# Music Business Blueprint — Owner-Operated Band Company

**Goal:** $60K/year minimum to owner (non-performing), scaling to 6 figures
**Style:** Snarky Puppy × Jacob Collier × Todd Goldberth
**Market:** NW Indiana / Chicago
**Size:** 15-20 members
**Status:** Research phase — not yet formed

---

## The Models That Work (12 Sources Studied)

### Source 1: Snarky Puppy — The Collective Model
Michael League owns the LLC. 25-40 musicians rotate in/out. Not everyone plays every gig. Revenue comes from the ecosystem: band + record label (GroundUP Music) + annual festival (1,500 attendees/day in Miami) + education clinics + YouTube sessions. Members also work with Erykah Badu, Kendrick, D'Angelo — which RAISES the brand. Estimated $3-5M/year gross.

**Lesson:** The band is one product inside a larger machine. Build the ecosystem.

### Source 2: Vulfpeck — Low Overhead, High Impact
4-person core sold out MSG without a manager or label. Jack Stratton does everything: production, video, business. YouTube-first with a distinctive retro visual brand. Launched their own Vulf Records + the Vulf Compressor plugin (passive income). Vinyl-heavy (higher margins than streaming). Estimated $3-8M/year at peak.

**Lesson:** Distinctive visual brand + YouTube = free marketing. Plugins/digital products = passive income. Own everything.

### Source 3: Pomplamoose / Jack Conte — Transparent Economics
Published full tour breakdown: 28 days, $135K revenue, $147K expenses = $11K LOSS. This transparency became massive marketing. Built audience on YouTube covers → monetized via Patreon ($6,326/video). Frustration with YouTube economics led Conte to found Patreon ($4B company).

**Lesson:** Touring with 6+ musicians costs ~$5,300/day minimum. Don't tour until the math works. Covers = discovery; originals = monetization. Membership/Patreon smooths income gaps.

### Source 4: Jacob Collier — Audience as Product
100,000+ concertgoers recorded singing on tour; their voices appear on his albums. Created a free instrument plugin from those recordings. Fans literally become part of the product. 150+ collaborations cross-pollinate audiences. 7 Grammys generate free press.

**Lesson:** Audience participation creates superfans. Every collaboration is a new audience funnel.

### Source 5: Postmodern Jukebox (Scott Bradlee) — Owner ≠ Performer
One person owns the brand, hires rotating musicians per video/tour. Non-performing owner built a multi-million-dollar entertainment company. Rotates 50+ musicians through the brand. YouTube is the engine (billions of views). Tours under the brand name, not any individual.

**Lesson:** THIS IS YOUR MODEL. The brand is the product, not any single musician. Owner controls the brand, musicians are hired per project.

### Source 6: Vitality Music Collective (Chicago) — Entertainment Company Model
Operates as a company that deploys different configurations of musicians depending on the event. One roster, multiple formats (duo for cocktail hour, 12-piece for reception, DJ for afterparty). The company is the brand.

**Lesson:** One roster, many products. A 15-20 person collective can deploy as a 4-piece jazz combo, 8-piece funk band, or full 15-piece show band depending on the gig budget.

---

## The Revenue Math ($60K Owner Target)

### What a 15-20 Piece Band Can Charge

| Gig Type | Per Event | Frequency | Annual |
|----------|-----------|-----------|--------|
| Corporate events | $10,000-$20,000 | 20-30/year | $200K-$600K |
| Weddings | $6,000-$10,000 | 30-40/year | $180K-$400K |
| Casino/hotel residency | $3,000-$8,000/night | Weekly (subset) | $50K-$250K |
| Studio/production work | $75-$150/hr | Ongoing | $30K-$180K |
| Sync licensing catalog | $500-$50,000/placement | 10-20/year | $5K-$100K |
| YouTube/social media | AdSense + brand deals | Ongoing | $5K-$80K |
| Education (clinics) | $1,000-$5,000/workshop | Monthly | $12K-$60K |

### Conservative Year 1 Projection

| Revenue | Amount |
|---------|--------|
| 20 corporate gigs @ $10K | $200,000 |
| 15 weddings @ $7K | $105,000 |
| Studio sessions | $30,000 |
| Sync (building catalog) | $5,000 |
| **Total Gross** | **$340,000** |

| Expenses | Amount |
|----------|--------|
| Musicians (70% of gig revenue) | $213,500 |
| Production/equipment | $30,000 |
| Marketing/admin | $20,000 |
| Insurance/legal | $10,000 |
| **Total Expenses** | **$273,500** |

| **Net to Owner (LLC profit)** | **$66,500** |

**$60K hit in year 1 at 35 gigs = less than 3 gigs/month.**

**Year 3+ (mature):** $150K-$300K+ net to owner.

---

## Company Structure

```
Samuel James (Sole Owner)
│
└── [Band Company LLC]
    │
    ├── PERFORMANCE (primary revenue)
    │   ├── Full ensemble (15-20 piece) → corporate, festivals, premium weddings
    │   ├── Medium format (8-10 piece) → standard weddings, clubs, casinos
    │   └── Small format (4-5 piece) → lounges, restaurants, cocktail hours
    │
    ├── PRODUCTION (secondary revenue)
    │   ├── Studio sessions (for hire)
    │   ├── Sync licensing catalog
    │   └── Producing for other artists
    │
    ├── MEDIA (marketing + revenue)
    │   ├── YouTube live sessions (discovery engine)
    │   ├── Social media (TikTok/Reels/Shorts)
    │   └── Brand deals / sponsorships
    │
    └── EDUCATION (tertiary revenue)
        ├── Workshops / clinics
        └── Masterclasses
```

