Guarantee plus bonus

A bonus lets the artist share in a strong night without the promoter opening the books. Nobody needs a cost list or a net door figure, only the number of paid tickets. That makes it popular with promoters who don’t want a versus deal and artists who want more than a flat fee.

Example

[Artist A] plays a 600-capacity club for a €2,000 guarantee, plus €400 at 450 paid tickets and another €400 at 550.

What to watch for

• Paid tickets only. Guest list, free entries and crew don’t count. Say whether reduced-price tickets count in full.
• Step or per ticket. A step bonus pays once at the threshold. A per-ticket bonus, say €3 for every ticket above 450, grows with each sale: at 520 tickets that is €210. Write which one applies.
• Thresholds that can be reached. A bonus at sold out, in a club that sold out twice last year, is worth little in the negotiation.
• Proof. The ticketing system’s final report goes with the settlement, and the bonus is invoiced with the balance.