A buyout turns an obligation into cash. The promoter hands over money instead of arranging the thing, and the artist sorts it out.
What gets bought out
- Meals, by far the most common one
- Hotel rooms, when the artist would rather drive home
- Ground transport
- Occasionally a whole hospitality rider, for a solo artist with no crew
Typical amounts
In western Europe a dinner buyout runs 15 to 25 euro a head, and 30 euro is normal in Scandinavia and Switzerland. Ask for it per person, and confirm the headcount while advancing, because promoters budget on the number in the contract rather than the number in the van.
When to take it
Take the buyout when the schedule is tight, the venue has no kitchen, or the artist has dietary needs a local caterer will get wrong. Take the catering when there are eight people and a fourteen hour day. See Hospitality rider.