Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

A Music Industry Case Study

Posted by michael on from the step-3:-profit dept.

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..."

8 of 555 comments (clear)

  1. You know why? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    "Blame it on piracy! Piracy, robble robble robble..." - Hillary Rosen

  2. What's worse... by JohnG · · Score: 5, Funny

    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!

    1. Re:What's worse... by JohnG · · Score: 4, Funny

      I don't like the taste of metal. ;-)

    2. Re:What's worse... by fobbman · · Score: 4, Funny

      At forty grand a year, do you REALLY think that they can afford a supermodel girlfriend and/or a heroin habit? Hell no! It's all they can do to afford the pierced skank and her antibiotics, and MAYBE a taste for Diet Rite soda.

  3. Hmmm... by KDan · · Score: 5, Funny

    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
  4. And the point is what? by sheldon · · Score: 5, Funny

    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.

  5. Ric Shrimpton said it best by eyegone · · Score: 4, Funny
    "As long as there's sex and drugs, I can probably do without rock 'n' roll."

    --
    "They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."
  6. Dreams? by LongJohnStewartMill · · Score: 5, Funny

    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.