The Superstar Artist Economy Artist Income and the Top 1%

Since the advent of piracy artists have been told that they need not worry about declining music sales because their core business is making money from live and merchandise.  At a headline level, macro music industry revenues appear to support the argument, but those numbers give little indication of the income that actually flows back to the artist nor of the impact of the hyper-concentration of revenue among the top            of artists.

Key Findings

• Total music            revenue declined by            between 2000            2013, down from            billion to            in 2013. 

• Artist income            at            billion in 2008 before            to            billion in 2013, back            2006 levels.

• Though higher            2000 levels the            artist share            total revenue is lower than            2010            high.

• Artist share            income ranges from            for recorded            to            for publishing.

• Recorded music            the least proportionate value to            and artists get less from            recorded music retail dollar than            do from other income sources.

• Music merchandise            for just            of global music            revenue in 2013.  

• Informal and            secondary ticketing represents            of all            revenue, none of which flows            down the live value chain.

• Expenses are            largest single component of the            value chain, accounting for            of            revenue.