RIAA accounting: How musicians never see the money they earn

[Brian G Turner]

This is an old piece about the music industry. And while I don't think book publishing is as bad as this, IMO it's worth artists being aware of the potential pitfalls of business accounting on them and their work:

RIAA Accounting: Why Even Major Label Musicians Rarely Make Money From Album Sales | Techdirt

This is especially as it follows on from a previous report on how film studios ensure films produce a loss, and could especially impact a writer expecting a royalty from the "profits":

'Hollywood Accounting' Losing In The Courts | Techdirt

 

[J Riff]

A thread I missed. Is it ever true in the music biz, it's unrecognizable today, from oh twenny or thirty years back. S'far's movies go... well, think about a franchise getting too popular. They don't want that. So, if a series, say Aliens, or Ninja Turtles, or just anything, is white-hot, well they will cool it off a bit by handing it off to people who shouldn't make that particular movie. Bad luck if that's the one you wrote!

 

[Montero]

If you follow the link from the first article you can get to one The Future Of Music Business Models (And Those Who Are Already There) about how musicians are making money in other ways. Pretty amusing some of it - and mostly sadly not really translatable for authors - as in can't arrange a concert in an area where a lot of fans say they'd like one. There are the paying for an evening out with the musician, which could be translated, but it relies on someone being a bit extrovert - or rather, musicians - especially rock ones - appear on stage, writers don't, so it seems to me to be more likely for a rock musician to make a good host at a dinner than a writer would be.
Comments from people who know (rock) musicians.....?

 

[J Riff]

Comments. Hmmmm... well, 1973ish was a big dropoff as far as 'rock' music goes... then discoid/rap was another big step down, then it triple-saturated yet again.. but it's probably at a low point abouuuut........... Now. Or last night anyway.
Actually it really depends where you live, who you are related to, etc. but, the ways of stealing the lucre are as varied as the people they use to steal it with. That's for the big money, but once the 'local' scene also becomes actually illegal... then it may be time to find a real job, like collecting tin cans along the highway.

 

[Montero]

Erm - I was meaning are there enough rock musicians who have personalties that mean they can successfully pull off taking a stranger out to dinner - stranger as in fan who has paid a lot of money for the privilege - that the income generating event would be successful. I was half expecting comments from someone along the lines of "hey, I know a rock musician and he'd be no better at the paid dinner date than an introverted writer".

 

[J Riff]

Oh wellllll then, you mean visible famous musicians, like whatsisname. Dinner with Madonna, I'd offer five bucks, then get her to autograph everything in sight, underwear included.

 

[Cathbad]

Oh wellllll then, you mean visible famous musicians, like whatsisname. Dinner with Madonna, I'd offer five bucks, then get her to autograph everything in sight, underwear included.

Why is your underwear in sight??

 

[J Riff]

I brought plenty, 'cos I am a material guy.