Tools · US Market Entry Budget Planner
US market entry budget planner. For international artists.
An international artist planning a US entry usually asks for one number. There is no one number. There is a set of lines, each with a range, and the total depends on which lines are on and in what order they start. Switch each line on or off, edit the low and high to match your situation, and the planner gives a total range for the first twelve months and a month-by-month phasing. The lines follow the order described in what a US market entry plan looks like.
US market entry budget planner
Ranges are planning figures from general practice in 2026, in US dollars, for a first year. Every number is editable.
A US publicist on a monthly retainer for most of the year: trade and national press, online outlets, TV bookings. Low is a boutique firm on a short run; high is a larger firm for the full year.
A promotion run at specialty, mix-show, college and non-commercial radio around the first US single. Builds the story a Top 40 campaign later needs.
An independent promotion campaign at Pop and Rhythmic radio over four to five months, plus the station visits, remixes and tracking that go with it. The biggest single line and the one with a chart goal attached. Off by default; switch it on once the song has a story.
A showcase run or a first US tour: production, crew, travel, hotels, per diems, the agent's commission. Low is a few showcase dates; high is a club or theater tour that does not yet pay for itself.
Immigration lawyer fees, government filing fees and premium processing for an O-1 (individual) or P-1 (group) petition, plus the consultation letters and evidence file. High end covers a group with several members. Filed first, because nothing paid happens on a US stage without it.
Music video, performance video, photo shoots and a steady stream of short-form content for the US rollout, with US-facing creative direction. Front-loaded so the assets exist before press and radio start.
Streaming, social and video advertising in the US, run in two parts: a US and Canada audience build, and a cheaper global reach layer. Scales with the release calendar.
Total, 12 months
$0
Midpoint
$0
Halfway between low and high, for a single planning figure
12-month phasing
How this is calculated
- Total = the sum of the low values of every line that is switched on, and separately the sum of the high values. Lines that are off add nothing.
- Phasing. Each line has a shape across the twelve months that follows when that work usually happens: the visa and content first, publicity and paid media through the year, specialty radio around the first single, a Top 40 campaign and live dates in the second half. The line's low and high are spread across its months in that shape.
- Monthly row = the sum of every active line's share for that month, low and high, with a running total.
- The shapes are the usual order, not a schedule. A plan for a specific artist moves lines earlier or later depending on the release and the goal.
Questions people ask
How much does it cost to break an international artist in the US?
There is no single number; the total depends on which lines are on. A first year with publicity, specialty radio, content, a visa and a showcase run sits in the low six figures. Add a Top 40 radio campaign and a real tour and the plan moves into the mid six figures or above. The planner adds up only the lines you switch on, with the low and high you set. The order those lines usually come in is in what a US market entry plan looks like.
What is the difference between specialty radio and a Top 40 campaign?
Specialty and mix-show radio is a smaller, cheaper run that builds early spins and a story at stations open to new and international music. A Top 40 campaign is a full independent promotion push at Pop and Rhythmic stations with a chart position as the goal; it costs several times more and is only worth starting when the song, the TV and press story and the streaming numbers are already there. More: US pop radio for international artists.
Why is the visa the first line in the phasing?
An international artist needs a work visa before any paid performance, showcase or television appearance in the US. The O-1 covers an individual with a record of recognition; the P-1 covers a group or an entertainer coming for a specific event or tour. The petition takes an evidence file, consultation letters and lawyer time, and it needs months of lead time, so the money goes out in months one to three even if the first show is in month seven.
Why is there no line for a US label or a US manager?
Because neither is a line item. A US label or label-services partner brings its own marketing budget and takes a share of the records in return. A US manager is paid a commission on the artist's income, not a fee from the budget; the commission calculator shows what that looks like. Which of the three an artist needs, and in what order, is in manager, label or label services.
Is this a quote?
No. The low and high on each line are planning ranges from general practice in 2026, there to be edited. The output follows your inputs and nothing else. A plan for a specific artist starts from the song, the home market numbers and the goal, and that is a conversation: consulting or contact.
More tools: music manager commission calculator, streaming royalty calculator. All tools: eshygazit.com/tools. Who does the work: US management for international artists.
Last reviewed: November 6, 2026
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