Shopping Cart
Marketing
Financing

Serious help needed, please lend me your hand.?

Question by thankstoyaall: Serious help needed, please lend me your hand.?
I’m doing a presentation on the lives of celebrities (movie stars, singers, etc)

I need some facts and figures in what affects their costs and income:

1) How much does his/her manager charge for his/her CD sales . Like 1USD / album sold, how much does the singer earn / album?

2) For new singers, do they get signed and obtain a lumpsum cash for signing the contract? Is this a status quo, or if you are rich, will they sign you but don’t pay you anything but your expenses?

3) Those helpers that serve the singer in & out of all functions, who pays for them? Is this part of an expenses that the singer has to incur his/herself?

4) What other costs does the record company / management (manager) pay for the artist?

5) Is 50% a general rate that managers take from singers’ profits?

Please kindly provide me with any further information you know on the financial issues of singers/actors. This presentation will rock the classroom as my classmates are very interested

Big hug&thanks
Ms Pepper, you made my day. The info you gave was highly useful!!!
So,
1) the main role of a booking agent is to book shows for the artists. While the manager arranges all sorts of other things (mainly)?
2) can the artist go to a brand-name and liaise with the company without using his/her agent, as to lower his share of profit resulted from using the agent?

Best answer:

Answer by pepper
It all depends on the contract. They can all be different, the figures will vary – that’s what contract negotiation is all about.

The artist, having negotiated a contract beforehand – has very little input once the ball starts rolling — they are a product.

What do you mean by helpers? Employees of the artist or the record company or the management firm? Personal assistants? Attorneys? Public relations? Roadies? Photographers? Branding agents? Promoters? Accountants? Booking agents? Stylists? You are too broad. Professionals should not be classified as helpers.

Entertainment Law:
http://www.sandersonlaw.ca/ps_agents.htm
http://www.cojocarlaw.com/PracticeAreas/SportsEntertainmentLaw.asp
Describes many of the business functions you ask about
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Entertainment_law

The Entertainment Management Degree program example:
http://www.entertainmentmanagementonline.com/
As in any business – it doesn’t matter how good you are if your management sux.

Here is a small record label FAQ that may help you:
http://www.threetwinsentertainment.com/faq.htm
Mgr entitled (up) to 20% of your earnings
A normal booking agent commission is 15%, some 10%
What the managers DO:
http://www.threetwinsentertainment.com/management.htm

Article on “concert economics” including a cost breakdown for a typical show:
http://www.intix.org/news.php?ArticleID=2081

Add your own answer in the comments!