For over a decade, Spotify has been the leader in music streaming, shaping the way millions of people listen to music. As a user myself, I’ve always appreciated its convenience, playlists, and endless library which makes finding new songs easy. In many ways, Spotify has been the standard, the app that people automatically think of when it comes to streaming. But when I started looking deeper into how the company actually runs, my view began to change.
I was shocked to learn that artists often earn less than a cent per stream, meaning the music we love barely benefits them. On top of that, Spotify’s CEO, Daniel Ek, has invested roughly $702 million into a German AI military startup, raising serious ethical concerns about the platform’s priorities (Financial Times; KQED). These financial decisions make me question whether supporting Spotify truly aligns with my values.
To explore this further, I spoke with other students to hear their perspectives. Their insights helped me reflect on my role as a listener and consider the ethical implications of where I choose to spend my money. It also made me think about how platforms could better support the artists who make them successful.
Before diving into what others had to say, I think it’s important to explain where I personally stand on Spotify. As someone who has used the app for years, I’ve always enjoyed it and never really thought about what went on behind the scenes. But after doing the research and actually learning about some of the issues connected to Spotify, my perspective has completely changed.
One of the biggest things I disagree with is how little artists are paid. Honestly, before this, I never thought about it, but finding out that streams add up to less than a cent for artists made me upset. If I’m listening to my favorite artists, I want to know that my support is going to them, not barely covering anything. At the very least, streaming services like Spotify should push for a fairer payout, even something like 10 cents per stream, which feels more realistic and respectful to the people actually making the music.
Then there’s the issue of Spotify’s investments. When I found out the company put over $700 million into military and defense technology, I was shocked. Why would a music platform need to invest in weapons or drones? If that much money can go into something unrelated to music, then why can’t more of it go toward paying the artists who keep the platform alive? To me, that just doesn’t make sense and makes Spotify look disconnected from the values it should stand for.
And finally, there’s the entire cryptocurrency aspect of things. I’ve never been a fan of cryptocurrency because it feels unstable, and companies that rely on it usually promote the wins loudly but stay silent about the losses. Knowing that Spotify has gotten involved in this space makes me uncomfortable—it feels like a gamble with no apparent benefit for listeners or artists.
After seeing all this, I’ve honestly started to question my own contributions to Spotify. I still enjoy the app, but knowing about these practices makes me wonder if it’s worth relying on. I even see why some people choose to switch to Apple Music or other services, and I’m starting to think that might be the better choice for me, too.
Both Alejandro Arevalo and Ruben Martinez felt strongly that musicians deserve more.
“Artists put in all the work, and without them, there’s no Spotify. If they’re not getting paid right, then the whole system feels messed up,” Arevalo said.
Both interviewees also questioned where Spotify chooses to spend its money. Martinez was especially critical of the company’s investments in military technology.
“If Spotify has hundreds of millions to spend on weapons, then they have no excuse for underpaying artists. That money should go back into the music industry,” Martinez said.
Finding it strange that a music platform would pour money into crypto and defense projects while musicians struggle.
Arevalo also raised concerns about privacy, noting that apps like Spotify collect a lot of user data.
“They know your location, what you listen to, even when you listen it feels like too much sometimes,” Arevalo said.
Both Arevalo and Martinez questioned whether Spotify’s priorities are truly aligned with supporting music and its community.
Spotify has built its reputation as a leading music platform, but there’s still a lot to fix. From underpaying artists to investing in unrelated industries and raising privacy concerns, the platform risks losing the trust of the very people who keep it successful. Spotify should focus less on outside projects and more on supporting the artists and listeners who made it popular. So, what do you think? As students and listeners, should we continue to support a music platform with so many problems, or is it time to push for real change?
