UMAW Launches “Raise the Bar” Campaign to Eliminate Merch Cuts, Pay-to-Play, and Other Worst Practices

Photo Credit: United Musicians and Allied Workers

United Musicians and Allied Workers launches the Raise the Bar campaign to improve artist treatment at music venues and put an end to worst practices.

United Musicians and Allied Workers (UMAW) launched its “Raise the Bar” campaign to improve artist treatment at music venues everywhere. The campaign calls on all venues to sign on and commit to four basic standards:

• No merch cuts
• No pay-to-play
• No door polling
• Contract transparency

UMAW has created an online directory of venues that have committed to these standards and plans to grow this list substantially in the coming weeks. The organization asks all venues to sign on and encourages fans and artists to call on their local venues to participate.

“Merch cuts, pay-to-play, door polling, and a lack of contract transparency are some of the worst practices at venues, and should all become a thing of the past. Large corporate venues, like those owned by the Live Nation monopoly, have made these practices too common across the industry, driving down working conditions for artists everywhere,” said UMAW in a statement.

“Most venues want to treat artists fairly and already have policies against these practices. UMAW wants to celebrate those venues that are already doing the right thing, and we hope that pushes other venues to also commit to our basic standards.”

Several other organizations have endorsed the campaign, including the Freelance Musicians Association of the AFM, Maine Music Alliance, Vocal Kentucky, and the Rising Artists Foundation.

At the time of launch, the venues that have already committed to Raise the Bar include:

• The Lab — San Francisco, CA
• Woodbine Chamber — Louisville, KY
• Aeronaut Allston — Allston, MA
• Club Passim — Cambridge, MA
• The Plough and Stars — Cambridge, MA
• Deep Cuts — Medford, MA
• The Rockwell — Somerville, MA
• SPACE Gallery — Portland, ME
• The Pinhook — Durham, NC
• Jalopy Theatre — Brooklyn, NY
• St. Vitus — Brooklyn, NY
• Tubby’s — Kingston, KY
• TV Eye — Queens, NY
• Rosendale Theatre — Rosendale, NY
• Bottlerocket Social Hall — Pittsburgh, PA
• Fire Museum Presents — Philadelphia, PA
• Mr. Roboto Project — Pittsburgh, PA
• First Unitarian Church/R5 Productions — Philadelphia, PA
• Johnny Brenda’s — Philadelphia, PA
• Myrtle — East Providence, RI
• Machines and Magnets — Pawtucket, RI