Kid Rock: I think Illegal File-Sharers 'Should Steal Everything'

Says the Internet was an opportunity for everyone to be treated fairly, for the consumer to get a fair price, but that the record companies stuck with the old system.

The record industry would have us all believe, politicians especially, that music artists are lock-step behind them in criticizing illegal file-sharers for not properly reimbursing them for their works.

However, an increasing number of artists - big name artists - are coming forward to point out the inherent hypocrisy of their complaints both past and present.

"Back in the day, we all know the stories of the Otis Reddings and Chuck Berrys and Fats Dominos who never got paid," Kid Rock told the BBC.

"So the internet was an opportunity for everyone to be treated fairly, for the consumer to get a fair price, for the artist to be paid fairly, for the record companies to make some money."

But they stuck to the "old system", he added.

Rock had especially critical words for Apples iTunes, currently the largest retailer of music in the United States, which he says he is based on "an old system, where iTunes takes the money, the record company takes the money, and they don't give it to the artists."

He joins The Beatles, Garth Brooks, and AC/DC as the only top music artists to not have made their music available on iTunes, though he admits it will happen eventually.

"I will be on iTunes eventually because I can't avoid it, but I like to always stick to my guns and prove a point and do something original and because I believe in it."

As for illegal downloading, he finds it karmic that the same people who stole from artists and consumers for DECADES are now in turn angry that they are being stolen from. Atlantic Records had even apparently asked Rock a few years ago to "stand up for illegal downloading" because "people are stealing from us and stealing from you."

"Wait a second, you've been stealing from the artists for years," he countered. "Now you want me to stand up for you?"

So what's his advice for remedying the situation?

" I think we should level the playing field," he says. "I don't mind people stealing my music, that's fine. But I think they should steal everything."

I think the real issue here is that music artists have long been hijacked by DISTRIBUTION COMPANIES. Record companies routinely compensated them a measly $1-$2 (after packaging, breakage, and other fees of course). So after years of gouging consumers $20 for a CD with artists getting less than 20% of that it's almost criminal for record labels to complain they're getting ripped off.

What's even more insulting is that, as Rock points out, the companies are lining up to prevent consumers from obtaining music without some sort of hurdles, be they legal (DCMA), technological (DRM), or interoperability (iTunes). The Internet is supposed to level the playing field for artists and everyone else and so its nice to see that another big named artist gets it right.

Unlike Kiss, which recently said it refuses to record new albums until we get the "old system back," Rock wants to literally rock out.

"I was telling kids - download it illegally, I don't care," he says. "I want you to hear my music so I can play live."

Now that's spoken like a true music ARTIST.