James Maslow

You're not getting 40% of that, you're getting 5%.

So it's more of a marketing tool when you're starting out, and I think artists need to realize that.

You need to have it, and you should have it,

And you want your fans buying it and you want them wearing it and promoting it.

But it's something that once it's massively scaled, it certainly is a part of the business.

But business has changed.

You know, it used to be you went on tour to sell albums.

Now it's the opposite.

You make albums so you can go on tour.

Touring is really the only way that most artists make money.

It's very hard.

Yeah.

We didn't at the time because of our deal with Sony, and that was when we were starting out, but we were lucky to sell physical albums.

We were one of the last acts that actually have platinum albums.

That's really cool to say and to see on my wall.

I mean, it's fantastic.

And then the streaming game is a whole other game that, heck, I'm learning more going into this as a solo artist than I am even with Big Time Rush as a band because we just haven't tackled it.

We get great streams regardless.

We have a big audience, but we are certainly far from the top.

But it's not necessarily important for our touring business.