Rick Springfield Speaks Out: “The Music Business Has Always Preyed on the Young”

Photo by Rick Springfield 

Rick Springfield isn’t just talking past; at 75 years old, the Aussie‑American rocker is calling bullshit on the music industry’s long‑standing exploitation of young artists. In a recent conversation on SiriusXM’s Eddie Trunk show, Springfield laid it out bluntly: when he was about 20, he signed away his publishing rights without understanding what he was giving up, and it haunted him for decades 

How It Went Down

Springfield says that as a young musician in Australia, he got a contract from U.S. labels and, without legal counsel or even a basic understanding of contracts, just signed it. He assumed it must be fair. Within a few years, he realized those guys owned all his publishing, meaning they controlled and profited from every song he wrote American

He didn’t even have a lawyer look at it. He thought, “OK, this must be fair.” Only later did he figure out the deal essentially stripped him of long-term creative and financial control.

A Costly Video, and a Broken Pipeline

Springfield also shared how absurd and criminal the system felt in action. In the ‘80s, he shelled out over $100,000 for a music video, only for the record company to own it. He summed up the culture with this savage metaphor: labels would just “shove product down the pipeline until the pipeline choked” 

That sums up the trade-off: big exposure, zero ownership. Artists invest time, money, and creativity, yet walk away owning almost nothing.

Springfield didn’t sugarcoat it: “The music business has always preyed on the young. Absolutely.” His experience isn’t unique. So many artists today still sign away rights before they have a clue. But Springfield also sees glimmers of change, he called out modern figures like Taylor Swift for reclaiming their masters and publishing, reminding newer artists that “every artist has absolutely their due to take all their music back”

He didn’t mince words about the industry’s priorities: profit over fairness, control over creatives, and squeezing artists until they break.

Springfield remains active. He recently released his album Automatic in 2023 and is touring in 2025 as part of the I Want My ’80s Tour, alongside names like John Waite and Wang Chung. But even after all these years of hits and heartbreak, he’s using his voice not just for music, but for artist empowerment.