How Much Artists Earn Online

Eric Lyday By

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Times are strange for being a musician. Then again, times are always strange for musicians. Record labels are disintegrating and more DIY independent projects and distributors are arising in an already very expensive business to be in. Being a musician myself, I know that this job isn't exactly a recipe for big money earning; but, after reading this infographic, things seem even more positively frakked for artists.

Looking at the numbers, it seems to me that the system just doesn't give respect to the value that the musicians and producers themselves have put into their products. Don't get me wrong, I love streaming sites–honestly, they're the future–but I feel like this is a bridge too far. If this system of retail is going to continue, Spotify, Napster, and iTunes better straighten themselves out if they want more artists selling their creations on their platform.

I was curious as to how Google Play factored into this scenario, and as far as this video is concerned, it seems to be a much more appealing business model for artists. But then again, I'm not sure if they're just talking the talk.

What do you think? Is the streaming market just another brick in the wall of the record label legacy of sitting on top of the little guy? Or do you think this is an overreaction, and that something should be done on the artist's part in order to make their ‘business' more viable?

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Eric Lyday

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