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This is not the rags-to-riches story the mainstream media craves, and it may never be. So far, after a week-long frenzy and 35 million YouTube views*, Rebecca Black's "Friday" has stirred just $45,850 according to our estimates, far less than the gargantuan numbers reported in places like Forbes. That number will increase, and may push past $100,000 soon enough.
Without knowing the deal terms between Black and production group Ark Music, let's take a look at the numbers that both have collectively received.
sources: $1 CPM, 40% split to content owner, 35 million views
Approximately 50,000 downloads (generous based on an earlier Billboard estimate*) across various download stores (first week, release March 14th); using 70-cents (Apple's payout) minus a 9% CD Baby cut. (Mechanical royalty deduction of 9.1 cents not included in this calculation, as Ark wrote the song.)
So was it worth it? The easy interpretation is that Black is laughing her way to the bank, despite being a viral laughingstock. Black's mom paid just $2,000 for the weekend filming and postwork, according to reports.
But it could be very difficult to parlay this into something more material - ie, a career - and most likely, this is just another 15 seconds of digital fame. On top of that, Ark Music may have structured a generous payout for themselves - beyond standard publishing rates. Ultimately, Ark may book the biggest gains of all - in the form of lucrative future contracts and deals.
*Now about 40mm, as of 3/24.
**Billboard feels we did not properly credit them on their earlier estimate. I think we could have done more to highlight this earlier work beyond a simple link back. This has been referenced from the beginning, but to make sure - the 'generous' links back to a very good calculation from Billboard's Glenn Peoples (also worth reading). /pr
Comments Closed
Ignacio Tuesday, March 22, 2011
seriously after 35 million views? and if you just cut out the Youtube part it's even worse. welcome to the music industry: everyones streaming, no ones buying.
@Repojay Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Jay Frank
Math is close but u left out parodies that use song, pro money from traditional media, and likely steady future income.
let's say it together now Tuesday, March 22, 2011
14:59
@iFlowSoul Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Ms. Ness
This is madness... Lord
CraigDiPaolo Tuesday, March 22, 2011
OK Go said it best:
"the money we make through revenues is not enough to pay anyone's rent or finance videos."
Causal Observer Tuesday, March 22, 2011
"The rewards go to those creative and brave enough to reinvent their business models in response to consumer demand...."
Michael Petricone
Senior Vice President, Government and Regulatory Affairs
Consumer Electronics Association
Dear Michael,
Thanks for your input.
JanonymousR Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Ahhh P-Res, did you have to continue the spread of this virus dude? I had never seen that crap only heard about it until now. Who cares if that talentless bloody song has only made $45k? In my eyes that's $45k too much. Wish people would help launch a song for the talent rather the apparant lack thereof.
JanonymousR Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Informative though.... thank you lol
Dane Spencer Tuesday, March 22, 2011
All of you who laugh should go out and try to create something that the fickle public will buy. She has probably made more than most young bands ever do with a major label early on.
nmh Tuesday, March 22, 2011
can we please remember that the only reason this song is "popular" is due to the fact that it's so TERRIBLE it's FUNNY. this is not an indication of the status of the music industry, or digital downloads, or subscription services. it is simply a so-bad-it's-funny viral video. this song, and rebecca black's "career", will be dead soon enough.
@dashgo Tuesday, March 22, 2011
DashGo
why hate? In about a month she'll have covered her college education. And her application writes itself.
The Insider Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Ah the power of virality, and whether that experience has the ability to be monetized. Actually heard this song on the "Jim Rome" show last Friday. Rome could not stop talking about it. Needless to say, "Friday" now has a permanent place on his Friday segments going forward, out of sheer novelty.
$45K in one week is nothing to dismiss, especially given the state of the economy, lack of jobs, etc. Ark took an idea, figured a way to monetize it, and made it viral. The experience is what matters, the song and artist just happened to be part of that.
@Valleyarm Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Valleyarm
...woeful "Friday" bringing in the $. Did you like it?
