<\/p>\n
Hotline TNT<\/a> have become the latest artist to remove their music from Spotify<\/a>, saying it \u201cdoes not align with the band\u2019s values\u201d.<\/p>\n In recent weeks, a number of names in the music industry have publicly withdrawn their material from the streaming service, including King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard<\/a>, Xiu Xiu<\/a> and Deerhoof<\/a>.<\/p>\n Xiu Xiu stated that their decision stemmed from Spotify CEO Daniel Ek\u2019s \u201cinvestment in AI war drones\u201d<\/a>, describing the streamer as a \u201cgarbage hole violent armageddon portal\u201d.<\/p>\n They urged fans to cancel their Spotify subscriptions, as did Deerhoof, who said<\/a>: \u201cWe don\u2019t want our music killing people. We don\u2019t want our success being tied to AI battle tech.\u201d<\/p>\n Now, the New York-based indie band Hotline TNT have made a similar decision. \u201cWe are leaving the Spotify streaming service,\u201d frontman Will Anderson said in a statement. \u201cThe company that bills itself as the steward of all recorded music has proven beyond the shadow of a doubt that it does not align with the band\u2019s values in any way. A cooler world is possible.\u201d<\/p>\n They went on to say that instead of Spotify, they intend to hold a 24-hour livestream on Twitch, YouTube and Instagram on September 5, where they hope to sell 500 copies of their third album \u2018Raspberry Moon\u2019, released in June. They plan to hold conversations during the stream about \u201cfavourite new music, sources for discovery and their feelings on Spotify\u201d.<\/p>\n The Financial Times<\/i><\/a> recently reported that Prima Materia, an investment company co-owned by Ek, is leading a \u20ac600million (\u00a3446million) investment in Helsing, a Munich-based company creating drones and artificial intelligence for military operations.<\/p>\n Announcing their withdrawal, King Gizzard wrote<\/a>: \u201cHello friends. A PSA to those unaware: Spotify CEO Daniel Ek invests millions in AI military drone technology. We just removed our music from the platform. Can we put pressure on these Dr. Evil tech bros to do better? Join us on another platform.\u201d<\/p>\n In recent years, people have been divided about streaming platforms and their impact on the music industry. In 2024, for example,\u00a0Ek sparked backlash for his comments relating to the cost of \u201ccreating content\u201d<\/a>, with countless users and\u00a0musicians describing him as \u201cout of touch\u201d<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n<\/blockquote>\n