It is tough to make it as an artist in the music industry, but how tough exactly? Well, it appears that many independent artists are struggling to even make minimum wage ($1,160/month). Taken from Digital Music News, this infographic below breaks down how much an artist needs to sell to break the minimum wage barrier. Included on the list are a number of different formats of selling music, including everything from self-pressed CDs to streaming services like Spotify.

This is purely music sales we are looking at here, though. There is no mention of touring revenue, merchandising, etc. On the other hand, no one is talking about the costs it takes to be a musician. You know, having a space for you to record, pressing your music, traveling, etc. And this is nothing new, obviously, but it begs the question, is it worth struggle to be a musician? Share your thoughts in the comments section below. [via]