Live Nation drop merch cuts at US club venues

Live Nation has announced that it will drop merch cuts at all the venues it operates in the US as part of its new ‘On The Road Again’ scheme.

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

The concert giant has teamed up with Willie Nelson, naming the scheme after one of his songs, to provide financial support to emerging artists and their teams in a time of rising touring costs.

Artists who play Live Nation-owned and operated clubs will now keep 100% of the profits they make from merch sales, while they will also benefit from a $1500 (£1,233) stipend to help with the costs of fuel and travel. Both headliners and support acts will receive stipends.

Live Nation will also provide financial bonuses to local promoters and tour representatives who help execute shows, as well as venue crew members who have worked over 500 hours in 2023. Resources will come from venues’ existing earnings with no additional costs for gig goers.

“Touring is a crucial part of an artist’s livelihood, and we understand travel costs take one of the biggest bites out of artists’ nightly profits,” reads a press release from Live Nation. “By helping with these core expenses, we aim to make it easier for artists on the road so they can keep performing to their fans in more cities across the country.”

Meanwhile, Nelson added: “Touring is important to artists so whatever we can do to help other artists, I think we should do it. This program will impact thousands of artists this year and help make touring a little bit easier.”

Live Nation’s pledge follows that of Ineffable Music Group, who committed to ceasing the practice of taking merch cuts at venues they own and operate earlier this year.

Meanwhile, the fight to get venues to stop taking merch cuts in the UK continues. 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.

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