Artist

Massive Attack

Trip-Hop / Electronic / Downtempo · United Kingdom · 1988

high confidence

Estimate at a glance

How much money does Massive Attack make?

Massive Attack is estimated at $550K-$2.2M/year on the artist side, with gross catalog revenue and ownership context separated below.

Takeaway: Massive Attack works as a durable earnings page because the artist-side estimate, ownership context, and gross catalog framing can all be separated cleanly.

Yes — estimated $1M-$4M/year.

What stands out

  • Currently ranks around the top 77% of reviewed artists by estimated artist-side earnings
  • Active since 1988 and still commercially relevant roughly 38 years later
  • 2 top songs anchor this estimate
  • Trip-Hop / Electronic / Downtempo remains the clearest genre lane for this catalog
  • high confidence estimate

Why the catalog still earns

  • catalog streaming
  • sync licensing
  • playlist longevity

Massive Attack lands in the top 77% of tracked artists by estimated artist-side earnings.

Massive Attack still reads as an earning catalog roughly 38 years after becoming active.

Last updated: July 15, 2026

artist-side split is modeled + gross catalog revenue is separated. Why?

The primary figure is the modeled artist-side or estate-side annual cut, not gross catalog revenue.

Modeled artist-side range $550K-$2.2M/year
Gross catalog revenue $1.3M-$3.3M/year
Ownership context Included below
Last updated July 15, 2026
Massive Attack performing in Saint Petersburg in 2010

Massive Attack built one of the most commercially durable trip-hop catalogs, with songs that continue to earn through streaming, sync use, and mood-driven listening.

Artist image source: Wikimedia Commons

Estimate Notes

What this estimate means

The estimate focuses on one question: how Massive Attack's catalog economics translate into an annual earnings range. It is presented as a documented range, not as a verified royalty total.

Article status Article-backed estimate with page-specific context.
How the range is framed Structured catalog splits separate gross revenue, artist-side share, and rights-owner lanes where available.
What the page does not claim No private royalty statement, contract, distributor dashboard, or platform payout file is used as proof.
Correction path Public corrections are handled through the contact page when a source shows outdated or misleading context.

See the Editorial Policy for the site-wide source and correction rules.

Key Sources

Public context for the estimate

These links support artist, song, release, or platform context. They document public context without claiming access to private royalty statements.

Certification context

RIAA artist certification lookup

Official RIAA lookup used as public certification-scale context where records exist; not used as royalty proof.

Read the full source notes.

How It Compares

Massive Attack is compared against nearby artists in the catalog based on genre, country, era, and modeled earnings range.

Artist Why compare Estimated yearly midpoint
Massive Attack
selected artist
Trip-Hop / Electronic / Downtempo · United Kingdom $1,375,000
Moby
same era
same era $2,750,000
Underworld
same country · same era
same country · same era $1,375,000

Revenue Breakdown

Gross catalog revenue $1.3M-$3.3M/year
100% of the lead revenue lane
Artist-side share $550K-$2.2M/year
60% of the lead revenue lane
Label share $210K-$780K/year
22% of the lead revenue lane
Publisher share $110K-$390K/year
18% of the lead revenue lane
Writer share $130K-$450K/year
18% of the lead revenue lane

Bars reflect modeled annual midpoint ranges, not audited royalty statements.

Reader questions about Massive Attack

How much does Massive Attack make in a year?

Massive Attack is estimated at $550K-$2.2M/year on the artist side, with gross catalog revenue and ownership context separated below.

Why does Massive Attack still make money?

catalog streaming sync licensing playlist longevity

Who controls Massive Attack's catalog?

Trip-hop catalogs often outperform their niche genre status because they remain highly usable in visual media.

Sources and References

These notes and links explain the public context used to frame the estimate. They support a directional model, not an audited royalty statement.

If a source or estimate needs correction, use the contact page.

Evidence used

  • The available revenue fields separate gross catalog revenue ($1.3M-$3.3M/year) from estimated artist-side share ($550K-$2.2M/year).
  • Publishing and writer lanes are shown separately where available: publisher $110K-$390K/year; writer $130K-$450K/year.
  • 2 top songs anchor this estimate: Teardrop, Unfinished Sympathy.
  • Ownership fields include master context, publishing context, catalog-sale status.
  • Catalog metadata lists genre: Trip-Hop / Electronic / Downtempo; country: United Kingdom; active since: 1988.

Editorial context

  • Teardrop and Unfinished Sympathy still stream at strong long-tail catalog scale.
  • Trip-hop's cinematic usefulness keeps the catalog sync-friendly.
  • Writer-side participation strengthens retained value across key recordings.

Methodology limits

  • The estimate is a modeled annual range, not a public royalty statement from the artist, estate, label, publisher, or distributor.
  • Gross catalog revenue, artist-side share, label share, publisher share, and writer share are separated only where structured split data exists.
  • Top-song links and platform references are public context signals; they are not audited payout disclosures.
  • Catalog sale context is included only where supporting information is available; absence of a sale adjustment does not prove no transaction exists.

Certification context

RIAA artist certification lookup

Official RIAA lookup used as public certification-scale context where records exist; not used as royalty proof.

Show ownership and assumptions

Trip-hop catalogs often outperform their niche genre status because they remain highly usable in visual media.

Supporting Revenue Context

Estimated gross catalog revenue$1.3M-$3.3M/year
Estimated artist or estate cut$550K-$2.2M/year
Estimated label share$210K-$780K/year
Estimated publisher share$110K-$390K/year
Estimated writer share$130K-$450K/year

Assumptions: Estimate assumes durable streaming around key trip-hop staples, substantial sync utility, and meaningful writer-side participation.

Ownership and Catalog Status

MastersLikely split between label-controlled masters and artist royalty participation
PublishingPublishing appears materially tied to writer-side participation
Catalog sale statusNo major catalog sale adjustment is assumed here

Notes: Trip-hop catalogs often outperform their niche genre status because they remain highly usable in visual media.

Split-aware estimate

The primary figure is the modeled artist-side or estate-side annual cut, not gross catalog revenue.

  • Gross catalog revenue is shown separately when enough context exists to distinguish top-line catalog value from artist-side take-home.
  • Ownership notes are available here and can materially change who actually keeps the revenue shown on the page.
  • All figures are conservative annual modeled ranges based on streaming scale, catalog age, licensing usefulness, and known ownership context, not audited royalty statements.

Read the full methodology.

More Context

Related Artists

  • Moby · Electronic / Downtempo / Ambient Pop · United States
  • Underworld · Electronic / Techno / Progressive House · United Kingdom

Key Career Highlights

  • Known for: Trip-hop canon status, cinematic catalog value, and long-tail sync relevance.
  • Highlight: Teardrop and Unfinished Sympathy remain foundational tracks for both streaming-era discovery and media placement.

Editorial Insight

Catalogs with strong atmosphere and sync value often outperform their niche genre label.