Spotify Faces Artist Boycott Over CEO’s Defense Tech Investments

A growing number of musicians are removing their music from Spotify in protest of CEO Daniel Ek’s investments in military technology, though the boycott has been complicated by misconceptions about where the technology is being used.

The controversy centers around Ek’s investment company Prima Materia, which recently led a €600 million funding round for Helsing, a German defense technology company specializing in AI software for weapons systems and drones. The investment boosted Helsing’s overall valuation to $12 billion.

While artists’ primary objection relates to their music indirectly funding military technology, confusion has emerged about where Helsing’s products are deployed. Some boycott communications have mistakenly suggested a connection between Helsing’s technology and Israel’s military operations in Gaza.

British electronic group Massive Attack was among the first major artists to announce their withdrawal from the platform, calling it a “moral and ethical burden” where “the hard-earned money of fans and the creative endeavours of musicians ultimately funds lethal, dystopian technologies.” Their statement came alongside support for a separate “No Music for Genocide” initiative, which calls on artists to pull music from the Israeli market.

American experimental band Xiu Xiu followed suit, telling fans they were working to remove all their music from what they described as a “garbage hole violent armageddon portal.” In follow-up posts, the group made further remarks suggesting Helsing’s technology might have connections to Israel, though without providing evidence.

The confusion has spread beyond artists. In September, Spanish media reported that activists sprayed red paint on an FC Barcelona shop to “denounce the club’s link with Spotify, whose CEO is associated with the financing of a weapons company used by Israel.” Barcelona has a major sponsorship deal with Spotify.

More recently, a collective of more than 160 musicians from Spain’s Basque region launched their own boycott against Spotify. The pro-Palestine group, called Musikariak Palestinarekin (Musicians with Palestine), cited Ek’s military tech investments among their reasons for leaving the platform, alongside concerns about artist compensation.

In response to the growing controversy, Helsing released a statement in September addressing what it called “misinformation” about its operations. “Currently we see misinformation spreading that Helsing’s technology is deployed in war zones other than Ukraine. This is not correct. Our technology is deployed to European countries for deterrence and for defence against the Russian aggression in Ukraine only,” the company stated.

Spotify has also sought to distance itself from the controversy. A representative from the company’s Spotify for Artists account commented on Massive Attack’s statement, saying: “Spotify and Helsing are two totally separate companies. And while I can’t speak for Helsing, I’m well aware they’re not involved in Gaza. I know because I had the same questions myself, and asked. Helsing’s efforts are focused on Europe defending itself in Ukraine.”

The situation is further complicated by Helsing’s relationship with Swedish weapons manufacturer Saab, which is an investor and strategic partner of the German firm. Saab does have business relationships in Israel, with CEO Micael Johannson previously acknowledging: “We have some companies in Israel supporting us in the supply chain.” However, there is no direct evidence linking Helsing’s technology to operations in Israel.

Ek, who co-founded Spotify in Sweden in 2006, recently announced he will step down as CEO in January 2026 after two decades at the helm, though the company insists the decision is unrelated to the current controversy. The 42-year-old billionaire will continue as executive chairman and remain involved in the company’s operations.

Despite the clarifications from both companies, the boycott movement continues to gain momentum, particularly in Spain and Latin America. However, it doesn’t yet appear to have significantly impacted Spotify’s business performance. In its third-quarter earnings report for 2025, the company announced it had surpassed 700 million monthly active users, while paid subscribers increased 12% year-on-year. Total revenue also grew by 12% compared to the previous year.

“The business is healthy,” Ek stated in the November 4 report. “It all comes back to user fundamentals and that’s where we are: 700 million users who keep coming back, engagement at all-time highs. We’re building Spotify for the long-term.”