How Show Settlement Works (for Bands)

Quick Reference

Settlement is the process of counting the money at the end of the night, reconciling it against the deal terms, and paying the artist. It happens after the show, usually between the artist (or their tour manager) and the venue or promoter rep.

Who settles: You, or whoever in your band handles money. On the other side: a venue manager, a promoter rep, or a bar manager. Sometimes it's the door person with a cash box.

When it happens: After the last set. Usually between midnight and 1am. Sometimes immediately after your set if there are bands after you.

What you need: Your deal terms (written down or on your phone), a calculator, and the ability to ask questions without being confrontational.

Before the Show

Settlement doesn't start at midnight. It starts when you confirm the deal.

Before show day, make sure you have these things documented and accessible to everyone in the band:

• The deal structure (door deal, guarantee, vs deal)
• The exact percentages or dollar amounts
• What expenses, if any, come off the top
• How many comps the venue is taking
• Whether there's a venue merch cut
• Who you're settling with and when

If you're on a door deal, you need to know: who is counting at the door? Is it a venue employee or your person? Is there a clicker count? Will they separate paid attendees from guest list? Will they separate your draw from the other band's draw?

Most of these questions get answered during advancing. If they don't, ask before you load in, not after you play.

During the Show

If you're on a door deal and you don't trust the count, put someone from your band at the door for the first 30 minutes. This isn't rude. This is your money. Some bands do this quietly by having someone "hang out" near the entrance. Others ask the venue directly if they can have someone at the door with a clicker.

Keep track of how full the room feels at different points in the night. If you felt like there were 80 people during your set and the settlement says 45, you need to have that conversation.

The Settlement Itself

At the end of the night, find the person you're settling with. This was ideally identified in advance. If not, ask the bartender or sound engineer who handles settlements.

Here's what the conversation should cover:

1. Confirm the deal terms. "We agreed on 80% of the door after $150 in expenses, correct?" Start here. If there's a disagreement about the deal itself, that's a bigger problem, and it needs to be resolved before you talk about numbers.

2. Get the gross door count. How many people paid? At what price? Were there different price points (online vs. door)? This is the number everything else is built on.

3. Subtract any agreed expenses. Sound, door person, security. These should have been in the deal. If new expenses appear at settlement that weren't in the deal, question them.

4. Subtract comps. How many people were on the guest list? Were comps counted against your door deal or not? This should have been agreed in advance.

5. Calculate your share. Run the math right there. On your phone. Out loud if you need to.

6. Get paid. Cash, check, Venmo, Zelle. Know the method before you settle. If they're paying by check, know who it should be made out to. If it's cash, count it before you leave the building.

After Settlement

Tell the rest of the band the numbers. All of them. Immediately. Not the next morning, not in a text the following week. In the van, before you leave.

Ideally, everyone sees the same breakdown: gross door, expenses, your percentage, the total, and what each person's split is. If you have a band financial system (even a shared Google Sheet), log it that night. Memory is unreliable. Group chat threads get buried.

What to Do When the Numbers Don't Add Up

You counted 70 people during your set. They say 50 walked through the door. At $10 a head, that's $200 at the door and $160 less for you on an 80/20 split.

Stay calm. Ask questions, not accusations.

• "Can I see the door count sheet?"
• "Were any of those walk-ins after the door person left?"
• "How many comps went through tonight?"
• "Was there a period where the door wasn't being covered?"

Sometimes there's a legitimate explanation. Sometimes the door person stepped away for 20 minutes and 15 people walked in free. Sometimes the venue doesn't have a good counting system. Sometimes you got shorted.

If you can't resolve it and the difference is significant, note it. Write it down. Include the date, venue, and your count vs. their count. This isn't about burning a bridge. It's about having a record if a pattern emerges.

If the difference is $15, let it go. The relationship with the venue is worth more than $15 split four ways. If the difference is $150, that's a conversation worth having, respectfully but firmly.