John Perry Barlow Quotes

Rock and roll stars have it much better than writers when they're on a tour.

Musicians by and large make a living with a relationship with an audience that is economically harnessed through performance and ticket sales.

I've never made a dime from a record sale in the history of my record deal. I've been very happy with my sales, and certainly my audience has been very supportive. I make a living going out and playing shows.

I'm lucky that I enjoy playing live; it's my passion to do that. There's certain artists that never want to play live. They just want to be in the studio. Good luck, because there is no income.

Artists should re-emphasize performance and de-emphasize recording. You always make more money if you have a healthy performing life than you will if you have even a moderately healthy recording life. Don't make recording the most important thing you do. Make performing the most important thing you do, and then you can make recordings and sell them at your shows, because record labels aren't going to be around to help you get on the radio stations, and the radio stations probably aren't going to play you anyway.

If you can play live and support yourself, it's one of the few ways you're going to actually get paid in this business these days.

I want to sell out arenas and make an album and work with some of the best artists in the world.

Money's really - you know, song writing, yes, there's money to be made and things like that. But really, when you talk about the real money, you talk about touring. No question.

We all know the record biz don't pay. All musicians have day jobs - no matter how big they are.

If you're a singer, you do concerts, and you get that interaction with fans and see what cities in what part of the world come out to see you. When you're on television, you're removed from that.

Music isn't selling like it used to, but the one thing you can't steal or download is a live show experience or a T-shirt.

Traditionally, tours were a means of promoting a record. Today, the record promotes the tour.

I always tell people, 'The music's free. I get paid to travel.'

Since the traditional recorded-music business models have drastically changed, there is truly diminished income derived from recorded music by artists - both current and catalog. The touring industry has become much more important as a majority revenue stream and the ancillary fan experiences and promotions that may be derived from it.

Since the decline of record companies and music sales, I've always played live.

I was always obsessed with other performers doing their thing, and Britney 'Live in Las Vegas' from 2001 is my absolute favorite tour DVD of all time.

That would be awesome, to be totally making records whenever I want and to play a show and have a few hundred thousand people there at any city you go to because people know you and your music.

We are lucky to have a big fan base and that we can support ourselves doing live shows.

I make records so I can go on tour. There's nothing else. I love to go out and play for people.

There's a tendency to make more money at concerts. That's from a financial standpoint. Night clubs have a better feel, better contact between the artist and the audience.

When you make albums like I do, and it's based off fanfare and based off touring - I make these albums, and I get on the road. It's not really a radio-driven thing. I get on the road, and I see my fans, and I touch each and every last one of them.

It's a strange position to be in. Not only the fact that I'm trying to live off work that is personal, but how you get the money for that is racing around the country and smiling for people and selling the record, you know what I mean?

It's not the fact that your single can sell. It's the fact that you can sell hard tickets. People will spend money to see you.

I think going on tour, having lots of songs and music videos would be super cool.

I think the reason I got into the music business was basically for the live aspect of it.