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A Music Industry Case Study
spmkk writes "The NY Daily News has an uplifting look at the fate of a (hypothetical) 4-piece band "making it big" in today's RIAA-driven music industry. The condensed version: A band that sells 500,000 records for $8,490,000 gross ends up (after a few iterations of the new math) with $161,909 in their pocket. Split four ways, that's a whopping $40,477.25 each for a record that probably took close to a year to produce. And this is for a record that goes gold (as per the article, only 128 of some 30,000 records released in 2002 were so privileged). And I bet you wanted to be a rock star when you were a kid..."
"Blame it on piracy! Piracy, robble robble robble..." - Hillary Rosen
Todays rock bands don't even get the supermodel girlfriends, they get goth chicks with piercing in 7 different places. And Heroine, Cocain and LSD aren't even socially acceptable among rock stars anymore! Bah!
I wonder when they'll get it all fine tuned to the point where successful bands actually go bankrupt from attempting to make and sell an album :-P
Daniel
Carpe Diem
That most rock bands make most of their money from playing shows. A concert that is sold out and has lots of merchandise sales could mean big profit for the band itself. As an added bonus, the band also meets many groupies eager to have sex with them all night. That's something you DON'T get from being a sys admin!
Stanley Feinbaum, professional journalist and master debater! God bless the USA!
I guess I'm puzzled by the attitude displayed here on /.
On the one hand I'm told as a software developer it's not about the money. I should code just for the love of it!
On the other hand I'm supposed to be outraged because a rock star only makes $40k off a record deal?
And the rock star get's groupies, whereas the programmer just has pr0n.
"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."
You could've at least NOT quoted a song
And I bet you wanted to be a rock star when you were a kid.
Rock Star? I always dreamed of working for the RIAA. I started young, charging my first royalty at the age of six. One day I hope to have a global surcharge named after me. That would be the ultimate bragging right.
Actually, I wanted to be Liberace. I never made it.
Best Buy can have you arrested
Being I spend my first lifetime in the music business this isn't telling the whole story. They are not factoring in money from playing live. Also you know getting into the music business that you don't make a much of money in the early years of band. It take years for a band of gigging and recording to become the "hot new band".
Also there aren't "bands" these days mainly due to economics, everything is "projects" these days. A player will be juggling schedules rehearsing and playing multiple projects and doing side gigs to pay bills, hoping one of these projects gets signed, records, and tours. It's sad that players today don't know what it was like to be a band. To grow together musically, the family of band members and supporters. I still have a lot of friends in the business and it is way to commericial these days.
What do you recommend for those people who aren't 21 yet?
A fake id.
And how much do those live bands have to pay their songwriters?
A lot of them write their own music.
Sales from an album: $3 Million
Amount given to entire band: $100,000
Amount given to band member: $40,000
Ability to have sex with tons of hot chicks whenever you want: Priceless!
So what is the problem?
pyrotechnics!!!!
*ducks*
If you live in a city larger than 50,000 people, there should be a few bars that get live music. Go see them.
Just don't go see Great White. Noone gets out alive.
"We returned the General to El Salvador, or maybe Guatemala, it's difficult to tell from 10,000 feet"
I've had a hell of a time convincing bands to play in my car as I drive to work though. Not to mention the fact that I can't even fit the drum kit in the back seat.
Check out the problem with music .
Check out the problem with music .
I feel fantastic, and I'm still alive.
Marketing can be expensive, but really isn't necessary if the music is actually good.
and yet you are talking about Creed? I'm not sure I follow your logic.
Really fun stuff, thanks for the link.
Even funnier, with some find-and-replace the piece looks strikingly similar to a software project diary. Same efficiency and same outcome. I guess.