Emerging Dutch musicians severely underpaid: Erasmus University study

Up-and-coming Dutch pop musicians are structurally underpaid for their performances and often even have to pay money to perform, according to a study by Erasmus University. This is partly because venue costs have risen considerably, but the budget for programming has not grown along with it, Rita Zipora, head researcher and a board member of BAM! Popauteurs, the largest interest group for pop artists, songwriters, and producers, told NOS.

“Pop venues have become more professional and now have to spend a lot more money on technology, personnel, safety, etc. But the budget for programming has not grown accordingly. As a result, there is little left for the artist.”

For this study, conducted in the autumn, emerging musicians performing at eight pop venues were paid according to the “fair pay” principle for a few months. This fair pay guideline was drawn up by the industry itself and is in line with a minimum wage or average income, spending on the stage of the musician’s career. The participating pop musicians were all at least 35 percent under “fair pay.” Some even had 72 percent added to their fee in order to reach fair pay.

“We made a distinction between two categories. Artists in phase 1 have been working for a while and have a team around them. Phase 2 artists already have quite a few fans and can sell out many small venues. In both groups you see that they cannot cover their costs, let alone pay themselves,” Zipora said.

This needs to change, the Dutch music industry agrees. A survey in the industry showed that 83 percent think that “fair pay” should become permanent in the industry. That includes the pop venues - the parties that usually pay the artists for their performances, according to the broadcaster.

Jolanda Beyer, the director of venue Patronaat in Haarlem and two smaller venues, would love to be able to pay artists more, she told NOS. “In those smaller venues, paying musicians properly is not structurally feasible. Pop venues live off the catering turnover, which is simply insufficient in small venues. We have been calling for more money for the makers for years,” she said.

According to Beyer, a study by the Berenschot agency a few years ago showed that paying pop musicians fairly would cost about 9 million euros ezra per year. “That could be raised, for example, by asking the public for a small surcharge per ticket or a voluntary donation,” Beyer suggested. “That amount could then go into a general pot, from which affiliated venues can then pay performing artists. Major artists and the government could also contribute to that. We are also in talks with commercial sponsors. The only way we can make it happen is together.”