From an early age, Dee Snider showed promise when it came to music. Throughout his childhood, he performed in numerous church and school choirs. Although he learned to sing in church, his life changed drastically when he became the lead singer of the heavy metal band Twisted Sister. Thanks to songs like “We’re Not Gonna Take It”, the singer went on to have a promising career in music that continues today. While watching the decades pass, the musician recently discussed the new troubles facing artists and took issue with Spotify CEO Daniel Ek.
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Not holding back regarding his thoughts on Ek, Snider’s comments come from his disdain for Spotify and its payment system. Appearing on The Jeremy White Show, the singer discussed how the platform’s payment system is killing fellow performers. “Spotify, the wholesale, you pay the one monthly fee [format], we’re getting so, so little. And that guy from Spotify, he should be taken out and shot. When he heard that artists were complaining about how little we were paid, his response was ‘make more music.’ Like we’re producing cans of Coke.”
Snider’s issue with Ek stems from the CEO making comments about singers back in 2020. At the time, Ek claimed that artists would have to adapt to not being able to release music every few years. He said, “Some artists that used to do well in the past may not do well in this future landscape, where you can’t record music once every three to four years and think that’s going to be enough.”
Not The First Time Dee Snider Went After Spotify
Calling the comments from Ek “insulting and belittling”, Snider insisted the only way to make substantial money is from licensing. He claimed it was “the last oasis, where you can actually make some money.” The singer continued, “Steven Spielberg chooses ‘We’re Not Gonna Take It’ for the finale of Ready Player One. Thank you, God. Because I’m not getting anything from Spotify.”
Not all that surprising, this isn’t the first time Snider has come after Ek. After his 2020 comments, the singer attacked the entire Spotify platform, insisting, “While you (the listener) benefit & enjoy Spotify, it’s part of what’s killing a major income stream for artist/creators.” Although Spotify rates are dependent on the artist, estimates show the platform pays around 3 to 5 cents per stream which Snider believes is incredibly low.
(Photo by Phillip Faraone/WireImage)
