Call for more US venues to stop taking cut of artist merch sales

Artists in the US have called for more music venues to stop taking a cut of artists’ merch sales, after a venue operating company pledged to drop merch commissions at its venues.

Ineffable Music Group have committed to ceasing the practice of taking a cut of the profits artists make from selling merch at venues they own and operate. This decision was made in response to a testimony Clyde Lawrence made to the US Congress earlier this week.

• READ MORE: Hundreds of venues sign up to not take cut of artists’ merchandise sales – but campaigners want more

Lawrence was speaking at a hearing in the US Senate related to the ticketing business, looking at the impact of Ticketmaster and Live Nation’s monopoly over the live sector and the need for better regulation to combat ticket touting. However, he also spoke about the ways in which artists interact with the industry more generally and outlined some of the issues they face, including venues charging a commission on their merch sales.

In the UK, a campaign was launched by the Featured Artists Coalition last year to encourage venues to let artists take home 100 per cent of profits from merch sales, which The Charlatans’ Tim Burgess has been a particularly notable supporter of. The FAC runs a directory of venues that don’t take a cut of artists’ merch profits, which venues can sign up to by filling out a form.

The campaign then extended to North America via an alliance with the Union Of Musicians And Allied Workers in the US and rapper Cadence Weapon in Canada. Artists involved with the campaign are hopeful that the decision by Ineffable Live can encourage other venues in America to make the same move.

Speaking to Complete Music Update, Cadence Weapon said: “I have personally felt the pain of hitting the road with countless expenses, only to show up to a venue and be told that they’ll be taking 20% of my merch sales. With the help of UMAW in the US and FAC in the UK, we have built a database of venues and festivals who say no to taking a merch cut from bands.

“I hope that the wonderful decision by Ineffable Music Group to end the practice will encourage other similar companies to do the same,” he continued. “A healthier music ecosystem is possible, one where the wellbeing of bands is more important than the bottom line”.

FAC’s CEO David Martin also responded to the news in an interview with the publication. “Having partnered with UMAW in the US and Cadence Weapon in Canada to launch a North American leg of the campaign, we are only seeing the support for our calls grow”, he said. “It is now time to end these outdated practices and work towards a healthier and more equitable live touring ecosystem”.

At the same hearing, senators quoted Taylor Swift lyrics in reference to the issues with Ticketmaster during the ‘Eras’ tour sale that led to the hearing taking place. Senator Amy Klobuchar, who was one of the two senators that called for the hearing, quoted Swift’s ‘All Too Well’ in her opening statement, while another referenced her song ‘Anti-Hero’. Richard Blumenthal said: “Ticketmaster ought to look in the mirror, and say, ‘I’m the problem, it’s me.”

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