Bands chosen to play at South By SouthWest in Austin receives a commission simply $250 whereas organizers are making good earnings. Musicians are talking out about needing more cash as publicity on the pageant is now not as profitable.

ARI SHAPIRO, HOST:

South by Southwest music is presently underway in Austin, Texas. Yearly, the pageant brings in thousands and thousands of worldwide followers and {dollars} to the Texas capital. Working musicians are the spine of the pageant, and a few say they’re getting paid a pittance to play. Now they’re asking for extra. From member station KUT in Austin, Andrew Weber stories.

ANDREW WEBER, BYLINE: Audrey Campbell and her band Pleasure Venom had been of their second of three reveals in 24 hours on the Austin bar Gap within the Wall.

PLEASURE VENOM: (Singing, inaudible).

WEBER: Throughout the break, she thanked the group and the parents who placed on the present, joking that they paid them a good wage.

AUDREY CAMPBELL: Thanks guys for paying us adequately (laughter) to do that. We actually admire you guys.

WEBER: It is the worst saved secret in Austin’s music scene. South by Southwest’s wages aren’t nice they usually have not modified in additional than a decade. A band that performs the pageant will get $250. For this present, although, Audrey and her band made 3 times that. But it surely’s unofficial. The present was placed on by the Union of Musicians and Allied Staff, a nonprofit that helps artists receives a commission. It was began by New York musician Joey La Neve DeFrancesco

JOEY LA NEVE DEFRANCESCO: It was a low wage 10 years in the past, and it is a basically meaningless wage now.

WEBER: The pageant began almost 40 years in the past. Since then, it is introduced billions of {dollars} to Austin. It is helped the town safe a profile as a tech capital. And it has been purchased by Penske Media, a multibillion-dollar firm. DeFrancesco says artists aren’t profiting. In actual fact, they lose cash enjoying the pageant. It begins with a $55 software payment. Then there’s room and board, parking, meals. DeFrancesco says enjoying for publicity at South by Southwest is not honest.

DEFRANCESCO: They suppose they seem to be a mega company, you understand, identical causes – Spotify, Stay Nation, Ticketmaster, proper? – they do not need to respect musicians both as a result of they suppose we have now no energy.

WEBER: So his group is pushing the pageant to pay not less than $750 and no software payment. In an announcement, South by Southwest mentioned it’ll reevaluate its wages forward of subsequent 12 months’s pageant and mentioned, quote, “it is dedicated to creating skilled alternatives for artists.” True, South by Southwest typically markets itself as a spot to be found for musicians like Audrey Campbell from Pleasure Venom. However she would not purchase that. She would not want the publicity.

CAMPBELL: I’ve paid all of the dues at this level. You understand, I’ve performed sufficient free reveals. However I’ve performed all of it. And it is like I haven’t got something to show.

WEBER: She and her band have opened for giant legacy punk bands like L7 and Bikini Kill, not due to publicity on the pageant, however due to their work. After her set, Campbell admits being outspoken about low pay at South by Southwest might have an effect on her possibilities of enjoying on the pageant subsequent 12 months. However she needs to say one thing for musicians who could also be afraid to talk out.

CAMPBELL: So it appears like my accountability to say one thing for artists that may really feel small and don’t desire – do not feel like they’ve, like, the boldness to say it as a result of they really feel like they’ll lose a job. Guess what? I’ve all the time mentioned no matter I would like, and I nonetheless get work (laughter).

WEBER: Campbell admits, finally, it is as much as South by Southwest whether or not it pays artists extra, however hopes not less than they made some noise.

CAMPBELL: (Singing) OK. Bought it.

WEBER: For NPR Information, I am Andrew Weber in Austin.

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