Senegalese-American singer Akon has argued that many musicians are not as wealthy as their public image suggests, despite the flashy lifestyles often associated with the industry.
He said that although artists appear to enjoy luxury through social media and music videos, many of them are not actually the biggest earners in the music business.
In an interview with Hip Hop Eye, Akon explained that most of the real financial gains in the industry go to people working behind the scenes rather than the performers.
“In the music industry, the artist is the last to get paid. He is the broke one but he is the most famous. If you want to be broke and famous, be the artist,” he said.
According to him, those who build careers in production, songwriting, artist management, booking and legal representation often earn far more than musicians themselves.
“But if you want to make real money go to other sectors of music business, like the producer, songwriter, manager, agent and attorney. There are so many areas in the entertainment field that you can really maximise,” he added.
He noted that while fame is often attached to performers, financial success in the industry is largely driven by business roles operating behind the spotlight.
