"Don’t even think a penny comes my way": Aaron Lewis blasts Spotify, alleges he made almost zero money from a billion streams

American musician Aaron Lewis recently appeared on The Tucker Carlson Show and shared his thoughts on how the music streaming platform, Spotify, has changed the music industry. On Friday, August 22, 2025, the YouTube channel of the American conservative political commentator Tucker Carlson shared a video featuring the 53-year-old artist discussing his experience with Spotify.

Aaron Lewis said:

“I'm a Spotify billionaire. I've had over a billion spins on Spotify. If I only had a penny for every spin on Spotify, that would be fantastic. A dollar, a quarter, a penny from every spin, with over a billion spins on Spotify. All I have is a plaque.”

The artist, best known as the lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, and founding member of the alternative metal band Staind, blasted the music streaming platform. When Tucker Carlson asked Aaron Lewis if he had never received a payment from Spotify, he replied:

“It's so by the time Spotify plays it, there's so many people in the middle. I don't even think a penny comes my way to be honest with you.”

Aaron Lewis alleged that he made almost zero money from a billion streams. The artist noted that Spotify “cuts a lot of people” in on his financial stream. He claimed that people who are not the creatives are the “ones making all the money.”

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Aaron Lewis labels middlemen in the music industry “leeches”

The country singer, during his appearance on The Tucker Carlson Show, called out middlemen in the music industry.

“They were creative in how they came up with something to get into somebody else's money stream… I would call it being a leech.”

Meanwhile, Tucker Carlson noted that he is “very pro Spotify” as the platform has helped his podcast gain a following. When the 56-year-old podcast host noted that he didn’t understand why Aaron Lewis alleged that the “creators on the music side” were being cut out of the benefits, the singer clarified:

“Not cut out… I should have seen a pretty significant deposit into my account for that many spins… I’m sure my record label got paid.”

Staind In Concert - Clarkston, MI - Source: Getty

The Country Boy singer also discussed that he makes real money by getting on the road. The 53-year-old musician affirmed that he works “hard” and doesn’t make money from record sales.

“I don't make money off of spins. I make money off of merch and actually playing shows… There seems to be less of a less of a machine that puts itself in between.”

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Aaron Lewis has been part of the band Staind since its inception. The band experienced a commercial peak during the early to mid-2000s, dominating active rock radio. Per the band's official website, Staind began its journey in the New England area when vocalist Aaron Lewis met guitarist Mike Mushok at a Christmas party in 1993.

Staind is reportedly known for their hits like It’s Been a While, Fade, For You, and Epiphany. Meanwhile, Lewis has had a successful solo career as a country artist with two chart-topping country albums, 2011’s Town Line and 2016’s Sinner. He most recently released a solo album titled The Hill in the spring of 2024.