In a new interview with Music Radar, KISS bassist Gene Simmons shared his thoughts on the current state of the music industry, blaming many of its problems on music fans.
Speaking about the challenges new bands are facing in today’s streaming-dominated landscape, Simmons said:
“A lot of bands, unfortunately, are caught in a Catch-22. ‘I’ve got 100 new songs. We’re releasing a song a month.’ All that stuff. But it just goes on the internet. And they hope people stream it among hundreds of millions of choices.”
Highlighting the stark economic reality faced by these artists, he explained that most acts fail to make money due to the current streaming distribution system.
“And even when it is streamed, you’ll have to get a billion streams to make, what, 10 or 20 grand? So it’s very difficult. Musicians make a very good living. At least the big ones do. So you don’t think they’re being short-changed. It’s the new bands are really being short changed.”
“There is a minimum wage in most industries,” he continued. “If you’re a construction worker, you’re guaranteed a certain amount. There’s also a retirement plan and a pregnancy plan, all that stuff to support the working class.
“But there is no minimum wage for songwriters and bands. In fact, it’s the wild wild west. It’s not even a penny – it’s something like one one-hundredth of a penny – per stream. It’s insane.”
Simmons went on to reveal who he thinks is to blame for all of this.
“And whose fault is it? The answer is: the fans,” he stated. “It wasn’t the corporate world, because they were giving us money. No, no, it was the fans who decided to break into the supermarket and just take whatever they wanted to without paying for it.”
“So the farmer’s out of business. The trucks that brought everything to market are out of business. The supermarkets that were there 24 hours a day? Out of business. All out of business because people decided, ‘I’m going to have fruits, vegetables, a quart of milk, and walk out. And oh, I’ll pay something – here’s a penny.’”
