Video by The Business Side of Music via YouTube
Why do artists get busier than ever and still go broke? Because most musicians treat the paycheck as profit and forget the costs that consume it.
In this episode, Sarah sits down with Gary Arbuthnot and Craig Meyer, co-founders of GigLogic, a pricing and negotiation tool built for touring artists. Craig is a lifelong performer with Broadway, film, and Disney voice credits, and creator of the touring show Rocket Man: The Elton John Experience. Gary is a classical flutist turned booking agent who spent 20+ years headlining on cruise lines before moving to the agency side of the business.
They break down the one cost almost every artist forgets (it’s taxes, and it can catch you owing thousands), how merchandise sales trigger tax filings in every state you sell in, and how to choose between a flat guarantee, a straight door split, or a back-end deal depending on where you are in your career. They also get into what real negotiating leverage looks like for a new artist, why 100 true fans beat 10,000 passive followers, and the red flags in an offer sheet that mean it’s time to walk away.
What you’ll learn:
Why artists can be busier than ever and still be losing money on every gig
The most common cost musicians forget to factor into an offer
How merchandise sales create tax obligations most artists don’t see coming
How to evaluate a flat guarantee, a door split, and a back-end deal
What real negotiating leverage looks like for a new or independent artist
Why organic, local fans matter more than a big but passive following
The red flags in a contract that signal a gig isn’t worth taking
"Most artists think that the paycheck is the profit." — Gary Arbuthnot
"The sustained artist is the free artist." — Craig A. Meyer
Learn more about GigLogic at giglogic.com
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