Though country music emanates from Nashville, Tennessee, many new country artists have come from various parts of the country. New country music combines traditional country music with pop music, creating multi-format music that can be heard on top 40, adult contemporary and country music radio stations. Because of its crossover appeal, new country artists may earn more money than traditional country artists. Salaries for these musicians can vary widely based on record sales, merchandising and live performances. While new country artists such as Carrie Underwood may burst onto the scene and earn millions from multi-platinum albums and live performances other artists may earn considerably less.
The Songwriter
New country music places emphasis on great songs. Thus, songwriting is as important as singing and performing in the world of country music. Songwriters make money via several ways: from live performances of their music on radio, television and films, royalties for record sales and print music. According to Mypursuit.com, the average yearly salary for a songwriter was $40,000 in 2006, with the lowest 10 percent earning approximately $15,000 yearly and the highest 10 percent earning more than $110,000 yearly.
Record Deals
According to Savingcountrymusic.com, renowned actress Gwyneth Paltrow signed a $900,000 record deal with Atlantic Records to record a country pop album as of 2010. Typically, it costs roughly $300,000 to record a superstar country artist's album. As such, Paltrow nets $600,000 with the entire $900,000 advance recoupable from album sales. Because advances are recoupable from CD sales, superstar artists such as Paltrow would have to sell more than 465,000 albums to break even before earning any royalties from sales (on 10 to 15 cents royalty for each CD). Newer artists in this genre do not make a profit from album sales and lack the major sponsorships that established artists receive.
Concert Revenues
Because CD sales are still an integral part of country music, new country artists perform live to help drive CD sales. Newer artists such as Easton Corbin may command between $15 and $25 for live performances. Tickets for Joshua Gracin at an April 2011 performance in New Jersey sold for $15. In contrast, according to Ticketmaster, tickets for Keith Urban's 2011 "Get Closer World Tour" range from $32 to $62. Veteran artists such as Rascal Flatts, Carrie Underwood and Kenny Chesney earn millions each year from tours.
Top Salaries
According to a 2007 "Forbes" article titled " The Top Earning Country Music Stars," several new country artists earn million dollar salaries annually. Rascal Flatts earned approximately $40 million in 2007, while Kenny Chesney earned $22 million dollars. These figures are representative of tour earnings from the year. In 2010, Taylor Swift joined the group, earning $45 million dollars in 2010.
