Björk Criticizes Spotify’s Impact on Musicians

Icelandic musician Björk has voiced strong concerns about Spotify and its effect on artists, calling it a major setback for the music industry. In an interview with Swedish publication Dagens Nyheter, she expressed frustration over the platform’s royalty structure, which she believes forces younger artists to tour more extensively to compensate for lost income.

Streaming services have reshaped the way musicians write, record, and interact with their audience. While Björk acknowledges that she no longer relies on touring for financial stability, she recognizes that many emerging artists do not have that option. She also highlighted the growing financial disparity, pointing to Spotify CEO Daniel Ek’s earnings over the past year, which far exceed those of any individual artist.

Spotify has faced continued criticism over its payout system, with many musicians arguing that it undervalues their work. This issue gained more attention recently when several Grammy-nominated artists announced they would skip Spotify’s annual event in protest of royalty distribution.

Björk, who now co-manages a record store in Reykjavík, remains active in the music world while advocating for fairer treatment of artists in the streaming era.