The Recording Artist Economy · 2024

Can You Live Off
Your Music?

A data-driven simulation of what it truly takes
to make a sustainable living as an independent artist.

SOURCES: MIT LIVING WAGE · SPOTIFY BENCHMARKS · INFLUENCER MARKETING HUB · CONCERT TICKET DATA
01 — THE DREAM
SET YOUR GOAL
& YOUR CITY
Pick your city on the map — hover to preview cost of living, click to select.
Monthly
$4,000
Annual
$48,000
VIZ 1 — Interactive city map · scroll or pinch to zoom · drag to pan · click to select
scroll to zoom · drag to pan
100%
📍
Click a city on the map to see its cost of living breakdown
VIZ 3 — Basket breakdown · by category
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02 — YOUR NUMBERS
WHERE ARE
YOU NOW?
Your total followers determine your creator tier and CPM rates.
🎵 Spotify
📱 Social Media
Nano (under 50K)
👕 Merchandise
T-Shirt
Retail $30 · Cost $9.05 · Margin 68%
Hoodie
Retail $60 · Cost $23.60 · Margin 57%
Vinyl LP
Retail $31 · Cost $14.25 · Margin 49%
VIZ 4 — Merch profit vs. cost per unit · source: merch pricing data
📊 Your Current Estimated Earnings
Live bar chart — updates as you enter your numbers above
Based on your inputs + focus weight of 5 $0 / mo
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03 — PERFORMANCES
LIVE
INCOME
Select your artist tier, venue size, and your cut of the door.
Local / Emerging
Bar shows, small clubs, DIY venues
avg $20/ticket
Developing
Mid-size venues, regional touring
avg $80/ticket
Established
Theaters, amphitheaters, arenas
avg $180/ticket
Your take of door revenue 70%
PER SHOW ESTIMATE
GROSS DOOR
$1,200
YOUR CUT
$840
MONTHLY TOTAL
$1,680
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04 — YOUR VISION
WHERE DO YOU
WANT TO FOCUS?
Drag sliders to weight each income stream. This shapes your results and persona.
🎵
Streaming
5
Releasing music, playlist pitching, catalog growth
📱
Social Media
5
Content creation, YT + TikTok + Instagram
👕
Merchandise
5
Merch drops, direct-to-fan product sales
🎤
Performances
5
Live shows, tours, festivals
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05 — THE BREAKDOWN
YOUR INCOME TODAY
Based on your current metrics.
Estimated Monthly Income
$0
focus-weighted · all 4 income streams
VIZ 7 — Income split · pie chart
Income sources breakdown
VIZ 8 — Income potential by follower count · all platforms · source: CPM benchmarks
Monthly income potential as your audience grows
WHAT IT WOULD TAKE TO HIT YOUR GOAL FROM EACH STREAM ALONE
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06 — THE FULL PICTURE
CAN YOU
LIVE OFF IT?
Your income vs. the real cost of living.
Monthly cost of living — MIT living wage dataset
TOTAL MONTHLY BASKET $0
VIZ 9 — Survival gap · your income vs. basket vs. living wage
Income vs. cost of living thresholds
SURVIVAL METER
$0$10k
YOUR INCOME
$0
MONTHLY BASKET
$0
⚡
Calculating...
YOUR ARTIST PERSONA
—
—
—
YOUR PROFILE SUMMARY