10% is the standard. 15% may be asked if other duties that would normally fall on managements lap find their way onto a booking agents plate.juliun_c90 wrote:i don't even know who originally made this statement from that mess of quotes, but that simply isn't true in a lot of cases. speaking from experience it's often the agent who wades in with an exorbitantly high quote in the self-serving interest of bumping up their 15% and in actual fact sometimes does the artist they're supposedly trying to represent out of a gig. if you can go artist direct it's often better (contractual committments permitting).also, agents are not pimps! at the end of the day, it's the artist who decides how much their fee should be for any particular gig.
And if the agent is doing their job, they ask what they have been asked to ask and do everything in their power to get that amount as a service to the ARTIST. Some areas will be asked more than others depending on the locality.
Also, in a lot of cases, the agent nor the artist really have an idea what a show should fetch in certain areas, so a little guess work is required.. starting with a high bid and finding the happy medium is usually the case. Nobody in this 'scene' (for lack of a better term) is looking to "get over" ... they only want what is fair under those UNIQUE circumstances. Open lines of communication with the agent and see where that gets you. I bet, with a clear understanding that the agent is working with pre-established terms and a willingness to work towards a fair and equal resolution, you may land a show that is good for everyone rather than writing off an agent and loosing a potential connection.
