In an age where streaming has become the primary method of music consumption, some of the world’s most renowned artists have voiced their discontent with platforms like Spotify, criticizing unfair royalty structures and exploitative business models.
Spotify, in particular, has been scrutinized for its royalty distribution model, which partially compensates artists based on market share.
This approach calculates payouts according to a musician’s streams relative to all streams on the platform, rather than paying a fixed fee per song or album sale as was the case with physical media and digital downloads.
Additionally, Spotify and its competitors have been condemned for amplifying misinformation, particularly regarding the COVID-19 pandemic and various political controversies.
Taylor Swift
One of the earliest and most high-profile disputes with Spotify occurred in 2014 when Taylor Swift removed her entire discography from the platform.
She later explained that she was “not willing to contribute [her] life’s work to an experiment that [she didn’t] feel fairly compensates the writers, producers, artists, and creators of this music.”
Spotify responded with a social media campaign urging Swift to reconsider. CEO Daniel Ek also penned an open letter stating that Spotify’s payouts for a top-tier artist like Swift would exceed $6 million annually. However, Swift’s then-label, Big Machine, disputed these numbers.
The standoff lasted three years, ending in June 2017 when Swift reintroduced her catalog to all streaming platforms following the massive success of her album 1989.
At the time, her representatives issued a statement saying: “In celebration of 1989 selling over 10 million albums worldwide and the RIAA’s 100 million song certification, Taylor wants to thank her fans by making her entire back catalog available to all streaming services.”
Despite her past criticisms, Swift recorded a message for Spotify listeners in 2024 after being named the platform’s most-streamed artist for the second consecutive year, surpassing 26.6 billion streams.
“I just wanted to say thank you so much for being one of my top listeners on Spotify, that’s so nice of you,” Swift said in a video message. “I look back on this year and I think about how special you guys made it for us being on the Eras Tour.”
Jay-Z
Fans of Jay-Z have experienced his catalog disappearing from Spotify multiple times over the years. His tumultuous relationship with major streaming services is partly due to his role as a co-founder of Tidal, a competing platform launched in 2014.
Artists such as Beyoncé, Rihanna, Kanye West, Nicki Minaj, and Madonna were present at Tidal’s unveiling, where they were introduced as co-owners with equity stakes in the company.
Jay-Z told that his motivation for launching Tidal was to “get everyone to respect music again” and recognize its true value. The service promised higher royalty payouts for musicians and songwriters, as well as high-fidelity audio for subscribers.
After initially withholding his catalog from Spotify, Jay-Z restored his music to the platform in 2019 as part of a celebration for his 50th birthday. Meanwhile, Tidal has faced its own controversies, including public criticism from former partners like Kanye West and Nicki Minaj.
Drake
Spotify became entangled in the high-profile rap feud between Drake and Kendrick Lamar in late 2024.
Drake’s company, Frozen Moments, accused Universal Music Group (UMG), the label representing both artists, of colluding with Spotify to artificially boost streams of Lamar’s diss track, “Not Like Us.”
A legal filing by Frozen Moments alleged that UMG had “launched a campaign to manipulate and saturate the streaming services and airwaves” for Lamar’s track, even offering Spotify a 30% licensing discount in exchange for prioritizing the song in its recommendation algorithms.
Spotify denied any involvement in inflating streaming numbers and sought to dismiss the lawsuit, arguing that Drake’s claims were “a subversion of the normal judicial process.” UMG also rejected the allegations, calling them “offensive and untrue.”
The legal battle has continued into 2025, with Drake filing an additional lawsuit against UMG for allegedly monetizing false and harmful claims in Lamar’s song. UMG has maintained its stance, refuting Drake’s accusations.
Drake (Photo: WireImage)
Björk
In a January 2025 interview with Swedish publication Dagens Nyheter, Icelandic artist Björk labeled Spotify as “probably the worst thing that has happened to musicians.”
She criticized the platform for forcing younger and lesser-known artists to rely on touring income due to minimal streaming payouts. “I’m lucky because I no longer have to raise money on touring, which younger musicians are often forced to do,” she stated.
Despite her outspoken criticism, Björk’s catalog remains available on Spotify as of early 2025.
Garth Brooks
For much of his career, country legend Garth Brooks refused to make his music available on streaming platforms, instead selling his albums exclusively through physical retailers.
Brooks revealed in 2017 that he had discussions with Apple Music and Spotify about licensing his catalog but ultimately declined their offers.
“They came in with their own set of rules, and if you’re already established, you have to change to get to them,” he told. “I’m never going to change to fit their rules.”
In 2017, Brooks partnered with Amazon Music, praising the company for its dual role as a retailer, which he believed aligned better with his goals.
“It is a joy to work with a company that is all about the customer when it comes to service, and all about the music and its creators when it comes to the music,” he said.
Joanna Newsom
Progressive folk artist Joanna Newsom has been one of Spotify’s most vocal critics. In a 2015 interview with The Los Angeles Times, she likened the platform to “a villainous cabal of major labels” and accused it of deliberately shortchanging musicians.
She claimed that streamers were “set up in a way that they can just rob their artists” and dismissed the royalty structure as “infinitesimal.”
Spotify defended itself in a public statement, suggesting Newsom misunderstood how it supports artists. However, her stance has remained unchanged, and as of 2025, her music is still unavailable on Spotify, though it can be streamed on Apple Music and Deezer.
Prince
Throughout the 2000s, Prince refused to make his music available on iTunes or YouTube, dismissing digital music as a temporary trend. In a 2010 interview, he famously declared, “The internet’s completely over.”
Prince later struck a deal with Tidal, making it the exclusive home for his final two albums before his passing in 2016. His estate eventually reached agreements with Spotify and Apple Music to distribute his full catalog.
Neil Young & Joni Mitchell
In 2022, Canadian rock legends Neil Young and Joni Mitchell removed their music from Spotify in protest of the platform’s support for Joe Rogan, whose podcast was accused of spreading COVID-19 misinformation.
Young condemned Spotify for becoming a “very damaging force” by platforming medical misinformation. “They can have Rogan or Young. Not both,” he declared.
Mitchell followed suit, saying she stood in solidarity with Young and the scientific community. Several other musicians, including Crosby, Stills & Nash and Nils Lofgren, also withdrew their music in protest.
Young and Mitchell eventually restored their music to Spotify in 2024, acknowledging that competing platforms had begun hosting the same content they had originally opposed.
