Thanks for checking out "Save the Artists!" Our goal as an organization is to foster the help of fans to improve the situation many signed bands find themselves in. A false perception prevalent among the uninformed must be changed:
Number one hits do not equal financial success.
It is quite common for artists under contract to sell what would be perceived by the general public as a decent number of albums, only to be stuck with an income way below the poverty level.
Who is to blame? On the surface, all aspiring musicians would sell their soul to be on a label. Without the initial funds to hire a lawyer to inspect the contract offered to them, they are essentially signing years of their recording lives away. Once the resources of the label have facilitated the production, distribution, and successful sales of a few albums filled with the musician's natural talents, the truth sinks in: adequate financial compensation for their efforts is not being paid.
The nature of a recording contract is akin to a loan you are not required to pay off- "forgiven debt." According to Confessions of a Record Producer , the typical split is "12% artist, 88% record company." But first they must pay back the cost of the recording to the label. Their payment is taken out of their "12%," but before that they must pay the producer. This leaves them with 9% to pay off their debt before they see any profit. If they have a manager, he is typically paid 15% of their income. The remaining 7.65% is split between the members of the band.
In case that wasn't clear- All of their debt to the record company MUST be paid before they will see any profit from record sales, AND their payments towards this goal are made only with THEIR SHARE of record sales.
Here is where we need you! Just because this has always been the industry standard does not mean it is right. The unjust treatment of creative personalities is not something we will stand for any longer. We are asking you to unite with our campaign to end this immoral- yet legal- form of slavery and oppression.
