The crowds don't lie. Arctic Monkeys at Lolla.

A not so new fact in the music industry is that musicians can make more money touring then they can selling music.  Whether it is digital or physical sales, fans just don’t want to spend the money.  One thing that I write about a lot is the fact that giving music away for free, if done correctly, might be the best move an artist can make (See these posts Turn Your Music Into A Virus and Free Today, Paid Tomorrow).

As witnessed at the summer’s festivals, bands who do not necessarily top the Billboard Chart are still able to pack the open fields in front of their stage.  Bands that have a habit of giving music away or making it available at a discount (NIN, Andrew Bird, the Decemberists, Radiohead) have a large following and make good money from touring off of that music.

As a precurser to my next posting of How to Make Money as a Musician, I thought I’d share these thoughts and a great article that was in the Wall Street Journal yesterday.  Check it out here:  The Music Festival Grows Up.  Read what Jim Fusilli has learned from today’s musicians who rely on touring over selling their music.

Also, keep the thoughts and ideas coming on how you make money as a musician.  I need some more info for my next post.  Either leave a comment or write me at lawyer4musicians@gmail.com