In a new conversation with the Daily Express, Bruce Dickinson criticized the streaming system in the music industry.
The Iron Maiden frontman is worried about the future of music, as he said:
“Artists get paid basically nothing from streaming, yet the streaming companies still can’t make any money – so nobody is making any money. How this rotten old system still exists, I’ve no idea. It defies gravity.”
Trent Reznor Is Also Dissatisfied With Streaming Platforms
Dickinson is not the only musician who raised his voice against the streaming services. Nine Inch Nails’ Trent Reznor also slammed the payment system in an interview with GQ, saying:
“I think the terrible payout of streaming services has mortally wounded a whole tier of artists that make being an artist unsustainable. It’s great if you’re Drake, and it’s not great if you’re Grizzly Bear. And the reality is: Take a look around. We’ve had enough time for the whole ‘All the boats rise’ argument to see they don’t all rise. Those boats rise. These boats don’t. They can’t make money in any means. And I think that’s bad for art.”
Mick Jagger Finds It Accessible
On the other hand, Mick Jagger previously praised streaming platforms, although they faced criticism for ignoring artists’ rights. The singer said:
“Streaming, you know, is much maligned, but the interesting thing about it is that people of all generations can access music from all periods. Before, if I wanted to, you know, buy an old blues record from 1955, that was really difficult. I had to do a mail order; I had to go into a specialist’s shop, even though I had plenty of money…”
Another thing Dickinson is not happy about is the high concert ticket prices. In an interview with Mexico’s ATMósferas Magazine last month, the vocalist shared that concert ticket prices should be fair and balanced. Front-row tickets, often seen as the most expensive, should actually be more reasonable. According to him, these tickets are for true fans who keep the music scene alive.