Rates, 2026
What should a musician or singer charge in a major city?
About $675 a day for a musician or singer who is working and booked in a major city like Chicago, Atlanta, Miami or Austin. $450 in the first years, $925 when senior. A show runs about $975. Also called: singer, band, session player, live performer.
Other markets: New York or LA · remote · a smaller market
First years
$450
a day · $55 an hour
Working, booked
$675
a day · $85 an hour
Senior, sought after
$925
a day · $125 an hour
The rate card, working level
- Day rate$675 per day
- Hourlyfor anything that does not fit a day$85 per hour
- A show$975 per project
Sold a project fee, by the day. The outcome is the unit; the day rate is for when a client wants your time instead.
What to charge for each thing
Ranges for a major city like Chicago, Atlanta, Miami or Austin: the low end is the first years, the high end is senior. Working and booked sits in the middle.
- Live show, solo$250 to $850 per show
- Live show, band$850 to $3,400 per show
- Private event or wedding$675 to $2,550 per event
- Remote session part$125 to $425 per song
- Sync license, one project$425 to $4,250 per song
- Feature on a record$425 to $2,550 each
How the number is made
Musician or singers at this level in this market day at about $675 ($400 to $1,200 in New York and LA). Put in the year you actually want on the perfect price page and the number moves with it.
A show runs $300 to $2,000 and takes about 6 hours of your time; at your hourly that is $500. The number is the higher of the two, because the client is buying the outcome, not the hours.
Questions
- What is a fair day rate for a musician or singer in a major city like Chicago, Atlanta, Miami or Austin?
- About $675 a day for someone working and booked, $450 in the first years, $925 when senior and sought after. Half days usually run 60% of the day.
- How much is a show?
- $975 at a working level in this market. The client is buying the outcome, so the price is the higher of what the market pays for it and what your hours in it are worth.
- Are these rates a rule?
- No. They are US 2026 ranges for the role, placed by level and moved for the market. What a client actually paid you beats all of it. The tool has a box for that, and it wins.
Your number, in five seconds.
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