#MyMerch
Touring in 2022 has been brutal for musicians – the financial risks of COVID-19 and heightened costs from inflation have made touring an uphill battle just to break even. To add insult to injury, many venues and festivals require merch cuts. A merch cut is when a venue or festival takes anywhere from 15% to 35% of the artist’s merch sales. This is an exploitative practice that interferes with one of the few ways fans can directly support artists in this challenging economic climate, and it must stop.
UMAW, Featured Artists Coalition (FAC), and the artist Cadence Weapon have teamed up to launch the North American leg of the 100% Venues campaign, #MyMerch. We call on North American music venues and festivals to join the #MyMerch campaign and sign on to end the practice of taking merch cuts. Join the #MyMerch venue database and pledge not to take merch cuts at the link below.
Artists carry the financial burden of designing, producing, and shipping merch, and selling merch is one of the few ways artists can make a profit on tour. It’s time for North American performance spaces to join the 400+ UK venues that have already committed to not taking a merch cut, and be part of a growing effort to transform the music industry for the better.
Venues and festivals: sign up here to be part of the 100% Venues campaign and take a stand against merch cuts!
What is a “Merch Cut”?
A merch cut is when a venue takes a percentage of the artist's merch sales.
Though artists bear the financial burden of designing, manufacturing, and shipping their merch, some venues choose to exploit artists by taking out their own cut.
The percentage number has been steadily rising, with some venues now taking up to 20-35% of artist merch sales.
Artists often learn about merch cuts after they agree to play at the venue, so they are unable to refuse. This lack of transparency traps artists into unfair financial agreements with venues.
What Can You Do?
If you’re a VENUE:
Sign on to the #MyMerch campaign and add your venue to the list of over 400+ venues across the world who have committed to not taking a merch cut.
If you’re an ARTIST:
Encourage venues you play to sign on to the #MyMerch campaign.
If you’re a BOOKING AGENT:
Prioritize booking at venues that have signed on to the #MyMerch campaign.
If you’re a FAN:
Share the #MyMerch campaign, encourage your favorite venue to sign on to the #MyMerch campaign, and support artists as they maneuver through the new touring climate.
Press
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Digital Music News
Complex
Cadence Weapon SubStack