rate of pay around the country.

[bryant]

Originally Posted by STE4funguy

It just blows my mind that people are willing to work so cheap. As a company, I have overhead ie: TAXES, INSURANCE, ADVERTISING, RENT, ETC... Let alone the cost of equipment, music, gas, employee's. Even if you are a hobbiest and are not paying taxes, you should have insurance and vehicle expenses. $200 is the lowest price for a 4 hour show and thats only on weekdays and if they book weekly for an entire year! Just think of the time you spend buying your music, importing it into your system, printing books, and all the other little things it takes to do this. So if you are only charging $100 - $150 for a show you end up working for $3.50 an hour after expenses... You can make more as a greeter at WalMart!

Yes, Karaoke is fun and it is a good time type job, but as a professional, stop selling yourself short.

Yes, BUT,if you are working in the same place and guaranteed a gig or two every week in the same place and can store your stuff there, or even use their stuff,
you may NOT be working that cheap at all.
I think most of use do charge a bit more for one-time engagements for those special functions( 300 - 500 dollars). If you average this in, yes, my average price along with the 150 guaranteed on tue and wed added in most likely comes to a 200-250 dollar show.
So it all depends how we are answering the poll question, and which type ogigs we are figuring in.
For example, I have a gig on Sun, and wed. that both pay 150. Now is that cheap in a poor depressed area such as Central Maine, maybe, maybe not. Please keep in mind both places are within a mile from my home, I don't play after 12:30 am, one place I use all their equipment, and the other, I leave my stuff there, I get all their extra functions, all my wedding gig recommendations from all their clientele.

NOW THAT IS WORTH IT, ANYONE DISAGREE.
Also, in central Maine you can rent an apartment for 250-350 dollars, and get car insurance for less than 300 dollars a year. Just a measure of the relative cost of living.

I don't work cheap as I also have a regular job that pays a lot more than this, as well. Consider me a hobbyist.