Thirty Million Views and No Rent

David Peel — Street Corner Rant

Somebody showed me this kid on TikTok. Thirty million views. THIRTY MILLION. That's more people than live in the whole state of Texas watching this kid play guitar in his bedroom. You know what he made from those thirty million views? About two hundred bucks. Maybe. If the algorithm felt generous.

Thirty million people watched. Two hundred dollars.

I used to play Washington Square Park and if thirty people stopped to listen, maybe five would throw something in the hat. A dollar, some change, once in a while a five. You know what that comes out to? Better than TikTok. The hat beat the algorithm. In 1968.

They tell these kids "build your audience." "Grow your following." "Content is king." You know what's actually king? Rent. Rent is king. And no amount of followers pays rent. You can have a million followers and your landlord doesn't care. Your landlord wants twelve hundred dollars on the first of the month, not twelve hundred likes.

The platforms got rich. The platforms are worth billions. Built on what? On kids playing guitar in their bedrooms. On musicians giving away their art for free in exchange for "exposure." Exposure to what? Exposure to more people who won't pay you? That's not exposure. That's a con.

I gave my music away on the street. But the street was honest about it. The street said, here's a hat, put in what you want. The platform says, here's an algorithm, we'll decide who sees you and we'll keep the money.

The kid with thirty million views is the richest broke person in history. Famous and hungry. Known and unknown. The biggest audience a street musician ever had, and he can't afford a sandwich.

Play in the park. At least the air is free.

See also: A Third of a Penny — the math behind the hustle. The Kid with the Guitar on the Subway — the last honest musician. They Put Music in a Phone — thirty million views, still fits in your pocket. Rent Is the New Cops — followers don't pay rent.

David Peel

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