Being a musician professionally sounds like a fairly sweet idea for many individuals. Concerts, the road and some think, a boatload of cash. However, it's not much of a living, even for bands that get a ton of attention, as the cost of touring is through the roof.
Price of touring makes rock and roll hard living
Not everybody can just get on an elegant tour bus and start touring their band. In fact, most band or artist tours do not contain groupies, partying and a ton of cash as you may assume.
For instance, a 2007 NPR interview with The Dresden Dolls, a Boston duo that has been playing their trade for several years, has some info that's quite revealing. The band had a record deal, toured around the globe, even opening for Nine Inch Nails on one tour. Amanda Palmer and Brian Viglione, the two people in the group, were both making $1,500 a month from touring.
That's $18,000 per year, supposing they tour each month of the year.
CD sales might bring them just a little bit more cash considering they get $1 off every CD sale.
Gets better for a lot of people
Oh, Sleeper is a band that is recognized as "mid-level" since it has been around for a few years and has a following. Band member Shane Blay posted typical expenses related to touring. He said that bands make money depending on the amount of merchandise sold and the number of followers who arrive. The groups have to pay the venue for using the facility too. His band made about $600 per night for the venues on average because of $300 in merchandise sales and $300 in venue profits.
Bands pay to print shirts. He reported $7.50 per shirt, which they sell typically at $15 per, meaning its half the price. So of that $300, $150 is already gone. Venues usually charge a 25 percent commission, $75, and the band's manager gets a 15 percent cut of the profits, or $11.25, meaning the band makes $63.75 from $300 in merchandise sales. From guaranties go, 15 percent off the top goes to the band's manager and 10 percent goes to their booking agent, who arranges tour dates. That leaves $225 per night, before paying travel expenditures, which he quotes around $150 just in gas between gigs, leaving $75. Then, after a $10 per day food budget for all five band members plus their merchandise seller, $60, which leaves $15. In total, that's $78.75 per night.
Then there are additional emergency costs not calculated out. Without the emergencies, each band member will get $13.12 a night to play, which is not a lot of cash.
Only greatest ones get paid
It's only the biggest acts for whom the costs of touring are worth it, as a tour may sell enough tickets to be profitable. For instance, according to the Daily Mail, when Roger Waters did a tour of "The Wall," the classic album by his former group Pink Floyd, in 2010, the production, which is fantastically elaborate for those who haven't seen it, price $60 million to take on tour. The tour grossed nearly $90 million, according to MTV.
NBC News explained that most bands were close to having to cancel tours and quit because of gas costs in 2008. Most young bands struggle more than you would know.
And just in case one could be wondering, yes, it DOES hurt the band when a person downloads music for free.
Price of touring makes rock and roll hard living
Not everybody can just get on an elegant tour bus and start touring their band. In fact, most band or artist tours do not contain groupies, partying and a ton of cash as you may assume.
For instance, a 2007 NPR interview with The Dresden Dolls, a Boston duo that has been playing their trade for several years, has some info that's quite revealing. The band had a record deal, toured around the globe, even opening for Nine Inch Nails on one tour. Amanda Palmer and Brian Viglione, the two people in the group, were both making $1,500 a month from touring.
That's $18,000 per year, supposing they tour each month of the year.
CD sales might bring them just a little bit more cash considering they get $1 off every CD sale.
Gets better for a lot of people
Oh, Sleeper is a band that is recognized as "mid-level" since it has been around for a few years and has a following. Band member Shane Blay posted typical expenses related to touring. He said that bands make money depending on the amount of merchandise sold and the number of followers who arrive. The groups have to pay the venue for using the facility too. His band made about $600 per night for the venues on average because of $300 in merchandise sales and $300 in venue profits.
Bands pay to print shirts. He reported $7.50 per shirt, which they sell typically at $15 per, meaning its half the price. So of that $300, $150 is already gone. Venues usually charge a 25 percent commission, $75, and the band's manager gets a 15 percent cut of the profits, or $11.25, meaning the band makes $63.75 from $300 in merchandise sales. From guaranties go, 15 percent off the top goes to the band's manager and 10 percent goes to their booking agent, who arranges tour dates. That leaves $225 per night, before paying travel expenditures, which he quotes around $150 just in gas between gigs, leaving $75. Then, after a $10 per day food budget for all five band members plus their merchandise seller, $60, which leaves $15. In total, that's $78.75 per night.
Then there are additional emergency costs not calculated out. Without the emergencies, each band member will get $13.12 a night to play, which is not a lot of cash.
Only greatest ones get paid
It's only the biggest acts for whom the costs of touring are worth it, as a tour may sell enough tickets to be profitable. For instance, according to the Daily Mail, when Roger Waters did a tour of "The Wall," the classic album by his former group Pink Floyd, in 2010, the production, which is fantastically elaborate for those who haven't seen it, price $60 million to take on tour. The tour grossed nearly $90 million, according to MTV.
NBC News explained that most bands were close to having to cancel tours and quit because of gas costs in 2008. Most young bands struggle more than you would know.
And just in case one could be wondering, yes, it DOES hurt the band when a person downloads music for free.