Glossary
Door split
A door split is the agreement that decides how the night's ticket revenue gets divided between the promoter, the venue, and the artists. It is usually defined as a percentage or formula and written into the show's contract or the booking confirmation.
Common formats
There is no one industry standard. The terms vary by city, by scene, by venue size, and by how much leverage each party has. Some of the formats you will encounter:
- Flat guarantee. The venue or the headliner is paid a fixed amount from the night, regardless of ticket sales. Whoever carries the risk of unsold tickets is whoever signed the guarantee.
- Door percentage. The artists are paid a percentage of net door revenue (after the venue's costs come off the top). Common in smaller venues and DIY shows.
- Guarantee versus percentage. The artist is paid the larger of a guaranteed amount or a percentage of door revenue. Whoever wins the bigger number that night is who gets paid.
- Walkout deal. The artist is paid an agreed amount and the rest is split between the venue and promoter on whatever terms they have.
What to watch for
Door splits get ugly when nobody wrote down what counted as "the door" or what came out of it first. Spell it out before the show:
- Are platform fees and card processing deducted before the split, or after?
- Is sound, security, and venue staffing coming off the top, or out of the promoter's share?
- Do comp tickets count toward the artist's percentage?
- Who is responsible if ticket revenue does not cover the guarantee?
Write it down. Then write it down again in the email that confirms the booking. Ambiguity at 1 AM after a show is how friendships end.