usually, less than a dollar from each CS sold goes to the artist. The rest is used to fund the other people living off that artists, i.e. the retailers, the record companies, etc.
Now, you might ask, why should I be paying the record company secretary, or the store clerk at best buy, or the guy who sweeps the floor at the studio ? exactly.
if you want to support the artists, buy stuff that is not directly related to the music they produce on albums. Buy fan merchandise, for example. A T-Shirt sold will be far more beneficial for your favorite artist than a CD ever will. A lot of them will be selling merchandise via their web pages, and luckily, the record companies usually don't get their share here.
Visit their concerts. This is actually the best way to support an artist. Any profit made goes directly to the artist.
the problem the classic music industry has, is that it has yet to fgure out what the sales structure for the new millennium will be. Most of it is centered around traditional sales via big retailers, and since everyone wants their share, CD prices are much higher than they should be.
Lots of people still buy CD's, but the question is, for how long ?
jsnipy wrote:
I just don't see how those affects are even measured. Someone stealing something does not mean they would normally buy it.
true. and moreover, if it wasn't for p2p sites, I would have never discovered some of the cool artists I now support by buy their merchandise or going to their shows. True, the record companies are screwed, but they'll figure out a way to profit.
They'll simply have to acknowledge that their current business model is outdated, and come up with something new.
If they can#t do that, they'll be swept away by companies who can.
