Why Every Working Musician Needs a Gig Log

A gig log is a running record of every show you've played — venue, date, client, fee. Simple. But very few musicians bother keeping one, and by the end of the year they can't tell you what they played in March, who booked them, or how many shows they did in total.

Why It Matters More Than You Think

Most musicians think about income only at tax time, when they're scrambling to reconstruct the past twelve months from bank statements and half-remembered confirmations. A gig log eliminates that scramble entirely.

But a gig log is useful well beyond tax season. It helps you track which clients book you regularly, which venues pay well and on time, and how your workload trends month to month. Over a year, that information starts to tell you something real about your business.

What to Record for Each Gig

At minimum: date, venue or client name, the fee agreed upon, and whether it's been paid. If you're in a band, add which members were on the gig and what each person received. If you're registered for GST in Australia, note what portion of the fee is GST.

The more consistently you record this, the more useful it becomes. A gig log you've kept for two years shows your busiest months, your most reliable clients, and exactly what your average night is worth.

Keeping Your Log Without the Friction

The reason most musicians don't keep a gig log is that it feels like admin — something to do later, after the gear is packed and you've driven home at 1am. The trick is to make it fast. Dashplan lets you log a gig in under a minute: date, venue, fee, done. Next time you open it, it's all there.