Björk slams Spotify: “It’s the worst thing that has happened to musicians”
Björk has slammed Spotify in a new interview with Swedish publication Dagens Nyheter, saying it’s “probably the worst thing that has happened to musicians”.
The singer condemned the music streaming giant, claiming that “streaming culture has changed an entire society and an entire generation of artists.”
“The live part is, and always will be, a big part of what I do,” she said. “But I’m lucky because I no longer have to raise money on touring, which younger musicians are often forced to do.”
Earlier this month, the streaming platform landed in hot water as multiple GRAMMY Awards nominees made the choice to boycott Spotify’s party for the event, claiming it pays artists unfairly.
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In a report published earlier in January, Music Business Worldwide discovered that Spotify founders Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon cashed out more than $932 million in Spotify share sales throughout the year of 2024.
Björk has slammed the streaming giant, saying that touring is a more sustainable way of generating revenue as a musician than through streaming services.
The interview came ahead of Björk’s new concert film, Apple Music Live: Björk, which landed on January 24, and features live footage from her five-year-long ‘Cornucopia’ tour.
Read this next: Björk announces new 480-page book documenting “ambitious” live tour
The hour-long film, recorded in Lisbon, is described as a “one of a kind digitally animated show”, set to land in cinemas later this year.
Speaking to Apple Music’s Zane Lowe in an interview ahead of its release, she explained: “‘Cornucopia’ is an answer to the environmental problems we are in, to the patriarchy. It’s a reply to a lot of problems, and the reply is: ‘Don’t stop there’. We have solutions. We can start all over again.”
In October, Björk announced the release of a new book documenting her “ambitious” ‘Cornucopia’ tour, featuring 313 images across 480 pages.
Check out Björk’s ‘Cornucopia’ film here.
Gemma Ross is Mixmag’s Assistant Editor, follow her on Twitter
