Why Most Acts Don’t Get Paid At South By Southwest

Jack Black: One many who played SXSW for free.

Jack Black doesn’t have much trouble pulling in hefty paychecks. His band, Tenacious D, grosses about $200,000 per night on the road, according to Pollstar. His film roles, from acting in King Kong to doing voice work on Kung Fu Panda, can fetch far more.

Yet when he comes to the South by Southwest music festival in Austin, Texas—as he’s been doing for many years—he plays for free.

“I’ve never been paid to perform at South by Southwest,” he explaine...