Get Rid of Spotify

Everyone should get rid of Spotify. They couldn't care less about the musicians they rely on. All they really care about is making more money for their shareholders and the labels. Small musicians get a pittance in return for thousands of hours of streams. And streaming isn't really just a problem with the music industry. Between TV, movies, and music, streaming services constantly increase their prices while offering little in return. Instead, their CEOs are hoarding more wealth and investing in AI and defense (offense) companies to destroy the lives of people around the world. Apparently it's not enough to be a billionaire.

Spotify also continues to push AI features (don't get me started on their DJ) and AI artists that just take more money from real people. I admire the artists like King Gizzard and Xiu Xiu who have completely taken themselves off Spotify but I can't blame the ones that don't. Spotify is kind of the norm at this point. Taking your music off Spotify ultimately diminishes your footprint and makes it harder to reach new listeners (even with Spotify's horrible discovery). As the user, however, there's no need to stay.

The ultimate trick Spotify has pulled is convincing people it's a necessity. For the past year, I've been on a quest to completely divorce myself from all forms of streaming. It's been way easier and way more freeing than I could've anticipated. Now, I did have a decent CD collection to begin with, but you don't need to spend as much money as you might think. And you don't need to have the world at your fingertips. I was surprised how content I was with only listening to a handful of albums on repeat.

Spotify is currently charging $13 per month for an individual plan. Apple Music is $12 per month. Instead of giving that money to local record stores or your favorite artists, that money is going directly into the pockets of the 1%. I make an effort to buy at least one album a month on Bandcamp or from a local record store. CDs are cheap right now. Find a record store selling used CDs and you can easily leave with a handful of great albums for < $15. And the best part? You keep it forever. There's no subscription. It's your music to rip and listen to as you see fit. Burn a mixtape. Live like it's the 90's again.