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Write a massive #1 hit...and make only $5k

Posted:
Fri Sep 25, 2015 7:08 pm
by t-Roy and The Smoking Section
http://www.tennessean.com/story/money/i ... /72570464/ "That was the real issue for us, like 1 million streams equals $90. For a song like 'All About That Bass,' that I wrote, which had 178 million streams. I mean $5,679? That's my share. That's as big a song as a songwriter can have in their career and No. 1 in 78 countries. But you're making $5,600. How do you feed your family?"
Re: Write a massive #1 hit...and make only $5k

Posted:
Fri Sep 25, 2015 8:45 pm
by GuitarMikeB
I don't know the song, but how much ws the songwriter paid by his publisher (or directly, if he self-published) but whomever recorded the song?
Not that I disagree wiht the streaming revenue inequality, of course.
Re: Write a massive #1 hit...and make only $5k

Posted:
Fri Sep 25, 2015 10:11 pm
by t-Roy and The Smoking Section
really? You haven't seen this? Probably the coolest pop song in the last year.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PCkvCPvDXkIf they self-publish they couldn't get 178 MILLION hits.
Re: Write a massive #1 hit...and make only $5k

Posted:
Fri Sep 25, 2015 10:18 pm
by t-Roy and The Smoking Section
RUI Musik wrote:"So You Want To Be A Rock'N'Roll Star"
The Byrds made more money in a week of radio on a local station in LA than this songwriter made for 170 million plays worldwide....
Re: Write a massive #1 hit...and make only $5k

Posted:
Sat Sep 26, 2015 1:40 am
by MikeTalbot
Ted
Less than 6k on 178 million streams? May I assume somebody made money on this?
I feel your pain. I just published a short story called "Flower War" which at 7k words I'm pricing at .99 on Kindle. I need distribution but Kindle wants money right now. I get a whopping 35% cut of that .99 unless I play ball and charge three times as much. It's a conundrum.
As always, sigh, I have friends on both side of the pricing arguments but the bottom line is I need to finance my whiskey habit and get new strings once in a while.
Ted - I'm trying to figure how to mix some songs and theme music from the musical with the book(s) to give customers a value add and keep them buying the products. I think part of it for any creative artist is figuring out how the money game is played. Its so damned boring...
Talbot
Re: Write a massive #1 hit...and make only $5k

Posted:
Sat Sep 26, 2015 5:11 pm
by t-Roy and The Smoking Section
MikeTalbot wrote:Ted
Less than 6k on 178 million streams? May I assume somebody made money on this?
Talbot
google (YouTube) and Spotify
The most egregious offender....Pandora. The songwriters only get 4% of revenues, while Pandora keeps 54% and the rest goes to record labels, who then give a pittance to the artist (not the writer).
http://www.billboard.com/articles/busin ... r-payments?
Re: Write a massive #1 hit...and make only $5k

Posted:
Sun Sep 27, 2015 2:25 am
by GuitarMikeB
yod wrote:really? You haven't seen this? Probably the coolest pop song in the last year.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PCkvCPvDXk
If they self-publish they couldn't get 178 MILLION hits.
I made it to 30 seconds. Ain't worth $0.99!
Re: Write a massive #1 hit...and make only $5k

Posted:
Sun Sep 27, 2015 5:44 am
by t-Roy and The Smoking Section
GuitarMikeB wrote:yod wrote:really? You haven't seen this? Probably the coolest pop song in the last year.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PCkvCPvDXk
If they self-publish they couldn't get 178 MILLION hits.
I made it to 30 seconds. Ain't worth $0.99!
At least 178,000,001 people disagree with you.
I think it's cool that new pop is only electric 50s/60s music. Thank you Amy Wineglass.
Re: Write a massive #1 hit...and make only $5k

Posted:
Mon Sep 28, 2015 12:29 pm
by GuitarMikeB
yod wrote:
At least 178,000,001 people disagree with you.
No one paid to stream the video, how many iTune copies sold?
Re: Write a massive #1 hit...and make only $5k

Posted:
Wed Sep 30, 2015 3:12 pm
by DainNobody
fishermanbob, if I understand you correctly, are you saying we, as musicians must have like any other "business" a high "barrier to entry" to keep the competition from gaining entry into a broad spectrum business that can be manipulated by outside forces?

Re: Write a massive #1 hit...and make only $5k

Posted:
Wed Sep 30, 2015 8:29 pm
by DainNobody
gotcha, in a roundabout way, keep the people from wanting to play music for free out of the clubs..

Re: Write a massive #1 hit...and make only $5k

Posted:
Wed Sep 30, 2015 9:18 pm
by DainNobody
fishermanbob, I, like you am also adverse to clubs letting people in bands play for free, to save money, but I am not opposed to playing at open mic nights, since I have been hired as a lead guitrist one night after a open mic night at Lindbergh's on Commercial St. ..Mike Lehar approached me afterwards and said, "how would you like a job" I literally tore up Georgia Satllite's "Keep Your Hands TO Yourself" on stage.. that place turned into Tobacco Road for awhile and now is Lindbergh's again.. the thing is I was still working for the man on 2nd shift.. Tuesday and Wednesdays were my nights "off from work" my "weekend".. fear kept me from getting serious about playing, the fear of the unknown.. I wish I would have thought differnt about it then, but it's water over the bridge.. if a guy's weekend is Tuesday & Wednesday it pretty much eliminates a band life..