How Much Do Music Artists Earn Online?

[RacingHippo]

Just seen a fascinating comparison of how many copies of a song or album an artist must sell to achieve the US minimum wage using various channels.
It's quite an eye-opener.

Yer it be.

[Gandalf1986]

So the best way is always autoproduction... no wonder!

[Pedro]

This is why the most un-used sentence in the English language is; "That's the banjo player's Porsche".  

[Gandalf1986]

This is why the most un-used sentence in the English language is; "That's the banjo player's Porsche".  

Wow! I thought it was: "Don't let a banana fly over yer fuzz pedal!"

[Tricky]

Hmmm, interesting...
So, does anyone (in the know) have information as to which download site provides the best return to the artist?
I usually try to buy physical media direct from the artist's website, but for those niche/foreign/no-shopping bands, where should I go?
I also have a bit of an issue with dishing out credit card details to many, many different sites; so if I use paypal, how much are they raking off as well?

[gr8gonzo]

Check your credit card company website. Some offer a temporary number generator or one-time use number that allows you to make online purchases without giving your real account info. With temporary numbers, you can often specify an amount limit, a short-term expiration date or even the retailer. The charge still shows up on your regular account. The ones I've seen don't charge a fee for the service.

I do this with most online purchases, especially overseas.