Entertainment For Lively Minds
Just how much does a band make from downloads?
Posted by Paul Thompson on 6 January 2010 - 7:32pm.
I've just come across this quite illuminating article on record company finances (if you like that sort of thing). It's from someone who used to be in a band and now is trying to understand what his back catalogue is earning from music downloads and streaming.
It seems pretty incredible to me that a major label like this can get away with being so disinterested in informing their artists about the state of their account (maybe most of them aren't interested). Personally I think I'd like to know what is due to me (or rather how much of my debit has been paid off).
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On the plus side
the record label don't seem to be taking off 10%+ for breakages (at one time they did, even on downloads).
I know...
...the 10% breakages thing goes back to the days of 78s when is probably did apply in some way. Although, I thought it had been phased out in the '80s when CDs became the standard format.
I've been involved with indie labels over the years and I've never heard of it being applied, though i imagine the majors hung onto it as long as they could.
I think I'm right in saying...
...that when the digital download deals came in there was still a deduction for packaging. Course, now there's hardly anything to deduct from, so that problem has solved itself.
There's an interesting note at the bottom...
...which explains that although the record company spent 400k on the band, they didn't lose the same amount. The Steve Albini rant is fun too.
Very interesting
I never thought we lost **** records £220K.
If it wasn't **** it wouldn't be worth a **** anyway!