‘I wish I could’: why it’s hard for smaller artists to boycott Spotify

‘If we’re going to do collective work as musicians to try and affect something, why don’t we start with the low rates that Spotify pays musicians?’ … Open Mike Eagle on the boycott. Photograph: Christian Hartmann/Reuters

The past week has seen artists such as Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, Graham Nash and Nils Lofgren stand up to Spotify, boycotting the streaming giant because of Covid-19 misinformation spread on its popular and exclusively available The Joe Rogan Experience podcast. Their protest has been applauded by many, but indie rapper Open Mike Eagle tweeted a very different perspective.

“I love Neil Young but i’m not following that crazy rich man anywhere,” he wrote before adding: “what’s the protest option for non set for life musicians?”