Why does an agent take a percentage and how much is it?

Everyone wants an agent until it comes to the money side of things! One of the questions we get asked a lot is how much an agent “takes” from an artist - it’s a word we hate, because we’re not “taking” without putting in the work and hopefully as an agent, it’s been earned. We appreciate that in this day it’s a tricky subject so we wanted to be as transparent and open as possible about the process, what it means and how we do things.

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This is a job.

In the same way we shout from the top of our lungs that being a creative is a job, not a hobby, being an agent is also a job and as much as we’d love to do this for free, we also have bills to pay. 

A professional agency will never charge you to be part of their roster, this means they only get paid when jobs come though. 

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What you don’t see.

When a project lands in your inbox you can be sure that your agent has spent many hours, days, (urgh sometimes months) discussing, negotiating and getting that project in a place that is perfect for the artist to kickstart. 

For every project that moves forward there are many more that do not, and often as an artist you may not know about these conversations because that’s the point of having an agent, to remove that time from your plate so you can focus on your work

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But what does an agency actually have to pay for anyway?

An agent is not just taking a percentage of an overall fee to pocket, most (if not all) of the money goes back into running the agency, and whilst overheads are a little less than they were 20+ years ago, this doesn't mean it's zero. 

Like what I hear  you ask? Well, here are a few: 

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The website! Design, management, hosting (hosting lots of images!) and all the costs that come with this. 

File storage, work subscriptions (we also need Adobe!).

PR & Marketing (online and physical).

Project management.

Artist management.

Meetings (global!)

Staff & freelancers .

Bills, snacks, and anything a large dog called George requires.

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So what percentage does an agency take?

Each agency is different, so this is purely based on what we do here at Roar: 

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30 % on fees over £500 

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20% on fees under £499

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You’re part of something.

Being part of an agency should be seen as something exciting that will help you and your career grow, and whilst yes, you will lose a percentage of some jobs that come in, what you gain from being with an agency should be so much more than that. It’s about being part of a group of people whose values are in line with yours, having a person whose purpose is to share and bring creative talent to the forefront of commissioners, and most importantly: have your back, always.

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More eyes are better than no eyes. 

Remember, the more eyes on your work the better! Showing a portfolio to a client doesn't mean you’ll get work right away, but who knows if the perfect project might pop up for you in the future, and those commissioners might only find you through the work of your agent.

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- Words by Skye as part of the Roar professional musings series.

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