DEEP DIVE: The people breaking up with Spotify

It's Hottest 100 day today, and all over Australia, people are getting around their favourite music discoveries. But one of the main platforms that helps people find new tracks is having a bumpy ride, with users boycotting Spotify because of AI, algorithms and the investments of the company's CEO. So what is the boycott Spotify movement about? And what does it tell us about the state of music in general? In the deep dive today, we look at the global music streaming sector's big whale, and ask why some artists and fans are seeking out alternatives. Guests:  Dr Sophie Freeman, researcher of music streaming and algorithmic recommendation, the University of Melbourne Get the whole story from hack: Follow us on Instagram and TikTok Subscribe to the hack podcast Listen on the triple j app or on your radio live every weeknight at 5:30pm

An episode of the Hack podcast, hosted by Australian Broadcasting Corporation, titled "DEEP DIVE: The people breaking up with Spotify" was published on January 23, 2026 and runs 15 minutes.

January 23, 2026 ·15m · Hack

Summary

It's Hottest 100 day today, and all over Australia, people are getting around their favourite music discoveries. But one of the main platforms that helps people find new tracks is having a bumpy ride, with users boycotting Spotify because of AI, algorithms and the investments of the company's CEO. So what is the boycott Spotify movement about? And what does it tell us about the state of music in general? In the deep dive today, we look at the global music streaming sector's big whale, and ask why some artists and fans are seeking out alternatives. Guests:  Dr Sophie Freeman, researcher of music streaming and algorithmic recommendation, the University of Melbourne Get the whole story from hack: Follow us on Instagram and TikTok Subscribe to the hack podcast Listen on the triple j app or on your radio live every weeknight at 5:30pm

Episode Description