28 Feb 2024
Think Immigration: Add that to the Tab – Rising Costs to Tour the United States
Anthony Pawelski, Think Immigration, Feb. 27, 2024
"Touring as a musical artist in the United States and making a profit (or breaking even) is that much harder post-pandemic. Artists’ profits are drastically shrinking due to larger financial cuts from record labels, the venue, promoter, etc. For example, some venues now request a cut of merchandise sales or do not share alcohol sales. Depending on ticketing affiliation, a venue may add ancillary ticket fees, but the artist is not seeing a cut. On the logistics front, transportation and fuel costs have increased. International artists face another barrier: a U.S. work visa. And now, touring is getting even more expensive."