That’s very sad.
Can someone please tell me when the artist have even been treated fairly? As someone who has/had friends and family members in the music industry, the big companies have always given the artist the shaft. Big/popular artist made the most money when sales was the way just like with streaming. Somehow people seem to think 20 years ago if you were a smaller unknown artist you made a ton of money or more money.
Streaming music is the new radio, the difference is I can control what I listen to. Would it be better if artist made more money, of course it would. The question is how can an artist make this happen? The Covid outbreak bought on virtual concerts (Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, etc.) where artists can have memberships, etc. Hopefully more can do things like this and pocket more money.
Just my thoughts.
Artists of all types have been poorly treated for centuries. We have little respect for the arts and think almost nothing of those who produce, with rare exception.
A few entertainers, such as baseball players, we pay well.
“Only a very small percent of people buy music anymore…”
[/quote * US record sales in the first half of 2020 totalled $232.1 million, nearly double the $129.9 million raked in from CD sales, according to estimates from the Recording Industry Association of America. [Source: Americans Spending More on Vinyl Records Than CDs in 2020: Data]
Also:
The latter reference seems to contradict your assertion somewhat. In fact, the increase in music buying the last five years looks encouraging – at least at first glance.
Regards.
All my CD purchases are used CDs, so that probably doesn’t get calculated in the total sale of CDs I’m guessing. Not too many brick and mortar places where you can actually buy new CDs anymore.
When you screen for streaming/focus on purchases of media and downloads the picture changes though (and it does no look good, as you say @tarheelneil, for purchasing of media and files):
You can sort by such things at this ^^ site. Really interesting and informative data.
As we see from the chart you provided, the proportion of music revenues increasingly has skewed towards formats that pay the artists less than they were paid in the days of hard copy formats.
I’m afraid MichaelHifi’s arguments about artists always getting the shaft, so streaming is no different from the past to be disingenuous. Of course it’s true that artists of all persuasions have tended to be underpaid relative to their contributions but the age of streaming has shifted the balance for the worse as far as most musical artists are concerned. As to improving the situation and asking “how can the artist make this happen” is asking the question in too limited a scope. Addressing the situation means audience and artist have to be involved in changes. One hurdle to change is the way listening habits have changed. Most people don’t sit still and make “listening to music” a primary activity, it’s background activity to something else of primary importance. Even among my audiophile friends, I see fewer and fewer who listen at long stretches to an album like we used to do. Whether listening to music ripped to their server or streaming, they jump from one artist and song to the next. Those listening habits makes purchasing music less attractive for the majority of people.
On the other hand, this deleterious trend is inspiring change. Ironically, the very medium (the Internet/streaming) that is driving the poor economic picture for artists is fostering an independence for artists that was heretofore unheard of.
Musicians can now control and disseminate their work on their own like never before, and promote and distribute as well.
Time will tell…
Very true, Bandcamp and other similar options offer an alternative. The artist’s dilemma is getting the audience to realize consumption habits affect the livelihood of artists and getting the audience to see value in alternatives to streaming. As you say, time will tell.
Does anyone know if artists receive any royalties from the sale of used CDs or albums?
They do not.
No, there is no mechanism in place for that to happen. Interestingly, in the visual arts, artists have long complained that collectors, auction houses, and galleries have profited from rising markets for their work but they’ve been left out of the party. In 70 EU countries and the UK, law provides for a 4% return to artists on auction proceeds up to 50,000 euros and .25% on work over that. Of course the issues related to who pays that fee have been a source of contention and revision. Here in the USA, our economic theories have created a rather hostile reception for such ideas unfortunately. We’ve debated the issue for years and a few states have discussed following suite with the EU and UK, but the matter remains mired in argument and little has changed.
Actually, all the references reinforce what I said. Total sales are down. The only thing that went up was vinyl record sales and possible cassette tape, which is negligible. CDs are way down. Downloads are way down. The sum of all types of purchased music, both physical and not, has taken a tumble. The shared links make that perfectly clear.
Good discussion. A few rambling, and most likely preaching to the choir thoughts.
I wonder if we’ll ever get back to when even non-audiophiles would sit and listen to a complete album while sitting between two speakers. After I assembled my stereo the most common question was, “Where is the (video) screen?” That was usually followed by, “What do you do while listening to music?” I usually got puzzled looks when I responded that I dim the lights and close my eyes.
A work buddy, who is also an audio tech (in the corporate realm) knew I was an audiophile and told me a new, highly anticipated release sounded pretty good. He later admitted that he listened to it on his Alexa while making dinner in the kitchen. It reminded me of when people tell me a movie was bad when they watched it on their phone or the seat back display on a Delta flight.
There’s no denying that sales are declining and I’m guessing will still continue in that direction. This article gave me a little hope that it might be a little further off than I’d anticipated.
Unfortunately many of the stores I purchased used CD’s from pre-pandemic have not survived. I’m guessing most of my used shopping in the future will be at used book stores. Back in my early 20’s I was working in a corporate record/video store when Garth Brooks had his brief campaign against retailers that sold used CD’s. At the time I thought his argument was ridiculous because Ford didn’t get a cut when I bought my brother in law’s beat up Mustang. As a consumer I felt I had the right to sell a CD for a few bucks if I decided I didn’t like it. Found this article about that. I didn’t know about the RSD connection.
I have nothing against streaming from the user’s standpoint and I consider it an inevitability at this point. I’ll probably dive in sooner than later mainly to check out new stuff and save myself from purchasing another brick walled CD. I became an audiophile because I have a large CD collection and I’m still rediscovering gems I’ve never spun on the main rig.
Sorry for the long post, too much coffee. Enjoy the long weekend if you’re in the states!
Don’t forget “Actors” - if you can fit into a superhero mask & costume and pretend affront a green screen, chances you’ll be quite familiar and likely comfortably with the phase Luxury Tax…
Hey, it’s Saturday, isn’t it time for another frikkin super hero flick? 
Apparently it ain’t over til everyone in Hollywood has played Spiderman…
Sheeshamighty.
On the CD side tho, I LIKE how many artists’ direct purchase and sites like Bandcamp have adopted the ‘$7.00 minimum - pay what you like’ method. Great idea! I always convert their currency (most of my loved prog stuff is from Europe) to be equal to $25 Can. Well worth it, supporting, and here in Canada CDs have always hovered around the $15 - 20 mark.
We all talk about “what if” you won the $50 million - I would thoroughly enjoy sending an anonymous $5K (with thanks for the great music note) to dozens of bands who’s work has delighted my own life and I’m pretty certain they did not profit nearly enough - in my view. $5K to Timothy Pure, $10K to Iluvatar, and Marathon, Clepsydra, Moonrise, Huis, IQ, Shadow Circus, Kino… Now THAT would be a fun way to share some riches. 
Agreed. As I noted above:
“When you screen for streaming/focus on purchases of media and downloads the picture changes though (and it does no look good, as you say @tarheelneil, for purchasing of media and files)…”
What a nut job you are…
Although 2020 saw CDs outsell vinyl in total units, vinyl won the dollar war. And, if the trends for both continue, by the end of 2021, vinyl will probably win the units war, too.
I was replying to the earlier RIAA link you posted where you said
“The latter reference seems to contradict your assertion somewhat. In fact, the increase in music buying the last five years looks encouraging – at least at first glance”
He needs those peanuts to go along with his beer.