The typical broke musician is always looking for a way to save money while keeping the dream alive. Obviously, there are inherent costs with starting and maintaining any band, even an indie band. The fact is that until you have been established for some time, you may do well to simply break even when you travel as a band.

When you’re starting your band, you will want to consider carefully the costs of the different aspects of both practicing and performing a live show. You will have the obvious costs of your personal gear, food, lodging, and transportation. Beyond those costs are the costs of getting your sound from the stage to your audience.

Whether you are performing an acoustic set or you have a full electric sound, you want the people who have come to see you perform to get the full benefit of your talent. In order to do that the PA system needs to be more than adequate for the venue.

Many bands take for granted that the venue will provide the sound for their show. It is assumed that there will be both an amazing PA system and someone with the knowledge and skill to run it. The truth is that many venues do not have a house system, and those that do often do not allow bands to use it.

After discovering there is no house PA system available, some bands are left reeling, wondering how to overcome the obstacle of making themselves heard. One option is to purchase your own sound equipment, monitors, speakers, board, microphones, but that can get expensive. When you are already struggling financially, a large purchase like a full PA system can be too much for a band to afford.

Alternatives to Purchasing a PA System

Up-and-coming indie artists have options available to them when they simply cannot afford to purchase a PA system. Among those options are hiring a soundman with his own equipment for each gig or simply choosing to only play venues with a house system available. One somewhat overlooked option is to rent equipment for individual gigs or entire tours. This doesn’t make you any less of a professional, it just means you’re starting out. After all, the likes of Big Jim Folsom and Hank Williams Sr. relied on PA rentals at some point in their early careers. So, don’t rule out rentals as a great alternative. It may mean you can save even more money by using a smaller vehicle on tour! Then there’s tax time to think about…A CPA might even advise you on potential tax advantages if you ask, so definitely factor everything possible when weighing costs.

Is Renting Equipment Cost-Effective?

You might still be thinking that renting equipment for a single show seems like a waste of money though. It’s understandable considering the cost and added hassle of having to coordinate setup with a 3rd party. However, when you consider the up-front cost of purchasing the same equipment or hiring a dedicated sound person compared to the up-front cost of renting it for your event, renting begins to look much more budget-friendly.

Another consideration when choosing to rent equipment rather than buy it is the quality of the equipment you can afford. As with any other industry, you tend to get what you pay for when purchasing sound equipment. Good equipment is not usually cheap, and cheap equipment is not usually good.

Typically, you can rent a higher quality of equipment than you could purchase with a fledgling artist’s budget. The potential is there to rent a larger sound system than you can feasibly purchase when you are first starting as a band. You can often rent an entire system for one day for less than the purchase cost of one speaker.

Where Do You Find Rental Equipment?

If you are looking for equipment for one gig, you might be able to rent the use of the house PA system. Some venues will allow you to use their system for a small fee, but that limits your choices on equipment to what they have available.

A better option is to locate a music store or service company that offers PA equipment to rent. Often, this is the most cost-effective way to rent the equipment you need because they offer either package rentals or piece by piece rentals. In other words, you can rent everything you need for one price or pay a separate cost for each individual component.

Choosing to rent your sound equipment from a store or service company gives you the added bonus of being able to try the system with your particular sound before you buy similar components. It also has the potential to help you build relationships with professionals in the sound equipment industry.

Benefits of Renting Equipment Rather than Buying

There are several benefits to renting equipment.

• It can be more cost-effective.
• You can potentially rent a better system than you can buy.
• You can try before you buy. There is no long-term commitment.
• There is potential to build connections with industry professionals.

Final Thoughts

One of the hidden costs that many new bands do not consider is the cost of sound equipment. Purchasing a PA system to use for gigs and tours can be a huge hit to the band’s budget. Rather than spend the money to purchase equipment to get your sound from the stage to the audience, you can choose to rent the equipment.

Until your band is reaping the rewards of financial stability from your music, it is important to choose the most cost-effective ways to get your sound to your audience. Renting your sound equipment from a store or service company is a good way to stretch your touring budget.