United Musicians and Allied Workers are pushing a four-point campaign to eliminate merch cuts and pay-to-play schemes in US venues.
United Musicians and Allied Workers (UMAW) has launched Raise The Bar, an initiative designed to curb exploitative venue standards. The campaign targets corporate-led practices made common by monopolies like Live Nation, focusing on four primary demands: no merch cuts, no pay-to-play, no door polling, and full contract transparency.
The push aims to protect touring artists from hidden costs that erode performance income. While 53% of UK grassroots venues reportedly struggled to turn a profit last year, the US movement focuses on the equitable distribution of existing revenue between the house and the stage.
Several independent spaces, including San Francisco’s The Lab and Philadelphia’s Johnny Brenda’s, are already listed in the campaign's directory of compliant venues. UMAW is currently lobbying more spaces to sign the pledge and adopt these baselines.
Artists and fans can access email templates and petitions through the UMAW site to engage local rooms that haven't yet committed to the standard.