Show Settlement
A show settlement is the accounting between promoter and artist side at the end of a show. Both sides go through ticket sales, agreed expenses and the deal terms, work out what the artist is owed and sign a settlement sheet. With a flat guarantee it is quick; with a door split or a versus deal, the actual numbers decide the artist's payment.
How a settlement works
The settlement usually happens on the night, after the box office closes or after the set, between the promoter and the tour manager or another person the artist side names. It starts with the ticket report: tickets sold per price level, complimentary tickets and the gross box office. From the gross come the deductions the contract allows, such as ticketing fees and taxes, which leaves the net box office. Agreed show expenses (venue, production, security, marketing, hospitality) are listed with their amounts and, where the deal asks for it, with receipts. The deal formula turns those numbers into the artist's payment, any deposit already paid is subtracted, and both sides sign the sheet.
Door split, versus deal and expenses
The deal type decides how much the actual numbers matter. A flat guarantee pays a fixed fee regardless of attendance. A door deal pays the artist a percentage of the door, gross or after agreed expenses depending on the contract. A versus deal combines both: the artist receives the guarantee or an agreed percentage of the receipts, usually after expenses, whichever is higher. When the percentage is calculated after expenses, every euro of cost lowers the artist's share. That is why the expense list and any expense cap belong in the offer, and the settlement checks the actual costs against them.
Settlements in the BBN Event Suite
In the BBN Event Suite, the settlement starts from the deal you closed. The built-in deal calculator works out flat guarantees, versus deals, door splits and percentages on the offer, and the confirmed offer feeds the settlement. After the show you compare the offer against the actuals line by line: ticket counts, bar splits and costs. Staff hours tracked on the show are ready for the settlement, co-promotion splits follow the agreed shares, and every show closes with a profit and loss statement. Reporting then shows break-even per event and forecast against actuals across your calendar.
Frequently asked questions
What is a versus deal?
A deal in which the artist receives either a guaranteed fee or an agreed percentage of the receipts, whichever is higher. The settlement after the show shows which side of the deal applies.
Who signs the settlement sheet?
The promoter and a person the artist side names, usually the tour manager. Both keep a copy, and it is the basis for invoicing the artist's fee.
Can the promoter deduct any expense?
Only the expenses the contract allows. Agree the expense list, and a cap if you want one, in the offer, and ask for receipts at the settlement.