As far as my knowledge is concerned, music Promoters who work with mega stars who sell out huge venues can make some serious money. But music promoters can easily find themselves working all day, every day, and only getting deeper into debt. Many music promoters have a day job that supports their promotion job. For becoming music promoters, a clear understanding of the money involved is needed, and there is a need to make deals with bands and venues very carefully. For any given show, music promoters’ expenses include: Venue rental, Advertising (posters, newspaper/magazine advertisements, etc), Backline rentals, Accommodation for the band, Rider and Payment for the band.
Let me be frank that some of the expenses can also be cut down by working under a door split deal arrangement, instead of paying the band a set fee. That way, one can make all of the money back first, and then the band gets paid if the individual gets paid. Bigger artists will balk at this kind of deal and will want a set fee - paying a set fee is fine, and even ideal, when working with a band who will sell enough tickets to recoup the costs. The best way for promoters to prove to bands that they can successfully market them is to adequately market themselves. An understanding of the crowd or audience that would enjoy a specific band or genre to is key for music promoters.
I take pleasure in inviting you all to http://www.musiciansatlas.com/ to explore all the fun of music.