Lily Allen has revealed she is angered by the lack of cash she receives from her album sales - and warned hopefuls that hits are no guarantee of riches.
The star, who is signed to the EMI-owned Parlophone label, told Q Radio that she makes no money out of her sales and said her only real income from music comes from spin-off deals and touring.
Her words will be a wake-up call to up and coming bands who still believe that the music industry will be a source of untold riches if they get a deal. The singer – a guest on Q Radio’s QPM show – said in an interview to be broadcast from 6pm tonight: “I don’t make any money out of recording. I don’t make any money out of record sales at all. I make money out of touring and ‘syncs’ - publishing, you know, my songs being put on Grey’s Anatomy, things like that. I don’t make money at all from selling an album which is probably why I feel so angry about having do to all this promotion, because I’m not earning money out of it. Someone else (is) and
they don’t have to live with the lasting effects.
The singer, about to release second album It’s Not Me It’s You, warned hopefuls that they were likely to make little from the business unless they were prepared to put in the effort with live work and wrote their own material. She has recently been critical of the figures who now run EMI, which was taken over by a private equity firm.
She told QPM presenter Samanthi: “ There’s no point in going into music if you don’t write your own stuff because you’re not going to sustain any kind of income and unless you really want to tour because that’s the only way you’re going to get any money.”
She also pointed out that here life felt a little “vacuous”. Allen said: “I sometimes feel like my life is a little bit empty, as ridiculous as that sounds to people, you know and a bit vacuous. It is pop music and people do talk about it too much sometimes I do feel like I want to have a bit more substance in my life and something like that made me feel that way, and I’m going to be going to Afghanistan or the Congo in a few weeks and help War Child. They want me to go over there and see how the money I earned for them in the past is being used and that’s the stuff that I get really excited about."
You can hear the show on Q Radio from 6pm tonight (Wednesday, January 21)
3:01 PM | 21/01/2009
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we've known for a while now that the money is in touring, especially with illegal downloads. If what shes saying is true though, then whats the problem with illegal downloading, if they arent making money from it. I suspect shes just running her mouth as usual. And anyway, how about just getting into music for the love of it ?
The likes of Dave Grohl and Josh Homme are in it for the love of music.. fame and money comes a very far second for those 2, and many more
Posted by john at 8:13 PM | 24/01/2009 | Report Abuse
I understand what she's saying because people assume that everyone to release an album is rich but that's not been the case for decades.
Thanks to copyright laws (which basically say that the person actually performing the music is interchangable), artists make bugger-all these days.
And to John... It seems to me as if the walking arsehole that is Dave Grohl is in it for money and girls... "I used to be in Nirvana...", Josh Homme however basically just rocks.
Posted by Jamie at 11:07 PM | 25/01/2009 | Report Abuse
*correction: Grey's Anatomy
Posted by C. at 4:11 PM | 26/01/2009 | Report Abuse
look at the music grohl was making with nirvana & to some extent his 1st lp staight after & look at his music now.it's made for the masses not music lovers,my personal opinion.
Posted by al at 9:08 PM | 26/01/2009 | Report Abuse
A message to the idiot who says what's wrong with illegal downloading - quite a lot actually it's what keeps record companies in business. Obviously sonmeone IS making money from CD sales - and more money than is made from downloading, including legal downloads.
Posted by Alice at 8:07 PM | 31/01/2009 | Report Abuse
poor little rich girl.
Posted by d at 3:42 PM | 02/02/2009 | Report Abuse
If thats how you feel lily, then do us all a favour and dont release any more music. My heart bleeds for you.
Posted by Garry at 3:38 PM | 07/02/2009 | Report Abuse
If thats how you feel lily, then do us all a favour and dont release any more music. My heart bleeds for you.
Posted by Garry at 3:38 PM | 07/02/2009 | Report Abuse
If thats how you feel lily, then do us all a favour and dont release any more music. My heart bleeds for you.
Posted by Garry at 3:38 PM | 07/02/2009 | Report Abuse
If thats how you feel lily, then do us all a favour and dont release any more music. My heart bleeds for you.
Posted by Garry at 3:38 PM | 07/02/2009 | Report Abuse
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