Anthony posted said on his personal blog:

"It’s so hard to believe that a record that sells 1.2 million or 700k or 400k or even 80k can be looked at as a flop. I know that they mean it’s sad to see compared to past sales, but still. My band is not nearly as successful as anyone on that list, and I’ve always tried to stay real grounded and pure about whatever success we have had. And maybe that’s why I can’t imagine someone being disappointed in selling anywhere from 80k-1 million records. A band OR a label. And maybe that’s because I still remember when we were struggling to sell 5k or even 1k. Shit, even 1. Here are some interesting facts I’ve learned about the industry through my time in it that you might not know:

Less then 1% of all records that are made in the world sell more then 1,000 copies. So if you can sell even 1,000, that’s a reason to be proud. You’re in the most successful 1% of musicians in the world.

A label makes (usually) between $5 and $7 per copy of a cd sold. This doesn’t include when a record is on sale. The label usually takes the hit on sale pricing, not the store. So an album that sells 200,000 copies makes the label between 1 million dollars and 1.4 million dollars. So now imagine calling an album that sells 700k copies a flop. If you can’t turn a profit on that, then it’s probably not the bands fault for “only” selling 200k. Maybe it’s time for a new buisiness model.

Bands on major labels usually need to sell about 500k or more copies of their record before they get paid from their album sales, which only about 25 albums of the hundreds of thousands that come out actually do. So bands make most of their money from either publishing placements (songs in movies, tv shows, commercials etc..) or on tour from ticket sales and merch. Now with the new 360 deals that every label has been giving out for the past few years, labels are now taking 15%-30% of that too.

Standard rates to the people that help a band function is 15% to a manager, 10% to an agent, 5% to a business manager, 15% of your merch to the club and if you have a 360 deal, 15%-30% to your label. So a band is losing more then 50% of their income everyday before they even put gas in their tank to get to the next show or try to eat something.

I’m not saying I hate labels or managers or agents or anything. They’re all very important and they are all part of the team to make a band get to the next level and stay there. I was just thinking about all this stuff and wanted to clear my mind. If a band that sells 700k copies is a flop, then I’m fucked I guess.

I guess I’m just trying to say, support bands and music. On all levels. When you download an album or decide to buy a beer instead of a shirt at a show, think of what that means to music as a whole. This isn’t as glamorous as it seems."