The Scarlet Pimp
Supreme Member
- Apr 2, 2008
- 1,416
- 4,459
Spotify has been on the receiving end of public backlash as of late; the streaming platform has drawn ire with calls for mass boycotts. In the past, musicians have put Spotify on blast for low payouts, but the company has claimed that it paid out more than $10 billion to the music industry in 2024. A report from Duetti revealed that compared to other streaming platforms like Amazon Music, Apple Music and YouTube, Spotify paid musicians the lowest, although Spotify disputed this claim in a statement to TechCrunch.
A spokesperson for Spotify disputed the veracity of the 2024 Duetti report. “Every other streaming service pays less than Spotify. Spotify paid out $10 billion to the music industry last year and has paid out $60 billion all time. Our music subscription competitors haven’t reported their subscriber figures or music industry payouts in years, because they pay far less. Additionally, per stream rate is a false narrative–a high per stream rate means that users are listening less.”
The calls to boycott Spotify come at a moment when the company has seen an influx of subscribers. According to reports, the company exceeded third quarter expectations, growing 11% to 713 million monthly active users. The company has expanded its offerings and in August, the company announced that the premium subscription price would be increasing. MusicWeek reported that Spotify users are now able to receive music and podcast recommendations within ChatGPT.
More recently, the company sparked backlash after it was reported that Spotify’s CEO, Daniel Ek, had invested $693.6 million in the European defense technology startup Helsing. There has been a rise in defense technology used by countries like the U.S., Australia, Germany, and Japan, according to McKinsey, as well as countries like China and Israel. This technology has been criticized for its role in propelling the military-industrial complex, with ethical concerns over how the technology has been used to target and surveille different communities.
The criticism reached a fever pitch recently when reports came out that Spotify, along with other streaming services, had been running recruitment ads for U.S. Immigration and Custom’s Enforcement (ICE). In response to the backlash against the ad, a Spotify spokesperson clarified in a statement, “This ad is part of a wider campaign from the U.S. government running across multiple platforms, including television, streaming, and online channels. Users can provide feedback on ads—such as liking or disliking them—to help manage their ad experience.” The backlash against ICE has intensified in recent months because of the excessive force used by ICE agents to increase arrests. According to Newsweek, Spotify users have already started canceling their subscriptions over the ads.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/janice...the-spotify-boycott-is-about-more-than-music/
A spokesperson for Spotify disputed the veracity of the 2024 Duetti report. “Every other streaming service pays less than Spotify. Spotify paid out $10 billion to the music industry last year and has paid out $60 billion all time. Our music subscription competitors haven’t reported their subscriber figures or music industry payouts in years, because they pay far less. Additionally, per stream rate is a false narrative–a high per stream rate means that users are listening less.”
The calls to boycott Spotify come at a moment when the company has seen an influx of subscribers. According to reports, the company exceeded third quarter expectations, growing 11% to 713 million monthly active users. The company has expanded its offerings and in August, the company announced that the premium subscription price would be increasing. MusicWeek reported that Spotify users are now able to receive music and podcast recommendations within ChatGPT.
More recently, the company sparked backlash after it was reported that Spotify’s CEO, Daniel Ek, had invested $693.6 million in the European defense technology startup Helsing. There has been a rise in defense technology used by countries like the U.S., Australia, Germany, and Japan, according to McKinsey, as well as countries like China and Israel. This technology has been criticized for its role in propelling the military-industrial complex, with ethical concerns over how the technology has been used to target and surveille different communities.
The criticism reached a fever pitch recently when reports came out that Spotify, along with other streaming services, had been running recruitment ads for U.S. Immigration and Custom’s Enforcement (ICE). In response to the backlash against the ad, a Spotify spokesperson clarified in a statement, “This ad is part of a wider campaign from the U.S. government running across multiple platforms, including television, streaming, and online channels. Users can provide feedback on ads—such as liking or disliking them—to help manage their ad experience.” The backlash against ICE has intensified in recent months because of the excessive force used by ICE agents to increase arrests. According to Newsweek, Spotify users have already started canceling their subscriptions over the ads.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/janice...the-spotify-boycott-is-about-more-than-music/
