Not sure if this is a factual question and not sure if it can even be answered.
I had the opportunity to see Elton John live last evening with Mrs. Floppy and some friends. Thankfully he mostly sang his 70s classics and it got me thinking, how much does his long-time co-writer Bernie Taupin make when EJ sings a song in which Taupin wrote the lyrics?
I say $100 per song but of course this is pure conjecture.
Nice life though eh? Going to the mailbox must be awesome.
In general, the venue pays a single licensing fee for all its acts. The fee is then split among the songwriters involved. Thus, the payment to a single artist can vary depending on how many songs were played overall in the year and the amount paid for the licensing (which varies depending on the size of the venue). A hard number would be difficult to find.
I’m sure it’s not per song. Last I read, Elton and Bernie were on a 60%/40% agreement because Elton sings the songs as well as writing the music. That’s for money made on recordings of songs, but I would guess that’s probably in the ballpark of what they both take home on concert earnings as well (after the obvious fees come out, like managers, etc.).
ETA: The “nice life” thing is quite an understatement. Elton could live like a king on royalties from “Your Song” alone for the rest of his life, without doing another concert or writing another piece of music. Not to mention the other 50 or so hits he’s written, and a Broadway show that’s still running to this day. Royalties: the gift that keeps on giving!
It must be quite a thrill to see them up there singing with him!