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Tour budget calculatorWill the tour pay its way?
Shows, fees, miles, nights, per diems and wages. See the tour’s profit, what each show and each person takes home, and the fee you need to break even.
HOW IT’S WORKED OUT
Budget the tour before you book the van.
A run of good fees can still lose money once the miles, nights and wages add up. This is the sum behind the result.
- 01
Add up the income
Fees or guarantees for every show, plus your merch and door-share estimate.
- 02
Take off commission
Your agent’s or booker’s percentage of the fees.
- 03
Take off the road costs
Miles × cost per mile, other travel, accommodation per night, and per diems for everyone, every day.
- 04
Take off wages and hire
Session players, crew, van hire, insurance and backline. What is left is the tour’s profit.
WORKED EXAMPLE
Eight shows at £600 plus £150 merch a night bring in £6,000. Commission (£480), 1,400 miles at 45p (£630) plus £120 other travel, nine nights at £180 (£1,620), per diems for four over ten days (£800), and £1,050 in wages and hire leave £1,300 — £162.50 a show, or £325 each.
A FEW GOOD QUESTIONS
Know the details.
Then get going.
Practical answers about budgeting a run of dates.
More free toolsHow do I budget for a tour?
Add up what the tour brings in (fees or guarantees, plus a realistic merch and door estimate) and take off everything it costs: commission, travel, accommodation, per diems, wages and hire. Run it before you confirm the dates, so you can change the routing, the nights or the fee while it still helps.
What is a break-even fee?
It is the fee per show at which the tour covers all its costs and makes nothing. If an offer is below it, the tour loses money unless merch or door income makes up the gap.
Should I include my own pay in wages?
Include pay for anyone you pay a set amount, such as session players or crew. If you split the profit between band members instead, leave them out and use the profit per person figure.
What per diem should I allow?
Many UK acts allow £15 to £30 a day per person for food when it is not provided. Use what you actually agreed; buyouts from venues can replace it on some nights.
Can I track a real tour show by show?
Yes. StagePay keeps each show’s fee, travel and expenses together, shows the profit per gig and per month, and on Pro compares venues and gig types after costs.
THE KNOWLEDGE HUB
Tour smarter.
The touring artist survival manual
Practical ways to organise the work around a run of shows.
Read the guide FIELD NOTES / 02Build a travel-proof gig workflow
Keep invoices and receipts straight when you are never home.
Read the guide FIELD NOTES / 03Negotiate gig rates without undercutting yourself
Use the break-even fee to anchor the guarantee.
Read the guideYOUR NEXT ACT
Make the next tour pay.
Track every show’s fee, costs and profit in StagePay. Start for free.
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