Jack Antonoff wants venues to stop taxing artists' merch and to "stop lying to artists about costs of putting on shows"

Last Friday (18 November) Jack Antonoff became the latest artists to highlight how venues are taking a large percentage of merch sales from artists despite the current landscape of the touring industry. He wrote, "While we are having the discussion can venues simply stop taxing merch of artists? This is literally the only way you make money when you start out touring."

"The more we make it tenable for young and small artists to make a living on the road the more great music we will get," Antonoff continued, "Touring is one of the most honest ways to make a living. Some of the hardest and most heartfelt work you can do. So why must fuck artist so hard?"

while we are having the discussion can venues simply stop taxing merch of artists? this is literally the only way you make money when you start out touring

— jackantonoff (@jackantonoff) November 18, 2022

the more we make it tenable for young and small artists to make a living on the road the more great music we will get

— jackantonoff (@jackantonoff) November 18, 2022

touring is one of the most honest ways to make a living. some of the hardest and most heartfelt work you can do. so why must fuck artist so hard?

— jackantonoff (@jackantonoff) November 18, 2022

Antonoff continued, "Simple solutions, stop taxing merch, stop lying to artists about costs of putting on shows, include artists in more areas of revenue. The stories i could tell from my years touring are bananas. Young artists on tour are the last to see any money."

simpel solutions, stop taxing merch, stop lying to artists about costs of putting on shows, include artists in more areas of revenue. the stories i could tell from my years touring are bananas. young artists on tour are the last to see any money.

— jackantonoff (@jackantonoff) November 18, 2022