It’s an age-old conversation when it comes to revenue being made out of a career in music.
Where does an artist actually make sustainable income? How does their wider infrastructure ensure their own sustainability, particularly now, as much of the industry has been forced to relearn how to operate in the wake of the pandemic?
The answers are never quite definite, though it cannot be denied that physical revenue – merch, vinyl, physical music formats – are still crucial avenues of confirmed income for an artist or band at any level. Fostering a direct revenue pipeline, it is a guaranteed avenue of artist income.
This BIGSOUND panel looks at physical revenue, its growth and change in statistics in recent years, and some case studies where bands have propelled themselves further with their global fanbase, largely off the curation of physical formats and merchandising that is always in demand.
