What your price reveals about you – and why low fees can hurt you in the long run
It's Thursday evening, and you're sitting at the kitchen table with your laptop. A booking request pops up in your inbox. The club is exciting, the lineup is good, and the location would be a dream come true. But the offer: $80 plus "drinks and stage."
You stare at the screen. "Can I refuse?" "Or will no one ever say yes to me again?"
Many musicians are familiar with this inner conflict. And it has consequences that are deeper than you might think.
Your price isn't just a number. It's a statement. To the industry, to your audience—and above all, to yourself.
If you regularly sell yourself short, something happens in your system:
You start to confuse your value with what others are willing to pay.
What affects your price in the long term
You will be asked less often for high-quality gigs because your "price image" is getting around.
You unconsciously sabotage your self-esteem: "I'm probably not worth as much as others."
You get the feeling that you always have to fight, against the fee, against the market, against yourself.
How to find your true fee positioning
Calculate your reality
How much do you need per month to make a living from music, including rehearsals, equipment, time for social media, promotion, and booking? Divide this amount by a realistic number of performances. This will give you your minimum fee. No romance, but with respect.Stay in the relationship, not in fear
If you decline, remain polite. Write: "Thank you for the inquiry. Currently, I cannot play for less than X euros because I am planning to work as a professional musician xyz. I look forward to staying in touch for future projects."Make exceptions systematically, not out of uncertainty
Play for free or cheaply if it makes sense for your visibility or your heart. But never out of fear of never being booked again.
Because then you'll pay for it—and not just financially.
Your fee is part of your artistic identity. If you want others to take your work seriously, you must first take it seriously yourself. Not exaggeratedly. Not doggedly. But clearly.
And every time you dare to stand up for yourself, you strengthen your foundation for a career as a musician that will support you rather than burn you out.
Kind regards