music industry
Rammstein and the million dollar business behind the band
Rammstein singer Till Lindemann with a flamethrower in Düsseldorf last summer. The band is successful worldwide and has built up a business empire.
© Malte Krudewig / DPA
The cult surrounding the band Rammstein seems unbroken despite allegations against singer Till Lindemann. Over the years, the band has built up a complicated network of companies – and generated several hundred million euros.
In an old factory hall, hoodies, T-shirts and leather jackets are lined up neatly, most of them dark and slightly loose-fitting. Backpacks, license plate holders or posters can be found between the items of clothing. It could be one of the many hip fashion stores in Berlin – if it weren’t for one special detail: the logo of the band Rammstein is emblazoned on all products.
The factory building in Berlin’s Pankow district is only open every few weeks, the next time in July, and then only for four hours. But then the rush is regularly large, an expression of how strong the attraction of the band and how lucrative the Rammstein product is. All in all, no other German band has been as commercially successful as Rammstein since it was founded in 1994. The music group earns money on the scale of a small medium-sized company. According to estimates, it has earned more than 200 million US dollars from concerts alone in the past three years . If you put multipliers on it, Rammstein could be a billion mark. The economic success should therefore be one of the reasons why the band is so close together – although after the massive allegations against frontman Till Lindemann they are in the biggest crisis since their foundation.
Much about the band is opaque, the business is part of it. It is therefore not possible to say exactly how much and how exactly Rammstein makes money with his music. With the help of indicators and estimates, however, a lot of information can be gathered.
At least five companies in connection with Till Lindemann
In the commercial register there are references to at least five companies that are directly or indirectly connected to Frontman Lindemann. The most important company is Rammstein GbR based in Berlin. All six band members are also shareholders there. The same applies to Rammstein Merchandising OHG and Rundumschlag Management & Merchandising OHG, which are registered at the same address in Berlin-Wilhelmsruh. Both have specialized in trading merchandise. There is also the concert agency Rammstein Konzert GmbH and the music accessories dealer RZK Audio UG – also registered in Wilhelmsruh. The Ease agency, which markets Rammstein and other artists such as Helene Fischer and Robin Schulz, is also based in the same building. However, Ease and Rammstein are not officially connected.
The last official annual report of one of these companies, Rammstein Konzert GmbH, dates from 2007 – and shows almost a zero-sum game. Income and expenses roughly balanced out – apparently also because Rammstein spent most of the year in the studio.
What happened after that is largely based on estimates. According to various media reports, the total revenue should have been between 400 million and 1 billion euros. In the industry, Rammstein is the undisputed top earner in German show business, and that to this day. Even globally, only five other bands are currently said to be generating higher sales, including superstars such as Elton John and Coldplay. According to industry experts, Rammstein makes the highest profits with concerts. But in contrast to many younger artists, albums still play a relevant role at Rammstein. This is due to the tendentially older target audience, who actually buy the records and not just stream them digitally. There are also numerous solo activities by the individual musicians.
It is known that several band members own real estate in Berlin. Frontman Till Lindemann, for example, threw the popular Café Niesen out of one of its houses in Berlin’s Gleimviertel five years ago. Left-wing activists then accused him of promoting gentrification in the city. Some band members are also said to live in their own properties in Berlin-Pankow.
Rammstein partners drop out one after the other
Lindemann has also published numerous volumes of poetry, which were published by Verlag Kiepenheuer & Witsch and are now to be taken off the market because of the allegations against the singer. Otherwise, revenue could fall in the near future. The drugstore chain Rossmann has already removed the perfumes branded by Rammstein with the names “Kokain”, “Sex” and “Pussy” from its range. The poker platform GGPoker has stopped a seven-digit campaign after two months. And a solo tour by Lindemann in autumn, which was already largely sold out, is apparently on the brink.
But it is questionable whether the fans will actually turn away from Rammstein. At the first Germany concert in Munich, the mood among the fans seemed to be good on Wednesday evening. Many defended Lindemann, anyway one should not judge hastily, it was said. A group of demonstrators in front of the Munich Olympic Stadium was smiled at and insulted. “It almost seems like some of the fans are pro-rape just to be against the protesters,” a viewer told Stern. That, in turn, could play into Rammstein’s cards. After all, spite has always been a good sales driver.