Show Settlement Explained for Independent Artists
A show settlement reconstructs the signed deal from source documents. Reconcile ticket types, paid and complimentary counts, refunds and chargebacks, gross receipts, taxes and fees, permitted expenses with evidence, guarantee or percentage result, deposits, merchandise where applicable, and the balance. Record approvals, disputes, payment status and reference, then carry verified actuals into the tour budget and market review.
Lead visual
Independent touring map
Context
Live · Touring
What this guide is helping you understand.
Decision
Show settlement explained
The practical choice or setup step to get right.
Next
Action
What to check before you move the release forward.
Live · Touring
Ratio system map
Decision
Match the numerator and denominator before interpreting depth or listener action.
Evidence
Song, release age, dates, territory, source filter, unique listeners, streams, saves, and playlist adds.
Risk
Mixed scopes can create a precise percentage that compares different audiences or reporting windows.
Good outcome
A reproducible ratio that can be read beside reach and source mix without becoming a false benchmark.
constructed ticket revenue
constructed winning versus result
constructed amount already paid
constructed settlement payment due
Which source documents prove the settlement?
Velveteen settlement evidence chain
Six records from contract to cash
- 01
Record 1
Deal
Signed agreement, rider, authorized changes, formula, deductions, deposit, payment, and rights.
- 02
Record 2
Tickets
Final types, prices, channels, paid/comps/holds, refunds, scans, and gross source reports.
- 03
Record 3
Adjustments
Contract treatment for tax, fees, chargebacks, cancellations, and permitted expenses.
- 04
Record 4
Calculation
Ticket base, expense base, percentage/tier, guarantee comparison, and artist fee.
- 05
Record 5
Payment
Deposit/advance, balance, currency, payer/payee, method, due time, reference, and status.
- 06
Record 6
Close
Approvals, disputed lines, merch, incidents, budget actuals, tax record, and return decision.
What must the settlement record make auditable?
Source-document measurement
Eight lines that reconcile the show
Contract
Deal version, authorized changes, fee/formula, deductions, deposit, cancellation, payer, and timing.
Prevents the final calculation from using a different verbal deal.
Inventory
Capacity, holds, artist/promoter allocations, ticket types, prices, channels, and unsold inventory.
Establishes what could be sold and by whom before counting revenue.
Activity
Paid orders, walk-ups, comps/guest list, scans, no-shows, refunds, chargebacks, and cancellations.
Separates ticket events that affect money from people who attended.
Gross
Receipts by ticket type/channel, currency, cash/card split, tax, fees, and source-report total.
Makes the top of the deal calculation reproducible.
Expenses
Permitted category, estimate, actual, cap/allocation, tax, receipt, approver, and dispute state.
Stops unverified or unauthorized costs from reducing the artist base.
Artist fee
Adjusted base, percentage/tier, guarantee comparison, bonuses, support split, and final amount.
Shows exactly which contractual path produced the payable fee.
Cash
Deposits/advances, merchandise, offsets, balance, currency, payer/payee, method, reference, and status.
Distinguishes a correct calculation from money actually received.
Close
Artist/promoter acceptance, disputed lines, evidence links, incident notes, follow-up owner, and budget posting.
Carries unresolved money and operational learning beyond the venue.
How does the constructed settlement reach its final balance?
| Amount | Evidence | |
|---|---|---|
| Ticket gross | $5,000 | Final ticket types, channels, paid orders, and source report |
| Refund/fee treatment | -$500 | Exact exclusions permitted before the deal-expense base |
| Documented expenses | -$1,000 | Allowed categories, caps/allocation, and required records |
| Percentage fee | $2,800 | Illustrative 80% of $3,500; compared with $1,500 guarantee |
| Deposit | -$500 | Payment already received and matched to this engagement |
| Balance due | $2,300 | Record method, timing, reference, receipt, and any disputed line |
A dashboard gross is not a complete settlement
Ticket platforms can separate sales, orders, ticket counts, box-office reports, refunds, charges, credits, balances, and payouts. Use the views required to prove the signed formula, then reconcile the platform result with venue cash and the payment made to the artist.
post verified show actuals into the full tour and release budget
Which sources support settlement verification?
Frequently asked questions
What is a show settlement?+
A show settlement is the documented calculation and payment record for a performance. It applies the signed deal to final ticket, fee, tax, expense, deposit, and other agreed records. It should show how the artist fee was derived, what has already been paid, the remaining balance, who accepts or disputes each line, and the payment status.
What ticket information should appear in settlement?+
Record each ticket type and price, channel, capacity, holds, paid count, complimentary and guest-list count, scans or attendance where relevant, walk-ups, refunds, chargebacks, gross receipts, taxes, ticket/facility/processing fees, and seller reports. Attendance is not the same as paid tickets, and neither alone proves the contract's revenue base.
What expenses should an artist accept at settlement?+
Accept only categories permitted by the signed deal, calculated within any cap or allocation and supported by the required receipt or source record. Compare estimates with actuals and mark disputed items. Do not accept unexplained house expenses, internal overhead, late marketing additions, or costs assigned to another act simply because settlement is rushed.
Should an artist sign a show settlement before being paid?+
Record what the signature or approval means. It may acknowledge the calculation while payment remains pending, or confirm both calculation and receipt. Mark payment method, due time, reference and status explicitly. Do not sign a blank or unexplained statement, waive a dispute unintentionally, or state cash was received when only a future transfer was promised.
What happens after show settlement?+
Store the signed deal, final settlement, ticket and expense evidence, invoice, payment reference, merchandise reconciliation, incident notes and disputes. Update actual income, costs, cash and tax records; follow unpaid balances; compare market and budget expectations; and decide whether the venue, promoter, room, deal, routing and audience evidence support a return.
Get better release strategy in your inbox
Release planning checklists, royalty explainers, and artist strategy notes from Velveteen. No daily noise.
Was this useful? Send a signal or flag a correction.
Keep reading
Pillar guide
Touring for independent artists
A ten-gate touring operating system from measurable purpose and local demand through safe routing, advance, settlement, cash close, and return-market decisions.
Related guide
Guarantee vs door deal
A nine-definition contract map for guarantees, door percentages, versus deals, deductions, source records, payment, failure terms, and live-performance rights.
Related guide
Tour budget template
A three-view budget for income evidence, complete operating cost, and cash timing, plus conservative, base, and strong cases and a constructed $7,200 ledger.
Put real numbers on your release
Enter a budget and get a recommended split across content, ads, PR, and creative, with warnings on the line items where indie spend usually goes fragile.