Spotify Departure: The Exodus of New Zealand Musicians
In the world of music streaming, Spotify has long been a dominant force. However, a growing number of artists, both Kiwi and international, have expressed dissatisfaction with the platform's practices.
More than a dozen New Zealand bands, including The Bats, and notable overseas indie bands have signed the Boycott Spotify NZ statement. Top New Zealand musicians like Tiki Taane have also joined the movement, removing their music from Spotify. The Bats, one of Flying Nun's biggest success stories, have claimed that Spotify pays them next to nothing for using their recordings, and have expressed dissatisfaction with the transparency of their earnings.
The New Zealand music industry is calling for a stronger regulatory system to protect artists' rights, data, and intellectual property. Tharushi Bowatte, a member of the Wellington-based band Recitals, has been vocal about this issue. She has criticised Spotify's investment in European defense technology company Helsing, stating that music should not fund military technology.
Bandcamp, an online music distribution platform, has emerged as a popular alternative for musicians. It allows artists to host their own music site, where returns from sales are much higher. Recitals and The Bats have found Bandcamp to be a more artist-friendly platform, offering better returns and transparency.
The controversy surrounding Spotify's treatment of artists is not new. In 2014, Taylor Swift left Spotify for three years in protest over low artist royalties. Neil Young famously left Spotify in 2022, only to return in 2024, over what he called podcaster Joe Rogan's harmful vaccine and Covid-19 views.
Artists have claimed that Spotify is more focused on promoting bigger acts than building up smaller ones. They are angry about low payments from Spotify and the platform's use of AI-created music. Recitals' Tharushi Bowatte stated that Spotify does not align with every musician's goals and that the one-size-fits-all model has forced independent musicians to join a rat race they never wanted to join.
Spotify has not provided specific figures for recording royalties and publishing royalties paid to artists. The statement from Boycott Spotify NZ claims that Spotify treats most artists as free labor, with each stream generating around 1/20th of 1 NZ cent.
Green MP for Wellington Central Tamatha Paul has also left Spotify as a customer, expressing concern about how the company treats New Zealand creatives. She has criticised big tech companies, stating that they can choose to deploy algorithms and tech differently but have not.
The Boycott Spotify NZ movement is a call for Spotify to reconsider its approach to artists and the music industry. As the debate continues, it remains to be seen how Spotify will respond to these concerns and whether other artists will follow suit.
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