📈 Performance ROI Calculator
Put your earnings against your equipment, transport, permit, and other costs to see net profit and your return on investment as a percentage.
💷 Earnings vs Costs
What is a Performance ROI Calculator?
It measures whether a performance paid off. Enter what you earned and what it cost — equipment, transport, permits, and any extras — and it shows your total costs, your net profit after those costs, and your return on investment as a percentage of what you spent.
Performers use it to compare pitches and events, to judge whether a paid permit or a new amp earns its keep, and to catch performances that quietly lose money once travel and gear are counted. It's a planning estimate — verify permit fees and travel costs against real figures before you commit.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
How does the performance ROI calculator work?
Enter your gross earnings from a performance or run, then the costs behind it — equipment, transport, permits or licences, and any other outlay. It adds the costs together, subtracts them from your earnings to find net profit, and expresses that profit as a percentage of your costs so you can see how hard your outlay is working.
What counts as a cost for a street performer?
Anything you spend to put the performance on: gear and its upkeep (amp, instrument strings, batteries), travel to and from the pitch, busking permits or trading licences, plus extras like costume, printing, or merch stock. For a fair picture, include recurring wear on equipment rather than only one-off purchases.
What's a good ROI for busking?
There's no universal target — it depends on your costs and your goals. A 100% ROI means you doubled your outlay; a low ROI on a big equipment purchase can still be worthwhile if that gear lasts years across many performances. Use ROI to compare pitches, decide whether a paid permit or a new amp pays for itself, and spot performances that lose money once costs are counted.
Why is my ROI shown as a dash?
If you enter no costs, there's nothing to measure a return against, so the percentage can't be calculated and appears as a dash. Add at least one real cost — even just transport — to see a meaningful ROI figure.