KISS frontman Gene Simmons has placed blame squarely on music fans for the current state of the industry. He argues that streaming culture has devastated musicians’ ability to earn a living, as reported by Music Radar.
Simmons addressed the challenges facing new bands in today’s streaming-dominated landscape. He also discussed the economic realities of modern music distribution.
“A lot of bands, unfortunately, are caught in a Catch-22,” Simmons said. “‘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.”
He highlighted the stark financial reality for artists trying to make money from streaming platforms.
“And even when it is streamed, you’ll have to get a billion streams to make, what, 10 or 20 grand?” he continued. “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.”
Simmons drew comparisons between the music industry and traditional employment structures.
“There is a minimum wage in most industries,” he said. “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. And whose fault is it? The answer is: the fans.”
The KISS bassist then used a supermarket analogy to illustrate his point about fan behavior.
“It wasn’t the corporate world, because they were giving us money,” Simmons explained. “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.’”
Simmons’ harsh assessment of the current music landscape reflects his broader concerns about the industry’s fundamental transformation over the past two decades.
Rock N Heavy reported that Simmons has previously described the music industry as “broken” with “no backbone.” He expressed deep pessimism about the future of artist development. He has consistently argued that streaming platforms have created an environment where iconic new stars like The Beatles or Elvis cannot emerge in today’s market conditions.
The KISS frontman’s criticism extends beyond streaming economics to encompass what he sees as the complete dismantling of traditional music business structures. LPM noted that Simmons has bluntly declared that “the music industry is gone.” He pointed to platforms like Napster as the beginning of the end for conventional artist compensation models.
“The music industry? It’s gone,” Simmons has stated in previous interviews. He emphasized how digital piracy and streaming have fundamentally altered the relationship between artists and their audiences.
Simmons’ perspective reflects a broader debate within the music industry about sustainable compensation models for artists in the digital age. Vinyl Me Please highlighted that many established artists have shifted their focus to live performances and merchandise sales as primary revenue sources. Meanwhile, emerging artists struggle to build sustainable careers through streaming alone.
The comments highlight the ongoing tension between traditional music industry economics and modern consumption patterns. Veteran artists like Simmons advocate for structural changes to support the next generation of musicians.
