Indie Musicians and Fans Question Spotify’s Dominance in Growing ‘Death to Spotify’ Movement
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A burgeoning movement challenging Spotify’s control over the music industry is gaining momentum, fueled by concerns over artist compensation, algorithmic control, and the platform’s broader ethical implications. What began as a series of intimate talks in San Francisco has quickly resonated globally, sparking conversations about decentralizing music discovery and supporting artists directly.
From San Francisco Talks to International Interest
The “Death to Spotify” events, held at Bathers library in San Francisco, California, initially drew a local crowd but rapidly expanded in reach. Attendees explored “what it means to decentralize music discovery, production and listening from capitalist economies,” according to organizers. The talks featured speakers from influential corners of the independent music world, including representatives from KEXP, Cherub Dream Records, Dandy Boy Records, and DJ collectives No Bias and Amor Digital.
The events’ unexpected popularity led to sell-out crowds and inquiries from as far afield as Barcelona and Bengaluru, with individuals eager to host similar discussions in their own communities. This surge in interest underscores a growing dissatisfaction with the current state of music streaming.
The Critique of Spotify’s Model
The movement coincides with increased scrutiny of Spotify’s business practices. Music journalist Liz Pelly’s recent book, Mood Machine: The Rise of Spotify and the Costs of the Perfect Playlist, offers a critical history of the company, arguing that it has fundamentally altered the music industry for the worse, transforming listeners into “passive, uninspired consumers.”
Pelly contends that Spotify’s model relies on severely underpaying artists – a situation exacerbated for those who participate in its “Discovery Mode,” which prioritizes bland, easily digestible music. This criticism isn’t new, but it took on a more personal dimension this summer when Spotify co-founder Daniel Ek’s investment in Helsing, a German firm developing AI for military technology, came to light.
In protest, prominent artists including Massive Attack, King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard, Deerhoof, and Hotline TNT removed their music from the platform. Spotify has maintained that “Spotify and Helsing are two separate companies.”
Beyond Boycotts: A Search for Alternatives
The seeds of the “Death to Spotify” movement were sown in Oakland, California, where Stephanie Dukich, inspired by Mood Machine and the artist boycotts, began exploring alternatives with friend and art gallery worker Manasa Karthikeyan. Dukich, who investigates complaints against the city’s police, and Karthikeyan, both described as “really into sound,” sought to initiate conversations about the relationship between listeners and streaming services.
“Spotify is enmeshed in how we engage with music,” Dukich explained. “We thought it would be great to talk about our relationship to streaming – what it means to actually take our files off and learn how to do that together.”
The core tenets of the movement are clear: “down with algorithmic listening, down with royalty theft, down with AI-generated music.” Karthikeyan emphasizes that the responsibility for change extends to listeners as well as artists. “You have to accept that you won’t have instant access to everything,” she says. “That makes you think harder about what you support.”
A History of Artist Protest, and a Shifting Landscape
While high-profile artists have previously removed their music from Spotify in protest – including Taylor Swift (who boycotted the service for three years before returning in 2017) and Radiohead’s Thom Yorke (who called Spotify “the last desperate fart of a dying corpse” before reinstating his solo work in 2013) – a professor of music at the University of Texas at Austin, Eric Drott, believes this new wave of action feels different.
“These acts are less famous,” Drott noted. “For years, artists knew streaming wouldn’t make them rich but needed the visibility. Now there’s so much music out there, people are questioning whether it’s doing much for them.”
Will Anderson, frontman of Hotline TNT, is resolute in his band’s decision to leave Spotify. “There’s a 0% chance” of a return, he stated. “It doesn’t make sense for true music lovers to be on there. Spotify’s end game is for you not to think about what’s playing.” The band demonstrated a viable alternative by selling their new record, Raspberry Moon, directly through Bandcamp and a 24-hour Twitch stream, generating “thousands of dollars” in revenue.
Experimentation and Collective Action
Other artists are also exploring alternative distribution models. Pop-rock songwriter Caroline Rose released her album Year of the Slug exclusively on vinyl and Bandcamp, drawing inspiration from Cindy Lee’s Diamond Jubilee, which was initially available only on YouTube and file-sharing sites. “I find it pretty lame that we put our heart and soul into something and then just put it online for free,” Rose said.
Rose is a member of the Union of Musicians and Allied Workers (UMAW), an advocacy group formed during the Covid-19 pandemic to protect music workers. Joey DeFrancesco, a member of the punk rock band Downtown Boys and UMAW co-founder, affirmed the group’s support for artists “taking agency, holding corporations accountable, and making splashes [such as taking music off Spotify] to push back at the company.” However, DeFrancesco acknowledged the limitations of individual boycotts, emphasizing the importance of collective action.
UMAW has successfully campaigned to pressure the South by Southwest festival to drop the US army and weapons manufacturers as sponsors for the 2025 event and is advocating for the Living Wages for Musicians Act, sponsored by representative Rashina Tlaib, which would regulate Spotify payouts to artists.
A Call for Conscious Listening
The organizers of “Death to Spotify” emphasize that their goal isn’t necessarily to dismantle the platform, but rather to encourage critical engagement with music consumption. “We just want everyone to think a little bit harder about the ways they listen to music,” Karthikeyan explained. “It just flattens culture at its core if we only stick to this algorithmically built comfort zone.” The movement represents a growing desire for a more equitable and mindful relationship with music, one that prioritizes artistic integrity and genuine connection over convenience and algorithmic control.
