The Nashville Musicians Association (NMA) and Broadway musicians have presented new work standards amid the growth of third-party booking agencies on Broadway that have reportedly impacted musicians' base pay, scheduling and creative integrity.
Announced on a Sept. 14 Facebook post, the standards have been roughly a month in the making, as some musicians have been sounding the alarm regarding third-party booking agencies since early August. Tyson Hanes, lead singer of the Tyson Hanes Band, posted a video onAug. 8 on social media about what led his band to forgo its partnership with Jon Bon Jovi's bar on Broadway because the third-party booking agency, Jam Juice, greatly impacted how they conducted business.
"The end goal is control, and the corporate
world has taken over Nashville and that's exactly where it's going to keep going," Hanes said about Jam Juice and other third-party booking agencies in an August interview with The Tennessean.
The NMA press release responds to nearly every issue Hanes mentioned in his initial plea, as the statement outlines 10 measures to protect musicians on Lower Broadway from insufficient pay, short-notice cancellations, competitive bidding practices and loss of creative control.
"The recent development and expansion of third-party electronic booking systems now being used by many of the downtown clubs have caused many problems for musicians, who are far too often left at the bottom of this economic business model," the NMA press release said.
How Nashville musicians say they have been hurt by the expansion of third-party booking sites
According to the press release, the main concerns on Lower Broadway include insufficient base pay, short-notice cancellations, bidding wars and additional fees charged to musicians.
In addition to those worries, Hanes also said Jam Juice, in particular, greatly impacted how the band previously received tips, marketed itself and interacted with fans and venue staff.
Prior to Jon Bon Jovi's bar integrating Jam Juice into its business model, the Tyson Hanes Band used its own website and banner with a QR code to receive tips. Once Jam Juice came into the picture, the band was no longer allowed to do so, which "drastically changed how much [we] were pulling in," Hanes told The Tennessean.
Another central issue Hanes and the NMA have shed light on is the bidding wars featured on these third-party vendors' platforms. On these platforms, bands can bid on gigs they want to play, worrying Hanes and others because they believe venues will book the lowest bid and take away gigs from seasoned bands with higher rates.
As noted in the press release, musicians also desire more booking flexibility, as well as prompt payment.
Even though musicians and the NMA have extensively criticized Jam Juice, CEO Matthew Romero has said the company's goal is not to profit at the expense of musicians.
"Our goal is never to ask, 'How can we make more money on musicians?'" Romero told The Tennessean in August. "It's truly not. And I hope that the changes that our company is making in the coming weeks will showcase that we are human beings."
How will the new work standards help Nashville's Lower Broadway musicians
"This collective effort to get Lower Broadway musicians the respect they deserve is already making a difference," Dave Pomeroy, president of the NMA, said about the standards.
"Lower Broadway would not be the huge revenue source it is for Nashville without the work of musicians and performers."
According to Pomeroy and Hanes' comments, the standards' primary intention is to prevent Broadway bands from being taken advantage of. Under the proposed standards, musicians would receive a base pay of $100 per musician for a four-hour shift, be allowed to use their own tipping methods, keep all their tips and receive proper compensation for short-notice cancellations. Musicians also would receive payment in no more than five days if they are not paid immediately after a shift.
Regarding booking flexibility, bidding wars and other concerns, the NMA and Jam Juice agreed on the following changes after discussions:
- As of Sept. 12, Jam Juice will no longer deduct 2.5% from musicians’ payments.
- Bands signed up with Jam Juice may book gigs outside the platform.
- Musicians may remove themselves directly from the Jam Juice platform if they choose to do so.
- The bidding war process has been eliminated, with all shift pay rates set in advance.
The standards also noted that venues with Jam Juice Pro, a more expensive package offering additional booking features, will have a 14-day cancellation payment guarantee.
What's at stake for Lower Broadway?
The trust, loyalty and creativity that underpin the relationship between venue operators, bands and patrons are among the qualities Hanes fears will disappear if companies like Jam Juice gain a stronger foothold on Broadway. Another concern is the potential for a monopoly.
"Just five years ago, Nashville was all about the connections you made and the time and work you put in to get recognition for your music and brand itself," said Hanes. "There's no relationships anymore, it's just a machine."
"Jam Juice is a symptom of the bigger problem. The root of the problem is that everybody is being treated like they are replaceable, and in some sense, that is true," Tyson Hanes Band drummer Adam Barber told The Tennessean.
Given how quickly Jam Juice grew on Lower Broadway, Barber and Hanes worry that without standards in place, the company and others like it, could eventually dominate the market, allowing them to dictate their own rules and business practices.
Pomeroy also believes the third-party agencies may impact the communal culture on which Broadway was founded. "There are so many musicians that came through Broadway as a training ground...The system is good," Pomeroy told The Tennessean. "But what has happened now is these third parties have upset the apple cart."
"Nashville became Nashville because of the respect for the musicians, and we are going to go down swinging," he added.
Peter Burditt covers trending news and service journalism for The Tennessean. Contact him at PBurditt@nashvill.gannett.com
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Nashville musicians set new Broadway standards. What they demand
