A hard ticket show is the honest test of an artist's draw. People paid for this name, in this room, on this night, and the number is what it is.
Why it counts
Agents and promoters build careers on hard-ticket history: what sold, in which city, at what price, and how quickly. That record sets the next room, the next fee and the next support slot. Festival crowds do not substitute for it.
What the artist carries
Risk sits closer to the artist. On a guarantee the promoter carries it, but on a Door deal or a split an empty room means a small payout. The marketing pressure lands on the artist too, because the audience is coming for the name on the poster.
Reading the numbers
250 sold in a 300-capacity club at €20 says more than 5.000 people in front of a festival stage. Keep the figures by city with the date and the ticket price, because promoters ask for them by name.