FreelanceAudioVisual.com vs. AV staffing agencies
The freelance tech working your show probably also works through an agency somewhere. That agency bills you $850/day and pays them $550. We're the platform that lets you book the same tech directly — at the rate they actually agreed to.
Start Your 14-Day Free Trial →Our honest take
Agencies provide real value: they pre-vet crew, handle payroll and insurance, and smooth out payment timing for freelancers who hate chasing invoices. If that bundle matters to you — especially for a one-off show in a city you don't know — an agency is a legitimate option.
But for recurring work with established freelancers, the agency markup stops making sense. A 30–40% take-rate on every day of a 10-day show is real money, and it's coming out of your budget even when you already know exactly who you want to hire.
We're direct-to-tech. Every freelancer on the platform sets their own rate, you pay them directly, and the platform charges $12.99/mo — flat — regardless of how much you spend on crew. The only time we're the wrong pick is when you genuinely need agency services (insurance cert, payroll, pre-screened temp talent in a market you've never touched).
Feature comparison
| Direct (via FAV) | AV staffing agencies | |
|---|---|---|
| Platform cost | $12.99/mo or $99/yr flat | Built into markup |
| Markup on crew rates | 0% — tech sets rate, you pay it directly | 30–40% typical |
| Direct relationship with the tech | Yes — message, book, review directly | Often mediated through account manager |
| Public profiles + reviews + portfolio | Yes — every tech has one | Rare (agency keeps the roster private) |
| Payroll / W-2 / insurance cert | Not included — bring your own, or use agency for that show | Included |
| Pre-screening / vetting | Reviews + ratings from other companies | Agency-vetted |
| Crew availability visibility | Tech publishes their own calendar | Agency must check for you |
| Repeat booking | Build a preferred roster you own | Agency may staff a different tech next time |
| Invoicing | Tech invoices you directly | Agency invoices you, pays tech net-30/60 |
| Speed to book | Search → invite → confirm — minutes | Email account manager, wait |
When we’re the better fit
- You already know which freelancers you want to rebook — you don't need the agency pre-screening layer.
- You run enough shows that a 30–40% markup is a meaningful line item.
- Your freelancers would prefer getting paid direct (and faster) than through agency net-60 terms.
- You're building a preferred crew roster you want to own and grow over time.
- You want to pay crew their actual rate — not the rate plus a middleman.
Try it for two weeks
Full access to the platform — directory, crew management, scheduling, onboarding — for 14 days. Cancel anytime before day 15 and you're never charged.