TLDR: Artists and users are intensifying a boycott against Spotify, citing CEO Daniel Ek’s substantial investment in AI-powered military technology company Helsing and ongoing concerns over low artist royalty payouts. Several prominent indie acts, including King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, Deerhoof, and Xiu Xiu, have removed their music from the platform, urging fans to cancel subscriptions.
Spotify is once again at the center of a major controversy, facing a growing boycott from both artists and users. The renewed backlash stems primarily from two key issues: CEO Daniel Ek’s significant financial backing of an artificial intelligence (AI) military technology firm and persistent grievances regarding the platform’s low royalty payments to musicians. This movement highlights increasing ethical concerns within the music industry regarding corporate practices and the intersection of technology with defense.
At the heart of the protest is Daniel Ek’s investment in Helsing, a German defense startup specializing in AI-powered combat drones and military software. Ek’s venture capital fund, Prima Materia, recently led a substantial €600 million (approximately $702 million or nearly $700 million USD) funding round for Helsing. This investment has also seen Ek assume the role of Chair on Helsing’s board, further cementing his involvement in the military technology sector.
Artists are vocalizing their discomfort with their music being hosted on a platform whose CEO is directly funding what they term ‘AI battle tech.’ Indie favorites such as Deerhoof were among the first to announce their departure, stating, ‘We don’t want our music killing people. We don’t want our success being tied to AI battle tech.’ They were soon followed by experimental rock band Xiu Xiu, who urged listeners to cancel their subscriptions, citing, ‘Spotify uses music money to invest in AI war drones.’ Australian psych-rock band King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, with a substantial following of nearly 1.5 million monthly listeners, also removed their extensive catalog of 27 studio albums, posting on Instagram, ‘A PSA to all those unaware: Spotify CEO Daniel Ek invests millions in AI military drone technology. We just removed our music from the platform. Can we put pressure on these Dr. Evil tech bros to do better?’ Canadian post-rock band Godspeed You! Black Emperor and the Amsterdam-based electronic label Kalahari Oyster Cult have also joined the exodus, emphasizing that they do not want their work contributing to a platform supporting ‘tools of war, surveillance, and violence.’
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Many users and artists express frustration that Ek is channeling hundreds of millions of dollars into warfare technology while Spotify continues to pay artists notoriously low royalties. The United Musicians and Allied Workers (UMAW), a union advocating for better artist compensation, has previously criticized Ek, calling him ‘a warmonger who pays artists poverty wages.’ This isn’t the first time Spotify has faced boycotts; a similar protest occurred in 2021 following an earlier €100 million investment in Helsing, and Neil Young famously removed his music in 2022 over the Joe Rogan podcast controversy. However, the current wave of artist departures, particularly from bands with significant listenership, signals a growing and more organized effort to exert moral and financial pressure on the streaming giant.
