WHO

EARNS

WHAT

BY DAVID BROWNE

Photographs by Michael Schmelling

t’s widely reported how much
the wealthiest pop stars make.
Pick up a financial magazine
and you’ll read about the 2007
earnings of the Rolling Stones
($88 million), U2 ($30 million),
and Britney Spears ($9 million).
Even Elvis Presley took in $49
million last year—and he’s been
dead for 30 years. But what
about everyone else—the musicians,
record execs, technicians, bloggers,
and photographers? How much do
they bring home—and how have the
realities of a depressed music business
affected everyone from A&R reps to
record store employees?
To find out, we asked more than
two dozen men and women in the biz
to list their perks, pains, and yearly
pay. We won’t pretend to call this
a scientific survey, but we can say
that these are all legitimate players
and workers, some of whom have
appeared in this very magazine. (For
obvious reasons, they agreed to par-
ticipate on the condition of anonym-
ity.) For those thinking about entering
the business (or those already in it
who wonder about their futures),
these comments and figures can be
considered pieces of advice—or, in
some cases, words of warning.