how do they make the bulk of their money?

initial contract?
incentives?
album sales?
touring?
promotional events?
merchandise?

is there really any way to have any idea what an artist's cut of any of these areas is

http://www.negativland.com/albini.html

All of those things you listed, but touring is probably the biggest money maker.

i just skimmed it
but its hard to imagine how so many popular artists are living in multi million dollar homes, when they are making 1/3 as much as they would make, working at 7-11.

I was expecting a drummer joke.

The *Cribs* people represent the top .01% of all working artists.

Are you asking about them, or are you asking about the average band?

They make the most off of touring and merchandise, especially popstars.

1997 Bee-Gees:One Night Only the ticket price was $250 each and if you had a date/wife it was 500 smackers. Big money buys Jets instead of cold as hell Buddy Holly buses or Eddie and the Cruisers 2:Eddie Lives beat up vans.

don't most bands get paid in beer?

yes
<small>both</small>

Mostly touring and merchandise sales. Unless you are a well established band and can make money on the sales of the disc, touring is where it's at.

a GOOD record deal is .25 off the album, and thats rare, and is slpit up between the band. its all tour and merch

Danol?

I doubt many of the rappers on Cribs will be in their present homes in 20 years.

It depends on the artist, but in general I'd say that Touring, merchandise, and shilling probably constitute the biggest percentage of most artist's income.

The record companies and retailers make the lion's share off of albums.

Where the real money is -- and this is true of a lot of ther other fields -- is in merchandise. Shirts, posters, hats, action figures, mugs, all of that shit. And shilling for products, if you can get it. Like Britney Spears and Pepsi.

Considering how little these guys make off of their albums, they might as well give the music away for free and live off touring and merchandise.

Touring. For example: J-Lo has yet to make a cent from royalties.

but she's just jenny from the block

Don't be fooled by the rocks that she got.