Door Deal vs. Guarantee - A Guide for Indie Bands

You just got offered a show. The talent buyer sends over the terms: "Door deal, 80/20 after expenses." Your bandmate says you should hold out for a guarantee. You're not sure what either of those things actually means for your bank account after load-out.

This is the conversation happening in vans and green rooms across every touring market, every weekend. The vocabulary is simple. The math has consequences. Here's what you actually need to know.

What Is a Door Deal?

A door deal means your pay for the night is a percentage of ticket revenue - what comes in at the door. There is no guaranteed floor. If ten people show up and tickets are $10, you're splitting $100. If two hundred people show up, the math looks a lot better.

The split is expressed as a ratio - 70/30, 80/20, 85/15 - where the first number is typically the artist's share. But the number that actually matters is what the split applies to: gross revenue or net revenue after expenses.

Gross door deal: You get your percentage of total ticket revenue, before the venue takes out anything. Rare, and favorable to the artist.

Net door deal: The venue deducts its expenses first - production costs, staffing, sometimes a room fee - and you get your percentage of what's left. This is far more common and can significantly reduce your actual take.

The difference is not trivial. On a $2,000 gross door night with $800 in venue expenses, a net 80/20 deal pays you $960. A gross 80/20 deal pays you $1,600. Always know which one you're agreeing to - and verify the math by understanding the walk-out number calculation before you sign.

Getting the door split confirmed in a deal memo before the show means you're not having this math conversation at midnight with the venue manager. Roadi builds deal terms directly into the settlement - so both sides are working from the same numbers. Request beta access.

What Is a Guarantee?

A guarantee is a flat fee the venue or promoter commits to paying you regardless of how many tickets sell. If the room is empty, you still get the guarantee. If the room sells out, you still get the guarantee - unless there's a backend, which we'll get to.

Guarantees are expressed as a dollar amount: "$500 guarantee," "$1,500 guarantee." They represent certainty. For an indie band with a day job, a van payment, and fuel costs, certainty has real value.

The downside: a flat guarantee caps your upside. If you draw 400 people and the venue nets $8,000 in ticket revenue, your $500 guarantee starts to feel like a bad deal. Which is why the most common structure for artists with real draw isn't a pure guarantee at all.

What Is a Versus Deal?

A versus deal - also called a guarantee versus percentage - is the most common deal structure for developing and mid-level artists. It works like this:

You get whichever is higher: your flat guarantee OR a percentage of ticket revenue above a break-even threshold.

Example: $750 guarantee versus 85% of net ticket revenue over $1,200.

If ticket revenue is $900, the venue hasn't hit the threshold. You get your $750 guarantee.

If ticket revenue is $2,000, the math over threshold is: ($2,000 - $1,200) x 85% = $680. That's less than your guarantee, so you still get $750.

If ticket revenue is $3,500, the math over threshold is: ($3,500 - $1,200) x 85% = $1,955. That exceeds your guarantee, so you get $1,955.

The guarantee protects your floor. The percentage captures your upside. That's why it's the right structure for any artist with real draw - you're not leaving money on the table if the show does well, and you're not going home broke if it doesn't.

Door Deal vs. Guarantee - Which Is Better?

The honest answer: it depends on where you are in your career and how well you know the market.

Take a door deal when:

• You're new to a market and don't know your draw there
• The venue has a strong built-in audience and will actively promote
• The ticket price is high enough that even a modest turnout pays reasonably
• The expenses being deducted are transparent and reasonable

Take a guarantee when:

• You have real overhead - crew, van rental, hotel, fuel
• You're uncertain about the market and need a floor
• The show requires significant production investment
• You've been burned by door deals before in this venue or market

Push for a versus deal when:

• You have demonstrable draw and the venue knows it
• You want your upside protected if the show performs above expectations
• You're at a level where agents and managers are involved and can negotiate it

For most indie bands in the early stages of building a touring career, the honest advice is: take the door deal in markets where you have draw, take the guarantee in markets where you don't, and push for versus deals as soon as you have the leverage to ask. Whatever you agree to, it will be reconciled at settlement night - so get the terms documented.

The Expenses Conversation - Don't Skip This

Whatever deal structure you agree to, the expenses section is where indie bands consistently get caught off guard. Venues can deduct a wide range of costs before your percentage is calculated: sound engineer fees, lighting costs, staffing, production, ticketing fees, even marketing costs in some cases.

Before you agree to a net door deal or a versus deal with a net threshold, ask:

• What expenses will be deducted before my percentage is calculated?
• Is there a cap on expense deductions?
• Can I see an itemized expense list at settlement?

A venue that can't or won't answer these questions before the show is a venue that will answer them at 11:30pm when you're standing at the box office.

Roadi tip: Expense transparency at settlement is one of the biggest pain points for touring artists. Roadi's settlement engine shows both parties the same expense line items in real time, so there are no surprises at the box office. Request beta access.

A Note on the Deal Memo

Whichever deal structure you agree to - door deal, guarantee, or versus - get it in writing before the show goes on sale. A deal memo doesn't need to be complicated. It needs to clearly state:

• The deal structure (door / guarantee / versus)
• The percentage and what it applies to (gross or net)
• Any expense deductions and how they're calculated
• The threshold if it's a versus deal
• The ticket price(s)

That document is what you bring to settlement night. Without it, you're settling on trust. Trust is great. Documentation is better. For everything that happens once the doors close, see The Complete Guide to Concert Show Settlement.

For indie bands without a manager or agent handling paperwork, Roadi's free tier - The Pledge - gives you full access to deal tracking and settlement tools at no cost. When you do have a team, they carry the subscription and you keep shared deal access at no charge. Because the financial side of touring shouldn't require a lawyer to navigate. Request beta access.