Why are Reviewers Paid So Poorly????
- Thread starter MylesBAstor
- Start date
Let's see. I get assigned a 1000 word piece for Mens Fitness and get paid $2000. It takes all of a couple of hours to put together.
I write a 4000 word audio piece and get paid $100. It takes three months of work, between breaking the equipment in, setting up and tweaking, listening, comparing, checking and rechecking results, more tweaking, calling the manufacturer to get technical details and then to write, to complete. Oh and I have a full time job of 60+ hours to pay the bills.
Not to mention, the number of independently wealthy audio reviewers is few and far between. Not to mention, there's only a handful of US reviewers on paid salary; most are freelance.
Wow then I did well covering an audio show. I only spent two days at the show, took a few hundred photos, pages of notes, wrote and compile the actual html web page and made $100.
And you do it because???? --- you enjoy it, you get to listen to top quality gear in your home at no cost, you get to purchase that gear at accommodation prices if you so choose and then sell it and lose little of any money and get great seats at the audio shows so you can actually hear what you are supposed to.
I tried to get a reviewers job at one of the two top magazines years ago for all of those reasons. And I had all of the credentials I needed ---- except the ability to write
garylkoh
WBF Technical Expert (Speakers & Audio Equipment)
I tend to think that this reflects the sad state of the high-end audio industry in the US. Many years ago, living in Singapore, I studied hard and worked hard so that I could afford French Wines, Swiss Watches and American Hifi. I think that for the aspirations of the young and upwardly mobile in the world, the first two are still true, but sadly the last is not. As often as I can, I mention this to members of the US Department of Trade. Something needs to be done to get the manufacturers together, get them to cooperate instead of back-biting and bring back the glory of American Hifi - and the press needs to be a part of re-building the credibility.
And you do it because???? --- you enjoy it, you get to listen to top quality gear in your home at no cost, you get to purchase that gear at accommodation prices if you so choose and then sell it and lose little of any money and get great seats at the audio shows so you can actually hear what you are supposed to.
I tried to get a reviewers job at one of the two top magazines years ago for all of those reasons. And I had all of the credentials I needed ---- except the ability to write
OK let's see, I paid out of my pocket for RMAF and CES. Awfully expensive good seats wouldn't you say?????? And actually some shows have "press" days so don't need to worry about finding the "primo" seats.
Down the road, I have plans to cover some analog LP mastering events and I'm flying to CA on my own dime to interview some people. Oh and I don't take that off my taxes either.
And guess what, I can hear good gear anywhere. The Westchester audio club I used to belong too and met ever month, had every top manufacturer ever to grace the face of this planet come to visit. Same goes for the LAOC Club where dealers host their meetings every day. I live in NY and am on good terms with most dealers so I could hear anything I want too.
And I had plenty of good friends with amazing systems who I could play with! In fact, it was these friends who were also reviewers who gave me a reference to get started writing and reviewing. And actually, I started two different audio magazines over the years. You can figure out how much I lost on esp. the last effort.
And no, grand guru, I started writing because I felt I could give another side of the story to fellow audiophiles and help them make better choices/tweaks/setup when they buy their own gear. Guess what? I started out too like any other audiophile building my system buying used high end gear over the years. Oh and why don't you talk about the breaks that other audiophiles get when they buy gear from reviewers too?
And for your information, I, like the audiophiles I write for, lose money when selling gear too. Take a preamp I recently sold. I spent an additional $8000 (non acommodation) on top of what I originally paid the unit and sold it for a couple of grand less than I originally paid for it. I call that a loss in any accounting situation.
Hi Gary!
Remember AAHEA? HP tried to jump start the industry by helping form this organization in the '90s and manufacturers couldn't agree on the color of the stationary then either.
I remember a fellow reviewer with political connections trying to get manufacturers to donate equipment so there could be a high-end audio system in the White House (I think the president was then Clinton). That never came off though either though I see Russian President Medvedev has a high-end audio system including Avid electronics and Avid turntable in the Kremlin
garylkoh
WBF Technical Expert (Speakers & Audio Equipment)
Hi Gary!
Remember AAHEA? HP tried to jump start the industry by helping form this organization in the '90s and manufacturers couldn't agree on the color of the stationary then either.
I remember a fellow reviewer with political connections trying to get manufacturers to donate equipment so there could be a high-end audio system in the White House (I think the president was then Clinton). That never came off though either though I see Russian President Medvedev has a high-end audio system including Avid electronics and Avid turntable in the Kremlin
If we had a reviewer with political connections, I would certainly offer my loudspeakers for the White House! Unfortunately, as we all know here, assembling a system is much more than getting all the parts together..... then, the reviewer who puts this together might be accused of bias because of the system he has.
In my discussions, I had suggested that we gather manufacturers together to donate and assemble systems at the US Ambassador's residence in various countries. Then, the Ambassador could be an envoy of US export trade. The horrified looks I got! They thought that I was suggesting to bribe Ambassadors.
I remember a fellow reviewer with political connections trying to get manufacturers to donate equipment so there could be a high-end audio system in the White House (I think the president was then Clinton). That never came off though either though I see Russian President Medvedev has a high-end audio system including Avid electronics and Avid turntable in the Kremlin
Do you think there would be any dead-serious listener who sits down alone and listens in the White House?
Do you think there would be any dead-serious listener who sits down alone and listens in the White House?
Do you think they could agree on what music to play on the system. Would it take an amendment to the Constitution
A Supreme Court decision?
Tony Cordesman.
Back then it was Adam Walinksy who wrote for TAS and other mags.
That was a great thought Gary
It's amazing our own government won't support our own companies.
Steve williams
Site Founder, Site Owner, Administrator
picking a stereo for the white house would be like the picking the the basic food groups for the food industry. Little to do with nutrition. Just about keeping the industry happy. You could end up with a McIntosh driving Bose speakers.
Steve williams
Site Founder, Site Owner, Administrator
actually Greg just the opposite. The article said that Michelle Obama picked out all of the gear and picked the most expensive components all of which were donated freely by the mfrs
This one Steve?
http://gizmodo.com/361235/white-house-home-theater-reveals-laura-bushs-bordello-tastes
Kinda underwhelming. Jeremy Kipnis doesn't have anything to worry about
http://www.hometheaterdesignmag.com/208great/
Obviously should have had Theo Kalomirakis design the WH room
Steve williams
Site Founder, Site Owner, Administrator
No that wasn't the article. I found it last month somewhere on the net stating it was Michelle Obama who chose
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