Concert tour managers are project managers, travel agents, book-keepers and HR all in one – can they charge the same? In short: There is no official survey of UK concert tour manager pay, but comparable work gives a clear benchmark: UK project managers earn a median of around £540 a day (£575 in London), while … Read more
The author, a tour manager with over 30 years of experience, argues that festival slots are often promoted as essential career milestones for emerging music artists but rarely deliver meaningful career advancement. Drawing on academic research and personal experience, he contends that any streaming or visibility boost from festival appearances is typically short-lived and tied … Read more
Concert tour managers have decades of experience. Get a second opinion from them before you confirm the tour or festival performance. Tour Management Is Not Just a Job On-The-Road Concert tour management is not driving or just going on-the-road with your artist. Concert tour managers have years, sometimes decades, of experience. You can call on … Read more
Planning a tour involves the artist, artist management, booking agent, and concert promoter working together to decide on tour dates, cities, and venues, ticket price, marketing strategy, as well as negotiating the performance fee itself. Once all this is completed, the artist’s concert tour manager will start pre-production and advancing activities. Both are vital processes … Read more
In short: Per diems are the daily cash allowance you pay band and crew for meals and incidentals on the road. You should budget a minimum £30/€35/$40 per person per day as a starting point. Reduce that rate on days when the promoter supplies a meal or buyout, when the tour is carrying its own … Read more
In short: The carnet is a passport for your artist’s equipment, and it has to be cleared every time the gear crosses a customs border: on the way out of the UK, on arrival abroad, on leaving, and again on the way home. Since 1 June 2026 that can mean a paper carnet stamped by … Read more
In short: An input list tells a venue’s sound crew every sound source on stage and exactly which microphone or DI each one needs; a stage plan shows where each of those sources physically sits. Together, they let an audio crew who has never met you set up the show correctly without guesswork. Ask an … Read more
Illegal and Dangerous – the Overweight Splitter Van The splitter van is the workhorse of UK/European touring. And its probably overweight. This has legal and financial implications for you and your artists. In short: An empty splitter van is already close to its legal weight limit, so once loaded with band, crew, backline, and merch, … Read more
In short: UK touring artists and crew need an A1 certificate from HMRC to prove they only owe UK National Insurance while working in the EU, and it’s currently taking six to eight months to arrive — so apply well before any EU dates (use the faster CA3837 route if touring imminently). If it hasn’t … Read more
The How (and Why) of Hiring a Concert Tour Manager – by a Concert Tour Manager When to bring in a concert tour manager and how to pick the right one – a guide written for artist managers based in the UK. So, you think you need to hire a concert tour manager. You have … Read more
Learn how to effectively communicate with monitor engineers during live performances. Master sound terminology, hand signals, and troubleshooting tips for perfect stage sound.
Everyone who is important will want the AAA pass. How do you decide who gets all access – and where exactly does all access get them?
The contract rider and the contract for a concert – what is the difference? This article, written by a tour manager, shows you the difference with an example rider.
A quick guide to using expiry dates and version numbers on input lists, stage plans, catering riders, and other docs for concert touring. Written by a tour manager.
The contract is between the artist and the concert promoter, but is issued by the booking agent. This article explains the process and key clauses.
For music artists – what is a carnet? A guide for musicians on getting and using a carnet, by a concert tour manager. What is a carnet? A carnet (pronounced ‘kar-nay’) is a kind of passport for musical equipment. The ATA Carnet (to use the correct name) permits tax- and duty-free import and export of … Read more
