Live Nation to Boost Employee Wages with On the Road Again Program
Live Nation have finally done something that won’t piss anyone on the internet off—Well, maybe that’s wishful thinking, but it definitely seems like it’ll do a little bit of damage control.
The company just announced their On the Road Again program will raise base pay for folks working in the music industry through them to $20 an hour, and will raise supervisor pay to $25 an hour. This has been estimated to impact over 5,000 crew members who play roles in live shows.
Of course, with how tight-nit the music industry is, this will make a difference on a larger scale, as that then sets the standard for these folks to get paid more through other venues, and also calls into question how much bands are getting paid. I know we all go to shows to crowdkill and have a good time, but it’s important to also remember and recognize the hard work done by so many behind the scenes folks, including box office attendants, production crew, artist hospitality staff, guest services personnel, ushers, parking attendants, cleaning crews, and sustainability coordinators. These folks all deserve to be paid a fair wage just as much as musicians do.
“Shows wouldn’t happen without the unsung heroes who work in the background to help support artists and fans. In addition to developing artists, clubs also help industry professionals learn the ropes, and many of our promoters and venue managers worked their way up from smaller venues” says Michael Rapino, CEO and president of Live Nation Entertainment. “The live music industry is on track for years of growth and offers a great career path, and by increasing minimum wages, we’re helping staff get an even stronger start as they begin their journey in life.”
This initiative is the latest from the On The Road Again program, a program that also pays Live Nation clubs $1,500 in travel bonuses on top of nightly compensation for artists, and the move to allow artist to keep 100 % of merch profits.
While these are all great moves for the music industry, not everyone is impressed. Some feel that Live Nation is doing this to further incentivize bands away from smaller venues (which, of course they are, that’s how capitalism and competition work) or detract from their recent legal issues regarding ticket sales practices (which would be pretty crappy on their part.)
But no matter how you look at it, regardless of the motives, this is something that is going to ultimately have a positive impact on the folks who work for Live Nation venues and want to be paid more.
