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Do artists get paid well these days?

Impailer07
Opening Act

Compensation for Artists and Data of Listeners Do these two subjects intertwine?

Do artists get paid well these days?

Switching from physical copies to streaming and subscriptions must create some relative movement in strategy.

Where is the compensation coming from?

Is it the data-harvest around us all paying for all?  

Just some thoughts...

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13 Replies

ShadowHawkX
Underground

Looks like something ate my last reply to this. Short answer is no. Not after 4 months of work, starting from absolute zero, but your mileage may vary.

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Impailer07
Opening Act

I had some responses get eaten too.

 

I know the compensation isnt the best, but a few questions are still unanswered.  I have a few other thoughts, I just dont want to control the convo... 

Anyone else have any thoughts?

Get artists paid in a different world then in the hard copie, Napster, Limewire times?

Does it relate to listeners data, attempts to inspire algorythms focused on sales directly from the adds developed, and do artists like Jelly Roll, Struggle Jennings, Brabo Gator and Dax have a word that needs heard?  @jellyroll Artists: the Pandora algorithm 

@ShadowHawkX 

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Snowraw80
Local Performer
No they don't
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Impailer07
Opening Act

Look At the post below... It really came before. Time travel at its finest. 

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JordanParadise
Underground

So I’m not active on here however this is a question I think needs answering. The artists that are actually paid are the ones that don’t overlook the fans that want to directly support them by buying merchandise, their music projects, and experiences offered with it. I ran my first pay what you want campaign last month and it may have only brought in an extra 70 bucks. But given that I only sold my project to 8 of my fans and didn’t fully execute as planned, that 70 is a good baseline to keep increasing each campaign. If you wanna get paid as an artist operate as a business. Streaming will give you little to nothing. Focusing on giving fans that love you and the music you make an experience they will pay to get and support, will result in making way more. My 70 bucks would have needed a ton of streams to even get close to making. If we wanna make cents let’s focus on the places that truly make sense to make money. Streaming platforms are the biggest scam to getting paid as an artist

Impailer07
Opening Act

Artists put in alot of work to stay in it to win it.  Though that is becoming less and less with AI assistance.  

That said, even as broke as I recently became, I beleive fans have a responsibiliity to promote a messege they beleive has a purpose and cause behind.

We ARE CAPABLE.  We truly do have to be careful who, what, and why we promote... especially if we do not have the financial methods to back it.

Our promotions, our words, and the impact our time can make on a generation is truly the most important.  Not just the money.

Impailer07
Opening Act

You invested some time with the response.  Contributing to the convo is part of a solution...!  I'll give you that... but could you take a little time to further explain?

JordanParadise
Underground

Yes. To explain further, streaming pays .003 cents a stream. A shirt from myself costs 25 dollars with a cost of 13 dollars. Each shirt sold is 12 dollars. That’s like 4000 streams, something I’ve only reached on one song alone. I’ve sold 50 shirts. You can do the math. So I believe if we focus on operating as a business (bundling our releases as products w/ exclusive things like vinyls, signed things, private concerts online, etc) as long as we have an actual fanbase (and means of contacting them on email, text or social media) we just have to give them ways to support. They might already want to support but they just don’t know how or think streaming is supporting us financially when it really isn’t. I think artists go wrong by thinking they can make good money without understanding a business makes real money. An individual operating without understanding of providing an experience / product will not be able to make much besides the pennies from Spotify.

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JordanParadise
Underground

it’s as simple as understanding who or what is gonna be helping your career be financially supported. Is it going to be either 

A sync licensing

B fans that want to pay for concerts, early projects, exclusive experiences, merchandise, etc.

C Consistent gigs

D any other creative place you can get money from (sponsorships, working with businesses, recording artists, etc).

 

The one place we have to understand will keep us trapped thinking we won’t get paid is the streaming services. 

My simplest best advice that I’m following right now is to simply operate as a business and not just an artist. Unless you plan on signing everything away to somebody for the pennies to the dollar you could get. (With the right work ethic)

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anthonymdavis
Underground

I agree that streaming is designed to make others money. The PROs (Performance Rights Organizations) and the MLC (Mechanical Licensing Collective) are trying to get fair royalties from streaming. I also agree that to be serious, it’s important to treat our activities like it’s a business. 

Yet, I started this because I felt it would help me with cognitive strengthening after a couple strokes. Now that I belong to a PRO (ASCAP) and my work is getting attention, I do plan and operate in a business-like mentality. Some days I’m not quite there, so I sit in front of my MIDI keyboard and play around and create new melodies. When I hit the “Record” button and start playing, I’ll have a record of new material for later.

I’m about to start planning for a new structure for one of my websites. It has a domain name that could easily be converted.  Then, I’ll organize my music into albums for direct sales. I’ve done that with my books and when they sell, they bring in profits. Music can be sold as downloads and I don’t need to share costs (except the merchant fees).

I’ve joked with some friends that I’m looking forward to making enough money through streaming to buy a pizza. 😊

JordanParadise
Underground

Yeah that's the way. I kinda connect it to social media views and youtube views. Taking the minimum wage paycheck (1400 bucks) for 2.2 million views means you're definitely up there with views. OR, you have a tailored subscriber base that you every now and then sell smaller products to (that they need or want) for as little as 5 bucks each. If you get 300 conversions out of the people who consume your content and like it, then you literally make more just because you have an actual product. Monetizing is a cherry on top, but it won't substitute the ice cream or banana in the banana split and that's facts. All I know is I've only made 15 dollars from streaming. And not to get into real numbers but I'm no huge artist, but I've at least 20 to 25 X'd that once I started merch plus my pay what you want. 

Impailer07
Opening Act

keep it up, but dude  look for a better job!

Impailer07
Opening Act

Tom MacDonald has some good stuff that can be a bit simple yet skillful while commited to being private without the help of the production industry.  It is possible to automate alot wrapping your skills around Macros and such... while being tempted to use AI, which is likely the core of these posts...

BUT!  True artists SHOULD not be missed.  It is a shame how the people with heart, passion, and care about making a difference that matters being swept UNDERGROUND. 

I am curious what is happening with ***<allowed>***Adam Calhoun though, the dude can be a bit of a beast and I have heard he is giving up on music.

***<allowed edit/boogeybugerhook>*** lol analytics allowed..... : after listening to Adams music, without a combo, I feel like I have had too many periods in life where I wanted to challenge everyone pickin on me.  Bro, @adamcalhoun ... keep grindin.  Stop trippin.  you got this.  Keep with it.  But humble yourself. nobody deserves a single thing.  nobody knows it all.  You are a beast of a man, but you are NOT Napoleon from that one European country.  You are a beast who givea a **ahem**.  Either that, or I am a fool. Either opinion is 100% agreed.  Your song Tweaker needs remixed without having been published. The album cover made absolutely no connection with the song and it just promoted a lack of continuity.  Think on this and whether it is on point... because I am always the very first person in the world to be known as a fool falling short.  I am a nothing who has only hurt everything he has touched.  But you, bro... you are capable.  Humble your music, but not if it is making you fake.  You be you.

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