An ethical guide to quitting Spotify

Oct 9, 2025

Guest

Laura Burhenn

In this engaging discussion, Alexa Speed, founder of Cut Off The Spigot, investigates the dark side of streaming giants. Musician Kadhja Bonet shares her decision to pull her art from Spotify, highlighting artists' frustrations over payola and corporate influence. Activist Laura Burhenn emphasizes the need for accountability within the industry. Together, they explore ethical alternatives like Bandcamp and Qobuz, envisioning a future where music is valued beyond profit, advocating for community-focused solutions over corporate monopolies.

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ANECDOTE

Artist Walked Away From Label Support

Kadhja Bonet described repeatedly asking labels to avoid Spotify and being told they couldn't because Spotify made up ~40% of revenue. She negotiated an early release from her contract to pull future music from Spotify.

INSIGHT

Streaming's Hidden War Connections

Kadhja observed that practically all major streaming services are entangled with war profiteering through ownership layers. That means leaving Spotify alone may not be enough for ethically minded artists.

INSIGHT

Generative AI Raises Big Energy Costs

Alexa highlighted generative AI's huge energy footprint and local electricity price impacts where data centres concentrate. AI-driven streaming and hosting choices therefore carry significant environmental costs.

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In part two of our Drowned in Sound podcast series on the Spotify exodus, Sean Adams sits down with Alexa Speed (founder of Cut Off The Spigot), and artist Kadhja Bonet alongside returning guest Laura Burhenn (The Mynabirds) to unpack the growing backlash against Spotify and other streaming giants.

From Spotify’s billion-dollar AI investments and Daniel Ek’s controversial war drone ventures to the ethics of billionaire ownership and music’s place in post-capitalist culture, Sean and this week’s guests dive into the details and ask what happens when artists say enough is enough.

We hear why Kadhja pulled her music from Spotify, how Alexa interrogates corporate influence behind streaming platforms, and what the alternatives are (including Bandcamp, Qobuz and more). We also imagine a future where creativity and community outweigh convenience, and where art is valued for its inherent social good, not algorithmic profitability. Far-fetched? Let’s find out.

Chapters:

00:00 – Introduction: The Spotify Exodus

03:15 – Why Artists Are Leaving Streaming Platforms

08:45 – Daniel Ek’s Investments in AI and Defence Tech

13:20 – The Ethics of Streaming: Profit vs Planet

18:05 – Billionaires, Protest, and Power

22:40 – Kadhja Bonet: Why I Pulled My Music from Spotify

27:55 – Laura Burhenn on Journalism, Accountability & Platforms

34:10 – Alternatives: Bandcamp, Qobuz, and Ethical Listening

40:00 – The Role of Joy and Dance in Resistance

46:45 – Building a Post-Capitalist Music Culture

52:30 – What Comes After Spotify?

57:00 – Closing Reflections & Future Visions

Try Qobuz (Ethical Streaming Alternative):

Artists get paid 10x more than Spotify. Human-curated playlists. High-quality audio. Start your free trial via DiS (supporting independent music journalism).

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