Death to Spotify': the DIY movement to get artists and fans to quit the music app

"This month, indie musicians in San Francisco gathered for a series of talks called Death to Spotify, where attenders explored what it means to decentralize music discovery, production and listening from capitalist economies. The events, held at Bathers library, featured speakers from indie station KEXP, labels Cherub Dream Records and Dandy Boy Records, and DJ collectives No Bias and Amor Digital."

"The talks come as the global movement against Spotify edges into the mainstream. In January, music journalist Liz Pelly released Mood Machine, a critical history arguing the streaming company has ruined the industry and turned listeners into passive, uninspired consumers. Spotify's model, she writes, depends on paying artists a pittance less still if they agree to be playlisted on its Discovery mode, which rewards the kind of bland, coffee-shop muzak that fades neatly into the background."

"Artists have long complained about paltry payouts, but this summer the criticism became personal, targeting Spotify's billionaire co-founder Daniel Ek for his investment in Helsing, a German firm developing AI for military tech. Groups including Massive Attack, King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard, Deerhoof and Hotline TNT pulled their music from the service in protest. (Spotify has stressed that Spotify and Helsing are two separate companies.)"

Indie musicians in San Francisco organized a sold-out series of events called Death to Spotify at Bathers Library to explore decentralizing music discovery, production, and listening from capitalist economies. Participants included KEXP, Cherub Dream Records, Dandy Boy Records, and DJ collectives No Bias and Amor Digital. The events drew international interest, with inquiries from Barcelona and Bengaluru about hosting similar gatherings. A recent critical account argued that the streaming service has ruined the industry and turned listeners into passive consumers. Spotify's payment model pays artists very little and rewards bland background music through Discovery mode, and several bands pulled their music after the co-founder invested in a firm developing AI for military tech.

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