Answer to Question 1
Gross, of course, is total sales before deductions are made. Deductions included fees paid to the recording companies, the recording producers, freebies and others. The money that an artist receives per CD is referred to as the net artist royalty rate and is based upon a contractual arrangement between the artist and the recording company. The more established artist receives a higher rate (i.e., percentage) of the Suggested Retail List Price (SRLP).
Answer to Question 2
Recording technology began wit the phonographic record through the 1920s. This vinyl record was molded into records of various speeds including 78 rpm, 45 rpm, and 33 1/3 rpm. The magnetic audiotape appeared in the early 1950s and this tape recording allowed for multitrack recordings for recording artists. The tape consisted of the 4-track, 8-track and ultimately the cassette tape. Compact Discs were introduced in 1982 and in the 1990s, CDs became the most popular type of home format for playing music. Today, DVDs and MP3s have made significant progress in challenging the CD as the most popular form of recording and listening technology.