Fee plus

Fee plus keeps the travel cost with the promoter, the opposite of a landed deal. The fee is what the artist is paid to play; the logistics are paid at cost. Offers from different cities are easy to compare, but the promoter’s total is only known once the travel is booked. Short forms like “€2,000 +++” (plus travel, plus hotel, plus ground transport) mean the same; the offer should still spell it out.

Example

A 400-capacity club in Berlin books [Artist A] from Vienna for €2,000 plus travel, hotel and ground transport. The club books the flights once the artist side has approved the times, and puts the artist in a hotel ten minutes from the venue.

What to watch for

• Who books. If the promoter books, the artist side approves times and routes first, and names must match the passport exactly. If the artist side books, agree a cap (“flights up to €400”) and the promoter pays back against receipts.
• What travel means. Write down how many people travel, rail or air, how many checked bags, and whether a sleeper on the night train is expected.
• Hotel. The hospitality rider says what is expected; the deal says how many rooms and nights.
• Paying back. What the artist side paid goes on the invoice as expenses, separate from the fee, with the receipts attached.