Understanding Walk-Out Numbers - Settlement Math Explained

The walk-out number is the amount the artist leaves with at the end of the night.

Not the gross ticket revenue. Not the guarantee on the contract. The actual dollar amount - after deal structure is applied, after allowable expenses are deducted, after any advance already paid is subtracted - that goes into the tour manager's hands at the box office at midnight.

Understanding how that number is calculated is foundational for every person in the live music ecosystem. If you're a tour manager, it's your job to verify it. If you're an agent, your commission depends on it. If you're a promoter, your margin lives in the difference between what you projected and what actually comes out. If you're an indie band, it's the number that determines whether the tour paid for itself. The full process is covered in our guide to settlement night.

Here's how the math works.

The Inputs - What the Calculation Starts With

Every settlement calculation starts with three things:

1. Gross ticket revenue

Total ticket sales across all price points and sales channels - advance, walkup, VIP, early bird - before any deductions. This comes from the box office report and is the starting number for everything that follows.

2. The deal structure

The agreed terms that determine how gross revenue translates into artist payout. There are four primary structures:

• Flat guarantee
• Door deal (percentage of gross or net)
• Versus deal (guarantee vs. percentage)
• Co-pro or four-wall split

3. Allowable expenses

Costs the venue or promoter is entitled to deduct from gross revenue before the artist's percentage is applied - in deals where expense deductions are part of the structure. What's allowable should be established in the deal memo.

Settlement Math by Deal Type

Flat Guarantee

The simplest calculation. The artist receives the agreed guarantee regardless of ticket sales.

Formula: Walk-out number = Guarantee - Advance already paid

Example: $1,500 guarantee. $500 advance paid six weeks ago.

Walk-out number = $1,500 - $500 = $1,000

That's it. The box office report doesn't change this calculation - the number is fixed. The only variable is whether the advance was paid and documented.

Door Deal (Gross)

The artist receives a fixed percentage of total ticket revenue before any deductions.

Formula: Walk-out number = Gross ticket revenue x Artist percentage

Example: $3,200 gross ticket revenue. 80/20 door deal, artist gets 80%.

Walk-out number = $3,200 x 0.80 = $2,560

This is the most favorable door deal structure for the artist because no expenses are removed before the percentage applies.

Door Deal (Net)

The artist receives a percentage of ticket revenue after allowable expenses are deducted.

Formula: Walk-out number = (Gross ticket revenue - Allowable expenses) x Artist percentage

Example: $3,200 gross ticket revenue. $900 in venue expenses. 80/20 net door deal.

Net revenue = $3,200 - $900 = $2,300

Walk-out number = $2,300 x 0.80 = $1,840

The difference between gross and net on this example is $720 - entirely attributable to the expense deduction. This is why knowing whether a door deal is gross or net before you agree to it matters.

Roadi tip: The walk-out number calculation on a net door deal is where the most settlement disputes happen - specifically around what expenses are allowable and whether they were disclosed in advance. Roadi's settlement engine pulls from the agreed expense list entered at deal confirmation, so there are no surprise deductions at midnight. Request beta access.

Versus Deal

The artist receives whichever is higher: the flat guarantee or a percentage of ticket revenue above a break-even threshold. The full mechanics of the versus deal are covered in our deal-structure guide.

Formula:

Guarantee path = Guarantee amount

Percentage path = (Gross revenue - Threshold) x Artist percentage

Walk-out number = whichever is higher

Example: $1,000 guarantee versus 85% of net ticket revenue over $1,500.

Gross ticket revenue: $4,000. Expenses: $600. Net ticket revenue: $3,400.

Guarantee path: $1,000

Percentage path: ($3,400 - $1,500) x 0.85 = $1,900 x 0.85 = $1,615

$1,615 > $1,000, so the artist walks out with $1,615.

Now run the same deal with a slow night - net ticket revenue: $1,800.

Percentage path: ($1,800 - $1,500) x 0.85 = $300 x 0.85 = $255

$255 < $1,000, so the guarantee applies. Artist walks out with $1,000.

This is the protective function of the guarantee - it floors the artist's payout regardless of ticket sales. The versus structure means a good night pays more than the floor.

Co-Pro Settlement

A co-promotion deal splits both the costs and the revenue between the venue and an outside promoter. The settlement math is more complex because both parties have contributed to the cost side and both are entitled to a share of the upside.

Basic formula: Total revenue - Total expenses = Net profit (or loss). Net profit split per agreed co-pro percentage.

Example:

Show gross: $8,000. Total costs (artist guarantee, production, staffing, marketing): $5,500.

Net: $8,000 - $5,500 = $2,500

Co-pro split 60/40 (promoter/venue): Promoter gets $1,500, venue gets $1,000.

In a co-pro, both parties need full expense transparency to settle correctly. This is the deal structure that most benefits from automated settlement.

What Affects the Walk-Out Number Beyond the Math

Comps and guest list. Complimentary tickets are typically excluded from the gross revenue calculation - they're not sales. But in a versus deal, high comp counts reduce gross revenue and can push a deal back toward the guarantee. Know how many comps were issued and how they're treated in the deal.

Ticketing fees. Whether ticketing platform fees (Eventbrite, TicketWeb, etc.) are included in or excluded from gross revenue depends on the deal. Establish this during advancing, not at settlement.

Merch. Merch revenue is typically settled separately from ticket revenue and is not included in the show settlement calculation unless the deal specifically includes it.

Taxes. Sales tax on ticket revenue is excluded from the gross number in most deals - you're calculating on the net-of-tax ticket price. Confirm this during advancing in markets where ticket tax rates are significant.

The walk-out number is only clean if every input is accurate. Box office errors, undisclosed expense deductions, and deal term discrepancies all corrupt the output. Roadi keeps deal terms, expense lists, and box office data in one system so the calculation is verifiable by both parties before the check is written. Request beta access.

A Settlement Checklist for Calculating Walk-Out Numbers

Before you finalize any settlement, run through this:

• Box office report received and reviewed for accuracy
• Ticket count cross-referenced against independent source
• Deal structure confirmed against deal memo (guarantee / door / versus / co-pro)
• Expense deductions reviewed and confirmed against advance agreement
• Gross vs. net basis confirmed for percentage calculations
• Versus deal: both paths calculated, higher confirmed
• Advance already paid subtracted from final number
• Both parties confirm the walk-out number before the check is written
• Settlement document signed and copied by both parties

That's a 10-minute process when the inputs are organized. It's a 90-minute dispute when they're not.

For the full context of how the walk-out number fits into the concert settlement process - step by step from box office to signed sheet - see our complete guide.

The walk-out number is the bottom line of everything the live music industry does. Getting it right - consistently, cleanly, and without conflict at midnight - is what professional settlement looks like.

For venues, promoters, tour managers, and agents who want that math to run automatically from the deal terms through to the final payout: Request beta access.