Advertisement: Live events provide 75% of all artists’ income, according to NIVA. U2, who were the top artist of 2017 on Billboard’s Highest-Paid Musicians list, attributed the bulk of its $54.4 million in revenue to its Joshua Tree Tour. Of that, $52 million came from touring and $2.4 million was generated by the band’s recorded material, which received a sales boost from touring as “Songs of Experience” was bundled with ticket sales, according to Billboard. Livestream concerts and drive-in shows are two ways artists have tried to keep their momentum going, but for the three-piece Southern California band Sitting on Stacy, unknown viral success on TikTok kept them more inspired than ever. The band, which recently received a shoutout from Sugar Ray, had an organic approach to their viral success as they downloaded the TikTok app out of a mix of boredom, hesitation and the feeling it was “almost like a joke.�
Independent music venues struggle to stay afloat during pandemic
Jan. 8, 2021
Touring musical acts, such as Young the Giant, are part of the live concert industry, which had been expected to be worth $31 billion worldwide by 2022. (Photo courtesy of Matthew John Benton)
Before big acts like Foals, shown in San Francisco in 2016, gained national attention, they earned their chops at such small venues as Paramount ballroom in LA and the Rebel Lounge in Phoenix.(Photo courtesy of Matthew John Benton)
Chris Martin of Coldplay sings to fans in Buenos Aires in 2016. Live events provide 75% of all artists’ income, according to the nonprofit National Independent Venue Association. (Photo courtesy of Matthew John Benton)