"Some would disagree. The same year that Spotify turned a profit of around $1.1 billion euros, the company stopped paying royalties on tracks with fewer than 1,000 streams, meaning that most songs made no money from the platform. Musicians make a maximum of three thousandths of a cent per stream, according to United Musicians and Allied Workers, a musicians' union formed in 2020."
"For anyone caught in the streaming giant's orbit, it's a familiar devil's bargain. Many Spotify users, listeners and musicians alike disapprove of the company's practices, such as hosting Joe Rogan's podcast at a time when he was spreading vaccine misinformation. Major artists like Neil Young and Joni Mitchell occasionally pull their music from Spotify, but their protests rarely snowball into wider boycotts."
Spotify reported a profit in 2024 of about €1.1 billion while ceasing royalties for tracks with fewer than 1,000 streams, leaving most songs unpaid. Musicians earn at most three thousandths of a cent per stream, according to United Musicians and Allied Workers. Critics point to Spotify's hosting of controversial creators and CEO Daniel Ek's investments in military technology as additional grievances. A Bay Area movement named 'Death to Spotify' convenes forums in Oakland to strategize alternatives and weaning off the service. The events attracted international interest, selling out quickly and prompting replication inquiries from cities like Bangalore, Barcelona and Detroit.
Read at SFGATE
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