As Touring Costs Rise, a New Platform Wants to Help Artists Determine If a Show Is Worth Playing

As touring costs continue to skyrocket, experienced touring musicians Craig A. Meyer and Gary Arbuthnot have teamed up to launch GigLogic, a platform for artists to determine the financials of a show before accepting a gig.

GigLogic evaluates the price of commissions for management and booking agents, taxes, travel, lodging, and any other expenses that go into making a show happen, in an effort to allow artists and their teams to better budget and evaluate whether a show is worth traveling to.

“For decades, performers have been taught to focus on getting the gig,” Meyer says in a statement to Billboard. “Very few have been taught how to evaluate whether the gig is actually good business. As touring costs continue to rise, that’s becoming a much more important conversation. We built GigLogic because artists deserve the same level of financial visibility that businesses in other industries take for granted.”

Meyer comes in with 20 years of touring experience, having been on the road as an Elton John tribute performer in shows including Remember When Rock Was Young — The Elton John Experience and Piano Men: A Tribute to Elton John & Billy Joel. Arbuthnot has toured as a flautist.

On the platform, artists can input the details of a potential gig, after which GigLogic will build customized cost profiles and projected earnings. While artists and their teams often create budgets using spreadsheets and estimates, GigLogic says its platform helps to streamline the process.

“One of the biggest misconceptions in live entertainment is that a bigger paycheck automatically means a better opportunity,” Arbuthnot adds in a statement. “It doesn’t. An artist can be busier than ever, bringing in more revenue than ever, and still be struggling financially if they don’t understand their true costs. Sustainable careers are built on profitability, not just activity.”