Is Playing 40 Gigs a Month Real Success?
Is playing 40 gigs a month successful?
I know musicians who play 40 shows a month:
Solo acoustic. 100 euros a gig.
And I know others who play 4 shows a month:
1000 euros a gig.
One is volume.
The other is leverage.
Volume is not the same as success
Volume can mean:
- low fees
- high dependency on constant work
- physical burnout
- zero time to build assets
- no pricing power
It’s honest work. But it can become a treadmill.
Leverage changes the math
Leverage can come from:
- better positioning
- stronger audience pull
- higher perceived value
- premium events
- brand equity
- catalog income
Leverage means you don’t need endless volume to survive.
The real metric: value per unit
The question isn’t “How many gigs?”
The question is:
- What do you earn per gig?
- What does it cost you in time and energy?
- Are you building anything that lasts?
So who’s more successful?
40 gigs at 100 can be survival.
4 gigs at 1000 can be freedom.
But the real answer is personal:
Success is the combination of income, time, energy, and control.
Conclusion
If you need 40 gigs a month, your value per unit is low.
If you want freedom, build leverage—not just volume.
FAQ
Is it bad to play many gigs?
No. It can be a great phase. Just don’t confuse “busy” with “winning.”
How do I raise my fee?
Positioning, proof, demand, audience pull, and packaging an experience—not just “songs.”
What if I love playing live every night?
Then volume can be your choice, not your trap. The key is choosing it consciously.
Transcript
Is playing 40 gigs a month successful?
I know musicians who play 40 shows a month.
Solo acoustic. 100 euros a gig.
And others who play 4 shows a month.
1000 euros a gig.
One is volume.
The other is leverage.
So who’s more successful:
40 gigs at 100 — or 4 gigs at 1000?
Take Your Guitar Playing To The Next Level!
Wouter Baustein
Music Producer, Music & Mindset Coach
If you like clear, practical guitar and music coaching instead of random YouTube tips, you need structure. My guitar books and coaching programs give you that structure, so you can finally make real progress and level up your playing.
