Acclaimed Indie Rock Band Exits Spotify With Bold Political Statement
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Spotify is the most popular music streaming platform in the world, so it takes some guts for an act to stand up against it and pull their music off the service, but that’s exactly what acclaimed indie rock act Deerhoof has done.
The band recently took to its official Instagram account to announce the move.
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“We’re taking Deerhoof off Spotify,” the band posted on June 30. “‘Daniel Ek uses $700 million of his Spotify fortune to become chairman of AI battle tech company’ was not a headline we enjoyed reading this week. We don't want our music killing people. We don't want our success being tied to AI battle tec,” it continued.
AdvertisementAdvertisement#«Rmekkr8lb2m7nfddbH1» iframe AdvertisementAdvertisement#«R16ekkr8lb2m7nfddbH1» iframeDeerhoof recently released its 20th album, Noble and Godlike Ruin, to widespread acclaim and continues to be a successful touring act.
In a statement provided by the band’s press representatives, Deerhoof offered further explanation.
“We are privileged that it was a pretty easy decision for us. Spotify only pays a pittance anyway, and we earn a lot more from touring. But we also understand that other artists and labels do rely on Spotify for a bigger chunk of their income, and don't judge those who can't make the same move in the short term,” the band added. “AI battle tech is clearly emerging as the hot new big ticket item for the super-rich. It's increasingly clear that the military and police exist primarily as the security detail for the billionaire class. The more of the killing you can get computers to do, the better your bottom line.”
Related: Punk Icon Makes Bold Political Statement
Deerhoof isn’t the first act to cross swords with Spotify. Neil Young famously pulled his music off of the streaming service in 2022 in protest over Spotify’s decision to distribute Joe Rogan’s podcast. Young accused Rogan of spreading misinformation about COVID-19. However, Young returned to the service two years later after Rogan’s podcast became available on other platforms, including Apple, Amazon, Qobuz and Tidal.
AdvertisementAdvertisement#«Rsekkr8lb2m7nfddbH1» iframe AdvertisementAdvertisement#«R1cekkr8lb2m7nfddbH1» iframe"I cannot leave all those services like I did Spotify, because my music would have no streaming outlet to music lovers at all, I have returned,” Young wrote on his website at the time.
Acclaimed Indie Rock Band Exits Spotify With Bold Political Statement first appeared on Parade on Jul 1, 2025
This story was originally reported by Parade on Jul 1, 2025, where it first appeared.
This bold move by the acclaimed indie rock band to exit Spotify as part of a political statement sends ripples through the industry, symbolically expressing their commitment towards fair content distribution and artist rights in an era where streaming services often determine music's visibility.
This bold move by the acclaimed indie rock band to exit Spotify in protest is a strong political statement that demonstrated their commitment towards advocacy for causes they believe with immense passion.
The decision by the acclaimed indie rock band to exit Spotify, made with a bold and courageous political statement that echoes through their fans' hearts like resonant chords in music.
