Tool vocalist Maynard James Keenan feels the band made a “mistake” by not putting their music on streaming platforms sooner.

The LA rock band – popularly known for their albums 10,000 Days, and more recently, Fear Inoculum – didn’t have their discography on streaming platforms until 2019. At the time, their third album Lateralus (2001) immediately topped the albums chart on Apple Music’s iTunes, even fending off competition from Billie Eilish.

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During his recent appearance on the Allison Hagendorf Show, Keenan reveals that by avoiding streaming sites, he feels the band actually missed out on a new generation of fans.

“I feel like we missed the boat. Like it started with downloads 24 years ago, and then by the time we actually came out, downloads [were] done. We missed 20 years of reaching two generations of people to understand what it is that we do.

“I don’t like listening to the mp3 version, I listen to CDs and vinyl, but that’s the gateway to get them into the vinyl and the CDs. And I feel like we made a mistake not being on those mediums for 20 years. Me every year, saying, ‘We should do this,’” he explains (via NME).

Of their chart-topping success at the time, Keenan says it came as a complete “surprise”: “People didn’t know who we were because we weren’t around. My son just finished law school, and his peers have no idea who we are. They weren’t exposed to it. It’s not on your phone.”

Check out the interview below:

Streaming services have been subject to much debate for years, with artists such as Avenged Sevenfold, James Blake, and St. Vincent having criticised the model for low royalty pay outs and the way it has incentivised songs to be consumable over and over again, meaning songs which are more complex and less likely to be replayed miss out.

Most artists recognise that streaming is ideal if you’re a huge pop star, but for others the market can feel unfair. Avenged Sevenfold have in turn started their own fan club to better reach fans, and Blake has even created his own streaming model called Vault.

Spotify’s CEO, Daniel Ek, has previously compared the streaming market to professional sport. “Football is played by millions of people,” he said, “but there’s a very small number that can live off playing full time.”

Despite the resurgence of physical formats, streaming still remains the most popular way to consume music, and just as Keenan acknowledges, it often acts as a gateway of discovery for younger listeners. Spotify gained 10 million more paying users in just the first half of 2024.

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