Taylor Swift has topped Billboard's list of the highest paid music artists, raking in more than $23m last year in the US according to their estimates. It turns out that dropping 2 new albums and a re-release of an older album in one year is a good way to please your fanbase.
Billboard estimates that roughly half of Swift's music income came from streaming payouts — with another $10m from sales and $3.2m from publishing rights. Swift didn't make a dime from touring thanks to COVID restrictions, but that wasn't the case for everyone.
Queen of touring
Celine Dion may have only made an estimated $300k from streaming last year, but she more than made up for it with an enormous haul from touring. Dion squeezed in 23 shows before the corona curtain came down, equating to almost $50m in gross ticket sales — of which she took home $17m according to Billboard estimates. The Eagles similarly managed to squeeze in some shows, netting the classic group more than $11m for their efforts.
Check out the full list of music money makers at Billboard.