The live music industry is a vastly important part of the modern music business economy. In a business that, in recent years, has made it harder for both artists and industry personnel to make an income and profit from releasing music- due to streaming services like Spotify paying their artists so little, which in turn also affects profit from record labels- the live music industry is heavily responsible for the income of many people and companies working within the music business. In this case study, I will be talking about the roles of both live music promoters and tour managers. Additionally, I will be creating a hypothetical event which I will use to compare and contextualise the need for both of these roles in modern live music.
The role of a promoter is essential in initiating, promoting, financially planning and selecting venues and live acts for live music events. Promoters are typically responsible for booking artists for events, talking with agents, gathering resources listed on riders, setting ticket splits amongst staff and bands, etc. Sometimes, a headline band or a record label- especially on a tour, will book support bands of their choice. However, usually, promoters will book these acts- as a local promoter will normally have a better idea of which local bands would suit the event and which have a big local following to sell tickets to, something that is especially important for smaller-scale event. An example I have gathered of how a promoter might choose a live band for an event is from Tom Ford- manager of Foe Presents in Leeds, who I recently asked a question on this subject. ‘When looking to book bands for a gig the best thing I can be presented with is, is a good quality EPK. Something that shows what a band is about in one document is extremely helpful to me. Usually this would include- press photos, their music, a bio, social media links and so on. One thing that is incredibly helpful, which many artists don’t do, is share their analytics, as then I can see their audience engagement on social media and their ticket sales from previous events, which is something that makes me feel a lot more assured when booking them.’ (Ford, T. 2025)
To financially plan for an event, promoters develop a comprehensive budget that estimates all potential expenses. This includes artist fees, ticket prices, choosing an event date that maximises event profitability, insurance, venue rental, marketing, wages for sound engineers, security, etc. Overall, they need to make sure they are booking artists and a venue to maximise event profitability. They also must consider legal aspects of putting on an event, such as health and safety regulations, local authority liscensing, employment regulations for staff and contractors, PRS and PPL licensing, etc. Failure to comply with these regulations could lead to fines and event cancellation. In terms of booking a venue for an event, it is crucial that a promoter chooses the right venue to suit the style of music, the expected number of audience members, how long you can book the venue for, etc. An example of how much a promoter could expect to invest on a typical 150 capacity grass roots music venue, Hyde Park Book Club in Leeds, is a great example to use, thanks to their readily available venue pack pdf. To book the basement room (the main room for events with live bands) promoters would look to spend ‘£140 + VAT + PRS (sound engineer included)’ (Hyde Park Book Club, 2024) which is a very respectable price- considering you do not have to book a lighting/sound engineer. In this package, you have the venue from ‘Load in / Curfew [-] 4pm / 11pm’ (Hyde Park Book Club, 2024) which is just enough time for three bands and a fifteen-minute sound check each. Prices would usually be higher than this if you were to book a band on tour, sound engineers and other staff, but for the sake of showing typical rates this is fine. Although not related to financial planning, promoters usually organise sound check times and the order that the acts play.
As previously stated, marketing is also a key aspect of a promoter’s budgeting and a large responsibility of theirs in general. They would need to calculate how much they would need to spend on printing flyers, local/national radio promotion, etc. However, not all marketing strategies that a promoter may use involve financial planning. Promoters in the modern industry rely very heavily on social media. One reason for this is – ‘Social media networks have evolved to do more than spark conversations—they drive culture. Consumers are using Facebook (39%), TikTok (36%) and Instagram (29%) to make purchases.’ (O’Grady, N. 2025) This makes social media by far the most effective way to sell tickets for an event. Nowadays, tickets are almost always bought online rather than on the door. Therefore, it makes sense to use the most popular platforms on the internet- which happen to be social media platforms, to sell tickets, especially considering the staggering nature of the previously mentioned statistic. If a promoter would like to, they can also “boost” posts on these platforms. “Boosting” a post is when a person invests on social media platforms for their post to be viewed by more people. There are many ways to utilise paid features on social media, many of which can be used to great effect. Some examples are Meta ads (for Facebook and Instagram), TikTok ads, and Google ads, which are considered industry-standard promotional tools.
