Music Money

The Friday File: In 1980, the top 1% of touring musicians/groups received 25% of ticket revenue; the next 4% of performers collected 35%. By 2017, the top 1% of musicians earned 60% of world-wide ticket revenues, while the next 4% enjoyed 25%. The remaining 10,267 acts/groups shared 15%. In 2017, the top three acts, Ed Sheeran, Taylor Swift, and Beyoncé with Jay-Z, hauled in $1 billion, 10% of all revenue.