For musicians, financial struggles aren’t just about making a living—they can be the difference between having health insurance or going without.
Unlike many with a steady job and packaged salary, a musician’s income is often dependent on numerous factors which control. Hollywood Undead’s Johnny 3 Tears—real name George Ragan—knows that firsthand. Despite selling millions of records, he recently told Blunt Magazine that even he lost his health coverage simply because his royalty checks weren’t big enough.
Unfortunately his story isn’t unique either. The music industry thrives on the myth that success means wealth, but for many artists, the reality is far more brutal. That point became even clearer when Chappell Roan called out the industry’s failures at the 2025 Grammys, delivering an emotional speech about how young artists are often left with little to no support. The problem also doesn’t just affect newcomers—it’s been squeezing musicians at every level for decades. Ragan has felt that squeeze himself.
“If you don’t generate a certain amount every year, you don’t get insurance,” Ragan explained. “You need to make $30k in royalties every six months. That’s $200k in royalties for the label. If you don’t, you don’t qualify. A poor musician is fine—they’ve got Medicaid. Rich musicians are fine. It’s those of us in the middle who really struggle.”
Streaming has only made things much worse. Royalties from Spotify and Apple Music are a fraction of what physical sales used to bring in. This only makes it that much harder for artists to generate enough income to warrant health insurance.
Artists who aren’t stadium-level headliners often rely on touring and merchandise sales in order to generate some sort of income for themselves. But even that, in the current cost of living crisis is taking a hit.
So for those that still romanticise the notion that rock- stars are relaxing in five star hotels eating caviar and drinking champagne, think again. All is not as it seems to be.
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