The role of a tour manager is also a crucial role in the live music business. According to Callum Read- independent tour manager and artist manager, in an interview with Leeds Conservatoire, some skills a tour manager needs include- ‘Time keeping, first aid experience, patience, organisational skills and being able to listen and respond to personal problems. Generally, problem solving is an absolute must. You must be able to think on your feet and find a solution to a problem ASAP.’ (Read, C. 2020) A tour manager’s top priority is day-to-day management of an artist on tour. This differs to a promoter, as they are in charge of organising an individual event, whereas a tour manager is responsible for the welfare and organisation of multiple events (a tour). A tour manager’s work begins in the preparation stage, working closely with promoters, agents, production teams, etc to confirm schedules, organise the artist’s transport and accommodation, pass on technical requirements and riders to promoters/event staff, and organising catering. ‘In some cases, tour managers work closely with a tour publicist to ensure attendance of the shows, and those who work on smaller tours might take on additional duties, such as overseeing production elements like lighting and sound or working the merch table.’ (Berklee. Date – N/A) Another important aspect of being a tour manager is ensuring the tour’s itinerary runs smoothly, handling per diems, coordinating load-ins, checking into hotels, organising pick up and drop off times to and from venues, etc. Tour managers act as the first point of contact between artists and other event staff, such as promoters. In terms of managing the welfare of a tour, tour managers need to keep on top of their artist’s physical and mental health. This means ensuring that adequate rest is provided, venue conditions are safe and that compliance with working times is ensured.
Tour managers handle the “on-the-road” finances, budgeting for food, accommodation, collecting show settlement sheets, etc. ‘A settlement sheet is a financial document used to finalize payments after a concert or live performance. It includes: Gross revenue from ticket sales. Net revenue (gross minus expenses) Deductions such as venue fees, production costs, and taxes.’ (FLi Artists. 2025) It also includes agreed guarantees and percentages. Having an accurate settlement sheet is crucial for a tour manager, as any mistakes could lead to financial loss and could break the trust between the artist and the tour manager. Tour managers need settlement sheets for multiple reasons. These include- ‘Visa and Tax Compliance – For international artists, settlement sheets help verify earnings for visa applications, tax filings, and CWA’s[,] Contractual Agreements – They ensure that all financial terms agreed upon in the contract are honored[,] Commission Calculations – Agencies and managers use them to determine their percentage of the artist’s earnings or to pass on to the IRS if they handle tax filings or CWA’s for their artists[,] Transparency and Accountability – They prevent disputes by clearly outlining financial details[,]Ticket Counts – Most artists / agencies track ticket sales in various markets for future gig bookings.’ (FLi Artists. 2025) In terms of legal considerations for a tour manager, they need to consider customs regulations, Visas for international touring, alongside health and safety/safeguarding. Health and safety and safeguarding very much goes back to what Callum Read said in the previously mentioned interview regarding valuable skills to have as a tour manager. Another legal consideration for tour managers is consumer protection laws, e.g the UK’s package travel regulations requiring ATOL/insurance, supplier agreements and professional indemnity/public liability to cover client injury, protecting artists and tour operators from negligence claims and financial risk.
To compare and contextualise these two different roles in the live music industry, I will be creating a hypothetical live music event. The event will take place at Hyde Park Book Club in Leeds. The lineup will consist of Courting, a promising alternative rock band from Liverpool, headlining the event alongside two supporting bands. The event will be taking place on Friday 27th February 2026. I (the promoter in this scenario) have selected Hyde Park Book Club as the venue for the event, as I believe it is the perfect intimate, grassroots venue. Based in Leeds UK, a city with a high student population, the venue is a hotspot for students to see local, upcoming bands. The venue has a very “DIY” attitude, which I believe would be perfect for a band like Courting, as it reflects the punk ethos that their music reflects so well. As well as this, I believe it would be the perfect venue to showcase the local student bands, which we plan to use for this event. As the promoter for this event, I realise that the capacity of this venue is small, ‘150 Standing [capacity]’ (Hyde Park Book Club, 2024)- to be more precise. This may seem too small for a touring band like Courting, however we plan to announce this event only one week before the date, as we plan for it to act almost like a surprise event midway through their UK tour. Because of the size difference between the headline band and the venue capacity, we are confident that this show will be sold-out, so we are confident in making profit from this event. However, due to the expected demand for this event, we will be doing a more extensive risk assessment prior- and will be hiring security to make sure that no extra tickets are sold at the door after the 130 tickets have been sold (20 tickets have been held). I will also create a budgeting sheet, where I will calculate the potential gross from tickets against the costs of the event- to find how many tickets need to be sold to break even. Our budget, in terms of expenditure, includes: PRS, artist fees, local/national ads, catering, event staff, leaflets/posters, distribution, hotels, etc. In terms of extra event details, load-in will be at 5pm, each band will have a 15-minute soundcheck, the doors will open at 7pm and tickets will be sold on Skiddle. Less money will be spent on accommodation, as two out of three of the bands are local student bands that do not require accommodation.
