Rates, 2026
What should a musician or singer charge in New York or LA?
About $800 a day for a musician or singer who is working and booked in New York or Los Angeles. $525 in the first years, $1,075 when senior. A show runs about $1,150. Also called: singer, band, session player, live performer.
Other markets: a major city · remote · a smaller market
First years
$525
a day · $65 an hour
Working, booked
$800
a day · $100 an hour
Senior, sought after
$1,075
a day · $125 an hour
The rate card, working level
- Day rate$800 per day
- Hourlyfor anything that does not fit a day$100 per hour
- A show$1,150 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 New York or Los Angeles: the low end is the first years, the high end is senior. Working and booked sits in the middle.
- Live show, solo$300 to $1,000 per show
- Live show, band$1,000 to $4,000 per show
- Private event or wedding$800 to $3,000 per event
- Remote session part$150 to $500 per song
- Sync license, one project$500 to $5,000 per song
- Feature on a record$500 to $3,000 each
How the number is made
Musician or singers at this level day at about $800 ($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 $600. 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 New York or LA?
- About $800 a day for someone working and booked, $525 in the first years, $1,075 when senior and sought after. Half days usually run 60% of the day.
- How much is a show?
- $1,150 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.
Pick your level and market, get a card you can send the next client who asks. Then RostrLab quotes, papers, invoices and chases every job with it: free for 14 days, $29 a month, never a cut.