Australian rock band King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard have turn out to be the newest act to withdraw their music from Spotify in protest over CEO Daniel Ek‘s funding in a protection firm targeted on AI-powered navy drones.
In an announcement posted on an Instagram story, King Gizzard stated: “Hi there mates. A PSA to these unaware: Spotify CEO Daniel Ek invests hundreds of thousands in Al navy drone know-how. We simply eliminated our music from the platform. Can we put strain on these Dr. Evil tech bros to do higher? Be part of us on one other platform.”
In a separate publish on Instagram, the band stated: “New demos assortment out in all places besides Spotify (f*** Spotify). You may bootleg it should you wanna.”
King Gizzard joins a rising checklist of artists to chop ties with Spotify over Ek’s funding in European protection know-how firm Helsing, based in 2021, which focuses on AI protection software program but additionally makes drones like the HX2.
As MBW reported final month, Ek led a €600 million (USD $703m) collection D for Helsing, which has additionally developed the ‘Centaur’ system that “integrates superior AI pilots into the cockpits of present and future fighter plane”.
“Spotify CEO Daniel Ek invests hundreds of thousands in Al navy drone know-how. We simply eliminated our music from the platform. Can we put strain on these Dr. Evil tech bros to do higher?”
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard
The collection D spherical was led by Ek by way of his funding car Prima Materia, alongside present traders Lightspeed Ventures, Accel, Plural, Basic Catalyst and SAAB and new traders BDT & MSD Companions. Helsing additionally named Ek as chairman.
In an announcement following the funding, Sweden-born Ek stated: “As Europe quickly strengthens its protection capabilities in response to evolving geopolitical challenges, there may be an pressing want for investments in superior applied sciences that guarantee its strategic autonomy and safety readiness.”
Along with King Gizzard, experimental rock band Xiu Xiu additionally introduced plans to depart Spotify over Ek’s Helsing funding. The band wrote on Instagram: “Spotify makes use of music cash to spend money on AI battle drones.”
They added: “We’re at present working to take all of our music off of rubbish gap violent armageddon portal Spotify. It’s taking longer than we had hoped resulting from procedurally problems however can be accomplished quickly. Thanks for the help and endurance. For all the explanations you already know – PLEASE CANCEL YOUR SUBSCRIPTION WITH SPOTIFY.”
“Spotify makes use of music cash to spend money on AI battle drones. We’re at present working to take all of our music off of rubbish gap violent armageddon portal Spotify.”
Xiu Xiu
San Francisco-based Indie rock band Deerhoof began the wave of exits, writing on their web site on June 30: “We don’t need our music killing individuals. We don’t need our success being tied to AI battle tech.”
“We’re privileged that it was a fairly straightforward resolution for us. Spotify solely pays a pittance anyway, and we earn much more from touring. However we additionally perceive that different artists and labels do depend on Spotify for an even bigger chunk of their earnings, and don’t choose those that can’t make the identical transfer within the brief time period.”
They added: “Spotify is flushing itself down the bathroom. Ultimately, artists will wish to go away this already broadly hated data-mining rip-off masquerading as a ‘music firm.’ It’s creepy for customers and crappy for artists. Music-making lasts perpetually, however this or that digital get-rich-quick scheme is certain to turn out to be out of date.”
Deerhoof stated they “aren’t certain precisely how quickly the takedowns can occur, however it is going to be as quickly as attainable.”
“We wish to thank our varied labels for his or her help on this difficult resolution. The grunt work of pulling content material off of Spotify is one thing they’re now tasked with, and they’re sharing the monetary hit. We all know we’re asking them to make a sacrifice, and it means so much to us.”
“We don’t need our music killing individuals. We don’t need our success being tied to AI battle tech… Spotify solely pays a pittance anyway, and we earn much more from touring.”
Deerhoof
Prior to those withdrawals, different artists like Joni Mitchell, Neil Younger, and Crosby, Stills & Nash have additionally determined to drag their music from Spotify lately.
Younger introduced in January 2022 that he was pulling his music from the streaming platform over its internet hosting of the Joe Rogan Expertise podcast. Nonetheless, in March 2024, Younger’s music returned to Spotify now that the podcast is now not unique to the platform.
Following Younger’s return, Joni Mitchell’s music additionally reappeared on the platform two years after she eliminated her catalog from Spotify in protest of what Younger and Mitchell perceived because the platform’s amplification of COVID-19 vaccine misinformation.
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