Exposure:

An intangible benefit of dubious real value that preys upon commonplace fantasies of fame and fortune. The idea is that the reason the musician is currently struggling financially is because not enough people have heard their music yet, and, once they do, they'll start building a fan base, selling product, and be able to move up.   This is true in a few very rare cases - those where the audience is guaranteed, and comprised of appreciative, attentive music fans with disposable income.   Fortunately, this rarity is easy to catch: "exposure" is as ubiquitous as it is free, so venue owners will, without thinking,  tout the "Excellent exposure" of their venue, yet readily contradict this by mentioning that the band has to bring their fans. This means they know their venue doesn't have its own clientele, so the 'exposure' is to your own fans that you brought and thus is unlikely to help further build your fanbase.   Exposure is a myth. See also Four Things Every Musician Must Know.