The Local Music Scene's Biggest Problem No One Wants to Talk About

The Local Music Scene's Biggest Problem No One Wants to Talk About

Picture this: 100 people pack a St. John's venue, each paying a $15 cover charge to see live music. That's $1,500. The four-piece band that drew the crowd goes home with $400 to split between them. Hundred bucks each for 4-hours of performance and 8-hours of rehearsal. That is about $8.33/hour!?!? Is this the 1990's? No its 2025!

So, where did the other $1,100 go?

Most music fans assume cover charges go directly to the musicians. Most of the time they're right, but I've witnessed situations where venues keep significant portions for themselves. And I think you deserve to know about it.

The 40-Year Wage Freeze

Your grandfather could earn $100 playing a bar gig in 1980. His rent was probably $250/month. Today, that same gig might still pay $100! Even if it now pays $150, musicians might think they got a raise, but rent costs $1,200/month!!

Here's the reality: that $100 from 1980 should pay around $370 today just to maintain the same buying power. Instead, musicians are making $150 and losing ground every year.

While your Uber driver makes $25/hour and your barista earns $16/hour minimum wage, professional musicians (people who've spent years mastering their craft) are making less per hour than they did forty years ago.

We Have Standards (But Nobody Follows Them)

St. John's has an AFM/CFM union local, Local 820, with suggested minimum rates for musicians. Yet many venues pay below these minimums, and our union lacks the strength to advocate effectively. Worse, we musicians haven't united to create change ourselves.

The Reality Check

I'm lucky. Teaching lessons, performing, and doing instrument repair means I don't depend solely on gig income. I can turn down venues that underpay musicians.

But most musicians can't. If you're getting $150 per gig today compared to the $370 you should be getting just to match what musicians made in the 1980s, but everything else has tripled in price, what do you do? You get a day job. You leave music behind.

How many great musicians have we lost because they couldn't pay rent?

What You Can Do

Next time you pay a cover charge, ask the bartender: "Does this go to the band?" Support venues that actually support musicians. Buy merch directly from artists.

And musicians, let's stop being polite about this. Share your rates. Name the venues that treat you well. Call out the practices that don't.

Our scene deserves better than 1980s wages in a 2025 economy.

Have you experienced this as a musician? Were you surprised to learn about these practices as a music fan? Time to break the silence and share your stories.

Want to discuss this topic further or share your own experiences with music scene economics? Contact me through bradjeffordmusic.com or join the conversation on social media.

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