Alternative Live Nation Ineffable waives all fees for trading on venues for artists in a constant quest for a fairer music business.
All venues owned or operated by Ineffable Live, the concert division of Ineffable Music Group and the alternative Live Nation will no longer charge commissions on sales of artists’ paraphernalia. This new policy takes effect immediately at all venues and shows owned or operated by Ineffable, including The Catalyst in Santa Cruz, Ventura Music Hall, Golden State Theater in Monterey and many others.
“When bands go on tour, their revenue streams consist almost entirely of revenue from ticket sales and sales of band merchandise. Historically, it has been the standard business practice in the United States for music venues to charge a percentage of the income received from the sale of goods,” explains Ineffable’s official statement regarding the updated policy.
“A lot of expense groups, such as their travel, manufacturing and health insurance, have increased significantly recently. The same can be said about the costs associated with printing and delivery of T—shirts and other goods,” the statement says. “Independent touring bands that have loyal fan bases rely on the support of their fans through the sale of merchandise to make ends meet. The mark-up on goods is incredibly important for the economic feasibility of touring.”
Ineffable Music Group CEO Thomas Cassins notes: “We are on earth and we hear from artists every day. We see how much the cost of everything has increased — from buses to hotels and flights. Therefore, despite the fact that the club business is a marginal business, any actions that we can take to help (ensure) a healthy and dynamic concert ecosystem are important.”
“This industry only works if artists of all levels can afford to tour,” Cassins continues. “When artists can tour on a regular basis and fans can afford to buy a T-shirt because the total ticket price is reasonable, everyone wins.”
Unspeakable chief talent buyer Casey Smith adds: “We were able to make our live business work even with increased costs, having several venues and being able to create routes for artists, offering them a number of shows in the secondary market and the college market. between their performances in the big city.”
“Since we made him work for us, we want him to work for artists as well,” Smith concludes. “This move is fully consistent with the independent spirit of Ineffable, and given the needs of independent artists, we think it’s important to put them first.”