Visitor Wednesday, March 23, 2011
this math is seriously WRONG. YouTube pays partners $2,000 per Million views, so 35m views = a payout of $70,000 from views alone... not sure where you guys are getting your numbers, and you obviously don't have your own partner account... I'd say $70k from YouTube Views alone isn't too bad.
trevor Wednesday, March 23, 2011
So, you mean $2 CPM? Nice, if you can get that.
presnikoff Wednesday, March 23, 2011
@Visitor
We are not a YouTube content partner, but this estimate was constructed with a top content creator that has actually worked directly with Google on a number of projects. That company confirmed that the channel was indeed setup for partner payments (a critical first step), while also confirming that estimate as probable. That said - and perhaps this needed to be added into the article - there is considerable variation here. YouTube does not guarantee $2 CPMs, but I am aware of this figure and may have unfairly low-balled this.
/pr
Visitor Thursday, March 24, 2011
across a broad range of youtube partners, $2k per million views is a consistent average between $1,500 and $2,500 per million views... these are the numbers I'm being paid on my partner accounts. there is an entire YouTube subculure of "professional youtubers" specifically because of these economics. a partner like Dave Days does not need a record label.
@dshermbeatz Wednesday, March 23, 2011
You tube only pays if you own the rights to the content and have established the proper channel. So these figures are probably the actual pay out not what was generated. Remember Susan Boyle made nothing on her millions of views.
Max Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Derrrr.......Winning!
It's all about the eyeballs and what happens next. The contrib to college education a red herring...
Seth Keller Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Interesting that "dislikes" on Youtube are almost 407,000 while the "likes" are around 48,000. Most of the traffic was purportedly driven by a segment on Tosh.O, which speaks more to Daniel Tosh's popularity than the potential future careers of Rebecca Black or the Music Ark. Hopefully, Rebecca and her mom are seeing the bulk of the money made from this because it won't last long.
@bwerde Wednesday, March 23, 2011
bill werde
hey Digital Music News: how about credit where its due (ie Glenn Peoples) on "your" Rebecca Black story.
presnikoff Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Bill: Most certainly. Actually, we linked back in our original publish, but that was clearly not enough. I've updated to make clear reference back to a great estimate from Glenn Peoples on downloads - and definitely did not intend to offend. Thanks for rightly calling us out.
thanks! /pr
@billsolecki Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Bill Solecki
Rebecca Black made $50,000 from the $2,000 production costs. Plus she lost any dignity or self-confidence that she had.
@jwLace Wednesday, March 23, 2011
John Lace
Talk about crazy. Makes me want to hop on this train
Grrr Friday Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Wait a sec. This song and the performance are widely agreed to represent a new nadir for pop music, and all anyone can do is bitch about how little money it made? People streaming but not buying, that's an actual complaint in this case? Netizens don't all watch YouTube videos just because they love them -- it's obvious that the vast majority of views were for taking the piss, and to thumb it down. And now hating something and laughing at it is a substitute for a sale? I wonder how working musicians feel about seeing *any* attention going to this girl being exploited by adults who should know better.
Carlos Wednesday, March 23, 2011
That's pretty good for two weeks of work by Rebecca and the Ark crew. Thanks for sharing the numbers!
Rock N' Roll Buddha Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Anybody remember William Hung from American Idol?
S.S.D.D.
And even if they got 2.00 CPM - and $70,000.00 so far - that's still pretty pathetic based on the exposure. You can't sustain a team of people to work an act on those kind of economics.
Despite all the hype about these supposed new models - it still takes a team to build and sustain an artists' career. You need to generate one hell of a lot more revenue than this...
JD Thursday, March 24, 2011
Well, she made more than EMI and Warner did last year.
JD
@didlix Thursday, March 24, 2011
@Buzzsonic Thursday, March 24, 2011
Adrian Fusiarski
Performs on Leno
@georgiastitt Thursday, March 24, 2011
Georgia Stitt
Rest assured, Jason Robert Brown, it's not as bad as you think.
Ryan M. Thursday, March 24, 2011
A million selling single is not that uncommon nowadays.
This song only sold 50,000 downloads. If it had been released by Pink
and people took it seriously and assuming we used the formula used here, that would be $917,000.
That's half the equation, not
including radio play, because this song (unlike something by Pink or Ga
Ga) isn't getting much radio play.
Add another $750,000-million if it was actually played on the radio.
Bottom line---almost $2 million if it
wasn't a joke and it was by Pink.
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