Peter Frampton: 55 million streams and I got paid $1700 (1 Viewer)

[superchuck500]

$30k-$45k per year?? I think you’re referring to supporting musicians who play concerts on the road with established bands, right? I mean, if lets say, youre one of the founding members of Coldplay or Nickelback or something, why would you even subject yourself to the rigors of touring for under $50k per year?

It really depends on how the business of the tour is set up. The artists that have their own production company and keep it all in house (and sell a lot of tickets) can do very well. But if they're basically just talent employed by a tour production company, they don't end up making that much . . . depends on how much leverage they have (how well known they are).

 

[Mr. Blue Sky]

It really depends on how the business of the tour is set up. The artists that have their own production company and keep it all in house (and sell a lot of tickets) can do very well. But if they're basically just talent employed by a tour production company, they don't end up making that much . . . depends on how much leverage they have (how well known they are).

Right, i was responding to the comment that it was “most of the bands you and i go see”. .. and “successful bands formed in the last 20-30 years”… which is why i used Coldplay and Nickelback…. If we were talking about some local NOLA band, or even a band from the 70s or 80s that had one or two hits, and would play venues like Tipitina’s , versus a venue like the Smoothie King- then yeah, i can definitely see how one of those band members might pull in $35k per year.

 

[superchuck500]

Right, i was responding to the comment that it was “most of the bands you and i go see”. .. and “successful bands formed in the last 20-30 years”… which is why i used Coldplay and Nickelback…. If we were talking about some local NOLA band, or even a band from the 70s or 80s that had one or two hits, and would play venues like Tipitina’s , versus a venue like the Smoothie King- then yeah, i can definitely see how one of those band members might pull in $35k per year.

It's as if the music business froze in time for you in 2005.

 

[guidomerkinsrules]

It really depends on how the business of the tour is set up. The artists that have their own production company and keep it all in house (and sell a lot of tickets) can do very well. But if they're basically just talent employed by a tour production company, they don't end up making that much . . . depends on how much leverage they have (how well known they are).

“just” talent

 

[saintmdterps]

They make up for it with the high priced concert tickets.

Tickets wouldn't be so expensive were it not for legalized scalpers like Ticketmaster and StubHub.

 

[Meachemdat]

$30k-$45k per year?? I think you’re referring to supporting musicians who play concerts on the road with established bands, right? I mean, if lets say, youre one of the founding members of Coldplay or Nickelback or something, why would you even subject yourself to the rigors of touring for under $50k per year?


That said, one of the members of Pete Yorn’s band lived in my apartment building circa the early 2000s.. he definitely wasn’t living a rock star lifestyle lol, but i dont think the band members (in that particular instance) were compensated on the level of Pete Yorn himself, so it wasn’t really a band, per se.... i’m pretty certain this guy was pulling in over $50k per year, and this was 20 yrs ago for a guy who only had one or two hits on the radio.

“Established bands” would be the exception these days. There are a handful of bands that are even capable of generating enough sales to fill an arena without 4 other acts. Huge bands like foo, Metallica, g’n’r, etc play based on guarantees before the tours are even booked. The average band that was formed in the last 20 years is going on a tour playing fairly small venues for next to nothing. They will make most of their money on merch sales. The labels aren’t fronting these guys any money whatsoever and most of your “indie” labels are going belly up. That’s why you see so many bands distributing their own music through their own “labels” which is just a front name for them to use some international distribution company.
That’s what saved labels like road runner. They turned from a label into a distributor.

 

[Mr. Blue Sky]

“Established bands” would be the exception these days. There are a handful of bands that are even capable of generating enough sales to fill an arena without 4 other acts. Huge bands like foo, Metallica, g’n’r, etc play based on guarantees before the tours are even booked. The average band that was formed in the last 20 years is going on a tour playing fairly small venues for next to nothing. They will make most of their money on merch sales. The labels aren’t fronting these guys any money whatsoever and most of your “indie” labels are going belly up. That’s why you see so many bands distributing their own music through their own “labels” which is just a front name for them to use some international distribution company.
That’s what saved labels like road runner. They turned from a label into a distributor.

I used bands like Coldplay and Nickelback as examples becuase, while i don’t necessarily listen to their music- they would be considered ‘established’ bands formed (or at least most popular) in the last 20 years… So it sounds like you’re saying that the drummer for Nickelback would conceivably make only $30 or $40k a year, which is what i was surprised by.

 

[Scorpius the Allfather]

I promise, you are in the minority on this one. Music cannot be protected from sharing in today's internet world. If musicians want to be filthy rich, they need to adjust their business model. You saying that is like saying, smartphones are the worst thing for news I have ever seen. I won't touch news on websites (and read my newspapers instead).

