New Study Shows That 1% of All Artists Earn 77% of Total Record Music Income

According to a recent study by MIDiA Consulting titled The Death of the Long Tail: The Superstar Music Economy, the distribution of income within the music industry is massively tilted towards the top 1% of artists, with that select group claiming at least 77% of total industry income. Labelling the industry as a “Superstar Economy,” the study cites how the disproportionate division of total income – which, in 2013, was approximately $2.8 billion USD – is largely linked to the shift towards digital consumption of music. We previously reported on Forbes list of highest earning musicians of 2013, with artists like Madonna topping the list and raking in $125 million USD while Lady Gaga slid in at second with $80 million USD. Head to MIDiA Blog to read the study in full and here for the Forbes list of highest earning artists for a peek at the names that may make up this 1%.