Tip Sharing

Vlad · Tip Sharing

Hi Guys and Gals,

Just wondered when performing in SL....

Is there a standard amount one should give to owners and hostesses in money you make in tips? ie. a percentage or amount?

I know it depends on the arrangement as some venues will pay you a fee to perform and some places you will only make money from tips...

...just wondered if there was a protocol in place as I wana make sure I do things right....

Thanks

ticious

Hi Vlad! The arrangements are likely to vary from location to location so you'll need to chat with the host at each venue.

Myself, I run several venues on Cascadia Music Park. I had to give up paying fees some time ago and now only offer play for tips. No musician is ever required to give back tips to a venue on Cascadia. Many do, but they do it out of long standing friendship for Cascadia, not because of some business relationship.

Most musicians ask the visitors to tip the venue once or so per hour and my hosts ask the visitors to tip the musician three or so times per hour. We don't like more requests as we want the visitors to enjoy the music, not hear constant requests for tips. Some musicians have given me very good word regarding the tips they receive from our audiences but I have to say, I think it really varies a lot. Oh, the variance is over time, not by individual musician.

By the way, Cascadia Music Park is a free, multi faceted pair of sims including five live music venues, an art walk and lots of cool places to hang out. We do have a couple shops, but the real focus is the park itself. Cascadia is not a profit oriented music venue.

Perhaps some profit oriented venues will make comments?

Silas Scarborough

There's no good answer to this one as I wrote a splitter tip jar script. I don't know if it was the first but it was at least one of the early ones. Some venue owners hated it and said they got less tips if I used the splitter. Most loved it as it significantly increased the amount the venue owner got out of the gig.

The only thing you can say for sure is that you've got a responsibility to take care of the venue owner who is staging you. Some others may take issue with that but in general it's a fair statement.

For me the best solution is to use the splitter. I know before the gig that 25% will go to the venue from whatever I take in from the audience so I don't have to think about anything except trying to make it a good show.

This is another one where people can advise you but no-one can tell you what will be best for you.

Nad

Vlad

Thanks guys and gals,

Just an additional question - Hostesses? do they generally get paid from the tips the venue gets or do they get paid by the venues?

I'd imagine they get a % from the venue tips???

ticious

Again, tons of variance from place to place. At my venues, I pay my hosts a flat salary and I keep whatever tips come into the venue. There have been a few times when unusually great tips have come in where I've split them with the host on duty that night, but that's highly unusual.

Tips to the venue vary wildly and almost never cover what I pay the hosts and never cover what I tip to the musicians.

On the other hand, I've been so some venues that have tip jars for the venue, the manager and every host. I think six tip jars is the highest number I ever seen at one venue/show. I can't do the math. I drop my normal venue tip into the owner's jar and ask them to share it with their staff if interested.

Silas Scarborough

I send the same tip to the owner of the venue regardless of the number of helpers and there's no big ethical decision as the tip jar does the split.

This is one answer of many.

(I'm not pushing my tip jar as I haven't done anything to enhance it in prob'ly years. There are many other splitters floating around.)