Twisted Sister singer Dee Snider used extreme language in a recent rant about Spotify CEO Daniel Ek, saying the streaming platform executive “should be eliminated and shot” for unfairly compensating artists.
Spotify has come under fire in recent years for multiple reasons, including breaking up the platform's revenue sharing and deciding to host controversial content like right-wing pundit Joe Rogan's podcast (which led Neil Young to remove his music from the service ). Dee's complaint stems more from his previous complaint, with the hard rock veteran attacking Ek in a new interview with the YouTube podcast. The Jeremy White Show.
“I want to tell you, that Spotify guy should be taken out and shot,” Snider said *as transcribed by Talkative]), apparently referring to Ek. “When he heard artists complaining about how little they paid us, his response was 'make more music,' as if we were producing cans of Coca-Cola. Fair [increase] the production. [It’s] insulting and degrading.”
While the outspoken Snider was certainly being hyperbolic and sarcastic with his use of words, his overall sentiment echoes that of many artists who feel they are being shortchanged by the leading streaming audio giant. Snider said Spotify brings him almost nothing, unlike music licensing, from which the seemingly endless placements of a Twisted Sister hit like “We're Not Gonna Take It” continue to make money.
“For me, it's licensing,” Snider said of his main source of income. “Licensing is the last blessing, the last oasis where you can really make some money. Steven Spielberg chooses 'We're not going to accept it' for the end of Ready player one. Thank God, because I don't get anything from Spotify.”
Snider's initial criticism referred to a widely circulated 2020 interview in which Ek said that “you can't record music once every three or four years and think it's going to be enough.” The comments sparked an instant reaction from artists, including many hard rock and metal performers like Dream Theater drummer Mike Portnoy, who called Ek “a greedy little bitch” on social media.
You can stream the full interview with Dee Snider below.
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