Blackie Lawless explained how streaming economics affect W.A.S.P.’s decision to record new music in a ‘VIP Experience’ question-and-answer session.
Lawless used streaming payments as a measure of how difficult it has become to justify making records. He pointed to the ratio of streams to earnings to explain why bands struggle financially with new releases.
“Anything we’re gonna do now is gonna be done for legacy,” Lawless said. “Because if you look at Spotify and any type of streaming that’s done now, you gotta take about… To add up to one penny, it takes about 10 streams. Whenever I say that, it’s shocking to you guys. You guys have no idea why bands can’t make any money making records anymore… So anything we’re gonna do now is gonna be because of legacy.”
The W.A.S.P. frontman added that any new music from the band has to measure up to their early work. He explained that the first years of a band’s career are when they establish their reputation, and W.A.S.P. is no exception.
“So anything we do has to stack up against what we did originally,” Lawless continued. “And any band, and I don’t care whether it’s us or whoever it may be, first five years are really where they make their bones. And we’re no different. I mean, if you think back to really where we started, those first five records, those are the ones that people think of.”
Lawless made these comments while discussing what would motivate W.A.S.P. to record again. His remarks highlight the challenge facing established rock bands in an era of low streaming payouts.
W.A.S.P.’s most recent studio album of all-new original material was “Golgotha” in 2015. The band has been working on new music for about three years, though between a book project and an extensive touring schedule, progress has been slow. Lawless has acknowledged that bands no longer make money from records, instead relying on touring revenue.
Streaming payment rates are extremely low across the industry. Spotify pays artists about $0.003 to $0.005 per stream, meaning a million streams generates roughly $3,000 to $5,000. This reality reflects the broader financial struggle for musicians in the streaming age.
Other established rock musicians have expressed similar concerns about artist income. Iron Maiden guitarist Adrian Smith recently noted that even bands with hit records are struggling to make money, with only a tiny percentage of musicians able to make a living from music today. Bush frontman Gavin Rossdale admitted he is baffled by how young artists can sustain themselves financially in today’s streaming-driven landscape.
