Post-Show Returns: The 14-Day Window Every Producer Misses
Why most contracts give you 14 days, what to include in your close-out, and how to automate the whole thing so overage royalties bill themselves.
Almost every theatre licence contract includes a returns clause: within 14 days of your final performance, you must submit attendance and gross box office. Miss it and the rights-holder can — and increasingly does — block your next licence.
What to submit
- Total performances actually staged
- Total attendance
- Total gross box office (incl. comps at face value if required)
- Concession breakdown if your contract requires it
What happens next
Modern platforms recalculate the total royalty from your numbers, subtract your upfront fee, and auto-invoice the overage. If the result is zero or negative, your licence is simply closed out. If you overpaid, some publishers issue a credit.
See it in action
Run your next licence on Independent Theatre Licensing
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