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The following are the results of a survey conducted in September 2024 with 96 active musicians in Austin, TX. The focus of the survey was on earning potential of selling music related services and primarily earning potential of live performance in Austin.
The survey responses were collected anonymously through a Google Form between September 5th, 2024 and September 13, 2024.
There were a total of 96 responses to the survey. Not all participants answered all questions. In some cases invalid responses were given to certain questions and those were removed from the results. In those questions, the number of valid responses collected is disclosed.
For questions that called for a dollar amount, the form allowed for a text response instead of a single number. And as a result some clean up had to be done on the data. If the answer was a single dollar amount, it was considered valid. If the answer was a range, the value in the exact middle of the range was used. If the answer was “at least $x” or “less than $x”, I used $x as the value for that entry. And if a written statement was made, I made a judgement call whether to include some number from what was written or not include it at all if a clear opinion was not expressed or if they seem to have misunderstood the question.
Have you ever played for free?
The exact phrasing of this question on the survey was:
Have you ever played a set for free (not open mic)?
90% of Austin musicians in this survey said yes, they have played a set for free.
Would you play for free?
The exact phrasing of this question on the survey was:
At this point in your career, would you play for free under any circumstance?
I think this question was phrased poorly. It was intended to mean: “Is there any circumstance in which you would play for free?” But it could have been also read as: “Would you play for free no matter what the circumstance?” Because of that, I would just disregard the results of this question. I realized this while watching someone else read the question out loud and look visibly confused.
Would you ever pay to play?
The exact phrasing of this question on the survey was:
Would you ever “pay to play”? Meaning, would you ever consider paying money to perform at a show presumably because it would benefit you in some other way?
92% of Austin musicians say they would never pay to play a show.
Pay for 150 gigs
The exact phrasing of this question on the survey was:
If you were to play 150 gigs in one year in Austin, TX (not on tour), how much money would you realistically make for the year?
If you play in a band this would be how much you would take home not how much the band brings in as a whole.
On average, musicians in Austin, TX believe they would make about $15,000 to $20,000 in revenue from playing 150 gigs in one year.
| Statistic | Value |
| Mean average | $19,453.91 |
| Median | $15,000 |
| Mode | $15,000 |
| Valid Responses (sample size) | 92 |
| Standard Deviation | $15,807.06 |
| Lowest Value | $100 |
| Highest Value | $85,000 |
This question allowed for written responses. One observation from the more nuanced written responses was that many commented that it would be a higher amount if you played 150 solo gigs vs 150 gigs with a band.
Pay for a band playing 3 hours
The exact phrasing of this question on the survey was:
How much money do you believe a typical band earns for playing 3 hours on Saturday at a bar or club in Austin, TX?
| Statistic | Value |
| Mean average | $502.33 |
| Median | $400 |
| Mode | $500 |
| Valid Responses (sample size) | 90 |
| Standard Deviation | $782.76 |
| Lowest Value | $60 |
| Highest Value | $7,500 |
Austin musicians say that on average a band makes $500 playing at a bar for 3 hours. There was a lot of variability in this question but only 3 values were over $1000.
Pay for a band playing a wedding
The exact phrasing of this question on the survey was:
How much money do you believe a typical band earns for playing a wedding in Austin, TX?
| Statistic | Value |
| Mean average | $2220.17 |
| Median | $1500 |
| Mode | $1000 |
| Valid Responses (sample size) | 88 |
| Standard Deviation | $3112.50 |
| Lowest Value | $200 |
| Highest Value | $27500 |
Austin musicians say that on average a band makes $2220.17 for playing a wedding. This question had far more variability than the last with answers ranging from $200 to $27500. I think it would be interesting to do the same survey with wedding planners and see what the answer is. I would hypothesize that the real number would be higher and the discrepancy could be due to the fact that many of the musicians in this survey are not wedding band players.
Pay for a 3 hour solo gig
The exact phrasing of this question on the survey was:
How much money do you believe a typical solo artist earns for playing 3 hours at a bar or club on Saturday in Austin, TX.
| Statistic | Value |
| Mean average | $227.69 |
| Median | $200 |
| Mode | $200 |
| Valid Responses (sample size) | 90 |
| Standard Deviation | $103.95 |
| Lowest Value | $50 |
| Highest Value | $500 |
| Mean average $/hr | $75.90/hr |
Austin musicians say that, on average, a 3 hour solo gig pays $227.69. That puts the hourly rate at $75.90/hr. The lowest and highest survey submissions in terms of hourly rate are $16.66/hr and $166.66/hr.
Interestingly, this question had the least variance in the responses. It could be because the surveyed musicians have more experience with solo gigs than band and wedding gigs. But 62.5% of the participants said they usually perform as a band and only 18.8% said they usually play solo. The lower variance could just be because pay for bands is highly variable.
Actual Average Wage for Live Performers
The exact phrasing of this question on the survey was:
What do you believe is the average rate that live musicians make in Austin, Texas if you had to break it down to Dollars per hour per performer?
(i.e. If your 5 piece band regularly earns $1500 for a 3 hour performance then that would be $100 per hour per performer.)
| Statistic | Value |
| Mean average | $53.80 |
| Median | $50 |
| Mode | $50 |
| Valid Responses (sample size) | 93 |
| Standard Deviation | $31.64 |
| Lowest Value | $5 |
| Highest Value | $150 |
Austin musicians say that the average rate for live performers when it comes to dollars per performer is $53.80/hr.
