You can always tell how young someone is by how outraged they are at earning a buck. Wait until you have a mortgage.
Tina Fey was the best at earning a buck and staying hip to the lesser-informed.
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Itâs that sort of statements from artists that really demystifies the industry for people, I think.
Unrelated, but (regarding your avatar) I just rewatched Big Trouble in Little China last night, and man, that movie was just as great as I remember it⌠Kurt Russell just bumbles his way through the whole thing, doesnât he. I love John CarpenterâŚ
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A couple basic things you need to understand about how the industry works, and where musicians make their money:
CD/record sales make nothing for the artists. Thatâs the thing that makes money for the label, so that theyâre willing to pay to send the band on tour. Hell, with the fucked up accounting practices the majors use, there are bands that LOSE money every time they sell an album.
Touring is bread and butter. Whether itâs a local band at the corner bar & grill, or a major heavy playing gigantic stadiums, those ticket sales are where the band makes their rent. If youâre playing stadiums every night, youâre probably good for a couple million a year- A really good living, but not the endless coke and Cristal decadence we normally think of as the rock star life.
Airplay is teeny, tiny amounts which can add up. If youâre in heavy rotation on several hundred stations, it REALLY adds up. Otherwise, itâs not a huge money maker.
Merchandising can be anything from a loss that gets written off as advertising, to a multimillion dollar enterprise of itâs own.
Licensing- The money that comes in from a song getting used in a movie, commercial, video game, or whatnot, or someone recording a cover version of your song- THATâS where the real money is. While there are some blanket licenses, most often these are negotiated individually, and if you have a good agent, it can be the biggest paycheck you get.
Endorsements- This is fast, easy money. For a mid-level band, itâs a photo shoot for a chance to buy equipment at cost. For a major Top 40 artist, itâs a million bucks for a 30 second TV spot- a couple million if itâs airing during the Super Bowl.
I completely forget where I was going with this, but it should still put stuff into perspective.
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Your quote from both Wolf & Oleg matches my experience running small punk/indie labels over the years. The first one I did in the early mid 80s or so was started by purchasing a few hundred overstock 15 minute endless loop cassette tapes and running off the duplications of me and my friends music during dead time at the studio I was interning at. Sold em out of the back of my car at shows & parties for a buck or two each. That level of business isnât worthwhile for most ârealâ labels but it worked at the punk entrepreneur level for sure.
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