UMAW's Raise the Bar: 70 venues drop merch cuts and pay-to-play

The Union of Musicians and Allied Workers has officially launched Raise the Bar. About 70 U.S. venues, including The Crocodile in Seattle and Cervantes in Denver, have pledged to take no cut of artist merch, drop pay-to-play fees, stop asking fans at the door which opener they came for and send written contracts ahead of the show. UMAW will publish a searchable list of the venues that signed, so indie acts can plan tours around rooms that protect their money.