How Much Does It Cost To Make A Hit Song?
 

Interesting breakdown of the estimated costs to make a single hit song. Rihanna's 'Man Down'.

Writing: $18,000
Songwriter: $15,000
Producer: $20,000
Vocal Producer: $15,000
Mix/Master: $10,000
Roll out: $1,000,000

Total: $1,078,000

See: NPR Planet Money

Ian

Oh course, if she had the talent to actually write her own music $33,000 could have been saved. She is well known in pop circles, you have to wonder if it takes $1,000,000 to promote her, what does it cost for less known singers?

"Friday" only cost Rebecca Blacks mom $4k.
You said "hit", you didn't say anything about a good song.

Justin Beaver is another youtube wonder.

A YouTube viral 'hit' doesn't mean people are buying the CD - even though it might end up on iTunes for freak content. That's a different animal. For Rihanna, Def Jam probably did the whole circuit - launch parties, expensive video shoot (looks like Jamaica . . .), talk shows, limos, private jets . . .

Beiber is all about targeted promotion. Big $s spent there no doubt.

Ian

I have never heard any of those songs. I have never heard of Rihanna what type of music does he sing?

Now get off my lawn!

Rihanna is a she. Honestly can't name any of her song, as I tend to listen to good music (classic rock). She is the one from the news last year that was beat up before a music awards show by her no talent singing boyfriend.

Black Sabbath's first album cost $700.00 to record. The rest is history.

I quit listening to the radio except on very rare occasions. There is only one classic rock station locally. They seem to be a rut and play the same 80 to 120 songs over and over and over and over. There is no reason to play "Blinded by the Light" 4 times in one week. I even wrote the station manager and complained. It did no good. I have Pandora One on my iPhone & computers. I can listen to 100% music for 3 bucks a month. And I don't have to listen to the obnoxious commercials.

The song in question is horrible. I wish she would implode already and start doing pr0n.

Not my definition of classic rock. Zep, Sabbath, Pink Floyd, etc. That's my definition

Yep.

They play lots of ZZ Top Skynyrd & Stones then decide to play some weak song like that. And they don't play the Springsteen version it is the one by Manfred Man Earth Band! http://forums.pelicanparts.com/suppo...s/pukeface.gif

My friends have been posting songs recorded in there living room on YouTube... one of them is a bass/drum solo that is a big hit in Chile... I tease him mercilessly about it Dude! Your a hit! Let's move to Chile!

And wasn't Bostons first album recorded in someones basement?

My new Hyundai came with XM radio... I swore "NO WAY AM I PAYING FOR RADIO!!!!!"

Then I started playing with it (the radio that is) $120 a year :rolleyes: but 200 stations crystal clear anywhere and most with no commercials.

Should come in handy on upcoming road trip.

The traditional recording industry has imploded because of home recording. Buy a nice powerful computer. Add ProTools + plugins + some misc hdwe - mics, mic pre's, a basic I/O controller, & anyone can record anywhere. But then you have to make it slick & sell it.

Ian

I'd bet the farm it didn't cost a million to make this hit...Oregon's rock anthem. :D

YouTube - ‪The KINGSMEN - Louie Louie - 45rpm‬‏

That song proves lyrics are not the key to a big hit.

That last line should read: Payola: $1,000,000

Truth....just having the youth of the nation thinking the lyrics are "dirty" did it then. Times have changed...for sure.

How much does the AutoTune cost???

Same here!
 

Same here!!

One can not put a price on talent...

Yes, but the price for non talent is obviously $1,078,000

A variant on that is bundled with most recording software these days. I also have it built into a harmony effects footpedal :D

What it takes to be a star...from the one of the greatest movies of all time

YouTube - ‪Crossroads Scene - O Brother, Where Art Thou? Movie (2000) - HD‬‏

Really not very much, according to Bill Drummond and Jimmy Cauty (the KLF, The Timelords, The Justified Ancients of Mu Mu - the guys who nailed a million pounds to wood, exhibited it as art and then burnt it all for a documentary - not to mention performed a thrash metal version of their ambient hit single at the Brit Music Awards, finishing by machine-gunning the audience with blanks at the end and announcing "The KLF have left the music industry" - after which they deleted their entire back catalog except for one album):

The Manual - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

It's right here The Manual

Bill and Jimmy have an "interesting" perspective on many things, including the pop industry.

$700.00 in 1969 money.......

I talked to Tom Scholz on the phone when they were in the studio recording a later album. Actually a guy I worked with was friends with tom and was talking to him and handed me the phone so I could say hey.
Tom told there were some crazy guys recording down the hall that kept busting things up and making too much noise, some band called the Cars. I think that was sometime around '78.

Actually, the song tells a story that makes more sense than a lot of rock hits. In the earlier versions of the song you could actually hear the lyrics. I think the unique sound of a bunch on drunks in a basement trying to wreck a trap set is what made the Kingsmen's version a hit.