Short answer: At a bar or restaurant gig, $5 to $20 in the tip jar is typical for a set you enjoyed. For a request, $5 to $20 with the request. With no cash on you, the options are: scan the code on the stage, use the handle on the sign, buy merchandise, or tip with your request.
How much to tip a band or musician
| Situation | Usual tip |
|---|---|
| Enjoyed a set at a bar | $5 to $10 |
| Song request | $5 to $20 |
| Wedding or private event band | $25 to $50 per musician |
| Solo player at a restaurant | $5 to $10 |
These are customary amounts in the United States, in US dollars. They are a guide, not a rule: tip more for exceptional service.
Do you have to tip a band or musician?
No. Many bar gigs pay the band very little, and some pay nothing beyond the jar, so tips can be most of what the players take home. At a private event the host is the one who tips.
Can you tip a band or musician by card?
There is nothing to add a tip to. You are paying the bar for drinks, not the band, and the jar at the front of the stage takes cash.
4 ways to tip a band or musician without cash
- Scan the code on the stage. Most working bands now put a QR code on the jar, the merch table or the kick drum. Scan it from your seat.
- Use the handle on the sign. Bands often list a Venmo or Cash App name. This is limited to people who have the same app.
- Buy merchandise. A shirt, a record or a download code supports the band and usually takes a card.
- Tip with your request. Put the song title in the payment note.
What a tip QR code does
If a band or musician shows you a QR code, point your phone camera at it. A payment page opens in your browser, you choose an amount, and you pay with Apple Pay, Google Pay or a card. You do not install anything or create an account, and it works with cards from other countries.
If you cannot tip on the day
Follow them, share a clip and tag the venue. Being asked back by the venue is worth more to a band than one tip.
Outside the United States
Passing a hat or jar is understood almost everywhere. In the UK and Ireland buying the band a round is the traditional thank-you.
Do you work as a musician?
The audience pays the bar by card all night and has nothing for the jar. A payment handle on a sign only works for people with that app, and whoever in the band owns the account then has to divide the money afterwards.
See how musicians and bands take card tips with a QR code: where to put it, what to write on the sign and how to mention it.
Common questions
How much should I tip a band or musician?
At a bar or restaurant gig, $5 to $20 in the tip jar is typical for a set you enjoyed. For a request, $5 to $20 with the request.
Do I have to tip a band or musician?
No. Many bar gigs pay the band very little, and some pay nothing beyond the jar, so tips can be most of what the players take home. At a private event the host is the one who tips.
Can I tip a band or musician with a card or Apple Pay?
There is nothing to add a tip to. You are paying the bar for drinks, not the band, and the jar at the front of the stage takes cash.
What if I have no cash to tip a band or musician?
Follow them, share a clip and tag the venue. Being asked back by the venue is worth more to a band than one tip.