| Terms | Definitions |
| Ad Break: | Date ads first appear in print and on television or radio |
Advancing the Event:
| Go through contract and riders, to make sure everything is covered. Working out the details.
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| Agent: | Sells the entertainment acts to the promoter or venue. |
| Back Of House: | Everything from the stage on back; equipment, dressing rooms, ... |
Backline:
| Band equipment. Rented locally for artists who fly the date without their entire gear.
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Billing:
| How an artist is presented in print, television, and radio. Examples are 100% Sole Headline Billing, 85% Special Guest Star billing; 100% Festival Billing
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| Box Office: | Everything that has to do with ticketing |
Breakeven:
| Monetary point at which the promoter begins to receive their promoter profit.
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Buyer:
| Person responsible for buying the show; promoter.
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Contract Rider:
| Document from the band. Make sure you read it cover to cover.
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Front Of House:
| From the front of the stage on forward; includes exits in and out.
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Guarantee:
| Fees guaranteed to the artist as a minimum amount of compensation for the engagement.
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Gig:
| Event, Show
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Green Room:
| Bands ask for green room mainly as the production office for the band manager.
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Gross Potential:
| The total gross income of a show calculated by taking capacity (number of tickets printed) and multiplying by the ticket price.
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Ground Transportation:
| Supply runner and vehicles, make sure band gets from point A to point B. The runner is very important as the band gopher.
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Headliner:
| Artist that closes the show and receives preferred billing.
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Hospitality:
| Food and beverage you supply the band, usually included in the rider.
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Input List:
| Shows wires going into microphones and instruments from stage plot
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Labor:
| Crew to set up and tear down
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Lighting Plot:
| Same as stage plot, shows where the lights need to be pointed on stage.
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Line Item:
| Expense item listed as a show cost. Examples are staffing, rent, advertising, stagehands,...
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Major Market:
| A population of over a million. Los Angeles, New York City for example.
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Making the Offer
| Giving the artist a firm offer, once you've determined you want the event (usually you want to see the rider first)
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Manager, Artist Manager:
| Takes care of artist. General oversight responsibilities for developing and protecting the business of their artist.
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Meet and Greet:
| Term used to describe a session where the artist meets fans, radio giveaway winners and local V.I.P.'s
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Net Potential:
| Gross Potential adjusted for tax
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On Sale:
| Date tickets first go on sale to the general public
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Power Requirements:
| You need to know the power requirements of each act playing in your venue and you also need to know how much power your venue can supply.
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Presents:
| Designation given to a media outlet that sets them apart from others as the "Presenting" station. Normally a radio station.
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Production:
| Anything that has to do with producing the show.
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Production Manager:
| Makes sure production sound, monitors, and lights are in place.
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Promoter Profit:
| Percentage of profit allowed to the promoter based on show expenses. Industry standard is 15%.
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Riggers:
| People who get up in the rigging system to hang points; always in safety harness.
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Road Manager:
| Band road manager is responsible for managing the band on the road.
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Routing:
| Travel route the band takes around the country on tour
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Scaling:
| The number of tickets printed that are different prices according to the layout of the venue.
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Secondary Market:
| A population of more than 100,000 to a million. Spokane, WA for example.
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Security:
| Provides safe environment and security for the event.
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Settling the show:
| After the show you gather reports and receipts and you account for every penny. Make sure you have all your ducks in a row before going to settle the show.
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Shore Power:
| Electricity to the band's bus from the venue.
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Snake:
| Cable that runs from sound board to stage.
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Sound:
| System used to produce the sound for the concert or event.
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Sound Wings:
| Extra speakers get put on sound wings in big shows
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Split Point:
| The monetary point at which the promoter begins to receive their promoter profit.
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Stacks and Racks:
| Sound equipment. Stacks are speakers. Racks are the amplifiers that run them.
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Staffing:
| Security, stage hands, catering, ...
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Stage Plot:
| Shows where the musicians will be on the stage, where their microphones and monitors are.
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Stage Manager:
| Person in charge of directing people involved in backstage activities: gets folks on and off stage, supervises sound and lighting crew. If you have a good stage manager it sets the tone for a successful show.
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Staging:
| What size and type of stage you need.
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Support Talent:
| Artist that opens or gets second position on a show and lesser billing than the headliner.
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Tertiary Market:
| Population of 100,000 or less. Missoula, MT is a tertiary market.
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Ticket Manifest:
| How many tickets are sold, where they were sold, which seats or areas were sold, and for how much each was sold.
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Truss:
| Rigging the lights hang from.
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Variable:
| Show expense that isn't fixed. Normally a percentage based on number of tickets or net potential. For instance, rent may be a variable of 7%.
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Venue:
| Synonym for building or theater where the show is being presented.
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Versus Deal:
| Financial arrangement between the artist and the promoter whereby an artist receives a guarantee versus a certain percentage of the net revenues after the deduction of show expenses. The word is versus because the artist receives the guarantee or the percentage, whichever is greater.
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Welcomes:
| Designation given to a media outlet that sets them apart from others as the "Welcoming" station. As opposed to the "Presenting" Station.
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Walkout:
| Amount of money an artist can earn on a show where they are participating in revenues past a certain split point.
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