#100PercentVenues Petition and Open Letter
Making a living from music is hard, and, for most artists, selling merchandise at live shows is a hugely important source of revenue.
Most fans will buy specifically from the merch table, because they want to support their favourite artist directly.
However, in many cases, because of excessive commission fees, the venue will make more money from merchandise sales than the artist themselves! In some cases, these fees amount to 25% of gross revenue plus VAT.
This would be bad enough in the best of times, but after the financial pressures of lockdown, and now a full-blown cost of living crisis, it is simply unsustainable.
In response to this situation, the Featured Artists Coalition launched the 100% Venues campaign in January 2022 - creating a public database of the hundreds of UK venues who charge 0% commission on merch sales.
To date, we have collected hundreds who reach this ‘gold standard’, from grassroots venues through to 1,000+ capacity rooms including KOKO, EARTH, Village Underground, the Electric Ballroom, Troxy and the Barbican in London, The Sage in Gateshead, Cardiff’s Tramshed, SWX in Bristol and Liverpool’s Olympia.
Today, we are reemphasising our call for change, and asking fans, artists, venues, merchandisers, promoters, trade organisations and other industry professionals to speak up in favour of the 100% Venues campaign.
Please sign the petition here.
See the open letter below.
Open Letter
The Featured Artists Coalition launched the 100% Venues campaign in January last year, prompted by growing unhappiness amongst artists about onerous commission fees being levied by certain venue operators on the sales of merchandise. In many cases, these fees amount to 25% of gross revenue plus VAT - meaning that the venue is making more from the sales of merchandise than the artists performing on their stage.
This would be bad enough in the best of times, but after the financial pressures of lockdown, and now a full-blown cost of living crisis, it is simply unsustainable. Artists including Tim Burgess, Peter Hook, The Big Moon, The Lovely Eggs, Yard Act, New Pagans and Easy Life have all publicly aired their views on the situation.
Even more frustrating is the fact that many UK venues - including numerous small, independent venues - charge 0% commission on merch sales. To highlight this fact, and to kickstart the 100% Venues campaign, the FAC collated details of these venues in a public directory.
To date we have amassed hundreds of venues who reach the 0% ‘gold standard’, from the grassroots through to 1,000+ capacity rooms including KOKO, EARTH, Village Underground, the Electric Ballroom, Troxy and the Barbican in London, The Sage in Gateshead, Cardiff’s Tramshed, SWX in Bristol and Liverpool’s Olympia.
All of which begs the question: if these venues can feasibly operate with artist-friendly merch policies, then why can’t others of a comparable size?
As a result, the FAC is today reemphasising our call for change, and requesting the help of artists, fans, venues, merchandisers, promoters, trade organisations and other industry professionals to sign a new public petition in support of the 100% Venues campaign and to back the following FOUR principles:
Support acts must never be subject to commission charges on merchandise sales
Artists should be offered the option to staff and operate merchandise operations at their own shows
There must be no surprises for artists regarding commission rates when they get to the venue - rates must be agreed up front
Every show must be open to negotiation on merchandise commissions
If every UK venue signed up to these principles, and took a public stand, it would mark a significant step forward.
The FAC is hugely grateful to those who have already backed 100% Venues, many of whom are members of the Music Venues Trust’s Music Venues Alliance and supporters of Independent Venue Week. The campaign has received widespread media coverage, as well as backing from key industry organisations such as the Musicians’ Union. The FAC has also highlighted ways for artists to avoid or reduce the commission that they pay for merchandise sales - see social media infographics.
Meanwhile, thanks to our partnership with the Union of Musicians & Allied Workers and the Canadian artist, Cadence Weapon, the topic of merchandise commissions has gained pace across the Atlantic, and was even discussed at a recent US Senate hearing.
However, it is abundantly clear that there is more to do.
Ironically, it is when artists step up to play bigger venues, and the moment their costs and opportunities increase, that the most crippling fees kick in. In many instances, venues have sold on or outsourced their merchandising rights to a third-party - meaning that fees appear “baked in” to hire costs, with little room for negotiation.
It is these outdated contractual terms that we now need to change.
The FAC fully acknowledges that venues must be financially viable. However, in this particular area, there needs to be a rebalancing. Touring artists are already shouldering an increased burden of costs. But if they can capture the entirety of their merch profits, then we stand a greater chance of keeping their shows on the road and building a more sustainable future for all parts of the live music ecosystem.
SUPPORTED BY:
67 Artists
AMW Management
Association of British Orchestras
Association of Independent Music (AIM)
Association Of Independent Promoters
ATC Live
ATC Management
Attitude is Everything
Big Space
Black Lives in Music
BSI Merch
Ceremony of Roses UK Ltd
CoArtis (Coalición de Artistas)
Conceived Music Management Limited
Council of Music Makers
Craft Management
Croatian Association of Featured Musicians (CAFM)
Deluxxe Management
East City Management
English Folk Expo
Fast Friends
Featured Artists Coalition
Free Focus
Friars Management Ltd
Future Yard CIC
Global merchandise services
GramArt
Hawkr
Help Musicians
Hipgnosis Song Management
Independent Society of Musicians
Independent Venue Week
International Artist Organisation (IAO)
Kevin Brennan MP
Keychange
Klang Machine Music Ltd
Music Managers Forum
Music Producers Guild
Music Publishers Association
Music Venue Trust
Musicians' Union
My Merch Campaign
PRS for Music
PRS Foundation
Raw Power Management
Red Grape Music
Red Light Management
Sarah Brooksbank Management
Score Draw Music
Scottish Music Industry Association
Small Green Shoots
Soho Artists
Solar Management
Sound Artists
Step Music Management
TAPE Music co
terrible*
the Association of Festival Organisers
The Creative Passport
The Ivors Academy
The Midi Music Company
The Sunday Club
This Is Music Ltd
Un-Convention
Unholy Management
United Musicians and Allied Workers
Young Artists