---

## Roster Breakdown (15-20 Members)

| Role | Count | Type | Pay Model |
|------|-------|------|-----------|
| Owner/Creative Director (Sam) | 1 | Non-performing | LLC profit (20-30% of gross) |
| Music Director | 1 | Core | Retainer + per-gig |
| Event Planner/Booker | 1 | Core | Salary or commission (10-15%) |
| Keys 1 (MD or lead) | 1 | Core | Per-gig + retainer |
| Keys 2 | 1 | Core/Rotation | Per-gig |
| Bass | 1 | Core | Per-gig |
| Guitar | 1 | Core | Per-gig |
| Drums | 1 | Core | Per-gig |
| Vocalist 1 (lead) | 1 | Core | Per-gig + retainer |
| Vocalist 2 | 1 | Core | Per-gig |
| Horn section (2-3) | 2-3 | Rotation | Per-gig |
| Media Director (video/content) | 1 | Core | Salary or retainer |
| Media Assistant (social/editing) | 1 | Core/Part-time | Per-project |
| Sound Engineer | 1 | Core | Per-gig + studio salary |
| Percussionist/Aux | 1 | Rotation | Per-gig |

---

## Per-Gig Musician Pay

| Tier | Rate | Who |
|------|------|-----|
| Music Director | $500-$800 | Leads rehearsals + arranges |
| Core musicians | $300-$500 | Regular members |
| Rotation musicians | $250-$400 | Called as needed |
| Sound engineer | $300-$500 | Per gig |

At $400 avg × 12 musicians per gig = $4,800 musician cost. Charge $10K+ and keep $5K+ per event.

---

## Social Media Strategy (Unfair Advantage)

A 15-20 piece band is visual spectacle on camera. Inherently viral:

- "15 musicians play [trending TikTok song]" — instant shareability
- Rehearsal clips with that many people = energy
- "The horn section reacts to [viral song]"
- Arrangement breakdowns
- Member spotlights (network effect — each has their own following)

**YouTube strategy (Snarky Puppy model):** Record "live in studio" sessions. One production = album track + YouTube video + sync catalog entry + social clips. Quadruple-dip.

---

## Platform-Specific Rates (Chicago Market)

| Band Size | Wedding | Corporate |
|-----------|---------|-----------|
| 3-5 piece | $2,500-$6,000 | $2,500-$6,000 |
| 6-8 piece | $4,000-$10,000 | $6,000-$10,000 |
| 9+ piece | $7,500-$15,000 | $7,500-$15,000+ |
| 10-17 piece (your tier) | $10,000-$20,000+ | $10,000-$25,000+ |

---

## Sync Licensing (Passive Income Engine)

| Placement Type | Fee Range |
|----------------|-----------|
| Podcast/web series | $100-$1,000 |
| Indie film | $500-$5,000 |
| TV show (background) | $500-$5,000 |
| TV show (featured) | $5,000-$50,000 |
| National TV commercial | $25,000-$500,000 |

A 15-20 piece group can produce everything sync supervisors need: orchestral swells, funk/soul, jazz, acoustic. Build 50-100 sync-ready tracks. Even at low end: $5K-$40K/year growing passively.

---

## Casino/Residency Income (Steady Baseline)

| Venue Type | Per Night |
|------------|-----------|
| Bar/lounge (small config) | $500-$1,500 |
| Hotel lounge | $1,000-$3,000 |
| Regional casino | $1,500-$10,000 |

NW Indiana has Four Winds, Hard Rock, Horseshoe/Caesars. Weekly Fri-Sat residency at $4,000/night = $32,000/month gross.

---

## What Makes This Different from a Cover Band

| Cover Band | Your Collective |
|------------|-----------------|
| Background music | THE entertainment |
| $2K-$5K ceiling | $10K-$20K floor |
| No IP, no passive income | Sync catalog, YouTube, production |
| Musicians interchangeable | Featured artists with followings |
| No brand | Visual identity, content, community |

---

## Mission Statement (Draft)

> [Band Name] is a Chicago-area music collective delivering premium live entertainment,
> original recordings, and production services. We exist to prove that a large-format
> ensemble can be a profitable, sustainable business — not a hobby. Every member is a
> professional. Every performance is an event. We create music that sounds like a film
> score came to life in front of you.

---

## Next Steps (When Ready)

1. Name the entity and form LLC (under SnS Holdings? Or standalone?)
2. Recruit a Music Director (your proxy for rehearsals/arrangements)
3. Define the sound (what does SP × JC × TG sound like for YOUR market?)
4. Record 3-5 "live session" videos (YouTube pilot — the marketing engine)
5. Book 5 corporate gigs at $8K-$12K to validate market
6. Start sync catalog (record instrumentals during sessions)

---

## Key Revenue Streams (Complete List)

1. Live performance (tickets/guarantees)
2. Corporate/wedding bookings
3. Casino/hotel residencies
4. YouTube AdSense
5. Sync licensing
6. Merch + vinyl (40-60% margins)
7. Patreon/membership
8. Studio sessions (for hire)
9. Producing for other artists
10. Education (workshops/clinics)
11. Brand sponsorships
12. Festival ownership (long-term)
13. Record label (release other artists)
14. Plugins/digital products
15. Livestream ticketed shows
16. VIP/meet-and-greets
17. Publishing royalties (PRO)
18. Neighboring rights (SoundExchange)
19. Print-on-demand merch
20. Bandcamp direct sales

---

*Research completed 2026-08-14. Sources: Snarky Puppy (GroundUP Music, Highway 81 Revisited),
Vulfpeck (Billboard, Medium), Pomplamoose (CNBC, Jack Conte blog), Jacob Collier (Guardian,
Billboard), Postmodern Jukebox, Vitality Music Collective, GigSalad, TheBash, Berklee Online,
artist.tools, plugg-supply.net, venturesmarter.com, influencermarketinghub.com.*
