It's hard to pinpoint the salaries of music promoters; wages vary dramatically.
Most music promoters have a background in public relations, advertising, marketing or general promotions. Working in the music industry you'll find that your actual wages may vary considerably according to many factors, including your level of experience and involvement, the magnitude of events you promote, and the stature of your clientele.
Broad Statistics
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics does not provide salary information specific to the title "music promoter," but such positions can be classified under "advertising and promotions managers" or "public relations specialists." Advertising and promotions managers assume the responsibility of all marketing research, advertising and promotion activities for their clients. Public relations specialists focus on building and maintaining positive public images and maximum exposure for clients. Music promoters typically assume all of these responsibilities and can be compared to both positions, performing the same duties for clients who are music industry professionals. In May of 2008, the median annual salary was $51,280 for public relations specialists and $80,220 for advertising and promotions managers, according to the BLS.
Music Promoters
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports mean wages for the lowest-paid 10 percent of advertising and promotion managers in 2008 as $41,480, and for public relations specialists, $30,140. The Princeton Review reports salaries of $19,900 to $30,500 annually for music and band promoters. The latter statistics are a bit more accurate for professionals working exclusively in the music industry. Lower wages reflect entry-level positions and higher wages correspond to promoters with five or more years of experience.
Advancement
Some dedicated music promoters with vast and extensive experience -- and contacts -- in the music industry find room for advancement and become music executives. Such positions also require significant business administration, marketing and technical knowledge, and sufficient familiarity with the music industry in general. Music executives often work for record labels and radio stations and participate in all aspects of music promotion within their corporations. The salary of a music executive is fairly comparable with the higher-end wage statistics for advertising and promotions managers and public relations specialists reported by BLS, indicating that in 2008, a typical salary for a music executive could range between $97,910 and $105,960 annually.
Considerations
Though national statistics can give you a good general idea of how much you might expect to earn as a music promoter, actual salaries will vary dramatically. Virtually thousands of independent unsigned music artists exist nationwide, providing opportunities for amateur or novice promoters. Because no formal education is required to embark on a career in music promotion, it is not difficult to find work independently with local musicians.
An independent music promoter might charge a local artist 5 to 20 percent of his performance earnings -- a typical industry fee -- for promotional services. Hypothetically, if the artist commands $1,000 per performance and performs twice a week year round, you could expect to make about $5,200 to $20,800 annually on that account. The number of clients you take on, your percentage agreements, and the amount of revenue they generate through ticket sales will determine your actual income.
Tags: music industry, relations specialists, promotions managers, public relations, public relations specialists, music promoter