(Updated) Today the latest phase of the Future of Music Coalition's Artist Revenue Streams research project kicks off with a survey for musicians and composers focused on the question, "How Do You Make Money From Music?" The survey will be available until October 28th and your participation is requested if you're a working musician or composer, 18 or over, based in the U.S., no matter the genre.
Artist Revenue Streams is an ongoing research project to identify the sources of revenue for today's working artists and musicians. The survey, linked from the Artist Revenue Streams site, is one aspect of a multi-method approach that also includes interviews and study of financial records.
Project Co-Director Kristin Thomson, who wrote "The 29 Streams" article on musicians' revenue streams, says:
"By participating in this survey, musicians are taking part in something much bigger than simply providing data; they are helping us take a critical first step in understanding the complex nature of being a musician or composer in the digital age."
John Simson, former Executive Director of SoundExchange and Partner Development for FMC's project, states:
"This research will give recording artists, composers and their representatives empirical data that could influence policies that have significant financial impact...As the methods of revenue generation shift, it is important that we collect this survey data to show policymakers how our industry is affected."
Ideally, the results of the study will be useful at multiple levels, from musicians evaluating their career options to policymakers sorting out the current state of the industry based on solid data.
Hypebot contributor Clyde Smith is a freelance writer and blogger. He is currently relaunching Flux Research to pursue his long-standing obsession with web business models. To suggest music services and related topics for review at Hypebot, please contact: clyde(at)fluxresearch(dot)com.
