Comment on Activist group says it has scraped 86m music files from Spotify

Brewchin@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

• phoenixz@lemmy.ca ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

  Any idea what it costs to reliably store this data, let alone have the bandwidth to upload it to others?

  This ain’t a cheap game, no matter what the intentions are. I have no problem with paid content because it costs money to have it there. I pay Spotify but I’d rather pay Anna’s archive

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  • Sl00k@programming.dev ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

    Not really on topic, but I recently swapped from Spotify to Qobuz and it’s been a pretty good experience if you’re interested in paying someone who’s not Spotify

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  • Zombie@feddit.uk ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

    I’m just some random on the internet but I’d rather you didn’t pay Spotify. Here’s one example for why, among many.

    In November 2021, Prima Materia, an investment company cofounded by Ek and Spotify investor Shakil Khan, was announced as the lead investor in a €100 million fundraising round for Helsing, a European defense company that develops military strike drones and AI systems. Ek also joined Helsing’s board along with its co-founders Torsten Reil, Gundbert Scherf and Niklas Köhler.[171] In 2025, Ek’s firm increased its investment in Helsing, leading a €600 million funding round in the company that valued it at €12 billion.[172]

    Several artists have objected to Ek’s investments in defense technology. The German DJ and techno producer Skee Mask urged his nearly 17,000 Twitter followers not to give their “last penny to such a wealthy business that obviously prefers the development of warfare instead of actual progression in the music business.” According to Sameer Gupta, a percussionist based in Brooklyn, New York, “All that money that’s being taken from artists and musicians is being funneled to this,” referring to Helsing. “I don’t know a single musician who would ever say, ‘That’s the function of music.’”[173] In 2025, the bands Deerhoof, Xiu Xiu, King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Hotline TNT, Massive Attack, and Sylvan Esso removed their music from the streaming service over objections to Ek’s investment in Helsing.[174][175][176][177][178]

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Criticism_of_Spotify

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    • camelwize@piefed.social ⁨4⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

      Spotify supports one of the companies building drones to help defend Ukraine? I don’t see the downside to this. Without companies like them, Ukraine would absolutely not be able to hold the line. If anything, as someone living in neighbouring Poland, it makes me feel much better about the idea of renewing my sub.

      I do understand the reluctance to support any sort of defense/military company, but come on, helping defend Ukraine (and by extension, the rest of Europe) is a little different than the companies spending billions on weapons to be used in the middle east.

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