By Reggie Watts
Spotify has built a platform that devalues art by turning music into a numbers game. It’s a giant corporation profiting off the blood, sweat, and creativity of artists while paying out fractions of pennies per stream. They’ve turned the listener-artist connection into a transactional algorithm, where playlists and data points decide the fate of your work—not its emotional depth or artistic value.
They’re not the only ones doing this—most streaming services underpay and exploit artists—but Spotify is the worst offender. Their model sets the lowest bar, prioritizing shareholder profits while throwing breadcrumbs at the people creating the art that built their entire empire.
I’m currently trying to take my music off Spotify. It’s not an easy decision because the system is designed to make artists feel like we have no choice. But we do. Imagine the message it would send if so many artists bailed on Spotify around the same time—leaving behind a platform that doesn’t value us and creating new spaces that do.
I know it’s hard for many of us to forgo something like Spotify because it’s part of how we make a living. But I urge you to participate in the innovation of solutions within your local and global communities. We hold the power. We are the love.
If you love music, support artists directly. Buy their albums. Go to their shows. Stream elsewhere. But don’t let Spotify’s shiny interface blind you to how destructive it is for the future of creativity.
Fuck Spotify, and fuck any system that exploits artists for the sake of shareholder profits. It’s time for a better way.