fairPACCT part of platform ACCT

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Pop Musicians Subsector

Are you a pop musician? Or do you ever book one? Then it is important to consider fair pay. Do you know, for example, what constitutes appropriate compensation for a performance? And which terms of employment apply? Do you also believe that pop musicians should get what they deserve? FairPACCT helps, with concrete guidelines and tools.

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Pop musicians deserve better

There is significant room for improvement regarding the labor position of pop musicians. There is a substantial gap between what researchers consider fair compensation and actual performance fees. The income of freelancers can fluctuate significantly from year to year.

Their income is derived from various sources, such as performances, recordings, and copyrights, as well as sessions with other artists. They are dependent on the decisions of booking agencies, venues, radio producers, record labels, and streaming services. Subsidies are available to a limited extent, but the application process requires a great deal of time and energy. The entire sector benefits from a stronger position for pop musicians. The Pop Musicians chain table is working towards this goal.

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Fair pay,
nothing less than normal!

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About the chain table

The chain table was established in February 2022 and consists of twelve professionals from the field. Among them are freelance musicians, bookers, managers, and venue directors. The table frequently engages in dialogue with policy makers from various funds. Led by chairman Noud van de Rhee (fairPACCT program manager), the chain table conducts or commissions research and develops concrete guidelines and tools that stimulate fair pay within this subsector.

The Fair Pop Pilot was held from September through November 2024. For three months, a fair pay guideline was applied at eight VNPF pop venues, and all musicians and artists in Phases 1 and 2 of their careers received fair compensation for their performances. Following the Fair Pop Pilot and initiated by the Pop Musicians chain table, the Fair Pop Fund was established in early 2026. This is an independent fund aimed at raising resources and distributing them to pop acts as a supplement to their fees to achieve Fair Pay. Platform ACCT supports the Fair Pop Fund during its startup phase. The fairPACCT chain table remains involved with the fund as a think tank and advisory group.

View Pop Musicians Chain Table

Tools & downloads

Fair Pop Pilot – towards fair pay for live performances analyzes and reports on a 2024 trial period in which the chain table’s financial tools were tested and fair pay supplements were distributed to musicians with the help of funds. The pilot demonstrates the necessity of a system for appropriate compensation. Finding financial coverage remains the primary obstacle to the implementation of fair pay. Therefore, the chain table is working on the establishment of a Fair Pop Fund. The Performing Arts Fund NL (FPK) has already pledged its cooperation.

This 2023 report provides recommended rates for five career phases, with a minimum and a fair pay variant for each phase. It analyzes the income gap between current fees and appropriate remuneration for pop musicians, taking their career phase into account. The analysis shows that an additional €7.8 million is needed annually to realize fair pay within the sector through VNPF pop venues (2022 price levels). The report thus provides insight into financial deficits and forms a basis for further steps toward fair compensation for pop musicians.

Here you will find the tables with the minimum and fair pay rates across the five career phases of pop musicians through 2026. These rates are primarily intended for performances at the pop venues of the Association of Dutch Pop Venues and Festivals (VNPF).

Use this calculation tool to determine an appropriate rate for pop musicians. The tool categorizes acts into five career phases, providing a guideline for minimum and fair pay rates tailored to the stage of the act’s career. The tool demonstrates how live performances, streaming, and other achievements are factored in, with attention to genre-specific standards.