Where Does the Money Go?

People spend billions of dollars on music every year. The problem is not that people do not value music. The problem is that too little of that money reaches the working artists who create it, perform it, and bring people together through it.

The global recorded music business reached $31.7 billion in 2025, driven largely by streaming. In the U.S. alone, recorded music revenue reached $17.7 billion in 2024.
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That sounds like great news.
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But for many independent artists, the reality still feels very different.
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When you pay for music, your dollars often travel through a long chain before an artist sees anything.
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A streaming subscription, ticketing platform, venue, promoter, label, distributor, publisher, payment processor, marketing campaign, or production company may all be part of the system.
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Some of those roles matter. Some create real value.
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But the result is simple: the money is diluted before it reaches the person writing the songs, loading the gear, driving to the show, and standing in front of the audience.
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The music economy creates enormous success for a small number of artists. That success is real and should be celebrated.
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But most working musicians are not global stars.

They are independent artists trying to build sustainable careers one song, one show, and one audience at a time.
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A Music Industry Research Association survey found that the median U.S. musician earned $21,300 from music-related income in 2017.
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That is the gap CouchConcerts was created to help close. By creating a simpler path for working artists.
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At a CouchConcert, guests are invited into a welcoming space to experience live music up close.
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They are not buying a traditional ticket from a large system.

They are supporting an artist directly.
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Today, 100% of every guest donation goes directly to the artist. That is part of

The math is simple.
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If 30 guests each make a $35 donation, that creates $1,050 for the artist from one intimate evening. For many independent musicians, that can be more meaningful than months of streaming income.
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And for guests, $35 is not an extravagant amount. People often spend that much — and sometimes more — on venuen parking before the music even starts.
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One Night Can Make a Difference

That changes the equation.
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Artists do not just need more streams.
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They need more places to play.
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They need rooms where people are actually listening. Rooms where they can tell stories, build relationships, sell merchandise, grow their audience, and earn meaningful income.
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A living room, backyard, office, clubhouse, gallery, small business, church, brewery, winery, or community space can become a listening room for one night.

That one night can matter.

CouchConcerts was formed as a nonprofit public benefit corporation because we believe music can do more than entertain.
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It can strengthen communities.
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It can support independent artists.
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It can give people a reason to gather in real life.
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And it can help more of the money people already spend on music into the hands of the artists who need it most.
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Where does the money go?