December 28, 2022
Many artists are using their personal brand and influence to educate artists, from beginners to fellow professionals. Timbaland has partnered with Masterclass to teach musicians how to make unique...
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December 7, 2022
Rina Sawayama has burst into the consciousness of queer music listeners in recent years. My first time listening to her work was Cherry, a track that is bubbly ...
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October 4, 2022
In the wake of Tiktok’s rapid expansion and growing dominance in the short-form video market, YouTube has felt the pressure to adapt to keep up with the shifting demands of its audience...
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October 5, 2022
Conan Gray is an American YouTuber turned singer-songwriter, most well-known for his songs about heartbreak and unrequited love. Throughout his career, Conan has written songs like “Crush Culture”...
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October 17, 2022
Phoebe Bridgers is an American songwriter, singer, and producer who has, in recent years, gained mainstream recognition with the release of her sophomore album “Punisher” in 2020...
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October 18, 2022
Steve Lacy is a singer, songwriter, record producer, and living proof that you don’t need the most advanced or high-tech studio equipment to create music that listeners will love...
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August 31, 2022
For the last two years, there has been something missing in the lives of music lovers around the world—live music. The advent of a global pandemic meant the absence of concerts, festivals........
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August 19, 2022
One of the biggest questions many spaces face today is how blockchain technology may overhaul industry norms, and the music industry is no exception. In particular...
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August 19, 2022
Snapchat has recently announced Snapchat Sounds Creator Fund, a monthly grant program of up to $100,000 awarded to independent artists distributing music on the platform...
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August 15, 2022
Over the past few years, TikTok’s popularity has significantly increased resulting in 1 billion global daily users by early 2022. The app has also become extremely influential in the current music....
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August 4, 2022
Charlie Puth has paired with Studio to create a 30-day online course that outlines the entire songwriting and production process for $279 USD. This hands-on learning experience has been marketed....
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August 2, 2022
Whether you know Lexie Liu from her performance as Seraphine in K/DA’s “MORE” or her fourth-place finish on The Rap of China 2018, there’s no denying that the Chinese hip hop star is a global ...
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Why This Isn't Just Another Band Getting off of Spotify
The experimental rock group Xiu Xiu formally declared that they would be removing their music from Spotify in response to the platform's investment in artificial intelligence (AI)-powered combat drones.They wrote on Instagram: "Spotify invests in AI war drones with music money." This action puts them in line with Deerhoof, another group that withdrew following the disclosure of Daniel Ek, the CEO of Spotify, investing €600 million in the military technology firm, Helsing.
What's Actually at Risk
This is about moral integrity, not money. These musicians are taking a radical stance, believing that music should not be used to finance weapons.
This isn’t the first time artists have taken a stand. Taylor Swift famously pulled her music from Spotify years ago, demanding fairer pay structures. While she later returned, the move sparked global conversations about streaming ethics. Yet without widespread support from other major artists, little structural change followed.
Why This Is Important to Us All
Final Take
Xiu Xiu’s decision to leave Spotify isn’t a publicity stunt, it’s a principled move. It’s a moral stand. They’re sparking a conversation about what streaming supports, and showing that even smaller artists can demand accountability.
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