Careers

Fairly depressing chart shows what it takes to make a living in music

Full chart below.

We know you guys are all in bands because you love the creative process and just have the music inside of you dying to get out into the world, but surely at some point you have wondered what it takes to make actual money in the business. Via L Magazine, we found Digital Music News latest graphic on all the ways you can make money in music — from self-released albums to Spotify — and how many you have to sell to make minimum wage. It’s not entirely encouraging: You have to sell 171 iTunes albums or get 232,000 plays on Spotify per month, all to rake in $1,160. But its about the music, man!

click to enlarge.

So basically, it sounds like selling out isn’t as easy as it was. Digital Music News says the streaming payouts are steadily improving; but most major label artists still see nothing from their Spotify streams.

Of course, if you’re just looking to generate a little buzz for your band, we’ve got you covered there.

Leave a Reply