Free Tour Budget Template
A tour budget answers one question before you leave: does this run make or lose money? These are the lines most touring budgets carry, plus a plain-text template you can paste into a spreadsheet.
What goes in a tour budget
Income
- Show guarantees and expected backend
- Merch sales (net of venue split)
- VIP or meet and greet packages
- Tour support or sponsorship
People
- Band and crew wages or show fees
- Per diems per person per day
- Payroll taxes or contractor costs
Travel
- Van, bus, or sprinter lease
- Fuel, tolls, and parking
- Driver wages and driver hotel rooms
- Flights and baggage fees
- Trailer or truck rental
Accommodation
- Hotel rooms per night
- Day rooms on bus tours
- Taxes and incidentals
Production
- Backline rental
- Lighting, audio, or video package
- Trucking and freight
- Consumables (strings, sticks, batteries, gaffer)
Commissions and overhead
- Booking agent commission
- Manager commission
- Business manager or accountant
- Insurance, visas, and work permits
- Contingency (often around 10% of expenses)
Copy this tour budget template
Paste it into Google Docs, Notes, a spreadsheet, or your group chat and fill in the blanks.
TOUR BUDGET Tour: ______________ Dates: ________ to ________ Shows: ____ INCOME Guarantees ...................... $______ Expected backend ................ $______ Merch (net of venue split) ...... $______ VIP / M&G ....................... $______ Other ........................... $______ TOTAL INCOME .................... $______ PEOPLE Wages / show fees ............... $______ Per diems ($__ x __ people x __ days) $______ TRAVEL Vehicle lease ................... $______ Fuel / tolls / parking .......... $______ Driver .......................... $______ Flights / bags .................. $______ ACCOMMODATION Hotels (__ rooms x __ nights) ... $______ Day rooms ....................... $______ PRODUCTION Backline ........................ $______ Lights / audio / video .......... $______ Freight / trucking .............. $______ Consumables ..................... $______ COMMISSIONS AND OVERHEAD Agent (__% of gross) ............ $______ Manager (__% of gross) .......... $______ Business manager ................ $______ Insurance / visas ............... $______ Contingency (__%) ............... $______ TOTAL EXPENSES .................. $______ NET (INCOME - EXPENSES) ......... $______
Budget in a spreadsheet, run the tour in TourPro
TourPro does not do budgets or settlements yet; those tools are on the roadmap. What it does handle is everything the budget pays for: the schedule, flights, hotels, ground transport, crew, and day sheets, shared live with the whole team. Travel, hotels, and flights in TourPro.
Frequently asked questions
How do you make a tour budget?
List every show with its guarantee, then estimate merch and other income. On the expense side, cost out people (wages and per diems), travel, hotels, production, and commissions for the full run, add a contingency, and subtract. Build it per show and per day so you can see which legs lose money.
What commissions come out of a tour budget?
Booking agents and managers usually commission a percentage of gross show income, and business managers often take a smaller percentage or a fee. The exact rates are in each contract, so budget them as lines rather than guessing.
How much contingency should a tour budget have?
Many tour managers carry around 10% of total expenses as contingency to cover breakdowns, last-minute flights, and replacement gear. Tours with more flying or international legs often carry more.
Does TourPro track tour budgets?
Not yet. Budgeting and settlement tools are on the TourPro roadmap. Today TourPro handles the logistics side: schedules, travel, hotels, crew permissions, guest lists, advances, and day sheets.
More free tour templates
Unsure what a term means? See the tour management glossary.