this post was submitted on 27 Jun 2025
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Spotify, the world’s leading music streaming platform, is facing intense criticism and boycott calls following CEO Daniel Ek’s announcement of a €600m ($702m) investment in Helsing, a German defence startup specialising in AI-powered combat drones and military software.

The move, announced on 17 June, has sparked widespread outrage from musicians, activists and social media users who accuse Ek of funnelling profits from music streaming into the military industry.

Many have started calling on users to cancel their subscriptions to the service.

“Finally cancelling my Spotify subscription – why am I paying for a fuckass app that works worse than it did 10 years ago, while their CEO spends all my money on technofascist military fantasies?” said one user on X.

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[–] HugeNerd@lemmy.ca 2 points 20 hours ago

Well tough guy, how else is Raytheon supposed to perfect its AIM-9X Romper Room baby-seeking missile's accuracy?

[–] criss_cross@lemmy.world 20 points 1 day ago (18 children)

What are the Spotify alternatives people recommend?

[–] Lanske@lemmy.world 4 points 1 day ago

Qobuz is great. It's a french company, they pay the artists well and the music is in high quality

[–] FriskyDingo@sh.itjust.works 3 points 1 day ago

This is where I'd have recommended deezer, but they shit the bed on their mobile app.

+1 for tidal

[–] vividspecter@aussie.zone 6 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

If you're technically inclined, self-host navidrome or jellyfin.

If you just want music and don't care about the streaming part, bandcamp (although it does have some basic streaming I believe.

If you want streaming and aren't technically inclined, Tidal.

[–] Melvin_Ferd@lemmy.world 7 points 1 day ago

Napster, bearshare

[–] Codilingus@sh.itjust.works 5 points 1 day ago

Tidal is cheaper and better quality, Deezer is good, too.

[–] NotProLemmy@lemmy.ml 5 points 1 day ago
[–] oce@jlai.lu 4 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

I have been using Deezer because it was local for me, France. At the beginning you could upload your own collection to share with others, it was fun. Now it's basically the same as the others, I think it pays artists a little bit more than Spotify. Also just learned that it is now majorly owned by some US investment fund. 🫠 At least it's not directly funding terminators yet?

[–] Quazatron@lemmy.world 0 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

I jumped to Tidal many years ago because Spotify could not be bothered to provide high quality output. Yes, you can ear the difference, even on shitty gear.

For the stuff I could not get on either platform I started buying CDs on Discogs and ripping them to FLAC.

Edit: ear, not eat.

[–] steal_your_face@lemmy.ml -1 points 1 day ago

Apple music believe it or not. Nice selection and interface. Works on Apple devices as well as android. Has a high bitrate and supports aptx on android. Don't think they have a native app for windows or Linux, though, so you'd have to use the web version.

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[–] Onyxonblack@lemmy.zip 10 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (6 children)

I'm learning more and more everyday, that essentially all companies worldwide are evil. Because profit and money are what is most important to humans, I 100% want all of humanity to self-terminate and give this planet back to the few species that we didn't already wipe out! We are a nightmare species. I fear humans more than anything else in life. We are the enemy of this planet.

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[–] iAvicenna@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago

it will always be and has always been about money

[–] FarraigePlaisteach@lemmy.world 9 points 1 day ago (1 children)

The best time to start boycotting was when they started platforming a conspiracy theorising, testicle headed manosphere peddler. The next best time is not I suppose.

[–] Melvin_Ferd@lemmy.world 4 points 1 day ago

You're way to late then too. The perfect time to act on this was back in Iraq with that prince dick head with xi.

Also we all should have taken a harder stance at celebrity using these private security companies. Drake's in Toronto blocking roads so he can get all 16 armored cars on to the 401.

Lots of people really defend the stuff by saying "look how much money they bring to the city, we can ignore it" but at the end of the day, it's growing a new industry. I don't get why we don't call it out more like these fucks need to wait in traffic like the rest of us. I don't care who they are or how much money they make. Roads are a public space and shared by everyone equally.

[–] FlashMobOfOne@lemmy.world 5 points 1 day ago (1 children)

It is possible to get off Spotify.

What you can't buy legitimately via other means you can use a Youtube-To-MP3 converter to rip and add the file to your music library.

[–] zarkanian@sh.itjust.works 5 points 1 day ago (2 children)

You're saving an already low-quality stream into a lossy format. Just use Soulseek.

[–] RisingSwell@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 points 1 day ago

Don't have high end audio equipment anyway, I can't tell the difference on 99% of songs.

[–] JayGray91@piefed.social 1 points 1 day ago

I somehow cannot wrap my head around soulseek, so I'm just torrenting like I always do 🏴‍☠️

[–] dustyData@lemmy.world -1 points 18 hours ago (2 children)

Must be so nice to be so privileged as to be spoiled for choice on which fascist to support.

Spotify is the only streaming service available worldwide other than YouTube Music and Apple.

So for a lot of people it is either piracy or supporting a US tech megacorporation. Tidal, Qobuz, deezer. Cool, nice that they exist options. But most people in the planet would have to also pay a VPN and hope to not get their account banned if they want to use some of those alternatives.

It's funny really, to see how the “fascist option” for some is actually the most ethical for others.

There's always piracy of course, I suppose that is the only morally correct option always.

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[–] buttnugget@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago

I’m doing my part!

[–] pogt@lemmy.wtf 2 points 1 day ago

Reading this while listening to vinyl...best enjoyable music experience.

To hell with the enshitification of music streaming.

[–] DarkCloud@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago

We all know that scene in Robo Cop 2 is going to happen eventually.

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