It's Just Business

The National Independent Venue Association Calls Out Live Nation Over New Merch Cuts Program

"Such tactics threaten the vitality of small and medium-sized venues under 3000 capacity."

Greg Kennelty

Published

September 27, 2023

On September 26, Live Nation announced a new program called On The Road Again . In short, the program is only available at select venues across North America and offers smaller bands the following four perks throughout the remainder of 2023:

Extra $1,500 per show in gas & travel cash for all headliners and openers – on top of nightly performance compensation
Clubs will charge no merchandise selling fees, so artists keep 100% of merch profits for each show
$5 million donation to Crew Nation supporting crew across the industry facing unforeseen hardship
Special "On The Road Again" bonuses for tour, promoter, & venue staff, the behind-the-scenes heroes helping shows happen

While that all sounds good, the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) has voiced their concerns with the program. In a statement published to their website, NIVA claims that Live Nation is using On The Road Again as a "calculated attempt" to divert bands away from independent venues. NIVA further alleges that the program threatens "the vitality of small and medium-sized venues under 3000 capacity."

NIVA's full statement can be found below.

"Temporary measures may appear to help artists in the short run but actually can squeeze out independent venues which provide the lifeblood of many artists on thin margins. Independent venues and promoters are investing in and elevating up-and-coming artists every day, and NIVA is supporting those efforts nationally. The initiative announced yesterday may seem like a move to follow the lead of some independent venues. It is not that.

"Instead, it appears to be a calculated attempt to use a publicly-traded conglomerate's immeasurable resources to divert artists from independent venues and further consolidate control over the live entertainment sector. Such tactics threaten the vitality of small and medium-sized venues under 3000 capacity, many of which still struggle to keep their doors open.

"Independent stages, where the majority of artists, musicians, and comedians start their careers, are small businesses and nonprofits. They are continually facing rising costs, increased deceptive ticketing practices in the resale market, and ongoing challenges following the global pandemic. Our stages are critical to the live entertainment ecosystem and local economies, and they must survive.

"The economics of touring must drastically improve for artists and independent venues. There has to be a better way. NIVA will continue to support artists and empower independent venues as we collectively find it."

As a refresher, these are the venues that are listed as participants in On The Road Again.

The participating venues for the On The Road Again are as follows: