A growing number of musicians are removing their music from Spotify, citing low royalty payments and the company’s links to artificial intelligence-driven weapons technology. Canadian band Godspeed You! Black Emperor recently pulled its catalogue from all streaming platforms.
They were joined by Deerhoof, Xiu Xiu, King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard, Australian songwriter David Bridie, and several independent labels. Other artists, including Leah Senior and Dr Sure’s Unusual Practice, have also withdrawn or withheld releases from Spotify in recent months.
The boycott began after it was revealed that Spotify CEO Daniel Ek invested €600 million in Helsing, a German defence technology company. Helsing develops AI software for military use. Ek, who also serves as Helsing’s chairman, has defended the investment, saying it will help strengthen Europe’s security.
Many artists disagree. Deerhoof said, “We don’t want our music killing people.” Bridie added that Spotify’s business model indirectly sends money toward “machines that could kill people.”
Spotify has faced similar controversies before. In 2022, Neil Young and Joni Mitchell pulled their music after accusing Spotify of spreading Covid-19 misinformation through Joe Rogan’s podcast. Radiohead’s Thom Yorke and Taylor Swift also left the platform in earlier years over royalty disputes.
Despite launching initiatives such as “Loud and Clear” to improve transparency, Spotify continues to face criticism for paying artists as little as $0.003 to $0.005 per stream. The company has not commented on Ek’s defence investments but has said it is working to detect AI-generated music on its platform.
The dispute highlights growing tension between Spotify’s business choices and the values of the artists who use it.
