Pandora Reveals How Much It Pays Artists

Responding to critics’ claims that musicians make little or no money from music-streaming services, Pandorafounder Tim Westergren has detailed the amounts certain artists rake in — some nearing $3 million annually.

Westergren, the company’s current chief strategy officer, said Tuesday the “revenue stream is meaningful” and further explained Pandora’s philosophy on paying musicians.

“For over two thousand artists, Pandora will pay over $10,000 dollars each over the next 12 months (including one of my favorites, the late jazz pianist Oscar Peterson), and for more than 800 we’ll pay over $50,000, more than the income of the average American household,” he said in a statement. “We’re talking here about the very real possibility of creating, for the first time ever, an actual musicians middle class.”

Pandora also pays popular artists such as Adele, Coldplay, Jason Aldean and Wiz Khalifa more than $1 million each annually, he claimed, while Drake and Lil Wayne take in almost $3 million.

http://mashable.com/2012/10/09/pandora-artists-make-money-ceo/