Fair Wage for Live Performers
The exact phrasing of this question on the survey was:
What you do believe is a fair hourly wage for one live musician to perform if you are only counting the hours you are on stage performing?
| Statistic | Value |
| Mean average | $124.12 |
| Median | $100 |
| Mode | $100 |
| Valid Responses (sample size) | 93 |
| Standard Deviation | $66.66 |
| Lowest Value | $10 |
| Highest Value | $400 |
It is interesting that there was much more variation in answers when it comes to answering what is “fair” vs what is the current reality (previous question). The general consensus seems to be that Austin, TX musicians feel that they are being paid no more than half of what they believe is fair.
Instrument of Choice
The exact phrasing of this question on the survey was:
What is your instrument of choice?
This question had a multiple choice format with the following options: Vocals, Piano/keyboard, Drums/Percussion, Guitar, Bass Guitar, Violin, Cello, Upright Bass, Ukulele, Trumpet, Trombone, Saxophone. The question also allowed for the participants to select “other” and specify an instrument. Most of the “other” responses were just combinations of the options listed and are represented in the cart as “Other”.
Fair Wage For a Stand In Musician
The exact phrasing of this question on the survey was:
What do you believe is a fair hourly wage for you to play your instrument of choice in a live performance if you were paid only for the hours you are actually performing?
| Statistic | Value |
| Mean average | $123.09 |
| Median | $100 |
| Mode | $100 |
| Valid Responses (sample size) | 94 |
| Standard Deviation | $77.51 |
| Lowest Value | $15 |
| Highest Value | $500 |
Musicians in Austin believe that a fair wage for performing live is $100/hr or more whether they are performing as a stand in or not. In retrospect, the way this question is phrased, it is not clear that it is meant to be for stand in musicians and could have seemed just like a copy of the previous question.
Fair Wage for a Studio Session Musician
The exact phrasing of this question on the survey was:
What do you believe is a fair hourly wage for you to play your instrument of choice as a studio musician if you were paid only for the hours you are actually in the studio recording session?
| Statistic | Value |
| Mean average | $126.87 |
| Median | $100 |
| Mode | $100 |
| Valid Responses (sample size) | 83 |
| Standard Deviation | $77.1 |
| Lowest Value | $20 |
| Highest Value | $500 |
This question got fewer valid responses because many included points or royalties as part of their compensation in their answer.
Music Lesson Rates
The exact phrasing of this question on the survey was:
If you teach music lessons, how much do you charge per hour?
| Statistic | Value |
| Mean average | $58.11/hr |
| Median | $60/hr |
| Mode | $50/hr |
| Valid Responses (sample size) | 41 |
| Standard Deviation | $21.14 |
| Lowest Value | $15/hr |
| Highest Value | $125/hr |
The average rate for music lessons given by a sample of 41 Austin, TX musicians is $58.11/hr. Note that this survey question only got 41 responses.
Is the live music industry fair?
The exact phrasing of this question on the survey was:
Do you feel the live music industry in Austin, TX is “fair”?
82% of Austin musicians in this survey said that the live music industry is not fair. The next question asked for participants to comment on what is fair or unfair about it. There were many mixed responses. Some of the common sentiments were:
- The wages are understandably low based on lack of demand and over saturation of musicians in Austin.
- There is gatekeeping in booking that makes it hard for new bands to get their foot in the door.
- Musicians who don’t charge enough bring the wages down for everyone.
- Overall it is unfair but it is better than other cities.
Performer Type
The exact phrasing of this question on the survey was:
How do you usually perform?
This was a multiple choice question with the options Solo, Band, DJ, and the option to select “other” and enter a response.
Do you sell merchandise?
The exact phrasing of this question on the survey was:
Do you sell merch at your shows?
Merchandise Earnings
The exact phrasing of this question on the survey was:
On average how much money do you earn from merch per show? (total sales, not profit)
| Statistic | Value |
| Mean average | $71.84 |
| Median | $40 |
| Mode | $20 |
| Valid Responses (sample size) | 69 |
| Standard Deviation | $91.36 |
| Lowest Value | $0 |
| Highest Value | $525 |
Fair Wage for Booking Agent
The exact phrasing of this question on the survey was:
What is a fair percentage to pay to a booking agent?
| Statistic | Value |
| Mean average | 12.54% |
| Median | 10% |
| Mode | 10% |
| Valid Responses (sample size) | 87 |
| Standard Deviation | 5.78% |
| Lowest Value | 3% |
| Highest Value | 50% |
Austin musicians in this survey say 10%-15% is a fair wage for a booker.
Do Musicians Still Want Record Deals?
The exact phrasing of this question on the survey was:
Do you want a record deal?
Record deals have a bad reputation but it seems that most musicians in Austin still see them as a career booster.
Do Musicians Claim Their Live Performance Royalties?
The exact phrasing of this question on the survey was:
Do you claim your performance royalties when you perform your original songs live?
Musicians who play music they have written in a live setting could be entitled to collecting performance royalties. In broad strokes, all they have to do is sign up with a PRO (Performing Rights Organization) like BMI or ASCAP and report when and where they played each song. It is tedious. Some do not do it because it is a pain many don’t know about it. It could earn you generally about a $1 per song.
Conclusion
It was no secret that wages are low for musicians. It appears from this survey that, in Austin, Texas, musicians are earning less than half of what they believe is fair. According to the survey, live musicians in Austin are earning about $50/hr while they believe $125/hr is fair.