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A Ditto Music survey found that over 84% of unsigned UK musicians can’t afford the costs of touring. That’s a staggering number, but it doesn’t mean your first headline run or support slot has to drain your savings account.
With some careful planning and a willingness to rough it a bit, you can get your music in front of new audiences without coming home broke. Continue reading to learn some planning, accommodation hacks, merch margins and the admin you can’t afford to skip.
Plan Your Route Around Clusters, Not Postcodes
One of the biggest money pits on any tour is travel between gigs. Fuel costs add up fast, and if you’re zigzagging across the country with long gaps between shows, you’ll burn through cash before you’ve even played a note.
The smartest approach is to build your route in regional clusters. Book three or four dates within a tight radius, like Manchester, Leeds and Sheffield in a single run, before moving on to the next cluster. This cuts fuel costs, reduces the miles on a hired van and gives you shorter drives between stops. It also means less wear on your vehicle and fewer hours spent on the motorway when you could be resting.
Where to Sleep Without Spending a Fortune
Accommodation will eat your budget faster than almost anything else. A few nights in budget hotels across a ten-date run can easily top £500 for a four-piece, and that’s money most new bands simply don’t have.
The classic approach still works: ask the promoter or venue if there’s a space you can crash on. Many smaller venues and promoters have contacts who’ll put touring bands up for the night. It’s not glamorous, but it’s free. Bring sleeping bags and roll mats, and always leave the place cleaner than you found it. That reputation follows you, and it’ll get you invited back.
You can also split the cost of an Airbnb between band members instead of booking individual hotel rooms. A three-bedroom flat in most northern cities will cost less per head than a Travelodge once you divide it four or five ways. Some bands also camp during summer tours, which sounds grim but works well if you’re playing festival towns with nearby campsites.
The Insurance and Admin You Can’t Skip
It’s tempting to skip the boring paperwork when you’re trying to keep costs down. But cutting corners on insurance and admin can cost you far more in the long run than a few quid spent upfront.
Public liability insurance is a must. Many venues won’t let you on stage without it, and if someone trips over your cable or your speaker stack falls on a punter, you’ll be personally liable without cover. Joining the Musicians’ Union gets you £10 million in public liability cover as part of your membership, along with insurance policies for musicians that include up to £3,000 of instrument and equipment cover. For a band on a shoestring, that’s solid value from a single membership fee.
PAT testing is another one that catches people out. If you’re using any electrical equipment at a venue, having a valid PAT certificate will strengthen your position if anything goes wrong and a claim is made. Most local electricians will test your gear for a small fee.
Don’t forget to register with PRS for Music if you’re performing original material. You’re entitled to royalties every time your songs are played live, and those small payments add up over a full tour. It’s free money you’re leaving on the table if you don’t register.
Get Your Merch Margins Right
Merch isn’t a side hustle on tour. For most independent artists, it’s the main source of income. Streaming pays pennies, and your door split or guarantee at smaller venues will barely cover your petrol. A good merch table can turn a loss-making night into a profitable one.
The key is knowing your numbers before you order anything. A single-colour screen print on a decent quality tee might cost you around £5 to £7 per unit if you’re ordering 100 or more. Sell that at £15 and you’re making roughly £8 to £10 profit per shirt. Order a full-colour design and your production cost jumps, so your margin shrinks unless you raise the price.
Keep your range simple for a first tour. T-shirts in two or three designs, a tote bag and some stickers or pins at the lower end for fans on a budget. And always announce your merch from the stage. It sounds obvious, but plenty of bands forget, and it makes a real difference to what you sell.
Watch out for venue merch commissions too. Larger venues can take 25% or more of your gross merch sales. At smaller grassroots venues, this is less common, but always check the deal before you set up your table.
Keep Daily Spending Under Control
Once you’re on the road, the small expenses are what drain your budget. A few coffees here, a meal deal there, a pint after the show. Multiply that by four band members across ten days and you’ve spent hundreds without noticing.
Set a daily budget per person and stick to it. Buying food from supermarkets instead of eating out will save you a surprising amount. A big bag of pasta, some sauce and a loaf of bread from Aldi costs less than a single Greggs lunch for the whole band. If your accommodation has a kitchen, use it.
Here’s What Matters
Touring on a budget is all about knowing where to spend and where to save. Put your money into good merch, proper insurance and a reliable vehicle. Cut costs on accommodation, food and anything that doesn’t directly affect the quality of your show or your safety on the road.
Your first tour probably won’t make you rich. It might not even break even. But if you plan it properly, keep your costs tight and sell your merch well, you’ll come home with new fans, new contacts and enough left in the bank to do it all again.
David Prior
David Prior is the editor of Today News, responsible for the overall editorial strategy. He is an NCTJ-qualified journalist with over 20 years’ experience, and is also editor of the award-winning hyperlocal news title Altrincham Today. His LinkedIn profile is here.
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