Ted Nugent recently talked about the dramatic decline in musician compensation in the streaming era. He shared his thoughts in an appearance on the Unshaken And Unafraid podcast.
The rock legend then addressed how the music industry has shifted from a model of ownership to one of access. Many artists, including major names, are now struggling to earn a living wage from their recordings.
“I think [Nugent’s classic song] ‘Stranglehold’ is approaching a billion what they call streams. And my [song] ‘Fred Bear’ is approaching a billion streams, ’cause people love powerful, emotional, dynamic, fun music. But in the old days, I could get a couple of bucks per album sold. I think if you have a billion streams, you might get $29.95,” Nugent said.
He then went on to reflect on how his understanding of the business side of music developed over time.
“I wasn’t aware of getting paid. I just wanted to make music until I started realizing that instead of 10 people came to the gig at a buck a head, there was 200 people. Well, that’s my money. They came to see [me]. They didn’t come to see the walls,” he continued.
Nugent then spoke to the broader financial reality facing working musicians today.
