maura:

Some bad-ass dude replied to Damon Krukowski’s breakdown of how much money he makes from streaming services with a sneer and a windy response that basically boiled down to “duh, quit yer bitching and make your money on the road, old man.” Which… are we really still having these arguments,…

Of course you should read this post by Maura debunking the myth that touring is a goldmine for artists not getting paid enough by selling their music through retailers. I’ve always thought this was a no-brainer, but the myth sticks around regardless. I think the main thing to consider with something like this is a very basic economic reality: if you’re getting more at the door (free drinks don’t count) than you’re shelling out for gas, food, lodging, and various other unplanned expenses, then you’re in the black. But usually not by very much! Now, if someone or something is taking care of your expenses—“tour support”—then it’s a different story (I file “getting represented by an amazing booking agent/cy” under this heading as well, or possibly “opening for a really popular band”). This is the reality that I think guys like Maura’s foe don’t take into account: for the majority of small bands, touring is a necessary out-of-pocket promotional expense to drive sales for a new release, not a source of profit to offset sales. Not to mention the fact that there’s virtually no radio support for touring acts in all but the biggest cities, thanks to Clear Channel and deregulation leading to the outsourcing of local DJs. I think a lot of musicians love playing live in front of crowds, but hate everything else about touring, which is both financially and emotionally draining.

(Source: pitchfork)