Thread: Letter to Emily White at NPR All Songs Considered. (A Must Read)

Chris:

Yes, you can't play New York every night. But Chuck, being based in D.C., would routinely play at venues in Maryland and Virginia, as well as do tours in the south.

Again, Chuck never got rich doing this. But it was sustainable at some level, and he was a pretty obscure musician (though one of my favorites).

Originally Posted by The Computer Audiophile

"You won't get rich doing these things, but many, many musicians survive by doing this. The late Chuck Brownhadn't recorded an album with a major in thirty years, but he could still pack the old Tramps in New York which, I'll ballpark, could hold 1000 people. At $20 a ticket, it was a pretty good day's work. (Chuck and his eight-piece band would usually drive back to DC after the show.)"

Can anyone breakdown how much money would make it to the artists in the band in this situation? Plus, does anyone know how sustainable this type of performing is? I.e. the band can't play this venue 7 nights per week or even come back the following week and expect a sellout.

Greetings all,

There are two books that you might want to seek out to get some background on the finances of making a life as a musician:

Tour Smart and Break the Band by Martin Atkins is written from the experiences of 30 years on the road both as a musician, band manager and road manager. It dispels many of the overly romanticized notions of being in a rock 'n' roll band on the road and breaks it down into all the operational, logistical and financial fine points of touring that will make or break you artistically and financially.

All You Need To Know About The Music Business by Donald S. Passman is written from the viewpoint of 30 years in the music business as a lawyer representing both artists and music labels (obviously not at the same time). It explains in plain language all the aspects of contract law in the music industry and the long term financial implications of that kind of contract law on an almost clause by clause basis. This book has been revised and updated on a fairly regular basis to reflect the changing landscape of the music business.

The two books combined are a pretty good primer on all the ways bands can make and/or lose money and go a long ways towards explaining why there are so few financial success stories in the music business.

I have no connection to or association with any of the authors, books, publishers and views expressed in the books mentioned above.

Regards,

Mister Wednesday

Originally Posted by The Computer Audiophile

"You won't get rich doing these things, but many, many musicians survive by doing this. The late Chuck Brownhadn't recorded an album with a major in thirty years, but he could still pack the old Tramps in New York which, I'll ballpark, could hold 1000 people. At $20 a ticket, it was a pretty good day's work. (Chuck and his eight-piece band would usually drive back to DC after the show.)"

Can anyone breakdown how much money would make it to the artists in the band in this situation? Plus, does anyone know how sustainable this type of performing is? I.e. the band can't play this venue 7 nights per week or even come back the following week and expect a sellout.

I consulted with my business partner, who until recently moonlighted with a blues band that plays at a range of venues in the DC area. He revealed that when the band played Blues Alley (a pretty upscale club in Georgetown, where Chuck Brown played a number of times), they received 60% of the gate. He also said that the percentage varies (from club to club and, I'd imagine, from band to band, depending on the band's demonstrated power to draw a crowd) and can go as high as 100% of the gate. You can do the math, but don't forget that there are expenses (including, usually, paying a manager) and no benefits, other than sometimes free or discounted food at the venue. As has been mentioned, not many bands are playing five or six gigs a week.

The characterization of most working musicians as being "lower middle class" is probably not far off the mark, aside from the very small percentage who become well known. Chuck Brown may have been a bit obscure, but he established a brand and a strong following, at least regionally, and he was by no means wealthy. Pretty much all the full-time musicians I've known supplement their income by teaching and/or doing other odd jobs, whether music related or not. My brother's a classical musician, and I think they have it a bit easier (if they're good enough), since, among other things, they can get university-level teaching gigs with good benefits (but bear in mind that classical music is horrendously competitive, with many, many players chasing fewer and fewer full-time jobs). My brother's set himself up pretty well, but he hustles pretty hard. (Another factor to consider is that musical talent and business acumen don't seem to be a common combination.) I've always thought a career in music can be very rewarding (in a spiritual way), but in most cases it's not going to make you rich or even terribly "comfortable."

--David

@orgel Thanks for providing some numbers. One of the most frustrating things about addressing the piracy issues is the paucity of good data. I think it's beyond contention that the RIAA is massively fudging its numbers, but we don't know what "massively" means.

Putting on my economist's hat, I wondered about the number of albums released each year. If the music industry were getting much less profitable -- or not profitable -- you would expect to see the numbers of releases drop. But that's not the case.

According to Digital Music News (and I have no idea who they are), the number of releases has more than doubled since 2000 (which, I will argue, is when Napster took off and piracy started becoming a real problem).



Releases have declined since 2008, but the economy's been in the tank since then, so I don't think that's a surprise.

I couldn't verify the numbers at SoundScan, which has a supremely unhelpful web site, but this Billboard article backs up several of the numbers used in the graph.

Nothing here suggests that musicians are being paid fairly. But I find it hard to square this data with the recording industry's cries of poverty. Whatever is happening, it's not forcing people to stop making albums.