There are artists that do make a great deal of money from record sales, but by and large these are artists that have been around a long time and have a proven history of record sales. They were able to get out of their original contracts and negotiate new ones that were much more favorable. The copyright cheerleaders like Lars Ulrich are going to be part of this group.

Otherwise the record companies are much more exploiting. The amount that most artists get from record sales is a pittance. They are deceitful and will defraud artists at any opportunity.

The idea that a young adult just out of highschool with a band and hit it big and become millionaires is just a image. It’s a image that is cultivated by the industry as part of their marketing schemes.

See alarming facts on how record royalties work:
http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/recording-contract3.htm

Another example is Ted Nugent. After his hits he thought he was a millionaire, but he was shocked when he found out he was broke.

Live performances are the way to go if you want to support your favorite artists. If you are the type that never goes to concerts I heavily recommend it.It doesn’t matter how many thousands of dollars you want to spend on a stereo, it will never be able to compare to watching them live on stage. Not all bands give good shows, but many of them do and it is a blast.