Album Sales

YNW Melly’s rise to fame was fueled by his hit singles and successful albums. He has released a few projects that have made a major impact on the hip-hop scene and charted well on the Billboard. Here’s how album sales contribute to his earnings:

“We All Shine” (2019)

Melly’s debut studio album, We All Shine, was released in 2019 and featured several successful tracks like “223’s” and “Murder on My Mind.” This album performed well commercially, selling over 20,000 copies in the first week. On average, artists earn $7 to $10 per album sold after distribution fees and depending on the platform.

Estimated Earnings from We All Shine: Based on 20,000 copies sold and an average of $8 per album, Melly would have earned approximately $160,000 from initial sales.

“Melly vs. Melvin” (2019)

Melly’s second album, Melly vs. Melvin, was also commercially successful. It featured tracks like “Suicidal” and “Mixed Personalities,” which helped it perform well on the charts. The album sold around 25,000 to 30,000 units in its first week.

Estimated Earnings from Melly vs. Melvin: If he sold 30,000 copies with an average earning of $8 per album, Melly would have earned around $240,000 from album sales alone in the first few weeks.

Revenue from Streaming

While streaming has overtaken physical sales in recent years, it still contributes significantly to an artist’s earnings. For example, Melly’s track “Murder on My Mind” has been streamed over 1 billion times on Spotify, earning him substantial royalties. Even more minor tracks can earn $10,000 to $20,000 a month through streaming services.

Total Estimated Earnings from Albums and Streaming: Combining the sales from albums like We All Shine and Melly vs. Melvin, as well as ongoing streaming royalties, Melly could have earned anywhere from $500,000 to $1 million from album sales and streams up until now.

Earnings from Tours and Live Performances

Touring and live performances are often the biggest money-makers for artists, especially those with a strong fan following like YNW Melly. Despite his legal troubles, Melly had already started building a reputation as a high-demand performer before his incarceration. Let’s take a closer look at the revenue generated from live performances and tours:

Concerts and Shows

Before his arrest, Melly was performing at venues and festivals across the U.S., often commanding high fees per show. As an artist with a growing fan base, he was able to earn $10,000 to $30,000 per show for smaller venues and up to $50,000 for larger performances.

Estimated Earnings from Concerts: If Melly performed 50 shows in a year, he could have earned $1.25 million from live performances alone.

Festival Appearances

Festivals offer a larger payout for popular artists, and Melly was positioned to perform at major festivals like Rolling Loud before his legal situation. Headliners at these types of events can make anywhere between $50,000 to $250,000 per appearance, depending on the scale of the festival and the artist’s popularity.

Estimated Earnings from Festival Appearances: If Melly performed at 10 major festivals in a year at an average rate of $75,000 per show, he could have earned around $750,000 from festivals alone.

Merchandise Sales at Concerts

In addition to ticket sales, artists earn a significant amount of money from merchandise sold during concerts. T-shirts, hoodies, posters, and other fan merchandise often bring in several thousand dollars per show. For an artist like Melly, with a dedicated fanbase, merchandise sales could bring in between $10,000 to $20,000 per concert.

Estimated Earnings from Merchandise: If Melly made $15,000 per concert on merchandise and performed 50 shows a year, he could have earned an additional $750,000.

Total Estimated Earnings from Albums and Tours

When combining his album sales, streaming royalties, and touring income, YNW Melly has likely earned millions of dollars in his career so far. Before his legal troubles, it’s estimated that Melly was earning between $1 million to $2 million annually from these sources.

Estimated Total Earnings:

• Album and Streaming Earnings: Around $500,000 to $1 million (based on album sales, streaming, and royalties).
• Touring and Performance Earnings: Between $2 million to $3 million (based on concert fees, festival performances, and merchandise sales).

In total, before his incarceration, YNW Melly was potentially earning $3 million to $5 million per year from his music career.