It takes a while for touring to generate money, even for a chart-topping artist like Teddy Swims.
In a new interview on Triple M’s The Rush Hour with Maroon & Hindy, the Grammy-nominated “Lose Control” musician, 33, revealed he only started making money on tour for the first time in 2024 after five years in the business.
“The bigger these get, the more people you employ,” said Swims. “I will say it like this, last year was the first time we had kind of broke the even margin on touring, so I actually made money for the first time last year.”
He continued, “So, this year we’re kind of in the black and, you know, finally making money. But it took five years of touring for us to really start seeing anything.”
Swims started releasing music in 2019, and he’s since earned a No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with “Lose Control” as well as top-40 hits “The Door” and “Bad Dreams.”
Amy Sussman/Getty
He’s since headlined major North American venues including Radio City Music Hall and Red Rocks Amphitheater and is currently touring arenas in Australia and New Zealand.
“So a lot of people think you’re doing great if you’re playing arenas and stuff, but a lot of times we’re, like, barely breaking even if that, ‘cause you’ve gotta go out to places and really build the audience,” Swims told The Rush Hour.
“I think we’re finally making money,” he added, before revealing the shockingly low amount. “And it wasn’t much, either. I think we made, like, $20 grand or something like that last year.”
However, Swims is pleased with how his touring career has panned out. “Everybody’s paid, and everybody’s fed, so I would say that’s successful, but now we’re finally in the black, and the business is doing good,” he said. “And the next couple years, I’ll be swimming.”
Kevin Mazur/Getty
The artist, who shares a son with girlfriend Raiche Wright, opened up to PEOPLE last year about experiencing “so many successes” after previously going through a “dark time” with mental health and substance abuse.
“I just hope that I showed myself, but also the listener that on the other side of all that mess and heartbreak, that there’s all this love and support and family and all these good things, if you just stick to the course and just don’t let that kill you,” he said at the time.
