Should manager commission be on gross or net?

Net – after the costs that come off the top – is the more artist-friendly and more common read. On gross, the manager is paid before those costs are even covered.

What's the difference between gross and net commission?

Gross applies your rate to the full amount. Net applies it after the deductible costs (production, travel) come out. Same rate, different base, different check.

Is the agent's cut on gross or net?

The agent is almost always paid on gross – the full top line – regardless of how the manager's commission is set. The agent's cut comes off before costs.

Manager commission: gross vs net

Manager commission can be taken on gross (the full amount) or net (after the costs that come off the top). Net is the more artist-friendly and more common read – and the gap between the two is bigger than most people expect.

Gross vs net, in dollars

Take a $4,000 show with $600 of production costs – sound, lights, backline. At a 15% rate:

On gross: 15% of the full $4,000 = $600. You’re paid before the costs are even covered.
On net: 15% of $3,400 (after the $600) = $510. You’re paid on what the show actually earned.

Same rate, $90 apart on one small show. Across a year of dates, the base you agreed to is worth more than the percentage you negotiated.

Which one is fair

Net is the more artist-friendly read, and the more common one in deals that last. Commissioning on gross means the manager takes their cut before the artist has covered the cost of putting the show on – which can leave the artist short on a night that barely broke even. That said, “net” only means something if you’ve agreed which costs are deductible. Vague “net” is how disputes start.

The agent is a separate question

One thing that doesn’t flex: the agent is almost always paid on gross – the full top line – before costs and before you. So “gross vs net” is really about the manager’s commission, not the whole deal. The order is agent on gross first, then costs, then your cut on what’s left.

See the difference live

The free show commission calculator has a gross/net toggle – flip it and watch your cut and the artist’s share move. Or read the full guide to manager commission.

Common questions

Should manager commission be on gross or net?: Net – after the costs that come off the top – is the more artist-friendly and more common read. On gross, the manager is paid before those costs are even covered.
What's the difference between gross and net commission?: Gross applies your rate to the full amount. Net applies it after the deductible costs (production, travel) come out. Same rate, different base, different check.
Is the agent's cut on gross or net?: The agent is almost always paid on gross – the full top line – regardless of how the manager's commission is set. The agent's cut comes off before costs.