A cheap question...

[Risquit]

How much money do you think the guys make as Opeth? Seems like enough that they can take time off to relax for awhile and Mikael can write. But to not record or tour until well into 2005, they must be sitting on a nice treasure chest of funds from their albums, tours, and merch sales. Can't picture them driving cabs or anything.

 

[opethfan]

The big prophet told me that they have a treasure, burried in a beautiful beach. When they need funds, they have to dig. But, they are lazy, they don't want to dig, it's too hard, so i don't know how they do ?
That's a problem : How to dig in sleeping ?

 

[dorian gray]

Risquit: youre the man. ive been wanting to ask this for a long time but never had the audacity. as professional in my late 20s, im always interested in what anyone makes. i never do it as a comparison, i just find it very interesting. i would REALLY like to know what some musicians make and what their lifestyles are like. the really rich ones bore the heck out of me but ive always wondered if maybe mike and i make the same amount of money a year. i have no idea. i do recall an interview with peter a few years back that said they had sold about 40,000 of each album excluding BWP. assuming they got a dollar for each album sold, thats not very much between four guys and a staff. anyway, dont mean to ramble, i just think this is a cool question that most guys who are over 25 would like to talk about.

 

[ethereallights]

I'm pretty sure they make a pretty penny. I mean they move a lot of merchandise world wide at concerts. In Houston, almost everyone bought something. Ok that's exagerated so yeah.

 

[Land Of Grey And Pink]

Its moderate i bet. They still hold down day jobs (to my knowledge), have plenty of expenses, as well as touring/studio expenses...as well as normal bills and everyday living costs. Keep in mind they didnt start making any money really until blackwater park more or less...they were selling their amps to pay for the studio time to record the Still Life album. Theyre doing a lot better now for sure...but as an underground metal act, 8/10 careers of people their age probably make more than them at the moment.

 

[Protected Witness]

*edit*

This has got to be one of the most tacky threads I have ever read.

Jesus. Do you think anyone sits around here thinking, "Hmmm. That guy says he works at (insert crappy low paying job that you have here). He probably makes about 6 bucks an hour. He's on this message board alot, so he's obviously part time...probably doesn't work more than 24 hours a week...so yeah, he definetly makes less than 20,000 a year."

Get a fucking life, people. This is someone's personal income you're discussing here on their own forum. Have some fucking tact.

 

[ChrisEmerson]

didnt he say on the documentry that opeth is paying for itself now?

 

[Eoghan]

What, you guys haven't watched the Opeth episode of MTV cribs?

Actually....

 

[Crimson Velvet]

Haha!!

Look at the fuzzzy-wuzzzy kitten!!

 

[deliverance]

now that this thread was started, it came to me that Stevie must've gotten a cut every time opeth played Death Whispered a Lullaby

 

[Jinn]

Thats....a shitload of records.

 

[Nico]

Thats the shirt...

 

[Risquit]

Cool picture. Any ballpark estimates on income though?

i.e. 2003 (all figures are estimates, although I'm sure the tour dates number is way off)

Album sales (50,000 Deliverance + 50,000 Damnation =100,000 units X $1.50/unit)=$150,000

Concert sales (150 datesX400people[ave. attendance]X$7.00[Opeth's take per sold ticket])=$420,000

Merch sales ?

$670,000+
before expenses

Seems high. Anyone else want to take a stab? I figure if they cleared $250,000 after everything, divided by 4, that's plenty to live on for a year.

 

[jester00]

the real figure would be nothing close to that.

way too high

 

[hibernal_dream]

the real figure would be nothing close to that.

way too high

Why not? It's a reasonable calculation. Musicians can earn a lot.

Besides, where did he get the money for that many records?

 

[Land Of Grey And Pink]

$1.50 an album is wayy too much. Thats what britney spears receives. Im sure the curve of band profit on album sales is much less for Opeth.

 

[Dobbit]

It seems to me a smaller band would be getting a bigger cut off the sales of a cd, personally. I mean, with mainstream acts like Britney Spears, the record company has to pay for promotion and then to get whatever on MTV and all that bullshit. A smaller label with a less well known group probably makes more per cd than a larger one.

 

[Nico]

Actualy, on this topic, where does the money for their album sales go to now with the closure of MFN?

 

[Rose Immortal]

hibernal dream--About all the records he has, I chanced to pick up an interview in a metal magazine today (I forget which, because it was a tiny one pager and I put it back on the shelf after I was through), and he mentioned that he started his record collection when he was quite young...so I think they've accumulated over a long time.

 

[Risquit]

And he probably buys vinyl off of people who don't know what they've got.

Yard sale

Mikael: How much do you want for this album?

Seller: Which one?

Mikael (slyly containing his enthusiasm): This raggedy ass, old prog-rock album by Blackwater Park...

Seller (shaking his head wondering why anybody would want such an old album by a band nobody's heard of): Just give me a dollar.

Mikael pays the man and slinks away with an evil, yet satisfied grin.