Photo: WENN
Anthrax guitarist Scott Ian has laid down the law in a chat with Brazil’s 'Wikimetal’ podcast - “I think if you're stealing it [music], then you're an asshole. That's all”.
Although Ian has been critical about the revenue offered by streaming services like Pandora and Spotify, he has been quick to suggest that pirating music is the lowest of the low.
When asked about the popularity of streaming services and its effect on the industry, Ian responded simply, “As long as you're not stealing music, then I don't care how you get it, whether you're buying vinyl or you're streaming it on Spotify.”
In a recent interview with ‘From Hero to Zero’, he also advised that "music doesn't have the same value in people's minds on this planet as it did ten years ago, twenty years ago…”. He rightly argued that “it's never been cheaper” and yet, “people still have a problem with that, apparently, because they'd rather steal it or stream it”.
Ian went on to concede, "Now, look, I get streaming — it's a modern convenience, it's the next step of where things are going, as far as how to get your music… I even like streaming, because it will turn me on to music that maybe I wouldn't have heard before”.
His argument that if Spotify paid more, the inherent value of music would increase is certainly a valid point, and a dispute he is keen to voice: “We're creating art, and these businesses have completely devalued what we do, and obviously I think that's bullshit".