This is only one person but Alice Cooper has said that he doesn't care if people download(pirate) his music so long as they are listening to it. He also saved all his money. He says he's still living off the money he made from the Welcome To My Nightmare tour.

 

[Meachemdat]

I used bands like Coldplay and Nickelback as examples becuase, while i don’t necessarily listen to their music- they would be considered ‘established’ bands formed (or at least most popular) in the last 20 years… So it sounds like you’re saying that the drummer for Nickelback would conceivably make only $30 or $40k a year, which is what i was surprised by.

Those bands are almost 30 years old, both formed around 95-96. Both bands very much had the help of radio to receive royalties during their heyday which doesn’t exist anymore. It does for them because “classic rock” channels. Doesn’t feel that long ago already but meh…

 

[HoustonSaint68]

Musicians always get hosed. The record studios, the promoters, and the venues eat all the money.

It's even worse for composers than players. At least players' agents only take 10% (after promoters, etc. have stolen the Lion's share). Publishing companies take 90%, giving the composer only 10% of the transaction of their music sales. It's a complete racket.

When I retired six years ago, I thought, "Well, my son is involved in music so maybe I'll learn a bit about the music business and play around in it as a second career." So, I went to a couple of conferences and otherwise learned just a little bit about the music business. Then I decided "absolutely no, no thank you, under pain of torture and an excruciating death".

And my first career was in Big Oil.

 

[superchuck500]

When I retired six years ago, I thought, "Well, my son is involved in music so maybe I'll learn a bit about the music business and play around in it as a second career." So, I went to a couple of conferences and otherwise learned just a little bit about the music business. Then I decided "absolutely no, no thank you, under pain of torture and an excruciating death".

And my first career was in Big Oil.

I always wanted to be in the music business. After I graduated college I got a job at a record label in Nashville. Typical story, start in the mail room and work your way up. After two promotions I was “artist development coordinator” - and got to see higher up into the company. It wasn’t appealing.

The president of the company left and the new guy didn’t like my boss so he fired him and all four of us that worked for him. My boss was like “sit tight, I’ll be somewhere else soon and I’ll give you a call.”

I said “Nah, I’m going to law school.”

 

[HoustonSaint68]

I always wanted to be in the music business. After I graduated college I got a job at a record label in Nashville. Typical story, start in the mail room and work your way up. After two promotions I was “artist development coordinator” - and got to see higher up into the company. It wasn’t appealing.

The president of the company left and the new guy didn’t like my boss so he fired him and all four of us that worked for him. My boss was like “sit tight, I’ll be somewhere else soon and I’ll give you a call.”

I said “Nah, I’m going to law school.”

Well, we just did it flip-ways and ended up in the same place!

In my experience, the oil business was always a LOT less skeezy than presumed in popular culture. I did a ton of overseas work and, notwithstanding the cliche' of Big Oil raping and pillaging and simply doing a watered down version of colonialism, it more often felt to me like we constantly were fighting a whack-a-mole game to prevent the locals in power from skimming the large majority of the host nation's take from the public coffers. Certainly, we were getting our large share of the pie (and ALMOST ALL of the financial risk). And, over a 30 year career, there were less than ONE handful of times when I had to play the "I'm going to my General Counsel and, if you pressure him too much, then to the Board's Audit Committee if you don't reconsider" card. But the real sleaziness, in my experience, was consistently in the host government Oil Ministry (including state (but not federal) equivalents in the US).

Anyway, more to the point of this thread, for 30 years almost everyone I was dealing with directly had some kind of personal ante' into and acknowlegement of the risks of the pot. But the music industry? You've got these mostly young people who are just totally committed to their art, harboring almost no pecuniary artifice of their own, and they're just thrown in with a bunch of sharks without whom the product of their passion can get no audience. It's like taking candy from babies and then kicking sand in their faces.

Much, much uglier than the oil business IMHO.

Oh, and just for clarity, I was BIG oil. I do think things are sleazier at the mid-size and smaller-size level. Not because the people are better in Big Oil, but because Big Oil just has so much more to lose without proper corporate safeguards in place.

 

[Super44]

When I retired six years ago, I thought, "Well, my son is involved in music so maybe I'll learn a bit about the music business and play around in it as a second career." So, I went to a couple of conferences and otherwise learned just a little bit about the music business. Then I decided "absolutely no, no thank you, under pain of torture and an excruciating death".

And my first career was in Big Oil.

And o&g will soon be a not so desired career for many sadly. Just glad to be holding on by a thread for another 4-5 years.

 

[Optimus Prime]

if my math is right and if he’s paid the same rate as Frampton that equals about $49,500

 

[superchuck500]

if my math is right and if he’s paid the same rate as Frampton that equals about $49,500

I suspect he gets more than Frampton.