Ticket sales for bands I talked to rarely even make up the costs of the gig. Especially if they aren’t the main act with a decent fan base. Merch is what brings

Ticket sales for bands I talked to rarely even make up the costs of the gig. Especially if they aren’t the main act with a decent fan base. Merch is what brings in some more money. But depending on the band, touring can even just be for the fun of it, where break-even is a victory. And then there’s the whole pay-2-play, where you get nothing of the tickets, and instead pay to be support. It’s really not as simple or homogenous as people make it seem.