Glossary › Merch split
Merch split
The percentage of merch sales the venue keeps.
The merch split is the share of merchandise sales the venue (or its concessionaire) keeps, and the arrangement around it. Splits are usually a percentage of gross sales, often after sales tax, and are sometimes different for soft goods (clothing) and hard goods (vinyl, CDs, posters). If the venue provides a seller, there may be a further fee. In the UK this is often called a hall fee.
Example
Merch gross $3,000, of which $400 is vinyl. The venue takes 20% on soft goods and 10% on hard goods: 20% × $2,600 = $520 plus 10% × $400 = $40, so $560 to the venue and $2,440 to the band before card fees and tax. (EXAMPLE numbers.)
Tips
Confirm the split, the tax treatment and who sells in the advance, count in and count out every night, and use the merch settlement calculator.