Most tours are booked on hope and a gas estimate. They lose money in the same few places: a long drive to a flat fee that never covered it, a door deal where the venue's expenses eat the door, and a hotel night nobody counted.
| Deal | You are paid | Watch for |
|---|---|---|
| Flat | The guarantee, whatever the door | The drive and rooms can exceed it |
| Door | A percentage of tickets after venue expenses | Nothing if the door does not cover the expenses |
| Versus | The larger of guarantee and percentage | The expenses figure decides when the percentage kicks in |
List each show with its miles, expected paid attendance, ticket price and the venue deal, then add what the van, rooms and per diems cost. The planner adds the venue fee and merch you keep, subtracts the agent cut, driving, lodging, per diems and crew, and shows profit for every date and for the whole tour. A date is marked keep, on the way or drop.
A flat deal pays a guarantee. A door deal pays a percentage of ticket gross after the venue's stated expenses, and nothing if the door does not cover the expenses. A versus deal pays whichever is larger, the guarantee or the percentage of what is left after expenses. Enter them as flat 400, door 80 600 or vs 400 80 600.
For every show the planner finds the smallest paid attendance at which profit reaches zero, and also the attendance for your own profit target. If the date cannot break even even at a packed room it says never, which usually means the drive or the deal is the problem rather than the crowd.
No. It is planning arithmetic. It does not know your contracts, sales tax on merch, taxes on income, insurance or what a venue will actually pay. Check every figure against your contract before you rely on it.