Indie Artist: Should you pay to play?

Every up and coming artist wants to get their song on the radio or perform in front of thousands. The question that comes up is rather or not the artist to pay the venue or the radio station to have their music played or performed. There are some pros and cons to this method.

Letang (2013) defines the pay to play method as payola. It is when someone pays a radio station to play their record on the radio or a DJ to spin their record in a club. It is illegal unless the payee informs the audience that they were paid to play the record. It is a constant topic among up and coming artists and their managers. So, do you pay to play?

Dardis (2013) has found that it has become harder for the independent artist to receive radio play. This is because many radio stations play what is on the billboards and not what is up and coming. Artists are now investing in payola to get their music heard. It has gotten so bad that clubs are now using the artist as a source of revenue (Dardis, 2013). The artist is paying the club to have his/her music played. The only benefit for the artist is that hundreds or thousands of people have the chance to hear your song once throughout the night. There is a slim chance that they will remember it or that you will get big off of that one night.

Letang (2013) feels that you shouldn’t. I happen to agree with him to a certain extent. His reasoning is that the venue is asking you to pay to play because they are not making enough money off of their audience to begin with. In the end, you are just paying to keep them open and you are not making a profit from it nor are you earning enough followers for it to be worth your money. It would be more beneficial for the artist to perform at open mic nights, showcases, and shows that you put on.

The reality is that sometimes you have to pay to play. After all, if your music is bringing a crowd then why should you get paid? Like with any other business opportunity, artists should weigh the costs and benefits before deciding to pay to play. If it’s worth it, then go for it. If not, then market yourself, sell your own tickets, and make your own show!

Let me know what you think! Would you pay to play or not?