Market research company TNS found that the average Brit spends £21,000 ($37,121) on music during his/her lifetime. A music enthusiast (whatever that is) spends just over £44,000 ($77,778) in a lifetime. That all-encompassing figure includes things like pre-recorded music, concerts, nightclubs, musicals and magazines.

More tidbits, from the BBC.com article on the study:

• Average amount spent on CDs, concerts and magazines is £425 ($751) per year.
• Seven out of ten people go to a musical event every year.
• About half of those questioned claimed they spent nothing but the number ended up being about £250 ($442) a year.
• The average person owns £891-worth ($1,575) of music-playing equipment.

Here's some rough math for a typical music enthusiast: One show a week in New York costs, on average, about $14 per week, which is just a rough estimate that balances out the cheap shows with the incredibly expensive ones (drinks not included, and that's the real killer). Subscription to eMusic is $15 a month. A few new albums a month go for about $50, and throw in $15 for used CDs found on eBay and at sidewalk sales. Who reads magazines any longer who doesn't get them free at clubs? Fine...let's throw in a $15 annual subscription to some music rag. Let's add $300 for an iPod and another $100 for accessories.

Already that's $2,103. Ouch. That doesn't include the computer and broadband access that fuels the music addiction (and downloads heaps of music), nor does it include taxi fares for those late night trips home after a show, or the round-trip ticket to SXSW or Coachella.

To quote Spinal Tap, that's too much f**king perspective.