear this artist is not in the position to negotiate like they do. In reality, they probably should be lucky if they even get a gig. On top of it, they are middle age and I guess that has part of the problem. In many cases, there are people telling the artist that they should stand up for their rights and get what they want. The problem with that is just this, yes you can do that if you are in that position. Seems like with age this become more relevant, at the same time you become more not in the position to make the claims.
Then you have the bands thinking that they put a overprice. Last year when we really had the option that you could ask for a price, there was unknown bands that asked for 20 000 euro to play on a showcase festival. Of course, these were also taken off direct. No, the industry really doesn't want to have negotiations like a bazaar in the middle east. We don't have time for that when you are on to book 200 acts t a festival. So just getting us a overprice is a good way to be thrown off the whole process.
Sure when you draw 3000 people to a show and the organizers make money, you can do claims for things you really need to make a better show.
But this I have also seen very often in other parts as well. Artists that are seeking out record deals with totally unrealistic goals. Same here if you are named Talyor Swift yes you can do a nice record deal with Republic Records. But if you are our example band above well you are not in the position to have the same claims, in fact, you can't do any claims. If a record label took you at that point they need to develop you and put in so much money they probably have to sign you for 10 albums and have 99,9% back to even make it. In fact, they would never make an offer to a band like that.
So stop, try to know your position. Trying to play cool or a wiseguy won't take you anywhere.
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