The tour manager will need to be in close contact with the promoter for the event, as they will need to collect stage plans to pass on to the lighting/sound engineer and riders to account for in the event budget. The tour manager will also complete the settlement sheet to verify income, track expenses, calculate net, make sure the artist gets paid and to document everything so they can keep records for visa/tax compliance for future booking negotiations. In terms of financial responsibilities, the tour manager will also handle per diems and cash floats, and create a budget for their artist’s accommodation and food. The tour manager will act as the central point of contact between the artist and the promoter, making sure any rider requests or technical requirements are sent through to the promoter, (refer to the budget sheet and settlement sheets below to get more information about the financial details regarding this event).
In conclusion, this event demonstrates the differences between promoters and tour managers. A promoter’s role is more independent; their responsibilities regard the initiation and organisation of an event. A tour manager’s role is anchored towards the organisation and budgeting of an artist’s tour. Although both often work together, promoters are usually more involved with a particular event than a tour manager.
References
Ford, T. (2025) – (Title N/A)
‘When looking to book bands for a gig the best thing I can be presented with is, is a good quality EPK. Something that shows what a band is about in one document is extremely helpful to me. Usually this would include- press photos, their music, a bio, social media links and so on. One thing that is incredibly helpful, which many artists don’t do, is share their analytics, as then I can see their audience engagement on social media and their ticket sales from previous events, which is something that makes me feel a lot more assured when booking them.’
Question answered – 12th November 2025
Hyde Park Book Club (2024) – HYDE PARK BOOK CLUB Venue Pack – Available at – https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55b75d7ce4b03ad201aaf970/t/66df16217ccb5e7bf46f005f/1725896239215/HPBC+Venu+pack+summer+2024.pdf
‘£140 + VAT + PRS (sound engineer included)’
‘Load in / Curfew [-] 4pm / 11pm’
‘150 Standing’
Accessed – 15th November 2025
O’Grady, N. (2025) – The importance of social media marketing: 7 stats that prove social’s role in business success – Available at – https://sproutsocial.com/insights/importance-of-social-media-marketing-in-business/
‘Social media networks have evolved to do more than spark conversations—they drive culture. Consumers are using Facebook (39%), TikTok (36%) and Instagram (29%) to make purchases.’
Accessed – 17th November 2025
Read, C. (2020) – The Life Of… a Tour Manager – Accessed at – https://www.leedsconservatoire.ac.uk/about-us/progression-portal/musicians-survival-guide-articles/the-life-of-a-tour-manager/
‘Time keeping, first aid experience, patience, organisational skills and being able to listen and respond to personal problems. Generally, problem solving is an absolute must. You must be able to think on your feet and find a solution to a problem ASAP.’
Accessed – 18th November 2025
Berklee. (Date – N/A) – Tour Manager – Available at – https://www.berklee.edu/careers/roles/tour-manager
‘In some cases, tour managers work closely with a tour publicist to ensure attendance of the shows, and those who work on smaller tours might take on additional duties, such as overseeing production elements like lighting and sound or working the merch table.’
Accessed – 19th November 2025
FLi Artists. (2025) – Why All The Fuss About Settlement Sheets? – Available at – https://fliartists.com/2025/05/20/settlement-sheets/
‘A settlement sheet is a financial document used to finalize payments after a concert or live performance. It includes: Gross revenue from ticket sales. Net revenue (gross minus expenses) Deductions such as venue fees, production costs, and taxes.’
‘Visa and Tax Compliance – For international artists, settlement sheets help verify earnings for visa applications, tax filings, and CWA’s[,] Contractual Agreements – They ensure that all financial terms agreed upon in the contract are honored[,] Commission Calculations – Agencies and managers use them to determine their percentage of the artist’s earnings or to pass on to the IRS if they handle tax filings or CWA’s for their artists[,] Transparency and Accountability – They prevent disputes by clearly outlining financial details[,] Ticket Counts – Most artists / agencies track ticket sales in various markets for future gig bookings.’
Accessed – 21st November 2025
