Musicians Who Exited Spotify Following Protests Demands
A group of indie artists, including Xiu Xiu, Deerhoof, and King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, have taken a principled stand against Spotify, boycotting the music streaming platform due to its CEO, Daniel Ek's, investment in Helsing, a German tech company specializing in AI weapons.
Xiu Xiu, an American experimental rock band, was one of the first to voice their concerns, describing Spotify as a "garbage hole armageddon portal" and pledging to remove all their music from the service [1][4]. King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, an Australian psychedelic rock band, followed suit, announcing the removal of their entire catalog from Spotify explicitly protesting Ek’s association with military AI technology [1][4].
Deerhoof, another American indie-rock band, stated, "We don’t want our music killing people," in response to Ek's investment in Helsing, and criticized Spotify as a "data-mining scam" and a platform that benefits from a flawed model of artist compensation [4].
Ek's investment in Helsing, made through his venture capital firm Prima Materia, totals over $600 million, with Ek becoming chairman [1][3][4]. Helsing specializes in AI software for military operations and weaponry, such as drones.
The boycott is not just a reaction to Ek's investment in Helsing, but also stems from broader grievances about Spotify's business practices and artist treatment. Some artists have criticized Spotify's low per-stream payments to artists, which range from $0.003 to $0.005 per stream, lower than some of its competitors like Tidal, Anghami, and Apple Music [3][5].
Several artists have joined the boycott, but none have specified which platform they are joining instead. Human rights activists have also called for a boycott of Spotify due to its CEO's investment in AI weaponry and low payments to artists.
King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard expressed their frustration on Instagram, stating, "We just removed our music from the platform. Can we put pressure on these Dr. Evil tech bros to do better? Join us on another platform. F*ck Spotify." [1]
This is not the first time Spotify has faced controversy. Recently, the platform signed a $250 million agreement with controversial media personality Joe Rogan, which may have led some artists to leave the platform, although this is not included in the boycott calls mentioned [3].
Some artists have found it difficult to remove their music from Spotify due to label implications. American experimental rock band Xiu Xiu revealed that several smaller records were difficult to remove from Spotify [1].
The boycott reflects ethical concerns about how music-related income is used and highlights the power artists have in shaping the ethical landscape of the music industry. As the boycott gains support, it remains to be seen how Spotify will respond and whether other artists will follow suit.
- The indie-rock band Deerhoof, joining the boycott, criticized Spotify not only for Ek's investment in AI weapons but also for its low artist compensation and deemed it a "data-mining scam."
- Some artists participating in the boycott, such as King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, are looking for alternatives to Spotify and encouraging fans to join them on another platform.
- The boycott against Spotify is not just about Ek's $600 million investment in Helsing, but also stems from concerns about the platform's history of low artist payments and questionable business practices.
- The boycott of Spotify is drawing attention to the role of music-related income and the ethical implications of its use within the music industry, showcasing the growing power artists hold in shaping its moral landscape.
