Not so…

02008-01-31 | Uncategorized | 2 comments

Musicians don’t get it yet.: reader comment from TimD43 – CNET News.com
That’s why I buy merchandise at concerts… I know that’s the only way to really financially support the acts I like. They make jack s— off of album sales (unless they’re an established megastar with leverage to negotiate terms), but they keep most, if not all, of the proceeds from merchandise sales at live performances.

Some promoters or venues demand 30% or even 40% of the merchandise gross, even if the performer uses their own seller. This and this happens as a result. One time in San Antonio we sold merch from the hotel across the street instead of in the venue – following in Tony Bennett’s footsteps who had come up with that idea a few weeks earlier… I announced that the venue was asking too high of a percentage and I seem to remember that it became our second biggest merch-sale ever.

2 Comments

  1. Carol

    I think that is just nasty of them. They get enough without that. I remember you not selling t-shirt at a venue because of that. Now I wish you had them for sale on your site. That’d be nice, but of course having you sign them right there is heaven.

    Reply
  2. Franklyn

    TimD43 seems to miss out the bigger picture :

    What about the bands that are starting out? Don’t they need every penny they can get?
    so why not buy their album and their merch too?

    and isn’t making jack shit better than making no shit?

    and on a broader and probably more important note:
    What about all the music that is not Pop? don’t they deserve support?
    Since they are not as likely to have huge merch to begin with, Electronica, Jazz, World Etc.
    not everyone can be U2 or Metallica!

    What about the music of the future? Communism did not work in the 20th century
    and it probably won’t work with music either, the Web is the State and musicians apparently cannot protest or the strong arm of the internet will come down on them.

    Reply

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